The perimeter of the Forest of Death, the temporary proctoring booth area.
Anko Mitarashi was sitting on the edge of the booth roof, contentedly eating dango and drinking red bean soup. The tree next to her was covered in dango skewers, forming the mark of the Will of Fire!
She squinted her eyes with a look of enjoyment, clearly extremely satisfied with this dessert.
Just then—
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several figures appeared in the open space of the booth area using high-speed Body Flicker Jutsu. A Chunin leading them looked up, his tone urgent:
"Anko-sama!"
Anko chewed on a dango, swinging her legs, and looked down nonchalantly:
"Hmm? What's the panic? The exam only started a little while ago!"
"Something has happened..." the Chunin reported quickly. "We found three corpses in the eastern perimeter exclusion zone of the Forest of Death!"
Anko's chewing slowed down, and the laziness on her face receded slightly:
"Corpses? Has the fighting between candidates already spread outside the venue? According to the rules, that doesn't count..."
"No, it's not like that!" the Chunin interrupted her, his voice solemn. "The bodies were found in the buffer zone outside the forest, and the estimated time of death was before the exam started. Moreover... the situation is very strange!"
Anko leaped down from the roof, landing lightly, her brow furrowed: "Strange?"
"Yes! You should go check it out for yourself! The Anbu have already arrived!"
Seeing this, Anko's expression became completely serious, and she asked no more: "Lead the way!"
The group quickly arrived at the location where the bodies were discovered.
In a clearing, three corpses wearing Kusagakure ninja uniforms lay on the ground, with several Anbu members already investigating the surroundings.
Anko squatted down to examine the bodies. When she saw their faces clearly, her pupils suddenly contracted.
The skin on the three corpses' faces... seemed to have been completely melted off. Their features were a blurred mess, making it impossible to identify their original appearances.
"This is...!"
Anko trembled all over, her fists clenching suddenly.
At this moment, the Captain of the Anbu nearby saw her arrive and spoke in a deep voice:
"Based on the items they were carrying and their headbands, they should be registered candidates from Kusagakure. But it's too strange; even if candidates died, it should have happened inside the Forest of Death, never at this location."
Anko stared fixedly at the three faceless masks, her teeth grinding together. A familiar and terrifying name was almost on the tip of her tongue.
The Captain of the Anbu keenly noticed her abnormality, stepped forward, and asked in a low voice:
"Anko, if you know something, please be sure to tell us. Hokage-sama suddenly gave orders earlier for us Anbu to dispatch more squads and strengthen patrols during the Chunin Exams, especially focusing on any abnormal or suspicious characters. Now it seems the Third Lord might have sensed something was wrong long ago."
Hearing this, Anko looked up sharply at the Captain of the Anbu, her eyes filled with shock.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and said in a trembling voice:
"...This technique is the 'Vanishing Facial Copy Jutsu'!"
"Vanishing Facial Copy Jutsu?" the Captain of the Anbu repeated in confusion.
Anko's throat moved as she slowly spat out the name that haunted her nightmares:
"It's Orochimaru... He's here! He stripped the faces off these three Grass Ninja, disguised himself as them, and infiltrated the Forest of Death!"
"What?! Orochimaru?!"
The surrounding Anbu members all paled upon hearing the name.
That name represented Konoha's taboo and terror.
"No wonder... No wonder Hokage-sama suddenly strengthened the guard..." The Captain of the Anbu immediately connected the dots, his expression horrified. "But... what is his goal? The Genin taking the exam? Or..."
Anko stood up abruptly, her face looking extremely grim:
"No matter what his goal is, he must be stopped immediately! Report the intelligence to Hokage-sama at once! Also, notify all proctors and Anbu personnel on standby around the Forest of Death to stay alert and be ready to intervene at any time!"
"Right!"
Seeing this, the Anbu members moved quickly, several figures vanishing instantly to deliver the message.
Anko stood where she was, looking toward the heavy iron gates of the Forest of Death that resembled the maw of a giant beast. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were full of determination.
'Orochimaru... You actually dare to return to Konoha and even infiltrate the Chunin Exams... What exactly are you trying to do?!'
...In another part of the forest, the three members of Team 7, who had just been attacked, sat in a circle to discuss their strategy!
Uchiha Sasuke crossed his arms, looking at Naruto and Sakura.
"Regarding the code for identity verification, I'll only say it once. You both must listen carefully!"
Uzumaki Naruto and Sakura Haruno both nodded seriously!
Seeing this, Sasuke spoke directly:
"When I ask about 'Ninja Song and Ninja Hunger,' the answer is: The time when a large number of enemies are in commotion is the time to infiltrate, and there is no place to hide in a quiet place. It is essential for a Ninja to grasp the timing, which is when the enemy is exhausted and careless!"
After finishing, he looked at the two: "Did you both get that clearly?"
"Got it," Sakura Haruno nodded.
Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand, had his mouth hanging open, his eyes turned into swirls, and his mind was a complete mess.
He shook his head hard and leaned forward:
"Uh... Sasuke, can, can you say that one more time?"
Sasuke's expression remained unchanged as he stood up: "I said, I'll only say it once... Don't tell me you didn't remember it!?"
Naruto's expression changed, and he immediately puffed out his chest:
"Who, who said that! How could the great Uzumaki Naruto not remember! It's... it's just to be safe, I wanted to hear it again to confirm!"
Seeing the duplicitous Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke was momentarily speechless and was about to speak...
Boom—!!!
Without any warning, a surge of Chakra suddenly erupted from the side!
Immediately following, the earth groaned as a gust of wild wind plowed a huge trench half a meter deep and over thirty meters long into the ground. Soil was overturned, trees were snapped, and the violent shockwave sent the three members of Team 7 flying backward!
"Waaah!"
"What?!"
The three of them clumsily adjusted their postures in mid-air, looking at the source of the attack in horror. After landing, they instantly hid themselves!
At the end of the trench, three figures stood tall!
"Not bad reactions, little ones." Orochimaru extended his long tongue and licked his lips. "However, the game has only just begun!"
As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly and instructed the two subordinates behind him:
"You two leave here first and search for the other 'target'."
One of the subordinates confirmed again in a low voice: "It's that Tejima Shinichi, right!?"
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled into an even wider arc: "Exactly. Find him and keep an eye on him. After I finish up here, I will go find him personally. After all... the Hokage's disciple... my junior brother... I'm quite interested in him too!"
"Yes!"
The two subordinates did not hesitate, activating the Body Flicker Jutsu and vanishing into the deep forest instantly.
Only Orochimaru remained at the scene, along with the three members of Team 7 who had just recovered from their shock and hidden themselves.
"Now then, let us begin... Sasuke-kun! Let me see... if you can actually..."
"Satisfy me—!!?"