On the outskirts of the Forest of Death

"Damn it! These are Konoha's Genin? Just a bunch of brats!"

With an unwilling roar, a Rain shinobi wearing a respirator collapsed to the ground.

They were the very same Rain-nin who had quarreled with Team 7 back in the exam hall.

Naruto pumped his fist with excitement.

"That's it? And you thought you could mess with us! Sasuke, how's it going on your side?"

Not far away, Sasuke had already finished. He was crouched beside another fallen Rain-nin, rummaging through his gear.

"You're too slow. I've already dealt with mine."

Naruto spun around at the voice, only to see Sasuke emptying the man's tool pouch onto the ground.

Naruto froze, then ground his teeth in frustration.

Damn it, Sasuke got there first again!

He rushed to the Rain-nin he had just knocked out and began patting him down.

Sasuke stood, brushing dust from his clothes. "This one doesn't have a scroll."

"What about you? Did you find one?"

"No."

Naruto's search also turned up nothing. His shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"What about the last one?" Sakura asked, scanning the trees nervously.

Three Rain-nin had ambushed them a moment ago. If only two lay defeated, one had escaped.

"What a waste of time!" Naruto growled, glaring into the gloomy forest. But there was no sign of the missing enemy.

Sasuke dusted off his sleeves. "Let's go. No point wasting time here."

He started forward, leaving Naruto and Sakura no choice but to shake off their frustration and regroup.

Suddenly, Sasuke froze mid-step, his brows knitting.

Seeing this, Naruto and Sakura halted at once, their senses sharpening.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke lifted his left hand to signal silence, his eyes narrowing at a patch of thick brush ahead.

A chill had brushed against his awareness like a cold wind running down his spine.

The next instant, a lone figure emerged silently from the clearing.

He was tall and slender, wearing a conical hat that shadowed most of his face. Waist-length black hair swayed beneath the brim.

"Careful," Sasuke warned grimly.

The three immediately shifted into a triangular formation, bracing for battle.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Another enemy?!"

The figure lifted his head at last.

A Kusagakure ninja.

Through the shifting shadows, his skin appeared deathly pale, his features sharp and bloodless. Beneath the brim of his hat, two narrow golden slits glimmered faintly vertical pupils like a serpent's.

"Konoha's Genin are impressive indeed," the newcomer said with a chilling smile. "Tell me… which scroll do you carry?"

The words made all three tense.

Naruto's expression darkened. He shot back instantly: "Hah! Like we'd tell some shady creep who he is!"

"Calm down, Naruto."

Sasuke stepped forward half a pace, eyes fixed on the stranger. "I have a question for you. Among Kusagakure's candidates there's a red-haired girl. Do you know where she is now?"

"If you can tell us, we'll help you secure a scroll in return. You just saw our strength it won't be difficult for us to take another one."

Naruto and Sakura were both stunned.

"Sa–Sasuke?!" Naruto blurted.

Even he realized what Sasuke was implying.

Red-haired girl?

Naruto's chest tightened. He instantly realized Sasuke's words were for him. A strange, awkward emotion welled up inside.

Scratching his head, he turned away with a pout. "Tch… Sasuke, trying to act all cool again!"

On the other side, the Grass-nin in the conical hat froze for a moment at Sasuke's proposal, as if caught off guard.

Then, after a pause, he let out a low, eerie laugh. "Heh… interesting. You're actually offering me a deal?"

He tilted his head back, lifting the brim to reveal a pair of cold, snake-like eyes glimmering beneath the hat. His thin lips twisted into a playful smile. "Looking for the red-haired girl from Kusagakure, are you ?"

His long tongue slithered suddenly from his mouth, licking at the cracks of his lips in a grotesque, taunting motion. "Sounds tempting. But if you want information from me… let's see if you even have the guts!"

Before he finished speaking, a chilling aura exploded outward from his body.

He spread his arms slightly. Chakra surged violently, and a suffocating killing intent swept over Team 7 like a hurricane.

Like a blizzard crashing down.

Whoosh !

Birds startled from the treetops screeched and flapped wildly, scattering into the skies in a frenzy.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were struck first by the suffocating wave. It was as though they had been dropped into a frozen cavern.

The murderous intent pressed down on their throats like a tangible blade, making it hard to even breathe.

Their pupils shrank, cold sweat soaking their backs. A suffocating fear surged up inside their minds.

My body… can't move!

They stood rigid, locked in place, terrified that the slightest twitch would see them torn apart by the invisible blades pressing against them.

Sakura's face drained of color. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Wh-what do we do? This is terrifying!"

Her heart crumbled under the pressure. Every nerve screamed at her to run, yet her limbs refused to obey.

Beside her, Sasuke gritted his teeth. His face twisted with effort, trying to raise his arms into a fighting stance. But his muscles were frozen stiff, trembling helplessly under the weight of the killing aura.

His horror grew. The murderous intent from this man dwarfed even the suffocating pressure Zabuza had unleashed!

Sasuke's chest rose and fell sharply, cold sweat dripping down his jaw.

"Just with aura alone… you can do this?!"

Shing!

Two sharp whistles cut through the air.

Shuriken flew, spinning straight toward the Grass-nin's face.

And right behind them, an orange blur charged forward.

"Ahhhh! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto shouted, breaking through the suffocating dread by sheer will.

His hands flashed through seals.

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Three clouds of smoke burst open. Three Naruto clones rushed forward in unison, fists and feet flying in a desperate assault.

Sasuke's eyes widened. He broke free ? Under this kind of pressure?!

But there was no time for awe.

The Sharingan in Sasuke's eyes whirled to life. Scarlet tomoe spun rapidly, reflecting the image of Naruto's clones.

"Hmph. In that case "

He clenched his jaw and poured chakra into his eyes, forcing their power to its limit.

The Grass-nin barely reacted to the charging clones. He raised his arm lazily, swatting at them as if brushing away insects.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three heavy thuds rang out. Each clone was destroyed in an instant, dispersing into white smoke that drifted away on the wind.

But in that moment

"Genjutsu Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!"

Sasuke locked eyes with the enemy.

Illusory energy surged from his Sharingan. The Grass-nin faltered briefly, his movements slowing, the oppressive aura weakening for just an instant.

Sasuke's breath hitched with relief. It's working!

Sasuke had expected it would take everything he had to drag this strange, powerful enemy into his genjutsu.

Yet the process was smoother than he imagined.

Too smooth.

The backlash hit at once. A searing pain flared in his eyes, his chakra pouring out like water through a broken dam.

Within two seconds, Sasuke's vision wavered.

The illusion space he had constructed cracked and splintered, collapsing before his eyes.

The Grass-nin snapped his eyes open, a mocking glint flashing across his snake-like pupils.

"Oh? Genjutsu? How disappointing "

He lifted one hand slowly, his tone dripping with scorn. "You're too naïve! If it were "

But he never finished the sentence.

"Rasengan!"

A sharp shout cut him off.

The Grass-nin stiffened in surprise, barely turning his head before a swirling sphere of blue chakra smashed into his face with a high-pitched whine.

BOOM!

The orb exploded violently, releasing a torrent of spinning chakra.

Caught off guard, the Grass-nin took the blast full force. His body whipped through the air like a severed kite, snapping a thick branch in half before crashing into the undergrowth, leaves and dust exploding into the air.

"Did… did it work?!"

Sakura clung to the trunk of a nearby tree, struggling to stand, her eyes wide with hope as she stared at the rising smoke.

Sasuke collapsed to one knee, panting, sweat dripping down his brow.

His genjutsu had been shattered, and now dizziness pounded at his temples.

Naruto scrambled upright from the crater left by the Rasengan's recoil. His chest heaved, his right hand still extended, glowing faintly with the remnants of light-blue chakra.

He grinned, wiping mud off his cheek. "Whew that was close!"

He thumped his chest with relief. "If that guy hadn't wasted time running his mouth, I might not have gotten the opening!"

Seeing her teammates alive, Sakura finally exhaled, her nerves loosening. She hurried over, keeping a wary eye on the trees, and slipped under Sasuke's arm to steady him.

"Sasuke, are you okay?!"

"H… I'm fine."

He shook his head slightly, leaning against her for balance. Forcing a few deep breaths, he turned his gaze toward the spot where the enemy had landed. "Did it work?"

A hoarse, sinister laugh echoed through the silent forest.

"Hahaha… to wield the Sharingan so far at such a young age. Remarkable truly remarkable."

"What?!"

Naruto and Sakura's faces went pale.

Not far away, a thin figure stirred among the broken branches. Slowly, he pushed himself upright.

His conical hat was gone. The false skin that had masked his features hung in tatters from his face, peeling away like a broken disguise.

....

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