Five minutes left.
They were bleeding.Bruised.But burning with resolve.
Fists met jaws.Blades clashed again and again.But then—
"Karin, Sakura!"Sasuke's voice cut through the storm."I'm using my ultimate jutsu. Area-of-effect. Clear out—now!"
The girls exchanged a glance. No hesitation.
They leapt back instantly, chakra flaring as they retreated to the trees, their eyes still locked on the battlefield.
Orochimaru narrowed his gaze.That sudden command, the urgency—it meant danger.
He didn't wait.
He bit his thumb. Slammed his palm to the ground.
Kuchiyose no Jutsu!
A massive purple serpent exploded from the earth—Manda.
The ground shook as his coils spread. His golden eyes scanned the battlefield like a demon judging souls.
"Tch… Orochimaru. You look like hell."Manda's tongue flicked, voice venomous.
"What can I say? These genin are little monsters," Orochimaru chuckled darkly, pointing toward the three brats.Black hair. Pink hair. Red hair.
Manda's eyes narrowed. "I want five sacrifices for this."
"Done," Orochimaru said, climbing atop his head like a reaper mounting his beast.
On the other side—
Sasuke stood alone.Lightning crackled overhead.He raised his hand to the heavens.
Hand seals—lightning surged.
A roar trembled through the clouds.A dragon of storm and fury descended—
KIRIN.
From above, Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Yo! Sasuke! You already mastered Kirin? Nice flex!"
Orochimaru's smirk cracked.Manda hissed, eyes wide.
"Brace!"
Orochimaru didn't hesitate. He slapped his hands together.
"Kuchiyose: Sanjū Rashōmon!"
BOOM!Three massive demonic gates exploded from the ground, towering into the sky like the very walls of hell itself.
The storm roared.
Kirin descended.
BOOOOOM!!!
The first gate shattered like glass.The second—splintered to dust.The third—cracked, resisted… then—
CRACK!It broke.
The lightning dragon slammed through it all—Straight into Manda. Straight into Orochimaru.
The Earth split.The forest shook.For a second—everything was white.
When the smoke began to clear…
Only silence remained.
The blast didn't just level trees—it sent a ripple through the entire Forest of Death.
Like a call to arms, stationed shinobi across the zone felt the tremor, sensed the chakra spike, and moved.
Leaves rustled. Feet dashed across the bark.
By the time they reached the epicenter—
All that remained was silence... and a smoldering crater.
No Orochimaru.No Manda.Only a torn sack of shedded flesh.
Naruto dropped from the trees like gravity didn't apply to him. A grin tugged at his lips as he patted Sasuke on the back.
"Bro, that Kirin was devastating. You've mastered it already?!"
Sasuke just exhaled, chest rising and falling. Still alive. Still focused.
"I didn't even know you had something like that up your sleeve!" Sakura added, her tone mixed with awe and low-key offense.
"I guess Orochimaru learned not to poke the Uchiha lightning dragon," Karin smirked, though her hands trembled slightly from residual chakra fatigue. "Shame he's as slippery as the rumors say."
Sasuke gave a subtle nod. "Next time… he won't escape."
Naruto looked between all of them with a proud glint in his eyes.
"You two went toe-to-toe with a Kage-level opponent… and held your ground. That's not just chunin material. That's future-legend status."
"Thanks," Sakura and Karin said in unison, grinning.
"But now, before the welcome committee shows up…"Naruto raised his hand, revealing a kunai marked with his seal."Time to bounce."
With a flick—Teleportation. Gone in a flash.
Moments later—
Anko and her squad landed, feet skidding on dirt as their eyes widened at the sheer destruction.
A deep crater smoldered before them. Trees snapped. Earth scorched.
"What kind of monster fight happened here?" a Chunin gasped.
Anko didn't answer immediately. She stepped forward, crouched down——and picked up a familiar sight.
A snake-skin husk. Torn. Burned.Orochimaru's escape route.
"…Orochimaru," she said grimly.
Gasps.
"A Sannin was here?"
"Who could've pushed him this far?"
The thought echoed silently in the minds of every shinobi present.
Anko's voice broke the silence.
"Inform Hokage-sama immediately."
Everyone nodded. This wasn't over.
Back at the tower—
The squad walked through the gates, bruised, bloodied, but alive.
Two Chunin stood guard, blinking in disbelief.
"Wait—you're the first team to arrive?!""And you broke the record!" one added, eyes wide.
"Don't jump to conclusions," the other said cautiously. "Let's verify the scrolls first."
Sakura stepped forward and handed over both scrolls—Heaven and Earth.
The Chunin flipped them open. His expression shifted from skeptical… to shocked.
"…You passed."
"Let's goooo," Naruto whispered, pumping a tired fist.
"But…"The guard stared at the clock."You guys finished in forty-five minutes."
The other Chunin glanced at their torn clothes, bruises, dried blood, and weary postures.
No cheating. No shortcuts. Just battle-hardened effort.
"Wait here. The third exam begins in five days."
Naruto smirked, folding his arms.
"New record. Just like I planned."
Naruto stood tall, grinning like a kid who just stole candy from a Kage.
He'd broken the record—and he knew it.
The thrill of victory buzzed in his veins. His energy? Unmatched.
But behind him, the rest of his squad?
Out. Cold.
Sakura, Karin, and Sasuke had chakra reserves hanging by a thread. They found a bench near the tower wall, sat down, leaned back... and within seconds?
Out like lights.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office—
Knock knock.
"Come in," Hiruzen said, voice as calm as the smoke from his pipe.
A Chunin entered, immediately kneeling.
"Hokage-sama. During the Chūnin Exams in Shinozuba no Mori, we detected traces of a massive battle. Evidence suggests Orochimaru may have been involved."
Hiruzen's fingers paused.
He inhaled deeply, letting the pipe's smoke swirl in the air before he murmured—
"Orochimaru… how nostalgic."
A ghost of emotion crossed his face. Regret? Pain? Memories too old to bleed?
His gaze refocused.
"You may leave."
"Hokage-sama—one more thing," the Chunin added quickly."A team has already passed the exam."
Now that caught his attention.
"Which team?"
"Team 7, from Konoha. Four members."
Hiruzen leaned back slowly, exhaling.
"…I see."
His eyes glinted behind the curtain of age. A moment of pride. A flicker of concern.
"You may go."
The Chunin bowed and left.
The room fell into silence.
Then—
"Naruto and his team… already?"Hiruzen whispered to himself, brows furrowed.
"And Orochimaru…"
A long pause.
He turned.
"ANBU!" he called.
In an instant, shadows flickered into the room.
"Tighten security around the tower. Triple the patrols. Orochimaru's here—for something."
The ANBU nodded and vanished.
Hiruzen looked out the window toward the Forest of Death.
The storm was far from over.
An hour later…
Another group arrived at the tower.
The Chunin guards at the entrance raised their brows.
The Suna Siblings.
Not a scratch on them. Not a bruise, not a speck of dirt. Like they'd strolled through a peaceful meadow instead of the Forest of Death.
The guard took their scrolls and checked them carefully.
"You pass," he said, still baffled.
The trio walked in, calm and composed, as if they hadn't just completed one of the deadliest tests ever devised.
Behind them, the guards whispered to each other.
"What the hell is going on?""Is this even the same Chūnin Exam?""How are teams finishing this fast!?"
Inside the resting hall—
The Suna siblings stepped through the door, expecting an empty space.
But no.
A certain familiar redhead was already there, kicking back with the confidence of a record-breaker.
Naruto grinned, eyes locking on the incoming trio.
"Oh look. You guys came in second."
Boom.
Kankuro twitched."You wanna run that by me again, kid?"
But before things could pop off—
"Kankuro. Quiet."
It wasn't Gaara who spoke. It was Temari—firm, composed, and surprisingly diplomatic.
Gaara remained silent. His eyes scanned the room, narrowing slightly as they landed on Team 7.
How did they finish before us?They don't look strong enough…But… something's different.
Temari stepped forward with a smile, graceful and respectful.
"Congratulations on passing. That's impressive."
Naruto stood and offered his hand, still grinning but with a glint of admiration.
"Same to you. Congrats."
Temari hesitated a second—then took it.
Their handshake was firm.
Brief.
Electric.
A silent pact between future warriors.