The Two Cursed Seals: Naruto and Sasuke
This power was great enough to shake the entire ninja world.
The combined trump cards unleashed by Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata—each of them pouring out everything they had—were powerful enough to seriously injure even a jōnin if caught off guard.
And yet—
The figure that had been reduced to blackened charcoal suddenly moved.
From within the scorched remains, something stirred.
Like a phoenix reborn from ashes, Orochimaru's body regenerated. The burned flesh peeled away, new skin sprouting beneath it like tender shoots breaking through scorched soil. In the blink of an eye, he had completely restored himself.
And more terrifying still—
He was utterly unharmed.
Not a single wound marred his body.
The three genin stared at him in frozen horror.
Their strongest attacks… their ultimate techniques… everything they had risked their lives to unleash—
All of it had been meaningless.
Episode 133: The Two Cursed Seals! Naruto and Sasuke!
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Fear no longer dominated their hearts.
Instead, what replaced it was despair.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata had already crossed their limits. They had fought with everything they had, combining their powers, pushing their bodies beyond what genin should ever endure.
They had defeated the monster standing before them—
Or so they thought.
In reality, the monster hadn't even been injured.
He was practically immortal.
Yet Orochimaru looked at the three of them with unmistakable admiration.
His snake-like gaze lingered, especially on Naruto.
"This really is a pleasant surprise…" he murmured.
"Uzumaki Naruto… although my original target has always been Sasuke, you are becoming more and more irresistible."
He slowly licked his lips, as though gazing at a beloved toy he had just discovered. A chilling gleam flickered deep within his pupils.
Naruto's breathing grew ragged. His face was pale, his body trembling from exhaustion.
From the moment he entered the Forest of Death, he had lived on the edge. Endless battles. Relentless pressure. One life-threatening encounter after another.
Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Wind Release techniques.
Team 7's ultimate coordinated attack—performed together with Sasuke and Hinata.
They had exhausted every option.
And yet, they still couldn't even scratch the monster before them.
Where… do we go from here? Naruto wondered bitterly.
Sasuke's heart was flooded with emotions too complex to put into words.
At times, he remembered what Uchiha Itachi had once said:
"If you want revenge, cling to life… and live a wretched existence."
Those words urged him to retreat, to survive no matter how humiliating it felt.
At other times, his thoughts turned to Naruto and Hinata—how they had protected him again and again, how Team 7 had fought side by side against impossible odds.
Those memories fueled his resolve to keep fighting.
And then there were moments when the sheer terror of Orochimaru's power overwhelmed him.
Moments when he wanted to give up entirely.
But in that instant—
Sasuke finally understood what he had to do.
Despite being on the verge of collapse, he took one resolute step forward.
"If… I am the prey…" Sasuke said, his voice hoarse but unwavering.
"Then let Naruto and Hinata go."
"I'll come with you."
Naruto and Hinata stared at him in shock.
"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "What are you saying?!"
Sasuke didn't turn back. His eyes remained fixed on Orochimaru.
"Shut up."
"We've fought with everything we have, and we still don't stand a chance."
"It's better for me to die alone… than for all three of us to die here."
Naruto and Hinata froze.
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"Ready to sacrifice yourself for your so-called bonds?" he mocked.
"How touching…"
"But Sasuke," Orochimaru continued lazily, "I never said I was taking you away now."
"Everything that just happened… was merely a test."
His smile widened.
"But before that—"
"I need to leave a mark."
In an instant, Orochimaru's head shot forward.
His neck stretched unnaturally long, coiling like a massive white serpent. The sight was grotesque and terrifying. His jaws opened wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs as he lunged straight for Sasuke's neck!
Just as those fangs were about to sink into Sasuke—
Suddenly—
Thud!
Naruto threw himself forward, shoving Sasuke aside and placing himself directly in Orochimaru's path.
"Hm?"
Orochimaru paused for the briefest moment.
But his jaws didn't stop.
"Since you insist on involving yourself, Naruto…"
Crunch!
Without hesitation, Orochimaru bit down hard on the back of Naruto's neck.
Agonizing pain exploded through Naruto's body.
"Aaaaah!"
He screamed as his legs gave out, collapsing to the ground.
"Sasuke!" Naruto cried weakly.
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and fury.
"Naruto! What are you doing?!"
Hinata gasped, fear gripping her heart as she covered her mouth.
Naruto clutched his neck in agony. This wasn't a normal bite—it felt as though something foreign had been injected directly into his body. A strange, ominous power spread through his veins, cold and invasive.
Orochimaru's neck didn't retract.
"Hahaha… since you insist on this," he said amusedly, "I might as well find another test subject."
"I like you quite a bit too, Naruto."
Then his eyes shifted.
"But Sasuke… you still can't escape."
His neck shot forward again, striking like lightning.
"Aaaagh!"
Sasuke screamed as Orochimaru bit into his neck as well, his body collapsing to the ground.
Hinata rushed forward, instinctively assuming the Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Guarding Palm stance.
But Orochimaru had already withdrawn.
"Heh. Little girl of the Hyūga Clan," he said coldly. "Both of them have now been branded with my Cursed Seal."
"From this point on, their paths will be decided by fate."
As his words faded, Orochimaru's body transformed into a massive white serpent, slithering rapidly into the depths of the Forest of Death.
Only silence remained.
Hinata finally exhaled, her body trembling.
But her relief was short-lived.
Naruto and Sasuke—both of them had been bitten by that monster.
She had no idea what terrifying consequences awaited them.
"Naruto-kun… Sasuke…"
"How are you both?!"
Naruto's powerful life force barely kept him conscious. Gritting his teeth, he clutched his neck.
"I… I'm okay…"
But Sasuke had already reached his limit.
He lay unconscious.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto forced himself to stand and staggered toward him.
"Huh? What is this…"
Near Sasuke's neck, a strange mark slowly emerged—three tomoe arranged in a circular pattern.
Hinata's eyes widened.
"Naruto-kun… the same mark has appeared on your neck!"
"This must be the 'mark' the monster mentioned…"
Naruto was in excruciating pain. Yet years of harsh training, relentless Lightning Release practice, and the Uzumaki Clan's formidable vitality allowed him to endure it—barely.
Sasuke's spirit might be strong, but physically, he couldn't compare to Naruto.
"Damn it… we have no choice," Naruto muttered. "We need to get out of the Forest of Death and report this to Kakashi-sensei."
"Hinata… let's go."
Hinata hesitated. "Naruto-kun… should we continue the Chūnin Exams?"
"There's still a long way to go," Naruto replied. "It's better to reach the tower as soon as possible and inform the exam officials."
Hinata nodded.
Supporting Sasuke's unconscious body, they began moving.
Naruto was clearly at his limit, barely able to remain standing. Hinata activated her Byakugan, conserving its power as much as possible while carefully choosing the safest route.
They avoided every enemy in their path.
Hinata herself was nearing exhaustion. Her vision blurred, her body screamed in protest.
But when she thought of Naruto and Sasuke—
Giving up never crossed her mind.
After what felt like an eternity, the tower finally came into view.
Hinata nearly collapsed in relief.
Using the last of her strength, she dragged Naruto and Sasuke to the entrance.
Naruto's legs finally gave out.
He fell hard to the ground, losing consciousness.
Hinata immediately opened both the Heaven and Earth scrolls.
Boom!
A cloud of white smoke erupted.
An unexpected figure appeared.
"Iruka-sensei?!" Hinata cried in surprise.
Iruka was about to speak when he noticed Naruto and Sasuke lying on the ground.
"What happened?!"
Hinata quickly explained everything.
Iruka's expression darkened.
"Call for backup! Immediately!"
Soon, other covert exam supervisors arrived. Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata were swiftly escorted out of the Forest of Death.
At the same time, Anko Mitarashi received an urgent report—
The corpse of a Grass Village ninja had been discovered.
And the Forest of Death had begun to stir once more.
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