21Ninja Art: Cursed Seal TechniqueAI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 21: Ninja Art · Cursed Seal Technique
What an arrogant guy... Hearing Naruto's declaration just now, the same thought popped into the minds of almost every candidate simultaneously.
I definitely have to teach this guy a lesson!
"How interesting..."
Among the crowd, Orochimaru, disguised as a candidate, had a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
He remembered yesterday when Kabuto hurried to find him, reporting that the Nine-Tails Jinchurikihad "killed" Danzo.
Although, as the one who personally transplanted the Sharingan arm onto Danzo, he knew that old fox definitely had a trump card hidden and wouldn't die so easily.
But the power of the Nine-Tails' rampage still exceeded his expectations.
It's just a pity... this power isn't something he can meddle with right now.
If he were to abduct Naruto, it would inevitably attract a joint suppression from all other forces.
Konoha, the Land of Fire, the Akatsuki Organization, other hidden villages... moreover, he didn't have the means to extract the Nine-Tails' power and make it his own.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru turned his gaze to another boy standing beside Naruto.
"Uchiha... Sasuke."
This was the true purpose of his trip.
Those eyes, the same as Itachi's—he had coveted them for a long time.
As for that noisy Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he would just set him aside for now.
Anyway, he wouldn't have any substantial impact on his plans.
"Very well, since the scrolls have been collected and the entrances chosen!"
Anko stood atop the high platform, her Kunaisuddenly pointing toward the sky.
"Then, the second stage of the Chunin Examsbegins now!"
With the command given, dozens of gates opened simultaneously.
Candidates rushed into the darkness-shrouded Forest of Death!
...Entrance Number Eighteen.
Ino took the lead, barking orders to her teammates behind her.
"Our primary mission is to find that blond bastard's team and steal their scroll!"
Choji was a bit puzzled: "Why their team?"
"Speaking of which, Ino, what kind of grudge do you actually have with that Dead Last?"
Shikamaru drawled with a long sigh, wearing a "what a drag" expression.
"Don't ask so many questions!"
Ino turned back, hands on her hips. "Trust! Got it? Since we're teammates, we should trust each other!"
Shikamaru was speechless.
However, he also believed that among these candidates, Naruto's team was one of the easier targets to Breakthrough.
Just then,
"Ah—!"
A piercing, shrill scream suddenly broke the silence at the entrance of the Forest of Death.
"What happened?" Ino slowed her pace, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.
Shikamaru clearly hadn't expected it either.
A battle broke out?
So soon?
Near Entrance Number Twenty-two.
Team 8 relied on Shino's Blood-sucking insect trapto easily deal with three candidates.
Kiba picked up the scroll from one of them.
"...A scroll of earth? Tsk, what a shame."
They already had a scroll of earth; what they needed now was a book of heaven.
"It's fine, there's still plenty of time," Shino said calmly. "And with the advantage of Hinata's Byakugan, the situation is very favorable for us."
Hinata nodded.
Recalling the baptism of the first exam and the courage Naruto had given her,
Hinata's heart was now filled with firm conviction.
She didn't want to be a burden to her team, and she certainly didn't want to always stand behind Naruto, needing his protection.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, her Byakugan was quietly activated.
The world seemed to unfold before her eyes anew—
Trees, rocks, and bushes were no longer just outlines, but trajectories of flowing Chakra.
Soon, Hinata noticed a target moving rapidly ahead.
"This is..."
She recognized that familiar Chakra.
"Brother?"
Team Guy.
"Neji, where are we going?"
Rock Lee was a bit curious, and Tenten, standing beside him, glanced at him sideways, her tone crisp and decisive:
"Don't ask, just follow the Byakugan."
Neji said nothing, simply continuing his pace.
In his line of sight, he suddenly discovered Hinata's figure.
The two of them simultaneously and tacitly adjusted their direction.
Team 8 and Team Guy subsequently moved away from each other.
"Dead Last, you better hide yourself well..."
"Don't you dare get taken out by others before I find you."
...Team 7.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
Naruto left those words and was about to turn around when Sakura grabbed him.
"Hold it right there!"
"What's wrong?"
Sakura's face was flushed with anger: "You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?!"
"We only set out half an hour ago! You've gone to the bathroom ten times already! What on earth are you up to?!"
Sasuke stood to the side, arms crossed, watching coldly.
"This forest is full of traps and enemies. Are you trying to get us all killed with these meaningless actions?"
Sakura continued her lecture: "And what was with that big talk before the exam started? Didn't that just put our team against everyone else!"
This shouldn't be happening... Naruto rubbed his chin.
According to the plot of the original story, he should have been swapped out by Orochimaruduring a trip to the bathroom.
Why hasn't he come yet?
Could it be that because the report Yakushi Kabutogave him yesterday was too outrageous, it caused the other party to change their plan?
Unlikely.
With Orochimaru's thirst for Sasuke's body, how could he give up so easily?
Thinking of this, Naruto decided to be a bit more patient.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
Completely ignoring Sakura's hand tightly gripping his sleeve, Naruto forced her along as he walked toward the bushes.
It wasn't until he unbuckled his belt that Sakura let out a scream and scurried back dejectedly.
"Sasuke, look at this guy!"
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
A sharp gust of wind suddenly attacked from behind Naruto.
"Finally, you're here."
He feigned being completely off-guard and was thrown hundreds of meters away by this strike.
When he opened his eyes again, a summoned giant snake had already coiled around him and swallowed him into its belly... Meanwhile.
"Hehehe..."
Orochimaru, disguised as Naruto, approached the Sasuke he had been dreaming of.
However, his disguise was quickly seen through.
The battle was triggered instantly, and Orochimaruunreservedly released all of his Killing Intent.
Danger.
Sasuke was so terrified that he fell to his knees.
In an instant, he realized the gap between himself and the person before him.
This "Grass Ninja" before him was a terrifying opponent the likes of which he had never encountered.
From the gaze to the aura, everything radiated an extraordinary sense of danger.
"Could it be that Naruto has already been finished off by him?"
A deep sense of powerlessness surged in his heart.
Once again, he still couldn't do anything.
Not for his family, and not for his teammates.
Even if he was the "Genius" in the mouths of his peers, compared to his brother and the enemy before him, the gap was simply too large.
He was too weak.
At this moment, he had almost accepted his fate and was about to give up resistance.
Just as his consciousness was about to be consumed by fear—
That punchable face suddenly floated into his mind.
If it were that Dead Last.
If it were Naruto.
He would definitely be shouting and screaming, throwing himself forward regardless of everything, right?
Even if he knew he couldn't win, he would never kneel.
"...Tsk."
Intense unwillingness and anger exploded within his chest.
Why?
Why is that guy always charging forward, while I'm here trembling?
If Naruto really has been killed—
Then this person must pay the price!
Even if he died in this forest, he didn't want to just live on like this!
Sasuke suddenly looked down, grabbed a Kunai, and stabbed it into his own thigh without hesitation.
*Puchi...*
Blood splattered, and sharp pain shot through his entire body like an electric current.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru was slightly surprised.
The next second, he saw Sasuke force himself up and charge toward him.
"Die!"
In the crimson pupils, a tomoe spun at high speed.
Sharingan—Activate!
Sasuke's vision suddenly became clear, and everything around him began to slow down.
Even that infinitesimal pause in his opponent's breathing was completely captured by him.
Sharingan · Manipulating Windmill Triple Blades!
With a flick of his wrist, Shuriken shot out in tricky and bizarre trajectories, sealing off all evasion routes.
"Heh..."
A flash of approval passed through Orochimaru's eyes.
To be able to use the Sharingan to such an extent at such a young age?
But that wasn't all.
Just as he barely managed to dodge, another angry shout rang out.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The flames surged along the steel wires tied to the Shuriken and then exploded violently.
Boom!
Blazing fire instantly engulfed Orochimaru's body.
Heat waves rolled, and even the surrounding tree trunks were scorched and cracked.
From within the flames, a low chuckle was heard.
"Hehehe... As expected of that man's brother."
Sasuke's whole body shook, his Sharinganinstantly tightening, staring fixedly at the figure slowly walking out of the fire.
"Who on earth are you?!"
"I am Orochimaru. If you still want to see me, work hard to pass this exam."
Orochimaru touched his face; the scorched human skin mask had already begun to peel off.
The games end here.
His hands quickly formed seals.
The next moment, his head shot out like a snake.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived beside Sasuke, opened his mouth, and bit into the side of his neck.
"Argh—!"
The intense pain felt as if it would tear his nerves apart, and an eerie Chakra flooded into his body.
Black cursed patterns rapidly spread and expanded around the wound.
Cursed Seal of Heaven, complete.
Sasuke's vision instantly plunged into darkness, and his body fell powerlessly.
And at the moment Orochimaru completed all of this,
He suddenly felt as if he were instantly enveloped by a terrifying malice.
"Who?!"
Not far away, a boy wearing a wild boar head mask watched all of this coldly.
[Ding!]
[book of evil has been activated]
[Consumed 400 evil points, remaining evil points: 30]
[Successfully recorded Ninja Art—Cursed Seal Technique!]