"We're getting close," Sasuke muttered, his eyes scanning every shadow between the trees. "I can see the tower in the distance."
"Tower, shmower!" Naruto walked backward on the narrow dirt path, trying to balance the two scrolls on his head. "Behold! The mighty scroll-master strikes again!"
"You're going to trip." Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.
"Pfft, as if-" Naruto started.
WHACK!
A low branch smacked him in the face, and he crashed flat on his back. Both scrolls flew up and landed right on his stomach.
"Idiot."Sasuke didn't even look at him.
Sakura sighed, shaking her head. But a tiny smile tugged at her lips. Even with all the training they had gone through, Naruto still managed to be… well, Naruto.
"Ugh, I think I swallowed a leaf," Naruto groaned, sitting up and spitting something green from his mouth.
Just then, someone stumbled out of the bushes ahead of them.
"Whoa!" the figure gasped, hands raised. "Easy! I'm not here to fight!"
The genin looked a little older than they were. He had round glasses, pale skin, and silver hair tied back. His Konoha headband caught the sunlight.
"Uh… who are you?" Naruto blinked.
The boy chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Name's Yakushi Kabuto. I guess you could say I'm a bit of a veteran when it comes to these exams."
Sasuke's body tensed immediately. Veteran?
No genin was supposed to be a "veteran" unless they failed the exam multiple times. That didn't sit right with him.
Sakura tilted her head. "Oh! I remember hearing about you. You've taken the Chūnin Exams six times, right?"
"Yeah. I guess that makes me an expert… in failing." Kabuto gave a weak laugh.
He didn't seem dangerous. But something about the way he talked was off. Too calm, too easy.
"You don't look like much," Naruto said as he scratched his cheek.
Kabuto shrugged. "Maybe. But I've learned a lot. Here, I'll show you something."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Every muscle in his body stayed alert. He remembered what Kakashi always said:
"If someone smiles too much, assume the worst."
To make them drop their guard, Kabuto reached into his pouch slowly and pulled out a small deck of rectangular cards.
"These are information cards," he said, holding one up. "I made them myself. Each card has data I collected about other teams. You'd be surprised how useful they can be."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "WHAT?! Like ninja trading cards?! COOL!"
Kabuto smiled at Naruto's reaction and flipped through the deck. "Let's see… Team 8… Team 10… the Sand team…"
Sakura leaned closer. "Wait, what about them? The Sand team?"
Kabuto pulled out a card and turned it around. "Three members: Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. All siblings. High potential. Especially Gaara."
He paused for emphasis.
"Rumor says Gaara's never been touched in a fight. Zero injuries, and all missions cleared perfectly."
Sasuke frowned, his mind clicking through every bit of information. If this Gaara were that dangerous, he'd need to be cautious.
Naruto tilted his head. "Gaaaara? Sounds like a ramen flavor."
Sasuke ignored him.
Kabuto gave a soft chuckle and shuffled the cards back into his pouch. "You're almost at the tower, but watch out. The closer you get, the more desperate the other teams become."
He adjusted his glasses, and for a moment, his eyes flashed cold.
"We're not scared," Naruto said, cracking his knuckles. "We already kicked some sound ninjas' butts earlier!"
"Sound ninja?" Kabuto blinked.
"Yeah," Sakura said. "There were three of them. They tried to ambush us. It didn't end well for them."
Kabuto's lips curled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Ah. That makes sense. Orochimaru-sama did have a few projects running loose."
The words slipped out so naturally that it took a moment to register.
But Sasuke caught it immediately.
Orochimaru-sama.
Sasuke didn't say anything. Not yet.
Kabuto seemed to realize his mistake and quickly corrected himself. "I mean, Orochimaru is a scary name. Better stay on your toes."
Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Tch, we're always sharp, except Sakura when she's hungry."
Sakura smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Shut it, dummy."
Kabuto chuckled. "Well, good luck out there. Don't let your guard down."
He turned and walked away slowly.
Sasuke watched him until the silver hair vanished into the trees.
Only then did he speak.
"We can't trust him."
Sakura looked over, serious. "You think he's working for Orochimaru?"
Sasuke nodded. "He called him 'Orochimaru-sama.' That's not something someone says by accident."
"WHAT?! That nerdy guy?!" Naruto's eyes widened.
"That's exactly the point," Sasuke said. "It's a cover."
Sakura glanced back at the trees. "Should we report it to the proctors?"
"Not yet," Sasuke said. "If we tell them too soon, Kabuto will vanish. Better to wait. Watch. Use the information."
Naruto pounded his fists together. "Fine. But if he tries something sneaky, BAM! Rasengan to the face!"
Sasuke almost smirked. Almost.
Sakura adjusted her bag. "Then let's finish this round fast. We're too close to risk anything now."
They moved forward with new caution, stepping quickly through the roots and vines of the Forest of Death. The air grew heavier as the tower came into clearer view.
But the danger wasn't over.
Not even close.
A rustle broke the silence.
From the side, two kunai flew toward them, fast, sharp, and aimed at Naruto.
"DUCK!" Sasuke shouted.
Naruto dropped flat. The kunai stuck into a tree behind him.
Three figures dropped from the branches above.
They wore hidden village headbands.
"Nice scrolls you got there," one of them said, licking his lips. "Hand 'em over, and we won't break all your bones."
Naruto stood up, cracking his neck. "You picked the wrong team to rob."
Sasuke was already moving. He threw a shuriken and dashed to the right, forcing the enemy team to split their attention.
Sakura backed up and began forming hand seals. "Water Style: Water Needle Barrage!"
Small droplets in the air condensed into sharp, needle-like points and shot forward, forcing two of the missing-nin to dodge.
Naruto made a shadow clone instantly. "You want scrolls? Here! Eat THIS!"
The clone flew forward with a Rasengan swirling in its hand. The enemy tried to dodge, but the clone slammed the Rasengan into the ground, sending a shockwave that made them stumble.
Sasuke flashed in front of one of the stunned enemies and landed a brutal kick to his ribs, sending him crashing into a tree.
The second one lunged at Naruto, a kunai raised.
But Naruto caught his wrist.
And grinned.
"Too slow!"
He headbutted the attacker, then grabbed his arm and spun him over his shoulder into the dirt.
The third enemy tried to sneak up behind Sakura, but she sensed him just in time.
"Genjutsu: Blooming Mirage!"
The trees twisted into a garden of illusions. The enemy froze, confused, staring at flowers that weren't real.
Sakura stepped forward and knocked him out cold with a punch.
It was over in seconds.
Team 7 stood tall.
Sasuke wiped a scratch off his cheek. "That's the third team we've taken down."
"They're getting desperate," Sakura said. "Just like Kabuto warned."
Naruto tossed the enemy's scroll back at him. "Next time, don't pick a fight you can't win."
They left the bodies unconscious and moved forward again.
The tower now stood tall, just ahead.
Silent.
And something… or someone… was watching.
From deep in the woods, a snake slithered over a branch, tongue flickering in the air.
A pale figure in the trees narrowed his golden eyes.
"Oho… so here they are," Orochimaru whispered.
His smile stretched unnaturally wide.
"I think we will meet again soon, my dear Sasuke."