Sakura arched an eyebrow as she stared at the Grass Ninja before them.
The battle in the Land of Waves had ended far too quickly. While it had taught Naruto what a real battle looked like, it hadn't taught him what it truly meant to be a ninja.
A ninja—by definition—was someone who would stop at nothing to accomplish their mission.
And in that regard, Sasuke had always been one step ahead of Naruto.
Seeing that Naruto was still standing there like a complete idiot, dazed and motionless, Sasuke's body suddenly lit up with faint flickers of lightning. Without a word, he shot toward the Grass Ninja with blistering speed.
In a flash, Sasuke launched a brutal kick, slamming directly into the Grass Ninja's chest!
The force of the blow sent the man tumbling through the air before his body violently collided with the trunk of a nearby tree.
Crack!
A clear, chilling sound echoed through the forest.
Sakura furrowed her brows. As a medical ninja, she was all too familiar with that sound.
His neck had snapped.
Humans could be so fragile sometimes—given the right angle, even a small stone could end a life.
Sasuke calmly looked down at the limp figure of the Grass Ninja, whose head now lay at an unnatural angle against the ground. Then, without turning, he addressed Naruto.
"Yo, you alright, dead last?"
That single line snapped Naruto out of his daze like a spark to dry tinder. His whole body tensed, his expression shifting from stunned confusion to determination. His eyes shifted toward the other Grass Ninja—the red-haired girl who had just tossed away her weapon and was now trying to sneak away quietly.
Whoosh!
A shuriken tore through the air from Sakura's hand, spinning violently as it sliced through the ninja's leg, severing the tendons in one clean strike.
Splat!
Blood splashed out in an arc as the enemy collapsed to the ground with a scream of pain, clutching at their bleeding leg in agony.
Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a brief glance.
Sasuke gave her a small nod and then began walking toward Naruto.
No words were needed.
Sakura turned her gaze away and walked toward the red-haired girl who had remained motionless the entire time—Karin.
"I keep my promises," Sakura said with a soft smile as she approached the girl.
"Mm…" Karin murmured, her voice low and uncertain.
Her heart was a mess of emotions. It wasn't guilt over her defeated teammates that troubled her, but the sudden realization that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't predict—and that frightened her.
Right now, Sakura, the girl who had so decisively taken control of the situation and removed her from her old team, was the only person she felt she could trust.
Karin wasn't stupid. Before the exam even began, she had already guessed that her Grass team would pass the first round and enter the second stage through Corridor A4. That knowledge alone proved that this pink-haired girl wasn't just another ordinary Konoha genin.
---
"Hey, Naruto."
Sasuke approached Naruto, who was now staring silently at the injured Grass Ninja sprawled on the ground.
"Kill him."
With a blank expression, Sasuke handed Naruto a kunai, its blade glinting coldly in the morning light.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at Sasuke as if he didn't recognize him.
But what met his gaze were Sasuke's black, emotionless eyes—eyes that looked through him rather than at him.
Sasuke's voice was calm, his expression indifferent.
During their mission in the Land of Waves, he had already taken a life—that loyal boy who had chosen to die protecting Zabuza. That moment had opened Sasuke's eyes.
This was what it meant to be a ninja.
When you can't change your fate, you obey it silently.
---
Night.
Sakura leaned against a tree trunk, her eyes resting on Naruto, who sat in silence a short distance away.
She said nothing.
There were some things he had to work through on his own.
Suddenly, her ear began to itch. She blinked and turned slightly.
Emerald green eyes glanced down at the red-haired girl sleeping beside her—Karin had her arm tightly wrapped around Sakura's, clinging to her like a child to a security blanket.
Her long crimson hair fluttered in the night breeze, brushing lightly against Sakura's ear.
This girl… is seriously lacking a sense of security, Sakura thought with a sigh.
Even in her sleep, Karin clung to her like she might disappear.
Earlier, Naruto and Sasuke had both questioned Sakura about Karin, but she had brushed it off with a vague response: "An old friend from a past mission."
Though suspicious, they didn't press her.
They trusted Sakura.
---
The night faded, and morning light spilled into the forest of death.
The bright sunlight stung Sakura's eyes, making her blink.
As she slowly opened her groggy eyes, the first thing she saw was a mop of bright blond hair hovering just inches from her face.
"Sakura! You're awake!"
"Wha—!!?"
Startled, Sakura's reflexes took over.
Thud!
With one sharp kick, she launched Naruto across the clearing. He crashed into the ground in a cloud of dust.
"Ugh… Sakura's strength is still… terrifying…" Naruto groaned, lying on the ground and staring at the sky, dazed.
"You idiot! You scared the hell out of me first thing in the morning!"
Sakura scowled down at him.
"I just wanted to see what you looked like while sleeping…" Naruto muttered as he sat up and rubbed his face with a sheepish smile.
Karin, who had been awakened by their commotion, instinctively hugged Sakura's arm even tighter. She gave Naruto a look of absolute disgust, as if the word "pervert" was written all over his forehead.
"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked, gently freeing her now-numb arm from Karin's grip and shaking the blood back into it.
"He went to fetch some water. He should be back soon," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head, already back to his usual carefree self.
Karin, meanwhile, pursed her lips as she stared at the blond boy.
Why did this idiot have such warm chakra—like the sun itself?
"Alright. Once Sasuke's back, we'll head out," Sakura said, standing up and stretching.
Karin opened her mouth as if to speak… but then froze.
Her entire body stiffened.
Without warning, Karin lunged forward and tackled Sakura to the ground!
Caught completely off-guard, Sakura fell flat with Karin on top of her.
Sakura looked up at the red-haired girl's pale, terrified face and immediately understood—this wasn't a joke.
Karin wasn't like other sensory types.
Aside from her powerful healing abilities, she possessed a unique Kekkei Genkai—Kagura's Eye.
It was a sensory ability so powerful that even the Hyuga clan's Byakugan paled in comparison. It could detect movements and chakra fluctuations across tens of kilometers.
When it came to pure perception, Kagura's Eye was unmatched in the ninja world.
And right now, Karin's face was filled with dread. Her ruby-red eyes trembled as she whispered in terror.
Something was coming.
Evil. Malicious. Horrifying.
It felt like being dropped into a pit of venomous snakes—slimy, cold creatures slithering over your skin, hissing with forked tongues. The air itself seemed to thicken with menace.
This chakra… was unlike anything she had ever felt before.
It wasn't just dangerous—it was monstrous.
Then, from the very spot where Sakura had been standing just seconds earlier, a strange bubbling sound began to echo.
The ground seemed to melt—no, it turned into sludge. And from that pile of muck, a figure slowly emerged.
"Well now… how interesting…"
The voice was low and chilling, dripping with amusement and malice.
The figure had long, jet-black hair, and wore a forehead protector with the symbol of the Hidden Sound. His clothes were an earthen yellow, and around his waist was a thick purple rope tied in a knot.
His entire being radiated danger, like a venomous serpent preparing to strike.
Golden, slit-like pupils flicked across the group, analyzing them.
"The Uzumaki descendant…"
His eyes landed on Karin, whose entire body was trembling from the sheer pressure of his chakra.
"The Uchiha heir…"
His gaze shifted to Sasuke, who had just returned with a water flask and was now glaring warily at the stranger.
"And the last disciple of my former sensei…"
At last, his piercing gaze locked onto Sakura.
This man… was none other than Orochimaru.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
And now, the true terror of the Forest of Death had finally arrived.
(To be continued…)