By the time the sun had fully risen, both teams were already moving.
The path toward the central tower was strangely quiet. After the destruction from the previous day, no one dared to interfere with them. Word had clearly spread through the forest—something monstrous had rampaged here.
Though partly, the clear road to the center tower was because they were very early. The exam had just started yesterday, to be exact.
The chances of any team gaining both scrolls so early in the exam were bleak, if anything. And if a team really did that, then it was wiser to stay away from them anyway.
However, the silence in the group was for an entirely different reason. It was because of what happened yesterday.
Sukuna had yet to explain how he had intentionally let Orochimaru bite him, or what exactly happened after that. He didn't explain, and neither had anyone asked so far.
Honestly speaking, he himself wasn't sure how to explain it. He knew he needed that power, so he took it the first chance he got, but explaining it was another trial altogether.
Sukuna walked at the front of the group, hands in his pockets, silent as usual. Sakura walked beside him, her new gloves secured tightly. Naruto was unusually focused. Sasuke remained calm but alert. Behind them were both Kiyomi and Karin. Between the two, only Karin was doing something useful, sensing for anyone in their way.
Soon, the massive tower came into view, rising above the trees like a stone pillar piercing the sky.
"We made it," Naruto said, grinning.
"About time," Karin replied.
They approached the entrance cautiously.
But they were not alone.
Inside the large chamber of the tower stood three familiar figures.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro.
Team Sand, just like in the anime, had beaten all other teams and got to the center tower before anyone else.
"So they were first," Sasuke muttered quietly, his eyes flicking with both irritation and a competitive gleam.
Gaara's pale green eyes shifted toward them. His expression didn't change, but the sand around his gourd stirred slightly.
They were the same group who met them when they first arrived in Konoha, and they were also the second team to arrive at the center tower, only second to them.
Undoubtedly, they were strong. At least Gaara's logic told him so.
Temari leaned against the wall with her fan resting on her shoulder. "You're later than I expected."
Kankuro crossed his arms. "What can you expect from a tree hugger?" he shrugged mockingly.
The jab was, of course, toward Team 7 since it was their team they had met before. As for Team 11, they didn't know much about them.
No one from Team 7 reacted. Even Naruto didn't react. They simply walked past them and sat down against one of the walls.
Sakura glanced around the chamber. "So… we just wait now?"
"That's how it works," Sasuke replied. He understood the intention behind the test format. It wasn't just survival, but also speed. Only those who completed their task early and arrived at the center tower would have the right to rest and prepare for the next test.
Naruto dropped to the floor dramatically. "Man, I thought we'd be first for sure!"
"It doesn't matter. We are here, meaning we passed. That's all that matters," Sakura added with a sigh. She was really happy that they were out of that dreadful forest.
The moment they were allowed to settle inside the central hall, an ANBU operative appeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Sukuna Haruno," the masked shinobi said calmly. "The Hokage requests your presence."
Naruto blinked. "Already?"
Sukuna sighed softly and stood. "I'll be back."
Sakura grabbed his sleeve briefly. "What's this about?"
He gave her a small look. "What else could it be, little sister? The forest!"
That was enough.
—-<>—-
The Hokage's office was quiet.
Sunlight filtered through the large windows, illuminating the old man seated behind the desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked older than usual, his pipe resting between his fingers as smoke curled upward.
"Sukuna," he greeted gently. "Sit."
Sukuna obeyed. He had learned that the fastest way to avoid trouble with this old man was to just let him speak and agree with whatever he wished to talk about.
"The events inside the Forest of Death, I'm sure you're aware of them," Hiruzen began. "What do you think about it? Do you have any idea how it happened? Was this in any form connected to Izumi Uchiha?"
The old Hokage asked, seeming to have already found his criminal. The Uchiha hatred ran deep in all of Tobirama's students, didn't it?
Sukuna's eyes remained steady. "It wasn't her. Or at least I haven't seen any connection of this to her."
Hiruzen studied him carefully. "Then tell me what happened."
Sukuna did not hesitate.
"It was Orochimaru. He infiltrated the exam."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly.
"Are you certain?" Hiruzen asked, his pipe already back to his mouth. No doubt the old man's heart rate had spiked.
"As certain as I could be. I fought the man…" Sukuna said seriously, and that made Hiruzen sigh wearily. All hope of the pink-haired boy being wrong was gone.
"He targeted Team 7 first," Sukuna continued. "But apparently he was after Sasuke Uchiha. By the time I arrived there, he was already on the way to marking Sasuke with this mark here."
Sukuna showed him his own neck, revealing the mark.
Hiruzen's fingers tightened slightly around his pipe. "He marked you?"
"Yes. It wasn't intentional. He was aiming for Sasuke, and I moved to push him away, and this happened." That part was a lie—clean and smooth.
"The seal reacted badly with me," Sukuna went on. "I lost control of its power. It completely went unstable, if my teammates were telling the truth."
"And the destruction?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
"Our battle, one which I can't even recall properly since this mark here was influencing me."
Hiruzen blinked at that. He completely comprehended what the boy meant, but believing it was another matter altogether.
He knew the boy was extremely strong. His performance against the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, being able to hold him back, was more than enough to show the boy's capabilities.
But to fight off Orochimaru to that level, when the destruction spanned around half a kilometer wide—
'It seems both Kakashi and I still underestimated the boy's capabilities. Though part of that must be whatever power Orochimaru granted the boy through that mark,' Hiruzen pursed his lips.
Hiruzen's sharp eyes searched for hesitation.
"You drove him away?" Hiruzen asked.
"Yes."
"At least I think so. I wasn't in my best state of mind back then," Sukuna added at the end.
Sukuna did not mention taking control of the seal. He did not mention overpowering Orochimaru's soul fragment. He did not mention mastering anything. Not even the fact that he practically made Uncle Snake give him a hickey.
He framed it as survival.
Hiruzen leaned back slowly. "Orochimaru marking you… that is troubling, my boy," the Hokage murmured. "That thing is dangerous."
He paused.
"We have to seal that mark, for yours and everyone else's safety."
Sukuna just smiled at that. "Just what I thought, Hokage-sama. I'm a bit of a fuinjutsu user myself, you know. I did my best to seal it away as safely as possible. It's not going anywhere."
Another silence settled between them.
Finally, Hiruzen spoke.
"You will report immediately if the seal acts up again. And you will not handle this alone."
Sukuna gave a small nod. "Understood."
As he stood to leave, Hiruzen's voice stopped him.
"Sukuna."
He looked back.
"Keep an eye out during the Chunin Exam. I don't think Orochimaru would come here for nothing. If he came, then he surely was after something."
Sukuna simply replied, "Well, it's not like I have a choice." The boy shrugged helplessly.
And just as Sukuna left, Hiruzen had his ANBU called off—from a thorough search of the village to tightening security.
xXx
A/N : Finally the forest of death part is done, I first planned to add other teams POV as well, but that felt like useless. The focus in this fic was always team 7 and 11 so showing others without perpective felt not right.
Of course they all will get their own screen time in the upcoming parts of the exam.
Tell me if you guys find any mistakes, I will fix them asap. As for stones and comments.
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