Anko paced back and forth, the sharp pain in her neck intensifying with each passing second. She gripped the cursed mark, the very seal that linked her to that monster. The throbbing pain was more than just physical; it was a grim reminder of her past and the hell she had barely escaped. Yet here it was again, reawakened by his presence.
"Two Anbu units, immediately!" she barked into the communication device. Her voice was strained but steady. "There's an emergency situation in the Forest of Death. Code Black—Orochimaru has infiltrated the exam!"
There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end. Then, the voices erupted.
"Are you sure, Anko? How can you tell?"
"I'm certain!" she growled, her fingers tightening around the cursed seal. "I can feel him. I know that chakra anywhere. He's after someone, and if we don't act fast, we'll lose more than just the exam candidates."
With that, she leapt into the forest, moving with all the speed her body could muster. Each second counted. If Orochimaru was here, no one—not the candidates, not even the proctors—would be safe.
Inside the Forest of Death
"Damn it," Erza muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to hold her ground. Her movements were growing slower, her chakra reserves dangerously low, yet the figure in front of her—Orochimaru—seemed as composed as ever. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Why are you resisting, child?" Orochimaru taunted, his voice a silken hiss that made Erza's skin crawl. "Your clan's techniques are impressive, yes, but you're simply outclassed. Surrender, and perhaps I'll make your death painless."
"Like hell," Erza spat, swinging her blade with every ounce of strength she had left. The flames that coated the blade crackled menacingly, but Orochimaru merely side-stepped, his expression bored.
"Feisty." He chuckled, eyes gleaming with interest. "But futile. I must say, I'm rather disappointed. The Koyama clan used to send much more… competent assassins. Yet here you are, barely holding on."
"I'll do more than hold on," Erza shot back, blood seeping from a wound in her side. "I'll kill you."
Her words made Orochimaru's smile widen, a chilling display of amusement. "Kill me?" He leaned forward, eyes narrowing with mock curiosity. "You think you're capable of that, little girl? Tell me, do you know how many Koyama have tried to take my life?"
Erza glared at him, hatred burning in her gaze.
"Hundreds," he continued nonchalantly. "All of them were like you. Full of pride, full of conviction. And do you know what happened to them?"
"Shut up!" she roared, chakra flaring around her. She dashed forward, blade poised to strike. The flames surrounding her sword intensified, spiraling around the blade like a raging inferno.
But Orochimaru didn't move. He merely stood there, watching her approach, his eyes reflecting a detached sort of interest. At the last second, Erza shifted, swinging her blade at a sharper angle, aiming for his torso.
Got you!
The blade sliced through his body, cleaving his arm clean off in a spray of blood. For a moment, Erza thought she'd done it. She thought she'd hurt him.
But then his body… shifted. The severed arm twitched and morphed, tendrils of flesh knitting themselves back together at an alarming rate. In mere seconds, the arm was whole again, pale and flawless as if it had never been severed.
"What—?" Erza stumbled back, eyes wide with horror.
Orochimaru tilted his head, his smile never wavering. "You see, little Koyama, this is why I told you it's futile. You're facing something far beyond your understanding."
His skin seemed to ripple, changing color from a sickly pale to an unnatural white. His eyes shifted too, turning into reptilian slits that glowed in the dim light of the forest. The transformation was grotesque, but what terrified Erza the most was the way his chakra swelled, growing more menacing by the second.
"I'm no mere human," Orochimaru purred, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Erza swallowed hard, sweat beading on her forehead. She'd heard stories about Orochimaru—about how he was once part of the legendary Sannin. But seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. He wasn't just a ninja; he was a monster. A twisted, serpentine creature that defied the natural order.
"Damn you…" she whispered, trying to keep her fear in check. "You're… Orochimaru. One of the legendary Sannin."
"Ah, so you have heard of me," he murmured, his grin widening. "Good. That will make this so much more interesting."
Erza took a step back, but then froze. There was no point in retreating. No point in stalling. If she turned her back now, if she showed even a hint of weakness, he'd tear through her like paper.
But then a thought struck her—a chilling realization.
If he's not here for me… then what is he—?
Her gaze darted to the side, towards the direction where Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura were still fighting the monstrous snake. Panic surged through her.
Of course! He's after—
"Sasuke!" she shouted, spinning on her heel. She pushed her legs to move faster, ignoring the pain that lanced through her side. If Orochimaru got to Sasuke, there'd be no saving him. Not now. Not ever.
By the time she reached them, the scene was chaos. The giant snake had been subdued, its massive body sprawled across the forest floor, but the three genin were in terrible shape. Naruto lay unconscious, his chakra completely spent. Sakura was barely standing, and Sasuke—
Erza's heart sank.
Sasuke was on his knees, clutching his neck. Blood seeped through his fingers, and his entire body trembled violently. His eyes were wide with pain and fear.
"Sakura, what happened?!" Erza demanded, rushing over.
"He—he bit him!" Sakura cried, her voice shaking. "His neck just stretched out and—there was nothing we could do! I—"
"Damn it," Erza cursed. "Damn it!"
She reached out, but Sasuke recoiled, his eyes wild with pain and confusion. His chakra was fluctuating erratically, dark tendrils of energy coiling around him like serpents.
"No, no, no…!" Erza's hands hovered helplessly over him. She could feel it—the cursed seal spreading through his body, tainting his chakra. It was Orochimaru's mark, a brand that would change Sasuke forever.
And she couldn't stop it.
"Erza… what do we do?" Sakura's voice was a desperate whisper.
Erza took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. There was only one thing they could do now: survive. Protect Sasuke and wait for help.
"Get ready," she murmured, standing between them and the direction Orochimaru had vanished. Her blade was steady in her hands, the flames around it burning brighter. "He'll be back. And when he comes, we fight with everything we have."
Sakura swallowed, nodding shakily.
For a moment, the forest was silent.
Then, a soft chuckle echoed through the trees.
"Such resolve," Orochimaru's voice purred. "But resolve alone won't save you."
And just like that, he was there again—looming over them, eyes gleaming with hunger.
"Now… shall we continue?"