Three minutes later.
Sasuke shouted in fear, "Naruto, help me!"
"Huh?" Naruto stood at a distance, looking puzzled. "But Sasuke, didn't you just say not to save you?"
Sasuke yelled with a panicked face, "I was wrong! Come save me! I still have a mission to complete—I can't die here, please!"
Naruto sighed and turned his attention to Orochimaru, who was chasing Sasuke atop a giant python.
Behind Naruto, Haruno Sakura was trembling in fear, completely unable to fight.
"Ultra Light-Weight Rock Technique."
Naruto performed Ohnoki's auxiliary jutsu on himself. His body suddenly felt lighter, and he began to float in the air, able to control his position freely.
"So this is the Ultra Light-Weight Rock Technique… feels kind of amazing," Naruto thought to himself. Then, he flew higher and darted toward Orochimaru.
Sasuke saw Naruto approaching. Although he had no idea how Naruto was flying, he instinctively moved closer to him.
"Hey, Orochimaru, please leave this place," Naruto said politely while forming a hand seal. "Adamantine Sealing Chains—Release!"
Whoosh~
Several golden chains burst forth, shooting toward the python beneath Orochimaru's feet.
Orochimaru, being well-informed, instantly recognized the technique. "Adamantine Sealing Chains that can move freely… Did you modify them yourself? Impressive—truly terrifying, Uzumaki Naruto."
The moment the chains shot out, Orochimaru abandoned the python beneath him.
The massive serpent was instantly bound by the golden chains, thrashing violently as it fell to the ground, shaking the forest with its enormous body.
Orochimaru landed lightly on a branch and frowned as he looked down at the scene.
This was bad. His sudden appearance would surely draw the attention of Konoha's Anbu. They were likely already heading this way.
Moreover, Naruto's chakra was unlike anything Orochimaru had felt—it was wild and vast, almost indistinguishable from a Tailed Beast's.
Even if Orochimaru went all out, victory wouldn't come easily.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Orochimaru muttered darkly, his pale, snake-like face twisting into a grimace. "I'll remember you."
With that, Orochimaru turned and vanished into the shadows.
Naruto blinked in surprise. "He… ran away? That easily?"
Still, Naruto wasn't complaining. If Orochimaru wanted to flee, that saved him the trouble of a long battle.
Just then, the familiar system chime echoed in his head.
[Ding~ Congratulations to the Host for achieving an A-rank rating. Simulation opportunities +3.]
Naruto grinned to himself. "Looks like there's only the S-rank left now. Feels like I'm breezing through this."
If the shinobi world had game difficulty settings, Naruto figured he must be playing on Casual Mode.
Since Orochimaru was gone, Naruto went to check on his teammates.
Sasuke was lying on a branch, completely exhausted but still breathing. Fortunately, Orochimaru's goal hadn't been to kill him—his injuries were minor, and the curse mark hadn't been applied.
"Hey, Sasuke, you alright?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke stared blankly at the sky. "Naruto… do I have no talent as a ninja?"
Naruto sighed. "Don't say that, Sasuke. You're a genius in my eyes."
"But I couldn't even beat a single Genin," Sasuke muttered bitterly.
Naruto replied, "That guy wasn't a Genin. That was Orochimaru—one of the Legendary Sannin and a true Kage-level master. You couldn't beat him, and that's normal."
Sasuke's eyes widened. "What?! A Kage-level master? Then why was he taking the Chūnin Exam?"
Naruto explained what he knew, including Orochimaru's past defeat at the hands of Uchiha Itachi and his obsession with obtaining the Sharingan.
The mention of Itachi made Sasuke's blood run cold.
He had just faced Orochimaru and knew firsthand how powerful he was. Even when Sasuke fought with everything he had, he couldn't force Orochimaru to reveal his full strength.
But Itachi had defeated him easily…
That realization sent a wave of urgency and frustration through Sasuke's heart.
Although their battle lasted only three minutes, Sasuke had gone all out—and was now completely drained.
Naruto suggested they find a place to rest, and both Sakura and Sasuke agreed.
They soon discovered a small hollow under a large tree and hid inside.
Sasuke lay down, eyes closed, trying to recover, while Sakura kept a nervous lookout at the entrance.
After a while, Sakura frowned and whispered, "Naruto-kun, did you hear that?"
Naruto, who had been resting, perked up and listened carefully. "Yeah… sounds like someone's calling for help."
"This is the Forest of Death," Naruto added calmly. "It's normal for someone to be attacked or killed here."
But then, a memory sparked in his mind.
Wait—this must be that part from the Chūnin Exam plot… Karin!
Should he save her or not?
After a brief thought, Naruto decided: Save her.
He could already use the Adamantine Sealing Chains, but if he could learn Kagura's Mind Eye—one of the top sensory techniques—it would be a major gain.
Both he and Karin had Uzumaki blood. If he mastered that ability, it would perfectly complement his current skillset.
Naruto stood up. "I'll go take a look."
Sakura tensed up. "Naruto, please come back soon! I'm just a rookie—I can't protect Sasuke alone!"
Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'll be quick."
With that, he slipped out of the tree hollow.
Sasuke, half-asleep, overheard the exchange and subconsciously shuddered.
"Those two… are they too close now?" he thought, frowning slightly.
…
Following the sound, Naruto soon found a red-haired girl in distress.
She was running awkwardly—clearly nearsighted—and being chased by a massive bear.
Naruto dashed forward, flew into the air, and scooped her up effortlessly.
Karin (Xianglin), unaware of what was happening, panicked and flailed wildly. "Let me go! I don't taste good! I haven't bathed in three months!"
Naruto's scalp tingled. "Wait, seriously?" he blurted.
Upon hearing a human voice, Karin's crimson eyes brightened. "Of course not! Please, just save me!"
Naruto: "…"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 80+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Marvel fanfic!
[Marvel: A Video Editor]