After the first Chūnin exam, Otoshimura and the others found Jin lying unconscious and wrapped in ropes under a tree.
When Jin finally woke up, his teammates filled him in on what had happened.
"Damn it! I was tricked!" Jin growled, fury radiating off her. "Whoever that guy with sunglasses and that creepy hippie smile is, if I find him, I'll skin him alive!"
Her eyes were burning with anger, and her voice carried an edge of pure malice. That trickster had used her identity to make him forfeit the exam! How dare they?
Because of Gojo Satoru's "strategic abstention," the three Genins from Village Hidden in the Sound were eliminated, and the second exam officially began.
Fast forward a day...
The Death Forest.
Thorns, vines, and deadly creatures lurked everywhere. The candidates who passed the first test now found themselves in a life-or-death battles.
It was a deadly place, with a single wrong step leading to death.
Kurenai hesitated before signing up for the eighth team. She was particularly concerned about Hinata—her gentle and kind nature made her an easy target in such a brutal environment.
Deep within the forest, Team 7 found themselves cornered. Covered in cuts and bruises, their kunai at the ready, they faced a dangerous figure—an eerie man who resembled a snake.
Despite their best efforts, they couldn't seem to land a blow on this snake-like... ladyboy.
Orochimaru stood atop his snake's head, watching Uchiha Sasuke with an unsettling, greedy smile. His eyes fixed on Sasuke's Sharingan, and a sly grin spread across his face.
"Heh… Sharingan, the Kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan." Orochimaru's voice slithered through the air. "I've only ever used it as a tool for my experiments. But now... now it has a new purpose."
He licked his lips. "What I want is more than just eyes... I want the blood of the Uchiha. And once I fully understand their secrets, I can get to Gojo Satoru."
Orochimaru's plans were not only about taking Sasuke's Sharingan—he was setting his sights on something far more dangerous: Gojo himself.
Sasuke, however, wasn't going to let him off that easily. With his scarlet eyes flashing, he demanded, "You know that man, don't you? Where is he?"
Naruto and Sakura exchanged confused glances. "What's going on with Sasuke?" Naruto muttered.
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Sasuke, do you want power? Enough to get revenge?"
Sasuke's chakra flared as he prepared his Rasengan, the attack taught to him by his Sensei.
With a fierce battle cry, Sasuke leapt toward Orochimaru, ready to strike with the spiraling blue sphere.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "The Rasengan… taught to you by Gojo Satoru?" His voice was hoarse with fascination. "Interesting."
But just before the Rasengan could connect, Orochimaru's hands transformed into snakes, wrapping around Sasuke's limbs and kicking him away. Sasuke flew through the air, crashing heavily into the ground. His Rasengan exploded on impact, creating a small crater.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru couldn't help but smile. "Not bad, Uchiha Sasuke. But you're still too weak. If only you were stronger..."
He licked his lips again, more excited than ever. Sasuke's power was beginning to stir something deep within him.
"Thank you, Gojo Satoru, for helping me raise Sasuke," Orochimaru murmured to himself.
Naruto, seeing Sasuke on the ground, was livid. His anger boiled over as he summoned his own technique.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Dozens of Naruto clones popped into existence, ready to take on the snake man.
"Sakura, get Sasuke out of here!" Naruto commanded, despite his injuries.
Sakura, bloody and beaten, was still struggling to carry Sasuke. She stumbled but managed to help him to his feet.
"I'm not leaving you behind, Sasuke!" Naruto said, his voice a mix of determination and fury.
But Orochimaru wasn't fazed. He hissed in amusement, his snake's mouth releasing a toxic cloud of gas, wiping out the Shadow Clones one by one.
"Still too weak," he mused.
Despite Naruto's anger, Orochimaru's ruthless aura became almost tangible—an overwhelming pressure that sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Even Sasuke, who had once shown no fear, now felt a flicker of terror.
But it was the powerful feeling of impending doom that had Naruto pushing through his pain, his body drenched in blood.
"I'm going to beat you here!" he yelled, though his voice trembled slightly.
Orochimaru simply chuckled. "Is that so?"
He then controlled his giant snake to strike, its massive jaws aiming for Sasuke. The snake's fangs were deadly sharp, and its intent was clear.
"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out, helpless.
Before she could reach him, Naruto threw himself in front of Sasuke, kunai in hand, defying the snake's attack.
He was barely hanging on, his body broken and bloodied, but his spirit was unyielding.
"You're not getting past me," Naruto forced out through clenched teeth.
Sasuke's eyes widened. He remembered a time when he had to protect Naruto, the one who was weak and in need of saving. And now, here Naruto was, ready to sacrifice himself for Sasuke, just as Sasuke had once done for him.
"Stupid... idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as the weight of Naruto's sacrifice hit him.
The battle was far from over, but one thing was clear: these bonds they shared were unbreakable.