"This... this is a Ninjutsu developed by Izanami himself?"
Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto hid behind the remains of a massive fallen tree, eyes wide in astonishment as they stared at the spinning inferno of fire.
"Gulp..."
Naruto swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "S-So amazing!"
He had believed that his own combination of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was already quite powerful. But he hadn't expected that Izanami, besides mastering his own vast-area Ninjutsu, didn't even need shadow clones—or hand seals. It was an entirely different level.
Naruto's previously inflated ego instantly deflated.
"Let's go!"
At that moment, Izanami appeared behind Sasuke and Naruto, grabbed them both, and used the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
Shortly after the trio left, a scorched figure emerged from the ground not far away—it was Orochimaru.
"Ugh..."
Orochimaru let out a guttural sound, his mouth grotesquely opening as though torn apart. From it, a mucus-covered body crawled out.
"Damn brat… he ruined my plan!"
He had used the Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement Technique to shed his burned body. Still hoarse, he cursed, then grinned wickedly.
"But that chakra, and the speed of casting... truly a remarkable talent."
As the fire tornado raged into the forest, threatening to engulf everything in flames, Orochimaru watched with interest.
"What a familiar technique. I never expected Minato's failed creation—and that fool's imperfect concept—to be fully realized by someone from the new generation."
He turned to glance in the direction where Izanami and the others had fled, then faced a different direction and smirked darkly.
"What's mine will eventually return to me. Sasuke-kun, your body will be mine."
With those words, Orochimaru's body slowly sank back into the earth, disappearing from the Forest of Death.
Moments later, numerous figures appeared in the area via Body Flicker Technique. Among them were ANBU operatives in cloaks and cat-like masks, as well as Special Jonin and Jonin in green flak jackets.
"Are we too late?" Anko Mitarashi said, her expression tense.
"Quick, extinguish the fire."
Several ninjas joined forces and used Water Release to put out the raging tornado of fire.
Meanwhile, Izanami and the others went to retrieve Sakura Haruno, who had been hiding nearby. They then traveled two to three miles using Body Flicker before stopping to rest.
Team 7 leaned against a large tree, panting heavily.
"Orochimaru didn't chase us, did he?" Sasuke asked, still visibly shaken, eyes fixed on Izanami.
"Don't worry. He didn't follow us. The rescue team has already arrived," Izanami replied calmly, offering Team 7 a sense of reassurance.
Hearing that, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Sakura slumped to the ground, pale. "Why would a legendary ninja target us? This is beyond unlucky…"
"Tch... if that guy didn't use Earth Release, I would've defeated him already," Naruto muttered stubbornly.
But Sasuke remained quiet, his expression dark. He knew the truth—the real target had been him.
Just the thought of being hunted by someone like Orochimaru sent chills down his spine.
This time they'd been lucky—saved by Izanami. But what about next time?
Izanami seemed to notice the anxiety creeping into Sasuke's expression. He patted Sasuke on the shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"Don't be nervous. It's the village that should be on high alert. An S-rank missing-nin is no joke. Even the great ninja villages don't underestimate someone like him."
"For such a dangerous person to show up in Konoha, Lord Hokage will definitely mobilize the full strength of the village."
"Until this is resolved, don't go home after the exam. Stay in the Central District where it's safer. Once Orochimaru's issue is handled, you can return."
Sasuke felt a surge of relief and nodded seriously. "Understood."
After resting, Team 7 began walking toward the Central Tower.
As they moved through the woods, Naruto couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.
"Izanami, that fire tornado you used... was that something your Jonin instructor taught you?"
"No," Izanami replied with a slight shake of his head. "That's a Ninjutsu I developed myself."
"What?! You made it yourself?!"
Naruto and Sakura gasped in shock.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Something clicked in his mind.
"That wasn't the Lightning Release technique you mentioned before, was it?"
"Of course not," Izanami said with a cryptic smile. "The Gaia Energy Cannon is just a by-product—something I created while working on my ultimate technique."
"What?!"
The trio gasped again.
Sakura gaped in disbelief. "So that fire tornado was just a prototype?"
"Gulp…"
Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously swallowed, realizing just how far ahead Izanami was. If even his incomplete Ninjutsu was that powerful, what would the finished technique look like?
Sasuke's eyes burned with ambition. An ultimate technique—an S-rank Ninjutsu—could be what he needed to kill that man.
If Izanami wouldn't teach him the completed version, maybe the Gaia Energy Cannon would be enough. He also had fire affinity, after all.
With that thought, Sasuke silently vowed to find a way to gain Izanami's favor after the exam.
After confirming through the Reincarnation Eye that Orochimaru had truly abandoned his plan to implant the Cursed Seal on Sasuke, Izanami separated from Team 7 to join Hinata and Shino Aburame.
Without the Cursed Seal, Sasuke's most dangerous rivals in the Forest of Death were now limited to Yakushi Kabuto—who was hiding his strength—as well as Gaara, Rock Lee, and Hyuga Neji.
Other examinees weren't much of a threat.
With things progressing smoothly, Team 7 pushed forward without delay. Afraid that Orochimaru might return, they didn't rest and actively searched for a team carrying the Scroll of Heaven.
After a swift battle, they obtained the scroll and rushed to the Central Tower. There, they activated the scroll and summoned a shadow clone of Iruka Umino, to whom they reported Orochimaru's appearance and actions.
Once Konoha received confirmation that Orochimaru had infiltrated the village, a tense undercurrent spread through the ranks.
Many senior ninja advised Hiruzen Sarutobi to cancel the Chunin Exams and focus entirely on hunting down Orochimaru.
However, with large numbers of foreign ninja already in the village—and formal invitations sent to the Fourth Kazekage and various dignitaries—it was politically impossible to halt the exams.
Thus, Hiruzen could only covertly dispatch elite ninja and ANBU to search for Orochimaru.
In the following five days, while the exams continued publicly, the atmosphere in Konoha grew heavy.
The second exam officially came to an end.
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