On the road between the first and second stages of the Chunin Exams, a patrol of Konoha proctors found the bodies of several genin from Naekagakure, the village established in the Land of Grass after Naruto's destruction of the former Kusagakure.
Three of them lay dead, their bodies twisted and torn apart in a spray of blood that stained the dirt road dark red. It was clear a ferocious battle had taken place.
Kneeling to examine the wounds, Kotetsu spoke, his voice grim. "They're fresh. Can't have been dead more than an hour."
"The second stage of the Chunin Exams just started, and already we've got trouble like this."
"Get word to the head proctor right away, Anko-san."
The Chunin behind him nodded and disappeared in a flicker.
At that moment, just outside the Forest of Death, Anko was happily devouring a bowl of sweet red bean soup and a pile of dango. Swallowing the last bite, she let out a satisfied sigh. "Sweet things really are the best." Judging by the mountain of bamboo skewers beside her, she had eaten at least fifty.
'Alright, that's enough of a warm-up.'
"Anko-san, there's been an incident," the chunin from the patrol appeared before her in a swirl of leaves. "We found three bodies. The cause of death is... strange."
"Strange?" Anko's expression remained calm. It wasn't unheard of for candidates to be killed during the exams. "Lead the way."
When they arrived, several other proctors were already at the scene.
"We've confirmed their identities," one reported. "Genin from Naekagakure. They passed the first stage."
"Whoever did this was brutal," another added. "And they didn't even try to hide the bodies. It feels like they're sending a message."
"A slap in the face to Konoha. Straight-up provocation."
By the time Anko got there, a few other proctors had already ID'd the dead ninja.
"The worst part is their faces," a proctor said, his voice low. "They're just... gone. Like they were melted away."
"That jutsu..." Anko's heart skipped a beat. 'It reminds me of someone.' She strode forward and turned one of the bodies over herself.
A moment later, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead.
'It's him... What the hell is he doing here?'
The image of Orochimaru rose in her mind, powerful, cold, and ruthless. Without a second's hesitation, she snapped at the surrounding proctors, her voice tight with urgency. "Someone get to Hokage-sama now! Pull in at least two, no, three or more ANBU squads for support."
She turned toward the looming forest. "I'm going after him!"
Before anyone could reply, she charged into the deep woods. As she ran, the curse mark on her shoulder began to ache, a faint, familiar throb.
'That bastard's definitely here.'
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Deep within the Forest of Death, the charred husk of Orochimaru, struck down by Sasuke's Chidori Sharp Spear, split open. A pair of hands stretched out from within, and another Orochimaru, completely unharmed, slithered out to face Sasuke. It was his signature substitution jutsu.
"Sasuke, be careful!" Sakura called from the sidelines, her voice laced with unusual gravity as she broke down his abilities. "He's got strong Earth and Wind Release. Your lightning and fire should be effective!"
Even with her own gains in strength, Sakura knew better than to jump into this fight.
Lightning beat earth, fire smothered wind. Orochimaru's go-to elements were playing right into Sasuke's hands, his fire and lightning natures.
"Fire Release: Heavenly Prison Fire Sword!" Sasuke twisted his left hand, and the fiery blade ignited in his grip.
In his right, a spiked club crackling with lightning.
He kicked off the ground and blurred forward with a Body Flicker, closing the gap to Orochimaru in an instant.
The Soft Physique Modification let Orochimaru shrug off some taijutsu, but sword strikes infused with ninjutsu? That was a different story, pure physical force backed by elemental fury.
Dual blades, ready to crack that skull wide open.
--**--**
Meanwhile, inside the seal space...
A plumper-than-usual Kurama jabbed a claw toward Kid Goku, who sat there gawking at the ceiling like it held all the answers. "Hey, brat," he grumbled. "What's wrong with your little friend? He's been staring at the ceiling for the last ten minutes without moving. Won't even touch his noodles."
Kid Goku stayed lost in his daze, tuning out every shout of his name, his eyes fixed and empty, like some ancient monk lost in trance, slipped into whatever weird headspace.
Naruto frowned, sensing the off vibe. He hurried over to where Goku stood and craned his neck up.
Right there, cutting through what had been solid black nothing, hung a full moon.
Naruto's gut twisted first, 'When the hell did a moon show up in my seal space?'
Then it hit him harde, 'A full moon... a full moon?'
The realization hit him like a physical blow. 'Oh, no.'
Goku's heart starting beating audibly louder, as his face contorted into a ferocious snarl. His dark pupils vanished, replaced by a solid field of blood-red. His body began to swell, muscles bulging and bones cracking as his limbs elongated. His teeth grew into sharp fangs, and an aura of pure malice began to radiate from him.
"What the hell is happening to the tailed kid?" Kurama growled, a deep sense of unease rising within him. He could feel the Goku's chakra turning violent and incredibly feral. "Brat, how did you get out of here?"
Seeing Naruto turn and vanish from the Seal Space without a word, Kurama's unease intensified.
"ROAR!"
A Great Ape erupted into view, one dwarfing even the Nine-Tails. Its bulk crammed the seal space to bursting, every inch straining against the confines. A suffocating pressure flooded the area.
Next to this beast, Kurama's own malevolent aura felt puny, like a lowly Caterpie staring down a Gyarados.
Saiyan Great Ape form, a tenfold surge in power.
Kurama's form shriveled as he huddled in a corner of the space, shaking, praying the monster wouldn't spot him.
"Hey brat! Help! I might get slaughtered!"
--**--**
In the outside world, Sasuke and Orochimaru's clash had hit its boiling point.
Orochimaru outclassed anyone like Kakashi or Zabuza by miles, he was the kind of enduring threat who lingered through the later arcs, always scheming in the shadows.
The fight had worn Sasuke down bit by bit, and now Sakura was pinned under a massive serpent's coils.
"Sasuke-kun, allow me to give you a gift!" Orochimaru's neck suddenly stretched to an impossible length. Before Sasuke could react, he lunged, fangs bared.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Sasuke moved like lightning. His spiked club, alive with crackling electricity, smashed into Orochimaru's skull with home-run force, hurling it aside.
Without his freakish body mods, that hit would've caved Orochimaru in flat.
Using the momentum, Orochimaru's head arced around, zeroing in on Naruto, cross-legged in meditation, his own seal unraveling from the chaos inside.
"Let me leave a gift for you too, Naruto."
Just as those teeth grazed close, Naruto's body surged outward, mirroring the Great Ape's frenzy in the seal.
A massive, furred hand clamped down on Orochimaru's throat.
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