The morning air hung heavy with dew and tension as dozens of genin teams gathered before the imposing Training Ground 44.
Massive trees stretched skyward behind a high metal fence, their ancient trunks disappearing into a canopy so dense it blocked most sunlight from reaching the forest floor.
Warning signs plastered across the fence featured skull symbols and bold lettering: "DANGER – KEEP OUT."
Anko Mitarashi stood before the assembled genin, a dango stick dangling from her lips and a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Welcome to Training Ground 44," she announced, removing the dango stick and pointing it dramatically at the forest. "Better known as the Forest of Death! You'll soon find out why it has that name."
Indra stood with his team, his single visible eye surveying the competition. Twenty-six teams had passed the first exam - far too many for the third stage. This phase would eliminate at least half of them, if not more.
"This place gives me the creeps," Hayate muttered, eyeing the dark forest warily.
"It should," Indra replied quietly. "It's filled with poisonous plants, giant insects, and predators large enough to swallow us whole."
Sayaka stood silently beside him, her eyes constantly scanning the other teams. "Many won't survive," she observed in a near whisper.
Anko clapped her hands to regain everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up! I'll explain the rules of this survival test."
She held up two scrolls - one white, one black. "You'll be fighting to get these scrolls. The white one is Heaven, the black one is Earth. Each team will be given one of these scrolls."
She paced before the genin, her trench coat swaying with each step. "To pass this test, your team must make it to the tower in the center of the forest with both scrolls in your possession. That means you'll need to take a scroll from another team."
Murmurs spread through the crowd as teams began eyeing each other with newfound suspicion.
"You have exactly five days to complete this task," Anko continued. "Oh, and one more thing - you're not allowed to open the scrolls until you reach the tower."
"What happens if we do?" a genin from the Rain Village called out.
Anko's smile turned predatory. "Let's just say you'll be... disqualified." The way she emphasized the last word sent chills down many spines.
"Now, each team will receive a consent form. Sign it, because people will die in there, and I don't want to be responsible!"
As the forms were distributed, Indra took the opportunity to scan the crowd. His gaze moved methodically from team to team, searching for one person in particular.
He remembered from his past life that Karin Uzumaki was participating in these exams, representing the Grass Village.
While she was likely already affiliated with Orochimaru, serving as one of his many agents disguised as Grass ninja, Indra saw an opportunity.
In his original memories, Karin had been separated from her teammates in the Forest of Death and attacked by a bear.
Sasuke had saved her, and despite discovering they had the same scroll, he had smiled at her before leaving.
That brief encounter had been the beginning of Karin's infatuation with Sasuke - she had been not only grateful for being saved but also attracted to his chakra, which she had described as "warm and gentle" despite his outward coldness.
This connection had been significant, eventually leading to her devoted service in Team Taka after Sasuke left Konoha to join Orochimaru.
Her loyalty had been unwavering, even as Sasuke descended further into darkness - literally trying to kill her.
'Crazy woman,' Indra thought to himself as he continued to subtly look for her.
Indra intended to redirect that loyalty to himself.
Having an Uzumaki at his side would prove invaluable - particularly for his future plans to explore the ruins of Uzushiogakure, where Uzumaki blood would likely be necessary to navigate ancient traps and seals.
The Uzumaki clan's legendary sealing techniques would likely be there within the ruins, some things left for the survivors - there is no guarentee that it is there still,
But their abilities in it caused nations to gang up on them, and Indra would be a fool to not try to get his hands on something from there.
Especially since it would help him understand the Flying Thunder God Jutsu - since it likely is unable to be understood, otherwise Konoha would already be training some of its Shinobi in it to replicate what made Minato and Tobirama so feared.
There - a flash of distinctive red hair among the Grass Village teams.
Karin stood slightly apart from her teammates, adjusting her glasses as she filled out her consent form. Her expression was serious, almost wary, as she glanced occasionally at the forest.
Indra memorized her appearance, noting her position and the entrance number her team was assigned.
When the exam began, he would create a shadow clone with minimal chakra - just enough to handle threats up to chunin level - to follow her and intervene when the bear or something else attacked.
If he could save her instead of Sasuke, he might gain her loyalty for himself.
Even if she was already Orochimaru's agent, her loyalty to Sasuke had been genuine in the original timeline.
With the right approach, he could ensure that same devotion was directed toward him instead.
After the invasion failed, Orochimaru might even send her to infiltrate Konoha, using her Uzumaki heritage and the story of her mother's mistreatment by the Hidden Grass as cover.
Of course, Orochimaru would likely use a seal to manipulate her memories, making her a sleeper agent - but that was a problem Indra could address later. For now, he needed to focus on establishing the initial connection.
Though this in itself is the best case scenario for him, more than likely, she would simply be taken by Orochimaru back to his lab, and be useful there for his experiments and needed to be contacted in the far future.
"Alright, everyone line up to exchange your consent forms for a scroll," Anko called out.
"And you'll also receive your gate number. We're sending teams in from different points around the perimeter - if we let you all start from the same place, you'd kill each other immediately, and where's the fun in that?"
Teams formed lines before the exchange booth, which was covered by a curtain to prevent others from seeing which scroll each team received.
When Team 11's turn came, they handed over their signed forms and were given a Heaven scroll, which Indra promptly tucked into his equipment pouch.
"Gate 7," the chunin examiner told them, handing over a slip of paper with their entrance number. "Head there immediately. The exam begins in thirty minutes."
As they walked toward their assigned gate, Indra maintained an outwardly calm demeanor, careful not to draw attention.
The last thing he wanted was for Orochimaru to take any special interest in him.
The Sannin was likely already in the forest, having killed and assumed the identity of a Grass ninja team, preparing to mark Sasuke with the Curse Seal.
Indra knew he couldn't prevent that without revealing his Rinnegan - a risk he absolutely wouldn't take.
Orochimaru had been part of Akatsuki and had likely studied Nagato's Rinnegan before discreetly.
If the Sannin discovered Indra possessed those legendary eyes, he would become the primary target instead of Sasuke.
Especially since that snake already had suspicions of it being the Sharingan's evolved state, Kabuto being the one to address Orochimaru's suspicions of that fact to Madara during the 4th Great Shinobi War.
"You seem tense," Sayaka observed quietly as they reached their gate.
"Just focused," Indra replied. "We need to complete this phase as quickly as possible."
"Agreed," she nodded. "The longer we remain in the forest, the greater the danger."
Hayate bounced nervously on his toes. "So what's the plan? Hunt down a team with an Earth scroll right away?"
"Yes," Indra confirmed. "We find a suitable team, take their scroll, and make straight for the tower without stopping. Speed is our priority."
What he didn't mention was his desperate desire to avoid both Orochimaru and Gaara. The former was completely beyond his ability to defeat, even with the Rinnegan.
The latter he could potentially handle with his dōjutsu activated, but doing so would risk detection by Orochimaru.
"Teams, take your positions!" Anko's voice echoed through the forest perimeter, amplified by some jutsu. "The second phase of the Chunin Exams begins... NOW!"
The gates swung open, and genin teams rushed into the forest from all directions. Team 11 moved swiftly, Indra taking point with Sayaka and Hayate following in tight formation.
Once they were deep enough into the forest, Indra signaled for a brief halt. "I'm going to create a shadow clone to scout ahead," he explained, forming the hand seal. With a puff of smoke, an exact duplicate of Indra appeared.
What his teammates didn't know was that this clone had specific instructions - to break off from their path and track Karin's team, intervening only when necessary.
"The clone will search for potential targets," Indra told them as his duplicate disappeared into the trees. "We'll continue northeast for now."
They traveled in silence for nearly an hour, moving quickly through the upper branches to avoid the more dangerous creatures that prowled the forest floor.
Occasionally, distant screams echoed through the trees.
"Wait," Sayaka whispered suddenly, raising her hand. "Someone's approaching. Three signatures, moving fast."
Indra nodded, impressed by her sensory abilities. "Ambush formation," he ordered quietly. "Let them come to us."
The team split, with Hayate concealing himself in the dense foliage of a nearby tree, Sayaka positioning herself behind the massive trunk of another, and Indra remaining in plain sight as bait.
He deliberately slowed his pace, appearing to check his surroundings as if lost.
It didn't take long for the trap to spring. Three genin wearing Grass Village headbands emerged from the canopy, surrounding Indra.
"Well, well," the apparent leader sneered, a tall boy with long black hair tied in a ponytail. "Looks like we found a straggler. Hand over your scroll, and we might let you live."
Indra affected a worried expression. "I... I got separated from my team. I don't have the scroll."
"Liar," hissed a kunoichi with short brown hair. "Search him, Mako."
The third member of their team - a stocky boy with a scar across his chin - approached cautiously. As he reached for Indra, Hayate's voice rang out from above.
"Earth Style: Stone Spikes!"
The ground beneath the Grass ninja erupted with small stone protrusions, forcing them to jump away - directly into Sayaka's path. Her hands flashed through seals.
"Water Style: Water Bullet!"
Compressed balls of water shot toward the disoriented Grass ninja, striking two of them squarely in the chest and sending them tumbling across the forest floor.
Indra dropped his hesitant act immediately, moving with blinding speed toward the leader who had managed to dodge Sayaka's attack. The Grass ninja's hands began forming seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flow-"
He never finished the jutsu. Indra closed the distance between them in an instant, delivering a precise strike to the ninja's throat that cut off both his technique and his breath.
As the Grass ninja staggered backward, clutching his throat, Indra swept his legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground with a kunai at his jugular.
"Your scroll," Indra demanded coldly. "Now."
Meanwhile, Hayate and Sayaka had subdued the other two Grass ninja with similar efficiency. The team leader, seeing his teammates defeated, reluctantly reached into his pouch and produced an Earth scroll.
"Take it," he gasped, still struggling to breathe normally. "Just let us go."
Indra took the scroll, confirming it was genuine before tucking it away. "We have what we need," he told his teammates. "Let's move."
"Wait," Hayate said, his expression unusually serious. "What if they come after us for revenge?"
Indra considered this for a moment. "Tie them up," he decided. "They can free themselves eventually, but it will delay them."
He had no intention of killing unnecessarily. It wasn't his style. Besides, they could prove a distraction for other teams, who would waste precious seconds to question them.
Using ninja wire, they secured the Grass team to separate trees, far enough apart that they couldn't help each other escape.
With that done, Team 11 resumed their journey toward the tower, now moving at an even faster pace with both scrolls in their possession.
"That was almost too easy," Hayate remarked as they leaped through the trees.
"Don't get overconfident," Indra warned. "We still have to reach the tower, and we're not the only predators in this forest."
As if to emphasize his point, a massive snake suddenly erupted from the canopy ahead, its jaws open wide to swallow them whole. The three genin scattered, barely avoiding its strike.
"What the hell!" Hayate shouted, landing on a branch several trees away. "That thing's huge!"
The snake, easily the size of a house, turned its attention to Hayate, its forked tongue flicking out to taste the air.
Indra's mind raced - giant snakes were Orochimaru's specialty. Was this a random forest creature, or had they somehow drawn the Sannin's attention?
"Hayate, don't move!" Indra called out, his hand reaching for a kunai with an explosive tag. "Sayaka, water bullet on my mark!"
The snake lunged toward Hayate, who froze in terror. Indra hurled his kunai, the explosive tag detonating just before it would have struck the snake's scales. The explosion disoriented the creature, causing it to veer off course.
"Now, Sayaka!"
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
The compressed water struck the snake's open mouth, forcing its head back. Indra followed up immediately.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The massive sphere of flame engulfed the snake's head, the heat so intense that the surrounding air shimmered. When the flames dissipated, the snake lay motionless, its head charred beyond recognition.
"Is... is it dead?" Hayate asked, still trembling slightly.
"Yes," Indra confirmed, landing beside the massive corpse. "But we need to keep moving. Where there's one giant predator, there are likely others."
They resumed their journey, more cautious now, constantly scanning their surroundings for threats. The tower was still at least a day's travel away, even at their accelerated pace.
As dusk approached, bringing deeper shadows to the already dim forest, Indra sensed movement behind them.
He signaled his teammates to stop, listening intently. The forest had gone unnaturally quiet - no insects chirping, no birds calling.
"We're being followed," he whispered.
"How many?" Sayaka asked, her hand moving to her weapon pouch.
Before Indra could answer, six figures burst from the undergrowth - three from behind and three more cutting off their path ahead. The ambushers wore Sound Village headbands, their expressions excited.
Though not ones Indra recognized from the show.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, a tall, lanky ninja with a sound amplifier attached to his arm. "Look what we found. Konoha brats with scrolls ripe for the taking."
"Split up!" Indra ordered, immediately engaging the three Sound ninja in front of them. "Meet at the rendezvous point!"
Hayate and Sayaka didn't hesitate, each darting in different directions with Sound ninja in pursuit.
Indra faced his three opponents, quickly assessing them. All wore similar sound amplifiers - likely students of Orochimaru's techniques.
The first Sound ninja charged, swinging his amplifier-equipped arm. "Sound Wave Blast!"
Indra dodged, the attack hitting a tree behind him. The bark splintered from the invisible sound waves, showering the area with debris. The other two Sound ninja circled, looking for an opening.
Indra didn't give them time to coordinate.
He formed a basic clone - not a shadow clone, just a simple Academy illusion - and used the momentary distraction to close in on the nearest opponent.
The Sound ninja realized too late that he'd been fooled, turning just in time to receive Indra's kunai across his throat.
Blood sprayed as the ninja collapsed, clutching the fatal wound. His companions shouted in anger, both attacking simultaneously.
"Sound Style: Resonating Echo Drill!"
"Sound Style: Vibration Slice!"
The attacks converged on Indra's position, invisible waves of sound threatening to rupture his organs and slice his flesh.
Instead of attempting to dodge, Indra substituted himself with a log, which shattered into splinters under the combined techniques.
Reappearing behind one of the Sound ninja, Indra struck - a kunai driven through the base of the skull, severing the brain stem. The ninja was dead before he hit the ground.
The remaining Sound ninja backed away, fear replacing his earlier confidence. "What the hell are you?" he gasped, raising his amplifier defensively.
"Just a genin taking his exam," Indra replied coldly, advancing steadily.
The Sound ninja unleashed a desperate attack, the sound waves powerful enough to topple trees. Indra weaved through the destruction, closing the distance with speed.
The Sound ninja's eyes widened in terror as Indra suddenly appeared before him, a kunai already in motion.
The blade entered under the chin, driving upward into the brain. The Sound ninja's body jerked once, then went limp.
Indra wiped his kunai clean on the dead ninja's clothes, surveying his handiwork dispassionately.
He had killed all three without using his Sharingan or any jutsu beyond the basic Academy techniques. It was a deliberate choice - the less he wasted chakra the better.
"Pathetic," he muttered, looking down at the corpses. "Trying fancy C-rank jutsu when basic skills would have served you better."
"I couldn't agree more," came a silky voice from the shadows. "So many shinobi neglect the fundamentals in favor of flashy techniques."
A wave of crushing bloodlust washed over Indra, so intense it momentarily paralyzed him. He knew that voice - and recognized from past descriptions the distinctive predatory chakra that accompanied it.
From the darkness between the trees emerged a pale figure with long black hair, wearing the face of a Grass ninja like an ill-fitting mask. The disguise did little to conceal the true identity of the being before him.
Orochimaru.
"Shit," Indra whispered, the word escaping before he could stop it.
His mind raced with self-recrimination. How could he have been so stupid? If he could create shadow clones, of course Orochimaru could do the same.
The Sannin had likely split his attention - one body to mark Sasuke, another to scout for potential backup eyes in case his primary target proved unsuitable.
Orochimaru's smile widened unnaturally, stretching the borrowed face in disturbing ways. "Such language from one so young," he chided, his tongue flicking out to moisten his lips.
"Though I must say, your skills are... impressive. Dispatching three opponents without resorting to your clan's famous eyes? Most Uchiha can't help but flaunt their eyes whenever they get the chance.."
Indra remained silent, calculating his options. Running was pointless - Orochimaru could catch him effortlessly. Fighting was suicide. And he can't talk no jutsu himself out of this either.
Damn, he was screwed.
"Nothing to say?" Orochimaru continued, taking a step closer. "How disappointing. I had hoped for some conversation before our... examination."
The way he emphasized the last word made Indra's skin crawl. This was a nightmare scenario - alone in the forest with one of the most dangerous shinobi alive, without any hope of rescue.
"What do you want?" Indra finally asked, keeping his voice steady despite the fear threatening to overwhelm him.
"What do I want?" Orochimaru repeated, his yellow eyes gleaming with amusement. "Why, to see what you're capable of, of course.
Your cousin has such... potential. I met him long ago, and when I heard about you I could not help but wonder if the same applied to you? "
Indra knew then that he was in serious trouble. Orochimaru he reasoned was indeed considering him as a backup vessel - a spare Uchiha body in case Sasuke proved unsuitable or unattainable.
As the Sannin's killing intent intensified, pressing down on him to the point that even Indra could barely breathe, he could only think one thing:
Fuck did I miscalculate.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
So... Yeah, you didn't think Orochimaru would seriously not go after Indra did you?
He already had no guarentee that Sasuke would survive the Curse Mark - could only hope for it based on his strength and potential.
Of course he would go after Indra too.
Well, let's see what Indra will do. Do tell me if you are excited for the next chapter.
I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)