The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

A fist slammed heavily into Sasuke's abdomen.

"Wow?"

Even though he controlled his strength slightly, the upward force still made Sasuke's expression change.

The body instinctively curled up.

Mianma, however, paid no heed.

"Menma!?"

Amidst Sakura's shrill scream from one side.

Menma grabbed Sasuke by the collar and slammed him down hard.

"Peng!"

The impact was loud.

Accompanied by that dull thud.

After suffering a second blow.

The pain that spread throughout his body felt like his body was about to fall apart, and Sasuke couldn't help but let out a soft groan in pain.

"Well?!"

In that instant, Sasuke was completely suppressed by force.

next second.

Menma leaned forward, pressing down on Sasuke from above, his body leaning forward, his scarlet fox eyes staring directly into Sasuke's eyes.

"How are you? Calmed down now, Sasuke! If that's not enough, I can help you a bit more!"

Applying pressure at close range.

This feeling of trembling seemed to seep directly into one's soul.

Sasuke's pupils suddenly contracted.

The chilling coldness was so intense that it seemed to freeze one's body completely.

At that moment, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Sasuke's heart, and his previously restless heart suddenly cooled down.

Her rapid breathing gradually calmed down.

The cursed markings slowly receded, and the aura visibly calmed down.

The Sharingan in the pupil also closed.

The pupils have been restored to their original clear black and white.

His numb expression immediately softened.

He released his right hand and stood up again.

Sasuke also stood up at the same time, returning to his previous expressionless posture. But at this moment, both Naruto and Sakura truly breathed a sigh of relief, because the Sasuke they knew was now the same Sasuke they were familiar with.

The two of them quickly approached.

“Sasuke, it’s true that you crave power. Ninjas are meant to constantly grow stronger and climb higher. But if you’re controlled by power, it proves that your capacity is limited.”

Menma looked at Sasuke calmly, uttering words in a low voice.

This caused Sasuke's expression to change, and after taking a deep breath, he silently nodded.

Although he didn't say anything, given Sasuke's personality, this action was already very close to admitting his mistake.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?"

Sakura came closer, took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Sasuke's forehead, her expression filled with worry and heartache as she spoke.

Sasuke frowned subconsciously, but unusually, he didn't move aside. He simply shook his head with a cold face and said, "I'm fine."

That's clearly the familiar Sasuke look.

This also allowed Sakura to completely relax.

"It's getting late, let's rest first. This is only the first day, there's no need to rush. Your scrolls haven't been taken away yet. Once you've fully recovered, we'll go and take the scrolls from the other teams."

Menma looked at the three of them and said.

"Ah."

"Oh, no problem."

Sakura and Naruto responded quickly.

Sasuke, sitting on the left, nodded with an air of aloofness.

After a simple dinner, the group went to bed to rest.

And that is, at the same time.

In the very center of the Death Forest stands the only central tower.

"Are you feeling alright, Red Bean?"

Upon receiving the message, Hiruzen Sarutobi rushed to the scene immediately. Looking at Anko, whose face was pale, he asked with a solemn expression.

"Yes, Lord Hokage, thank you for your concern. I am fine, and the cursed seal has been suppressed again."

They no longer possess the liveliness and cheerfulness they displayed when they first appeared.

Hongdou replied with a solemn expression and a very weak tone.

Just like in the original story, when Anko entered the Forest of Death to search for traces of her former mentor, Orochimaru appeared as she wished, without her having to actually take action.

The mere verbal provocation, along with the power of the cursed seal, rendered Anko, a special Jonin, completely powerless to resist.

It must also be said that Anko must still hold a certain place in Orochimaru's heart. Otherwise, with Orochimaru's power, how could she have met him if she didn't want to be discovered by Anko?

The fact that they ultimately didn't take drastic measures is the most direct proof of this.

After all, in a word, Anko is Orochimaru's only disciple.

"That's good. Now you can get some rest. Let the other examiners handle the assessment for now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly and said.

"No, I'm perfectly fine, Hokage-sama. As for Orochimaru..."

"Red Bean, what you need to do now is rest. You don't need to worry about the rest. I will take care of everything. Don't worry."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand slightly, interrupting Anko, and said in a deep voice.

"Uh? Yes, I understand, Hokage-sama. Well then, I'll excuse myself."

Anko was stunned, not quite understanding what her Hokage meant. Wasn't Orochimaru's return to Konoha a dangerous thing? But only a second later, Anko lowered her head and replied.

This was, after all, an order from the Hokage.

Even if you don't understand, you still need to carry it out.

"Ah."

After bowing to Hiruzen Sarutobi one last time, Anko turned and left the office.

Orochimaru? You chose this time to return? It seems this will be our last meeting, master and disciple. This time, I will definitely not do it the same way as last time.

Hiruzen Sarutobi placed his hands behind his back, looking at the completely dark night scene outside the window, a sharp and intense look appearing in his slightly cloudy eyes.

Beneath the calm surface, an undercurrent was already churning.

In this largest ninja village in the ninja world.

Various forces are already starting to stir.

Silent all night.

This slowly flowing time,

Until dawn the next day.

The light of dawn had just begun to illuminate the earth.

Menma and the others also woke up one after another. After a night's rest, Naruto, relying on a portion of his Uzumaki bloodline, had basically fully recovered. Only Sasuke was still affected by the cursed seal and looked quite tired.

However, it will not affect normal actions and combat.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 96: A Somewhat Unexpected Result

If there is still enough time.

The four members of Team 7 also conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area. Under Menma's deliberate guidance, they found a 'senior team' also from Konoha in less than half a day.

They easily defeated the team of senior members from the same village in no time, and they were also quite lucky, as the scroll carried by the senior team was exactly the 'Scroll of Earth' that they needed.

If you have already obtained the key mission items.

Menma, Sasuke, and their group didn't linger and sped off towards the central tower located in the center.

In just a few tens of minutes.

The group then arrived outside the tower.

As the only building in this deadly forest, this tower is quite eye-catching.

In terms of infrastructure, Konoha truly deserves its title as the number one ninja village in the ninja world.

'That guy didn't come? Is it because of my meeting with Orochimaru? What a pity, I was planning to get closer to him.'

The tower was already very close.

Menma's heart stirred, and the image of Kabuto Yakushi flashed through his mind. To be honest, as a subordinate, Kabuto Yakushi was truly outstanding. Whether it was his combat strength as a ninja, his level as a medical ninja, or his role as an assistant in experiments, Kabuto Yakushi was definitely among the top in the ninja world.

It's no wonder Orochimaru trusted Kabuto the most.

It can be said that Kabuto Yakushi held a very high position within the forces created by Orochimaru.

Menma was naturally very interested in such an outstanding person.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given that opportunity in this life.