Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

Momono mumbled a sleepy "hmm" and drifted back to sleep.

Rubik's Cube quickly got dressed and, in a flash, headed straight for the Naruto Building.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was working on documents while smoking a pipe when he noticed the serious expression on Mofang's face. Hiruzen's eyes flickered slightly.

"A Rubik's Cube? So early..."

"Master, there's no time for formalities."

The Rubik's Cube got straight to the point, its voice low and deep.

"Orochimaru has infiltrated Konoha, and his target is likely Uchiha Sasuke."

The third generation's fingers tightened around his pipe, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his weathered eyes amidst the swirling smoke:

"Source?"

"I had a 'friendly chat' with him in the alley of the village yesterday."

The Rubik's Cube is concise and to the point.

"He tried to attack Momonogi, but I stopped him. However, before leaving, he showed great interest in the Sharingan. I suspect he's in the Forest of Death right now!"

Orochimaru certainly didn't mention the Sharingan to him, but in the face of the Magic Cube's "intelligence network," Orochimaru was practically naked, so using this excuse to fool the Third Hokage was perfectly acceptable.

The third generation took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaled a thick smoke ring, and his wrinkles deepened.

"The Forest of Death... the second exam has begun..."

"Give me permission!"

Rubik's Cube Cutting Through

"I need to enter the Forest of Death. The examiners alone may not be able to stop Orochimaru in time, nor may they be able to handle any unexpected situations. Sasuke and the others are in great danger right now."

The Third Hokage gave the Rubik's Cube a deep look. This grand-disciple brought by Jiraiya possessed unfathomable strength, and his actions, though seemingly unconventional, always went straight to the heart of the matter, especially those eyes... Without further hesitation, he quickly signed a transfer order and stamped it with the Hokage's seal.

"Take this and go find Mitarashi Anko. She's in charge of security patrols for the second exam. You're temporarily authorized to command her and her patrol team. Make sure the safety of the examinees is ensured, especially... stop Orochimaru!"

"Understood!" Rubik's Cube accepted the order and vanished instantly.

The atmosphere was tense on the outskirts of the Death Forest. Mitarashi Anko was patrolling with a look of irritation. Her snake-like intuition made her vaguely uneasy, yet she couldn't pinpoint the source.

When she saw the Rubik's Cube appear with the Hokage's transfer order, she was first taken aback, then her snake-like eyes narrowed sharply when she saw the contents of the order: "Orochimaru?!"

"No time to explain, Red Bean Examiner." Rubik's Cube shoved the transfer order into her hands. "Take your men and come with me! Orochimaru's target is Sasuke; we need to act quickly!"

Red Bean had heard of the Rubik's Cube, and with the Hokage's personal order, she immediately suppressed all her doubts and waved to summon several elite Chunin around her:

"Follow him!"

The group rushed into the Death Forest like arrows released from a bow. Rubik's Cube took the lead, and "Kagura's Mind's Eye" instantly opened, like an invisible radar wave, rapidly spreading outwards from him in all directions.

The complex terrain of the forest, the lurking beasts, the fleeing or fighting examinees… countless chakra reactions appeared like stars in his sensory network. He precisely filtered out irrelevant signals, like an experienced hunter tracking the most dangerous aura.

Suddenly, an extremely faint chakra reaction, filled with immense fear and pain, caught his attention. Direction—Northeast!

"This way!" Rubik's Cube shouted, his speed suddenly increasing, leaving afterimages in the dense forest. Red Bean and the others gritted their teeth and followed with all their might.

Soon, piercing cries for help and the ferocious roars of wild beasts rang out. In the ravaged clearing, a massive bear with bloodshot eyes was wildly swinging its claws, attacking a trembling red-haired, bespectacled girl named Karin who was hiding behind a large tree!

"It really is her!"

Rubik's Cube thought to itself.

Her chakra seemed to possess powerful regenerative abilities, but at this moment, faced with the absolute power of the giant bear, her glasses shattered, her body was covered in blood and dirt, and her strength was clearly failing.

"Rescue!"

Before Rubik's Cube could finish speaking, he had already appeared behind the giant bear. Without forming any hand seals, he simply delivered a chakra-infused hand chop, striking the giant bear's nape with pinpoint accuracy!

"Crack!"

A sickening crack of bone breaking rang out. The raging bear froze instantly, its massive body crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Karin stared in shock at the suddenly appearing Rubik's Cube and the others who had arrived behind her, panting heavily as tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Rubik's Cube quickly checked Karin's injuries. Although she looked disheveled, they were all superficial wounds, and her special chakra was slowly repairing them.

"It's alright now, we're safe."

He offered a succinct word of comfort, then turned to Hongdou:

"Teacher Hongdou, please escort this examinee to a safe area. She needs to rest."

Red Bean glanced at Karin, then looked at the Rubik's Cube: "What about you?"

"Orochimaru's aura... is deeper inside! Over there with Sasuke and the others!"

Rubik's Cube's eyes flickered slightly, and Kagura's Mind Eye clearly detected a cold, viscous, and powerful chakra moving rapidly!

"He just left! I'll chase after him!"

Before Red Bean could respond, the Rubik's Cube disappeared again, leaving only a gust of wind.

Hongdou stared at the direction the Rubik's Cube had disappeared in, and gritted her teeth:

"Take her with you, keep your distance, and be ready to provide support at any time!"

……

Deep in the dense forest, a scene of devastation unfolded, a battlefield in ruins.

Sasuke curled up on the ground in agony, the black curse mark on his neck writhing like a living thing, emanating an ominous aura. He gritted his teeth, resisting the excruciating pain and frenzied killing intent brought on by the erosion.

Naruto, panting heavily, lay beside them, seemingly having just used the Rasengan he hadn't mastered before. Sakura knelt beside them, tears streaming down her face, futilely trying to help Sasuke suppress the cursed seal, her heart filled with despair and helplessness.

Just now, that terrifying man who called himself "Orochimaru," like a venomous snake toying with its prey, easily defeated them, branding this horrible mark on Sasuke's neck, and then disappeared into the forest with a chilling smile.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sakura's voice was choked with sobs; fear and self-blame almost overwhelmed her.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the room as if teleported – it was Rubik's Cube!

"Brother Rubik's Cube!" Sakura cried out as if she had seen a savior, her tears flowing freely once again.

The Rubik's Cube quickly scanned the entire area:

Sasuke's cursed seal, Naruto's exhaustion, Sakura's breakdown... the scene was exactly as he had predicted.

"It's okay, I'm here."

Rubik's Cube quickly walked to Sakura's side, patted her trembling shoulder, and spoke in a reassuringly calm tone.

"give it to me."

He immediately crouched down beside Sasuke, his gaze grave as he looked at the boy's contorted face in pain and the ever-evolving cursed seal. He swiftly formed hand seals, his fingertips gathering pure chakra.

"Seal of evil!"

With a low shout, Rubik's Cube's finger precisely touched the center of the cursed seal on Sasuke's neck. Runes spread out like chains, instantly covering the writhing black cursed seal, forcibly suppressing and sealing it! Sasuke's violent convulsions finally subsided. Although his face was still pale, his expression of pain was clearly relieved, and his breathing became much more stable.

Then, the Rubik's Cube turned to Naruto. It placed one hand on Naruto's abdomen and slowly channeled gentle yet powerful Yang-attribute chakra into him. After a moment, Naruto's eyelids twitched, he let out a groan, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Ugh... Rubik's Cube, bro!" Naruto, who was still a little dazed, instantly snapped out of it.

Sasuke, under the influence of the sealing seal, gradually regained consciousness. He struggled to sit up, touched the cursed seal on the side of his neck, and looked at the Rubik's Cube with a complex expression, including shock, gratitude, but more so resentment and humiliation.

The Rubik's Cube looked at the three disheveled but still alive teenagers before him and spoke in a deep voice:

"You have encountered Orochimaru, one of the 'Legendary Sannin.' An extremely dangerous S-rank rogue ninja."

"Orochimaru?!" Naruto and Sakura gasped. Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply as the man's terrifying strength and chilling words resurfaced in his mind.

"His target," Rubik's Cube said bluntly, his gaze fixed on Sasuke.

"It's very likely you, Sasuke. Your Sharingan, and... the Uchiha bloodline. This 'Heavenly Curse Mark' is the mark and shackles he left behind."

Although I've temporarily suppressed it with a sealing technique, and it won't normally affect you, it still exists and will continue to tempt you and erode your will. You must be constantly vigilant.

Sasuke clenched his fist instantly, his knuckles turning white, and flames of hatred burned in his eyes.

“Orochimaru has left,” the Rubik’s Cube continued, “but the Forest of Death remains dangerous. Your condition… is not suitable for continuing the exam.”

He looked at Sasuke's pale face and Naruto's still-recovering chakra and said calmly.

"I'll take you directly to the central tower to end this exam."

"no!"

Unexpectedly, it was Sasuke, who had just recovered from the pain of the cursed seal, who refused decisively.

He raised his head, and the confusion and pain in his dark eyes were gone, replaced by an almost obsessive determination and coldness.

"I want to continue!"

Naruto paused for a moment, then jumped up, vigorously wiping the dust off his face, his blue eyes burning with an indomitable spirit.

"That's right! We're not giving up like this! We haven't settled the score with that snake-faced bastard for ambushing us! Besides... we're going to collect all the scrolls and pass the exam fair and square!"

Looking into Sasuke and Naruto's determined eyes, Sakura's fear and weakness dissipated, and she nodded vigorously:

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto! I'm with you!"

He remained silent for a moment, and finally, a helpless yet appreciative smile appeared on his lips.

"Heh... alright." He dropped his serious expression and reverted to his somewhat lazy demeanor, but his eyes remained incredibly earnest.

"Since you've made your decision, remember, staying alive is more important than anything else. If you encounter any danger you can't handle, fire a signal flare immediately. I'll be watching you at... the 'appropriate' time."

He didn't say anything more, but just gave them a deep look, and then his figure flickered and disappeared like the shadows of the forest.

Sasuke stared at the direction the Rubik's Cube had disappeared, clenching his fists tightly. Naruto, on the other hand, casually patted Sasuke on the shoulder:

"Hey, Sasuke! Stop spacing out! Let's go! Let's grab the scroll and show Brother Rubik's Cube what we're made of!"

Sensing Orochimaru's presence not far away, the Rubik's Cube noticed him heading towards Anko and the others, and immediately rushed over.

Chapter 36 The Second Clash with Orochimaru

Chapter 36 The Second Clash with Orochimaru

Rubik's Cube sensed it with Kagura's Mind's Eye: that cold, venomous chakra was rapidly moving towards the direction where Anko and the others were escorting Karin.

"So you couldn't resist after all, this greedy snake."

The Rubik's Cube's secret passage suddenly unleashed a burst of chakra beneath its feet, causing its speed to surge once more. It left an afterimage in the dense forest that was difficult to catch with the naked eye, tearing branches and leaves apart in its wake.

"How greedy! Having Sasuke isn't enough, you want to capture Karin too?"

……

Meanwhile, in the area that the Rubik's Cube senses and locks onto.

Mitarashi Anko was on high alert, her pupils contracted to their maximum, her body tensed, and her hands gripped the kunai and ninja tools.

She held Karin, who was trembling and almost unable to stand, firmly behind her, while several Chunin quickly formed a defensive formation, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

"I'm going to fight Orochimaru? Really...?"

Several Chunin silently groaned in their hearts.

Not far in front of them, the shadows of the trees seemed to come alive, slowly coalescing into a human shape.

Orochimaru's figure appeared like a ghost. He licked his lips, and his snake eyes flashed with a chillingly greedy light. He bypassed the ready-to-fight Anko and the others, and locked onto the red-haired girl behind her.

"Hehehe... This is truly a pleasant surprise."

Orochimaru's hoarse voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.

"I never expected to encounter an orphan of the Vortex Clan in this Death Forest... Such a rare physique makes them perfect experimental material..."

Orochimaru wondered if his luck had turned around today. Not only had he achieved his goal of coming to Konoha, but he had also encountered the descendants of the Senju and Uzumaki clans. Counting Jiraiya's disciple, it was even three gold medals. And it had to be Konoha. The probability of getting gold medals was really high.

The way he looked at Karin was like a venomous snake eyeing a defenseless fledgling.

Thank nature for its gifts.

Karin felt that naked gaze, and fear instantly overwhelmed her. She trembled all over, her teeth chattering, and despair filled her eyes behind her glasses. Instinctively, she gripped the back of Anko's clothes tightly.

Red Bean's heart sank to the bottom. She thought Orochimaru had come to eliminate them, but she never expected that Orochimaru's target was Karin!

"Orochimaru! Your opponent is me!"