Konoha: I, Naruto, will eat the Forest-Forest Fruit!

"Nobody's paying attention to you; you're too early."

"I haven't even finished explaining the qualifications for Chunin yet."

Ibihi emerged from behind the banner.

Even the red bean blushed, a rare occurrence.

It's a bit of a social death...

I should have listened to them.

At that moment, Naruto stood up.

Hinata, who was standing next to her, also quickly stood up.

The twelve little heroes stood up one after another.

With them taking the lead, even Gaara and the other two stood up.

Red Bean immediately became arrogant, "See that?!"

Ibihi shook his head and spoke a little faster.

"After passing my first test, you have all qualified to become Chunin."

"But there's still one more test coming up. You've got the qualifications, now the next test will see if you have the strength to become Chunin."

"The next exam is up to you."

"Don't worry, at least half of these people will be eliminated!"

After giving Naruto a mischievous look, Anko raised her snow-white neck and replied with considerable pride.

Although the candidates unanimously agreed that the examiner for the second round was somewhat unreliable.

But they still set off together with the twelve young heroes in front of them.

Naruto glanced back.

It met the gaze of the hydrangea.

The hydrangeas lowered their heads, not daring to meet your gaze.

Not the goal, but something to be skipped.

Temari... well, I didn't expect her to be so far back.

Turning back, Naruto decided to wait until the second match started before going in to look for them.

The Hidden Grass Village sent six people to participate in the Chunin Exams held by the Hidden Leaf Village.

You can spot it if you pay a little attention.

Behind the crowd, a red figure flashed by, then silently followed behind the five genin from Kusagakure.

One of the tall, slender, long-haired grass ninjas kept his gaze fixed on Sasuke.

Red Bean led the way at the very front.

It's not convenient to communicate with Naruto at this time.

Otherwise, she would have pounced on her long ago.

At least slide to your knees at lightning speed first.

Soon, the group arrived at the training ground in the Death Forest.

Naruto noticed a gaze that was fixed on Sasuke, who was not far away.

Without a doubt, it must be Orochimaru, who covets the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.

I wonder how Sasuke will fare against Orochimaru this time.

"Naruto-kun, someone has been watching us."

Tenten came to Naruto's side and whispered a reminder.

Without turning her head, Hongdou replied softly:

"Damn Orochimaru, he really came!"

"Red Bean, do things according to plan, and be a good girl."

"Hmm... okay..."

Although Hongdou was unwilling, she still obediently pretended that nothing had happened.

Naruto had Minato and Shikamaru speculate on this a long time ago.

News of Orochimaru's appearance reached Shinobu's ears.

The fact that Ninja Bear continues to hold the Chunin Exams can only mean one thing.

Konoha is facing financial difficulties.

Employers urgently need to recruit new employees through the Chunin Exams.

The status of ninjas is really similar to that of mercenaries.

In fact, it's much lower than that of a mercenary.

"Why can I only sense a little familiar chakra?"

"Orochimaru's Immortal Reincarnation Technique involves possessing other people's bodies to achieve a different kind of immortality."

"Therefore, as long as he doesn't actively reveal it, his chakra aura won't be the same as before."

At this moment, Sasuke also felt Orochimaru's cold gaze.

He resisted the urge to turn around and went to Naruto's side.

"Naruto, is this the guy who wants my Sharingan?"

"Sounds good, interested in playing with him?"

"Just so you know, not long after Itachi Uchiha joined Akatsuki, Orochimaru coveted his eyes and body, but he was instantly killed by him with a single glance."

Upon hearing anything about filial piety,

Erzhuzi's emotions became extremely unstable.

The Sharingan activated automatically.

Looking at Sasuke's appearance, Naruto shook his head.

She really does look a lot like Mikoto Uchiha.

Her emotions aren't as stable as hers.

Quan is quite sensitive too.

Perhaps the story of leading a filial son to slaughter the entire clan was too traumatic for her.

At this moment, Hongdou walked to the front of the crowd, preparing to talk about some precautions and rules for the second exam.

Naruto closed his eyes and entered the sealed space.

"Nine Lama, how did things go?"

In Kusagakure, the Natural Sage Mode clone sensed the presence of Kurama, Kushina, and Eternal Sister.

They left Kusagakure immediately.

The purpose of his clone was to check on Karin's mother's condition.

After realizing that the situation wasn't serious enough to require consuming all the power of the Natural Sage Mode clones, they handed it over to Kurama.

"snort!"

"Damn Kusagakure! They actually spent so much money on third-rate ninjutsu! I'm furious!"

"Yongdai is investigating Kusagakure; let the two of them handle this."

"Don't bother me while I'm settling my accounts!"

Clearly, Kusagakure's wealth did not meet Kurama's expectations.

The scoundrel fox was furious.

Standing in front of the iron fence, Hongdou looked at the crowd.

"This is the examination room for the second exam."

"The Forest of Death, known as Konoha's most dangerous and deadliest training ground... Training Ground No. 44!"

Red Bean stuck out her tongue and licked her lips.

Many of the already stressed test takers were frightened.

Looking at the examination room again, I immediately felt a chilly atmosphere.

The trees were so dense that sunlight couldn't penetrate, making it look gloomy.

"What Sister Red Bean said is so scary!"

Sakura, her body trembling slightly, leaned towards Naruto.

Temari, who wasn't too far away, twitched her ears and immediately rolled her eyes.

"You damn green tea b*tch!"

The pink-haired girl's ears twitched, and she hugged Naruto's arm, turning around to raise her middle finger.

"You'll soon find out why this place is called the Forest of Death."

"Enough with the small talk, come over and sign the waiver!"

Hongdou felt she didn't need to scare them any further; many test-takers' legs had already started trembling.

"Having signed the death consent form, you should know how dangerous this assessment is."

"It's not too late to back out now."

"You can sign first."

Red Bean casually pointed, and it happened to point to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru stuck out his long, scarlet tongue and licked his lips, letting out a strange laugh.

Step forward and write your name.

Looking at the crowd lining up to sign, Hongdou began to explain the rules.

This second test is a survival challenge.

After signing the death consent form, you can collect the reel in a team of three.

The scroll is divided into two parts—the scroll of heaven and the scroll of earth.

Collecting both volumes is considered passing the test.

The deadline is five days.

Furthermore, the qualification criteria this time are still based on the team level.

Even one person missing will disqualify you from passing.

You can get the reel from the examiner at the entrance.

And the entrance to Exercise Field No. 44 has 44 entrances.

In other words, these people will be dispersed to each entrance.

There will not be a situation where two teams enter at the same time.

"Finally, let me remind you."

"After collecting all the reels, you need to take them to the central tower in the center of the training ground."

After saying that, Hongdou revealed a wicked smile.

In other words, if you don't want to find someone, you can wait for other teams in the central tower.

"And...what about food?"

Choji is a little afraid of red beans, but he has to survive inside for five days... five days!

Do you know how I'm going to get through these five days without Naruto's cooking?

"There are many animals inside, so there's no need to worry about food."

"Also, the reel is not allowed to be opened; otherwise, whatever happens will be none of our business."

After saying that, Hongdou pointed to the first entrance, "The second exam starts in thirty minutes... I hope you don't all die."

After glancing at Naruto, Anko retreated to the back and discussed the areas she would be responsible for with the other proctors.

The candidates were then assigned to their respective entrance positions under the guidance of an examiner.

After all the candidates knew their entrance, they exchanged glances with their companions.

Shortly after, Mitarashi Anko's voice rang out.

"The second exam begins!"

whoosh-

In an instant, all the candidates vanished from their original spots.

In less than half a minute.

All candidates entered the Forest of Death through their respective entrances.

"Naruto, Karin's mother is still alive, and her condition has improved!"

"I'm entrusting Xianglin to you!"

Not long after entering the Forest of Death, Naruto heard Kushina's voice in his mind.

You can tell that Kushina is very excited right now.

After all, ever since she arrived in Konoha, she had always believed that the Uzumaki clan was reduced to just herself and the First Hokage's wife, Mito Uzumaki.

Finding surviving members of the tribe is naturally a great joy.

"Don't worry, Naruto, we'll return to Konoha before the plan is completed."

"Be careful of Orochimaru during the Chunin Exams."

Yongdaimei's voice remained gentle.

"Okay, leave Xianglin to me. There's no need to rush. There's plenty of time."

The words fell.

"ah--!!!"

A scream echoed from the depths of the Death Forest.

The sound was incredibly mournful, echoing throughout most of the Death Forest.

"The ninjas from Kusagakure... What bad luck, we've run into Hinata's class."

"Xiang Lin wasn't among them... Found her, so that's the direction she was in, thanks."

Naruto patted the big tree in front of him.

The power of nature was so great that the tree moved without wind.

Looking at the slightly trembling tree.

Sakura and Sasuke both unconsciously took a step back.

It felt like...as if this big tree would jump out of the ground and kneel in front of Naruto at any moment.

"That sound is eerie, coming from that direction...it seems to be the group from Sunagakure."

Sakura came to Naruto's side.

"Class 8 is also in that direction, should we go there?"

Erzhuzi squinted his eyes.

He noticed the three from Sunagakure as soon as he entered the first examination hall.

That guy carrying the gourd looks pretty strong.

Sakura immediately said:

"That scream was most likely caused by Shino."

"The Eighth Squad has strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and Shino is from the Aburame clan, so it's perfectly normal for him to fall into their trap."

"With Hinata's Byakugan, there's no need to worry about being tricked."

"Although the three from Sunagakure are strong, Hinata is here, so they won't be in danger."

Naruto patted her head. "Good reasoning. What about us?"

The pink-haired girl was overjoyed at receiving the praise.

Upon hearing Naruto's next sentence, he immediately frowned.

Erzhuzi immediately assumed a defensive posture.

"Heh, as expected, we've been targeted by this bunch of trash."

"The Eighth Squad was ambushed as soon as they entered. It seems that those bastards planned to take care of us first from the start."

"We're no exception; we've been targeted by the trash."

Sakura quickly took a deep breath, her emotions getting the better of her again... Damn it, Naruto-kun, stop tempting me!

"Found it, that location."

Erzhuzi sneered.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

He quickly formed hand seals, held one seal at the end, and took a deep breath.

Rumble—!!!

In an instant, a fire-style ninjutsu with a huge range was unleashed.

The sea of ​​fire instantly engulfed the dense forest.

Indeed, where leaves dance in the air, fire burns eternally.

"Spirit Summoning Technique: Rain Gate!"

Rumbling--

A delicate shout rang out.

A giant gate rises from the Death Forest, which was extinguished by a raging fire and submerged in flames.

Clear a space amidst the raging fire.

"Damn it... is that guy really a newbie who just graduated from the ninja academy?"

Oboro and Yumeka, who had been lurking nearby, quickly arrived behind the rain gate of the hydrangea.

If we continue to lie in wait, we'll probably be burned to death soon.

"asshole!"

"This...this terrifying Fire Release technique actually incorporates Fire Release chakra nature transformation; even a tiny spark will burn your entire body!"

Immediately, Oboro and Yumeka said, "Retreat!"

"These three are beyond our capabilities!"

Let's not talk about them.

Red Bean, far away in the Forest of Death, wanted to eat a string of sweet and sticky meatballs.

Then a surge of heat came from behind.

"Sasuke is really impatient. With Naruto here, nothing will happen."

Suddenly, Hongdou squinted her eyes.

She looked at the meatball in her hand and hesitated for a long time.

"It's okay, I'm getting a lot of exercise, I won't gain weight."

Meanwhile, Erzhuzi on the other side also stopped transmitting fire esoteric techniques.

"Hmph, I didn't expect there to be such a defensive summoning technique."

"Hehe, that's really impressive."

"He has mastered the nature transformation of fire-style chakra at such a young age."

"As expected of the Uchiha clan."

Just then, a tall, slender man with long hair walked out.

Looking at Sasuke, who had stopped releasing his ninjutsu, his eyes were filled with surprise and delight.

The more outstanding Erzhuzi was, the more excited he became.

This is simply the perfect container!

None of the three were surprised by Orochimaru's appearance.

Erzhuzi sneered and looked at Orochimaru, who had been instantly defeated by the filial son.

"One of the legendary Sannin?"

"It's just a hiding mouse, only coming out when its tail's on fire?"

The Death Forest in front of them was now completely barren.

The originally dark environment was exposed to sunlight.

"Oh?"

"You guessed my identity the moment we met?"

That's really surprising.

Orochimaru, who had initially been playing along, immediately narrowed his eyes.

His eyes also turned into snake pupils.

Has it been exposed?

It shouldn't be... it shouldn't be that fast.

It's likely that Sasuke noticed some of my habits.

"Hehehe..."

Orochimaru smiled coldly, and even though the body wasn't his, he still sent chills down people's spines, like a venomous snake.

Orochimaru had no interest in the three who escaped from Amegakure; he was only interested in Sasuke.

After all, Snake Aunt knows how to cherish and love talented people.

Erzhu stepped forward, "Naruto, Sakura."

"Don't interfere! I want to see just how much of a gap there is between me and that man!"

"Someone who was instantly defeated by that man... wouldn't stand a chance against my Sharingan!"

Having his sore spot touched, Orochimaru naturally retorted casually:

"Itachi was only thirteen years old back then, you'll be almost that age, right?"

Sure enough, Erzhuzi's originally dark pupils instantly turned scarlet.

"Three-tomoe Sharingan... what a talent!"

Orochimaru couldn't help but stick out his long tongue and lick the corner of his mouth.

"Huh~!"

Sakura quickly pulled Naruto back.

"How disgusting!"

Orochimaru: "..."

However, he quickly turned his attention back to Erzhuzi.

His gaze became increasingly strange.

"This body is truly wonderful~"

"Come on, Sasuke."

As he spoke, Orochimaru took out the Earth Scroll from his ninja tool pouch.

"If you beat me, you'll pass."

However, as soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Earth Scroll in front of the three of them.

Sakura looked disgusted.

"Sasuke, we absolutely must get our hands on his Earth Scroll!"

"fart!"

"I'll beat him, and you can have the scroll!"

Clearly, Erzhuzi also disliked it.

"There's no need to argue anymore; he didn't swallow the Earth Scroll."

All three of them turned their gazes toward Naruto.

Suddenly, Naruto found an Earth Scroll in his hand.

"Illusion?!"

Orochimaru then realized that he was under a genjutsu.

In an instant, the way he looked at Naruto changed.

Of all the ninjas he had ever encountered, only the filial son could make him feel so utterly helpless.

"I never expected this child to have such a powerful talent for illusion magic..."

"As expected, it's a fake."

Although Sasuke himself was also affected by Naruto's genjutsu.

But after regaining his senses, he immediately mocked Orochimaru.

"Hmph... Looks like I've been underestimated again. Well then, I'll have to give it my all!"

After saying that, Orochimaru exuded a terrifying, chilling aura.

hum-

Erzhuzi's pupils suddenly contracted.

The pressure suddenly increased.

It was just like a few months ago when Zabuza and Kakashi clashed in a battle of killing intent.

"snort!"

With a cold snort, Sasuke's Sharingan began to spin wildly, and then his slightly bent body slowly straightened up.

"So you want my body?"

"Come on, I'm right here!"