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After running to the entrance, taking a quick turn, and disappearing from everyone's sight, Naruto opened a portal and teleported straight back home.
He had no idea where the bathroom was in this place, and with snakes lurking around, there was no safer place than his own home.
True enough, there were snakes lurking nearby.
As soon as Naruto's figure vanished, a snake slithered out from a crack in the wall. Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who had been tailing Kakashi and Sasuke, licked his lips with his tongue. "Space-time ninjutsu… blue pupils… Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails… Uzumaki…"
"Intriguing," Orochimaru murmured to himself, feeling like he had uncovered something fascinating.
Naruto, however, remained completely unaware.
Naruto didn't possess particularly strong sensory abilities, and Orochimaru's hiding skills ranked among the top three in the Hidden Leaf—only surpassed by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and Black Zetsu. Orochimaru could stand right next to the Third Hokage without being detected. For someone like Naruto at his current level, sensing Orochimaru's presence was still far beyond his reach.
Meanwhile, after returning home and finishing his business, Naruto created a shadow clone and got back to work sculpting figurines. This time, he planned to create a 2B-style character.
Although she was technically a robot and her internal structure was beyond his understanding, Naruto figured he could at least nail the appearance. After years of sculpting action figures, he felt confident that even crafting something as bizarre as an alien creature wouldn't faze him anymore.
"Even an idiot would become a master after ten years of practice," Naruto muttered to himself.
Once everything was set up, Naruto teleported back to the arena.
On the other side, Kakashi was in the process of sealing Sasuke's Curse Mark. A circle of intricate sealing patterns surrounded Sasuke, who sat in the center, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. His expression was awkward—he hated being seen like this again.
"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked after completing the final seal.
"Yeah," Sasuke replied.
Sasuke had agreed quickly when Kakashi explained the sealing process. Naruto had once again pointed him in the right direction: through the seal, he could gradually learn to control the raw, chaotic power of the Curse Mark. Sasuke's pride wouldn't allow him to fall behind Naruto, who had already mastered such overwhelming strength.
Moreover, Sasuke found himself pondering a philosophical dilemma: if he transformed into a monster and killed Itachi, would it count as him doing it? Or was it the monster? If it was the monster, then whose body was it using? But if it was him, then why wasn't it his will?
This line of thought made Sasuke's head hurt so much that he almost wanted to slap himself and yell, "I'm the one who did it!"
At the same time, Sasuke activated his Sharingan to observe the surrounding seals and memorize Kakashi's hand seals.
"This sealing technique is impressive, but it'll be mine in the next second," Sasuke thought smugly.
The Sharingan truly was a powerful tool.
But Sasuke wasn't copying the technique just to show off. He remembered Naruto's warning about the dangers of the Curse Mark leaking out and controlling him. Sasuke feared losing control before mastering the power. However, thanks to his Sharingan, he could replicate the technique. If the seal ever broke, he could simply reapply it himself.
"Evil Sealing Method!" Kakashi announced dramatically, pressing his hand against the Curse Mark.
The pain from the sealing process nearly made Sasuke bite his teeth off, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Unlike in the original timeline, where Sasuke had been physically exhausted from constant battles and facing opponents that drained his chakra, this time, he had spent the journey eating and resting. Before the exam, he had replenished his energy, and during the test, he even rested for over forty minutes. His opponent, Sakura, posed no real challenge. As a result, Sasuke was in peak condition.
The sealing patterns spread across Sasuke's body, finally forming a ring around the Curse Mark.
"It's done," Kakashi said, pulling his hand back.
Sasuke took several deep breaths, slowly getting up and starting to dress. Thanks to his rigorous training and diet of dragon meat, his body was in excellent shape, allowing him to endure the pain without passing out.
"I'm growing more impressed with you, Sasuke," Orochimaru emerged from the shadows, his presence akin to a snake ready to strike its prey.
No need for metaphors—he literally was a snake.
Sasuke immediately pulled out a kunai, on guard.
"Not bad for a disciple of the Fourth Hokage," Orochimaru chuckled, not even bothering to hide his disdain for Kakashi and Sasuke. With a hint of pride, he revealed what he had discovered earlier. "You even know a sealing technique from the Uzumaki clan."
"Orochimaru!" Kakashi broke into a cold sweat. He knew Orochimaru's words carried hidden meanings, but he didn't have time to dwell on them. Facing Orochimaru meant certain death for him, while the best outcome for the Sannin would be a severe injury.
Sasuke, still holding his kunai, shot Kakashi a disdainful look. "You're actually frozen in fear? Look at Naruto—he charges in without hesitation."
Sasuke also mulled over Orochimaru's words. Kakashi is the Fourth Hokage's disciple, and the Uzumaki clan must be a family. Then what about Naruto's relatives?
He recalled Naruto mentioning something about racial talents in the past, which suggested that Naruto knew he had a family.
Then why doesn't he go looking for them?
Meanwhile, the only two surviving members of Naruto's clan were elsewhere. One was sitting by the roadside, daydreaming about the boy who had saved her days ago. The other was plotting how to bring suffering to the world—or at least cause some pain to Mother Earth.
Sasuke's mind raced with thoughts, and he gave Kakashi another scornful glance. A disciple of the Fourth Hokage, frozen in fear? Pathetic.
"What beautiful eyes you have," Orochimaru remarked admiringly.
"Why are you targeting Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, trying to buy time.
Orochimaru ignored him, his gaze fixed on Sasuke. "Your luck is impressive. You've already obtained it."
"Don't tell me…" Kakashi gasped, his hands beginning to form seals.
Meanwhile, Naruto had just stepped back into the arena—and was immediately stunned. To summarize his thoughts in two sentences:
Where's the arena? What happened to that massive battlefield?
As soon as I walked in, I saw Temari attacking Shikamaru.
The once-pristine arena was now in shambles, with wind blades flying everywhere. The engraved statues that marked the battlefield were shattered, and Shikamaru was cowering behind the remaining debris, trembling like a frightened rookie.
Naruto hurried over to the group of spectators to watch the match unfold.
Taking his sword back from Gai, Naruto thanked him and turned to Sakura, asking, "How's the match going?"
In front of others, he never called her "Sakura-neechan." After all, Sakura was a girl with pride, and calling her that was just a private joke between them.
"Ever since the match started, that Suna kunoichi has been attacking like a mad dog. Shikamaru tried attacking twice, but now he's just hiding behind the statues," Sakura explained, her choice of words reflecting her lingering resentment toward Temari for ogling Sasuke in the past.
Naruto nodded. Everything was unfolding just as he had expected.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata, who had been watching with Kiba and Kurenai, rushed over upon seeing Naruto return.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto grabbed the little girl's hand without hesitation.
Kurenai and Asuma exchanged knowing smiles.
Kiba felt like he was choking on double portions of dog food.
Naruto pulled out an apple and began munching on it while watching the match with Hinata.
Hinata, on the other hand, was eating as much as she could.
"Hinata-chan, who do you think will win?" Naruto asked mischievously.
Naruto was willing to bet his future happiness that Shikamaru would win. Despite not being the strongest fighter, Shikamaru's brilliance made him a formidable opponent. Even Naruto wasn't sure he could beat Shikamaru in a fight. While Naruto couldn't account for every detail in combat, Shikamaru could. The likely outcome would either be Naruto being mysteriously manipulated or—more probably—Naruto using his speed to take Shikamaru down instantly.
"I think it'll be Temari," Hinata said, biting into her apple and smiling. Though she didn't want to admit it, Shikamaru's performance so far had been lackluster, making it hard to believe he could win.
Still, she was in high spirits. Watching the match with Naruto while sharing an apple was something she had often dreamed of.
"I think it'll be Shikamaru," Naruto grinned slyly, his smile resembling that of a fox rather than the colossal Nine-Tails. "Wanna make a bet?"
"What would you like to bet on, Naruto-kun?" Hinata enjoyed these playful games between couples, even though their relationship hadn't been officially confirmed yet.
Naruto tapped the apple in his hand.
Hinata's face turned beet red. She understood immediately. While she had shared apples with Naruto before, those instances were passive. If Shikamaru won, she would have to actively kiss him this time. The thought was mortifying!
Naruto's plan to cultivate his little loli was progressing smoothly. From blushing whenever they spoke, to holding hands, whispering, and sharing apples, Hinata had gradually grown accustomed to his advances. Now, she could handle holding his hand without flinching, and even tolerated light pecks on the cheek. Next, Naruto planned to help her get used to initiating kisses.
[Thank you, Shikamaru, for giving me this opportunity.]
Back in the arena, Shikamaru sat cross-legged behind the statue, his hands forming a circle in front of his abdomen.
"What kind of seal is that?" Kurenai asked Asuma beside her, pretending to be clueless. She decided to play dumb for once. Otherwise, this wooden-headed man hadn't shown any affection since they met—not even offering her something to eat, just smoking silently.
"Oh…" Asuma began explaining. "That's Shikamaru's special thinking pose. He always does that when he's serious."
"Thinking?" Kurenai continued her act, feigning innocence despite her wealth and intelligence.
"Yeah, looks like Shikamaru's about to win this match. That kid's a super genius with an IQ over 200," Asuma boasted proudly. After all, Shikamaru was his student.
"Over 200?!" Everyone around them was shocked.
Naruto vaguely remembered searching online once—normal people typically had IQs between 90 and 115 on a 200-point scale. He couldn't help but recall a famous quote:
"Your IQ is 115 because that's all you've got. My IQ is 200 because 200 is the limit."
Suddenly, the two fighters sprang into action. Shikamaru abandoned his previous defensive strategy and began launching attacks.
"Shikamaru's going to win. Why? Because…" Naruto trailed off as a voice interrupted him.
"Shino, when did you get here?" Naruto exclaimed, surprised by the sudden appearance of another person.
In the arena, Shikamaru threw several kunai, which Temari deflected effortlessly. He then began manipulating the shadows cast by the statues and stands, forcing Temari to dodge left and right.
However, shadows had their limits. Temari eventually stopped at a specific spot and smirked, slamming her fan onto the ground. "I've calculated the maximum range of your technique. At this distance, your shadow can't possibly reach me."
Indeed, Shikamaru's shadow stopped just two centimeters short of her feet, seemingly unable to extend any further.
The next moment, Temari froze in place.
"How is this possible?!" Temari exclaimed in disbelief.
"Shadow Imitation Technique, success," Shikamaru declared smugly.
The sound of a kunai hitting the ground rang out.
The point where the kunai landed was exactly one centimeter in front of Temari, accompanied by a puff of dust.
To drive the point home, Shikamaru made Temari glance at the ceiling.
Cold sweat trickled down Temari's forehead.
Shikamaru had meticulously planned the trajectory and force of the kunai he threw earlier, ensuring it lodged itself into the ceiling. He then calculated that Temari would confidently stop at this exact position and lower her fan, causing the impact to dislodge the kunai. The falling kunai extended the range of his shadow technique.
Her habits, psychology, and strength—all had been accounted for by Shikamaru! Was this guy even human?
"Hey, aren't you going to surrender?" Shikamaru's lazy tone infuriated Temari, but she couldn't move.
Shikamaru had already taken control of her, making her pick up her fan and aim it at her own head.
"I… surrender…" Temari reluctantly admitted. She couldn't believe she had lost to such a lazy guy.
She knew Shikamaru had gone easy on her. If he had commanded her to bash her own head with the fan, she'd be hospitalized for at least ten days. [He's not a bad guy, unfortunately he's an enemy.]
While everyone was marveling at Shikamaru's intellect, Naruto simply smiled and lightly tapped the apple in his hand.
Hinata's face turned crimson.
The names on the screen began to shuffle again.
Hyuga Neji vs. Tenten
Naruto's hand froze mid-action. Old man, why are you pairing people up randomly?
Naruto had completely forgotten that this was an exam—it had turned into a matchmaking event in his mind.