"Is… is this a ninjutsu Izayoi developed himself?"
Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki crouched behind a fallen giant tree, staring at the spinning fire tornado, their eyes wide with shock.
Gulp…
Naruto swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "That's… incredible!"
He'd thought his Multiple Shadow Clone Technique paired with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was unmatched.
But Izayoi, it turned out, wielded a massive-scale ninjutsu too.
And without clones or even hand seals.
They weren't in the same league.
Naruto's inflated ego deflated instantly.
"Let's go!"
Izayoi appeared behind Sasuke and Naruto, grabbing them and flickering away.
Moments after they left, a figure emerged from the ground nearby, covered in burn marks—Orochimaru.
"Urgh…"
Orochimaru retched, his mouth splitting open like a torn sack.
A slimy new body slithered out.
"Damn brat, ruining my plans!"
Using his snake-style substitution to shed a new body, Orochimaru cursed hoarsely, then grinned. "But that chakra, that casting speed—what astonishing talent!"
Gazing at the fire tornado now ravaging the forest, unchecked and threatening to burn it down, he added, "Such a familiar technique. To think Minato and that fool's unfinished jutsu was perfected by a rookie."
"Looks like Konoha's long-stalled windmill is about to spin again."
Orochimaru glanced where Izayoi's trio had fled, then toward another direction, smirking wickedly. "What's mine will stay mine. Sasuke-kun, your body will be mine."
With that, he sank into the ground, leaving the Forest of Death.
Soon, countless figures flickered into the area.
Cloaked Anbu with cat masks.
Special jonin and jonin in green vests.
"Too late?"
Anko Mitarashi's expression flickered with uncertainty.
"Put out the fire!"
The other ninja combined Water Release to douse the fire tornado.
Meanwhile, Izayoi's trio first retrieved a hidden Sakura Haruno, then flickered two or three miles away before stopping.
Team 7 leaned against a tree, panting heavily.
"Orochimaru didn't follow, right?" Sasuke asked, still uneasy, looking to Izayoi.
"Relax, he's gone. The rescue team's here."
Izayoi's words were a soothing balm.
Team 7 exhaled in relief.
Sakura slumped to the ground, terrified. "A legendary ninja targeting us? How unlucky can we get?"
"Tch… if he didn't have Earth Release, I'd have taken him down," Naruto bragged stubbornly.
Only Sasuke remained grim.
He knew Orochimaru was likely after him.
The thought of being hunted by such a figure sent chills down his spine.
Izayoi had saved him this time, but what about next?
Or the time after?
Sensing Sasuke's panic, Izayoi clapped his shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "No need to stress. The village should be the one worrying! An S-rank rogue is among the ninja world's most dangerous—even great villages don't take them lightly."
"A big shot like that showing up in Konoha? The Hokage will rally the whole village to hunt him down."
"For now, security will be maxed out. After the exam, don't go home. Stay in the central district until the village deals with Orochimaru."
Sasuke felt a wave of calm, nodding firmly. "Got it."
Once they'd recovered, Izayoi and Team 7 headed for the central tower.
On the way, Naruto sidled up to Izayoi, curious. "Izayoi, that fire tornado—was that a ninjutsu your jonin sensei taught you?"
"Nope, I developed it myself," Izayoi said, shaking his head.
"What?! You made it yourself?!"
"That's insane!"
Naruto and Sakura gasped in awe.
Sasuke, as if recalling something, tensed. "That's your perfected ninjutsu? Not Lightning Release?"
"Of course not."
Izayoi gave a cryptic smile. "Gaia Energy Cannon's just a half-finished by-product I whipped up while working on my ultimate technique!"
"What?!"
Team 7 reeled again.
Sakura gaped. "That fire tornado wasn't even complete?!"
Gulp…
Naruto and Sasuke swallowed, feeling a vast chasm open between them and Izayoi.
If a half-baked technique was that powerful, what would his ultimate technique be like?
Sasuke's gaze burned as he looked at Izayoi.
A technique called an "ultimate" was S-rank ninjutsu.
If he could learn an S-rank ultimate, he might kill that man.
But how could he convince Izayoi to teach him?
Even if not the ultimate, that Gaia Energy Cannon was tempting!
He had Fire chakra too!
Resolving to cozy up to Izayoi after the exam, Sasuke stayed quiet.
Using his Tenseigan to track Orochimaru and confirm he'd abandoned planting the Curse Mark in the forest, Izayoi parted with Team 7 to rejoin Hinata and Shino Aburame at the central tower.
Without the Curse Mark, Sasuke's strength in the Forest of Death outmatched most, save for a disguised Kabuto Yakushi, Gaara, Rock Lee, and Neji Hyuga.
Other candidates were no threat.
At this rate, Team 7 would reach the tower soon.
And they did.
Terrified of Orochimaru's return, Team 7 barely rested, hunting for a team with a Heaven Scroll.
After seizing one, they raced to the tower, reporting Orochimaru's pursuit to a shadow clone of Iruka Umino that emerged from the scroll.
Konoha, now certain of Orochimaru's return, buzzed with undercurrents, the atmosphere tense.
Many ninja urged Hiruzen Sarutobi to halt the Chunin Exams and focus on capturing Orochimaru.
But with foreign ninja gathered and invitations sent to the Fourth Kazekage and dignitaries, canceling wasn't an option.
So, Hiruzen dispatched ninja and Anbu to search in secret.
Five days later, the second exam officially ended.
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