Facing Naruto charging at him, Orochimaru seemed intrigued.
"This chakra… it's oddly familiar."
There weren't many Naruto-like fighters who completely ignored tactics. He fought on instinct and with reckless abandon—kicking, punching, and even biting—but his attacks were completely ineffective against the rough-skinned, thick-scaled giant snake.
Sasuke, paralyzed with fear by Orochimaru's presence, eventually regained his mobility. Seeing Naruto's futile attacks only reminded him of the vast gap between their strengths and Orochimaru's. This wasn't a problem that could be solved by sheer numbers. Whether they survived depended entirely on whether Orochimaru showed mercy.
"Even so, I won't back down," Sasuke muttered to himself. Understanding the situation, he ignored his fatigue and activated his Sharingan again, rushing forward to support Naruto in close combat with Orochimaru.
Though Orochimaru was skilled in ninjutsu, at his level, there were no apparent weaknesses. With his fluid and refined combat style, Sasuke and Naruto stood no chance. Haruno Sakura, having just recovered, lacked the power to even get close. She could only futilely throw kunai and shuriken, unable to provide any meaningful interference.
Seeing the situation nearing its end, Orochimaru decided he didn't want to waste more time. He had already assessed Sasuke's current level, and Naruto's attacks were becoming increasingly frustrating. Taking advantage of a moment when Naruto got close again, Orochimaru lashed out with his snake-like tongue, binding Naruto before ripping open his shirt to reveal the seal on his stomach.
"So, you're the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails," Orochimaru mused, his voice dripping with amusement. "I didn't expect you to still be alive. The Third Hokage really is naive."
With a swift motion, Orochimaru used his chakra to strike Naruto with precision.
"Five Elements Seal."
As Orochimaru's sealing technique took effect, Naruto collapsed, unconscious from the intense pain. The Nine-Tails' chakra that had enveloped his body vanished.
Seeing this, Sasuke rushed forward to help but was immediately ensnared by Orochimaru's hidden Shadow Snake Hand.
"Don't be hasty, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru taunted, his voice slithering with malice. "Soon, I will give you a most suitable gift, and then you'll understand what true power is."
With that, Orochimaru lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Sasuke's shoulder.
The unbearable pain sent a scream echoing through the area. Sakura, who had just stabilized Naruto's unconscious form, could only watch in horror as Sasuke was tortured, helpless to do anything. She tried to draw Orochimaru's attention away, but her efforts were barely enough to distract him.
As Sasuke crumpled to the ground, howling in agony, he eventually lost consciousness from the excruciating pain.
"Thank you for the gift," Orochimaru said softly, his voice a mix of eerie calm and satisfaction. "If one day you feel that your strength is lacking, come to me. I will give you the power to exact your revenge."
With that, Orochimaru disappeared into the woods, leaving behind only a helpless Sakura and the unconscious forms of Naruto and Sasuke.
Mitarai Anko stumbled through the dense forest of Death, relying on the cursed seal on her neck to sense Orochimaru's presence. Eventually, she located him, but the realization of how powerless she truly was struck her hard. What she had once hoped could be a confrontation fueled by years of pain and resentment had ended in nothing more than a bitter sense of despair.
"I was spared because of his disdainful pity. Do I still need to continue with the Chunin Exams?" Anko muttered bitterly to herself.
Back in Konoha, Mizuki had been waiting for any orders regarding the Chunin Exams. However, he hadn't received any word. It seemed Konoha didn't want to risk him going into battle while still recovering from his injuries. He was content to rest, but his mind still churned with thoughts of his failed space-time ninjutsu.
"The data from the failed space shuttle experiment was valuable, but the theory is far from perfect. How can I make it stable and safe? I can't always rely on Sage Mode to conduct these kinds of experiments. Is there a better way? And why do things like Thor's Art and Divine Power keep getting mentioned? Am I missing something here?"
In Mizuki's eyes, space-time ninjutsu shouldn't be so difficult. After all, the complex spatial positioning was one thing, but energy capable of distorting space itself was an entirely different matter. High-level techniques that manipulated space were rare, but even low-level ninjutsu with a spatial element were common. Techniques like Shunshin (Body Flicker) and the basic Substitution Jutsu, though their principles were unclear, had spatial attributes.
"What is going on in this messed-up world? It's ridiculous! Why am I, a paranoid engineer, caught up in all this?"
Meanwhile, on Hokage Rock, Jiraiya observed Konoha from the shadows under the moonlight.
"Konoha's reputation is slipping. Orochimaru doesn't care; now even the ghosts and snakes are willing to come to the village and fight," Jiraiya muttered with a sigh. "Even the allies are growing restless. The Chunin Exams are definitely going to be a disaster."
Jiraiya, burdened with the responsibility of guiding the 'Child of Prophecy,' couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the future of the village.
At the central tower of the Forest of Death, the Sand Ninja trio finally arrived at their destination. Kankuro and Temari let out sighs of relief.
"Finally made it here without any problems. We should be safe now," Temari said, visibly shaken but relieved.
"Who knows? If Gaara sees blood again, who knows what will happen," Kankuro said, his voice tinged with worry. "But we made it here quickly. No one should be coming for a while, so we have time to calm Gaara down."
Though the Sand trio made it safely, other candidates weren't as fortunate—especially Karin. She was weak, her only strength being her acute perception. Alone and vulnerable, she barely managed to escape from danger.
When she finally found her teammates, buried under rubble, their chances of passing the Chunin Exams were completely dashed. Despite that, her determination pushed her to follow Mizuki's advice and open the Earth Scroll she held.