vncnus Page 62
Page 62
She recalled the corpses she had discovered not long ago—genin whose chakra had been drained, with strange bite marks remaining on their necks.
The edges of those wounds had an unnatural purplish-black tinge, clearly traces of some kind of curse mark.
Orochimaru... you really came.
"Captain, we've made a new discovery!"
An undercover agent leaped out of the pit, holding a charred fragment in his hand.
Red Bean took the fragment, her pupils suddenly contracting—it was a remnant of a snake's molted skin, with familiar chakra fluctuations still lingering at its edges.
"It really was him..."
Red Bean's knuckles turned white from the force. "Immediately notify the Hokage. An S-rank intruder has been confirmed in the Forest of Death."
Her gaze swept into the depths of the forest, where she could vaguely see burning trees still emitting black smoke.
Not long ago, they discovered the bodies of a group of Kusagakure genin, who had died at least three days before the start of the exam.
This means that imposters have infiltrated the ranks of test takers, while the real participants may have already been murdered.
This exam... has become a hunting ground.
"Redeploy the surveillance barrier, focusing on all Sound Ninja examinees."
Red Bean quickly issued the order: "Also, send two teams of ANBU to secretly protect the surviving genin, especially..."
She paused, her gaze returning to the snake shed skin.
"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."
The secret agents quickly dispersed, leaving only Hongdou standing in the center of the scorched pit.
The night wind blew her black hair, revealing the scabbed but still hideous cursed scar on the back of her neck.
This time... I will not let you succeed, Orochimaru.
Chapter 70 The Sound Ninja Trio Attacks
The heavy smell of humus pressed down on the depths of the Death Forest, as if you could wring out dark green juice from it.
The light was filtered through layers of ancient branches that twisted and turned like giant pythons, and when it fell on the entrance of the tree hole, only a few thin and pale spots of light remained.
The light barely illuminated the thick tree roots that clung to the cave entrance.
Deep inside the tree hollow, the shadows were so thick they seemed to melt away, and the air was as still as solidified resin.
Sasuke lay in the innermost corner, with Sakura's hastily taken-off coat spread beneath him.
His face was deathly pale, his lips were cracked, and his breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
On his neck, the eerie black curse mark throbbed slightly as if it were alive.
Each rise and fall carried an ominous, dark luster, as if greedily sucking away his life force.
It was as if some kind of evil brand had nailed him firmly to the abyss of unconsciousness.
Sakura knelt beside Sasuke, mechanically wiping away the cold sweat that kept seeping from his forehead with a damp cloth over and over again.
Deep within her emerald eyes lay a surging fear and helplessness, which she tried desperately to suppress, like a moth trapped in the center of a spider web.
With each wipe, her fingertips trembled slightly, as if the cloth weighed a ton.
The tears had already been shed silently before, and now her eyes were dry and red, with only deep weariness etched in them.
At the cave entrance, Naruto stood with his back to them, like a silent stone statue.
He faced the dark forest outside, his body tense, every muscle brimming with unreleased power.
His clenched fist hung at his side, his knuckles turning bluish-white from excessive force, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing sharp pain.
This pain was nothing compared to even a fraction of the heavy self-reproach in his heart.
Two days have passed since they defeated Orochimaru, and Sasuke still hasn't woken up.
A suppressed growl finally burst forth from Naruto's clenched teeth.
For the first time, Naruto wanted to get started on the training his father had assigned him.
Next time, if I'm just a little stronger, Sasuke won't need to fight so hard.
"Naruto……"
Sakura's voice rang out weakly, forcing a smile: "Don't be like this, Sasuke... he'll be alright."
She tried to comfort her, but her words seemed so pale and powerless in the oppressive air.
Naruto didn't want to upset Sakura, so he could only smile and nod.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to loosen his clenched fist, leaving deep crescent-shaped indentations at his knuckles.
Just then, Naruto caught a very subtle movement and became serious.
That was the sound of someone passing through the bushes, indicating that someone was approaching.
Naruto's muscles tensed instantly, like a fully drawn bowstring, and he sprang up from the ground.
His sharp blue pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at the dark forest outside the cave, shrouded in distorted light.
"Sakura! Stay by Sasuke's side! Absolutely do not come out!" he growled urgently, his tone resolute and brooking no argument.
Before Sakura could respond, Naruto shot out of the tree hole like a golden arrow.
The damp air from outside the cave rushed in, carrying the chill unique to the depths of the forest.
He landed steadily on a small, relatively open area in front of the cave, leaning slightly forward like a wall, firmly protecting the cave entrance and the two most important people inside behind him.
As soon as he stood still, three figures silently slid down from different directions like ghosts, surrounding him in a triangular formation.
Its movements were so light as to be weightless, and it landed with only a slight rustling of a few withered leaves.
On the left, Shinobu's face, covered in bandages, revealed only his sinister right eye. His right arm, wrapped with a strange metal device, hung limply, emitting a faint, unsettling hum.
The person on the right had a pair of metal devices connected to the wind caves on the outside of his arms that gleamed with a cold, hard luster in the dim light, and a cruel, cat-and-mouse smile on his face.
The person directly in front of him had his arms crossed over his chest, several gleaming senbon needles between his fingers, his eyes like poisoned needles, and a cold, sarcastic smirk on his lips.
Although he didn't recognize the three of them, Naruto realized they were Orochimaru's companions through their headbands.
"Hmph, it really is here."
Jin's voice was sharp, filled with undisguised contempt: "Hiding like a rat, how pathetic, Konoha's genin."
Tos also let out a low hum: "Save your energy, Jin. The target is inside, that Uchiha brat."
Sack excitedly moved the device on his arm, producing a sickening metallic scraping sound, and grinned as he continued, "I heard that this blond kid is also what Lord Orochimaru wants. Should we take him back with us?"
Tosu turned his gaze to Naruto, as if looking at a stumbling block about to be crushed: "Since Lord Orochimaru didn't say anything, let's just get rid of him!"
Orochimaru's name was like a cold, poisonous needle, piercing Naruto's mind.
The hideous curse mark on Sasuke's neck, and the pained, contorted face as he fell, appeared instantly and with unparalleled clarity.
"Don't even think about it—!"
Naruto spoke in a somber tone.
Like a swift cheetah, he slammed his feet into the ground, his body transforming into a blurry golden afterimage.
There are no fancy ninjutsu techniques; it relies purely on the explosive power ignited by anger.
With the most direct and ferocious momentum, it charged straight at Tos!
The fist tore through the air, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and went straight for Tos's hateful bandaged face!
Jin spat dismissively, flicked his wrist, and fired numerous senbon needles precisely at the joints and vital points along Naruto's charge path, attempting to block his movements.
At the same time, Sack's grin widened, and he shoved his arms forward with a sudden thrust!
"Zhankongbo!"
He shouted loudly.
The metal devices on the outside of his arms suddenly burst out with blinding light, and two visible, highly compressed, violent air cannons instantly took shape.
With a piercing shriek that seemed to tear everything apart, two invisible, gigantic guillotines, one on the left and one on the right, fiercely attacked Naruto's charging body from both sides!
The air was compressed to an extreme degree, forming two blurry and distorted vacuum trails. Wherever they passed, the decaying leaves and small pebbles on the ground were instantly crushed into dust!
Naruto's charge was abruptly interrupted by Kin's senbon and Zaku's air-slicing wave!
His pupils contracted sharply, and his body spun violently as he sprinted at high speed.
Like a leaf swept away by a gale, it narrowly missed the two deadly air cannons.
The strong wind generated by the compressed air stung his cheeks, and his clothes were torn in several places.
However, just as he regained his balance, the real killing move was about to strike!
Tos's right arm, covered by a strange device, was now firmly aimed at him.
A cruel smile seemed to curl at the corner of his mouth beneath the bandages.
Meanwhile, inside the sealed space, the Nine-Tailed Fox flicked its nine tails: "What? Need help?"
Madara said, "These three guys are perfect for Naruto. As long as Naruto doesn't get into any trouble, that's fine."
Minato said worriedly, "Those three aren't very strong, but their abilities seem difficult to deal with. Naruto, be careful."
Chapter 71 Losing Hearing, Listening with Your Heart
"Sound wave-shock!"
Toss's deep voice was like the pronouncement of death.
Om-! ! !
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only an indescribable, muffled roar that seemed to come from the depths of hell!
The sound did not travel through the air, but carried a terrifying power that penetrated to the bone.
The air twisted and vibrated violently, forming visible, high-frequency, transparent ripples.
Centered on Tosu's arm, like an invisible tsunami, it instantly engulfed Naruto, who had just dodged the air-cutting wave!