Sakura picked up the scroll and gasped in excitement. "Sasuke, it's the Earth Scroll!"
"Alright! That means we have both scrolls now!" Naruto grinned, dispelling his Shadow Clones as he rushed over.
"But, man… Sasuke, you were kinda scary back there," Naruto muttered, still shaken by how easily Sasuke had overwhelmed the Sound ninjas.
Sasuke shook his head dismissively. "If they hadn't come after us, I wouldn't have bothered with them." His gaze shifted toward the sky. "It's almost dawn. Let's get moving."
"Yeah! Let's reach the tower in one go!" Naruto pumped his fist. "This time, we're taking first place for sure!"
Sasuke smirked. "Unlikely. Someone's probably beaten us there already."
Naruto deflated. "Tch, what a waste."
Sasuke didn't respond, but he knew the truth. Their encounter with Orochimaru had cost them valuable time. Then, he'd spent hours deciphering the Immortal Body Pattern, followed by the battle against the Sound trio. If not for those delays, they might have arrived before nightfall.
Regardless, with his current strength, he doubted any other Genin teams could have stopped them.
With no time to waste, the trio continued through the dense forest. The dangerous creatures lurking in the Forest of Death were no match for them, and within a short time, they reached the final stretch.
Standing atop a large tree, they could see the tower in the distance.
"Phew! Finally!" Naruto sighed in relief, gripping the scroll.
"Hey, Sasuke, Sakura—aren't you guys curious?" Naruto smirked mischievously. "What exactly is inside these scrolls?"
"Naruto, don't you dare!" Sakura clenched her fists.
"Come on, we're almost there! Let's just take a peek!" Naruto teased.
"Idiot," Sasuke scoffed. "It's obviously a trap. They tell us not to open it to tempt us into doing so." He paused, smirking. "Besides, what if there's a mechanism that destroys the scroll if we open it?"
Naruto blinked. "Huh… that actually makes sense."
Just as they prepared to make their final push to the tower, a figure emerged from the forest.
"Kabuto-senpai?" Naruto frowned. "Wait, are you disguised with the Transformation Jutsu again?"
"Haha, Naruto, it's really me." Kabuto waved his hand with a sheepish smile. "I got separated from my teammates and ended up wandering around all night."
His glasses glinted as he spoke. "It's lucky I ran into you guys. Alone, I wouldn't stand a chance if another team attacked."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Liar.
Kabuto was too composed for someone who had been "lost" in this deadly forest. Sasuke could see through his act easily.
"Find your team on your own. We're moving ahead." Sasuke's tone was cold, his expression unreadable.
He wasn't about to let Kabuto gather intel on him. Even if Kabuto already worked for Orochimaru, Sasuke wanted to keep his true power hidden for now.
He turned to leave, motioning for Naruto and Sakura to follow.
"Wait—" Kabuto called after them.
Sasuke turned back, his Sharingan flashing dangerously. "Are you looking for a fight?"
Kabuto stiffened, a flicker of unease crossing his face.
"I—no, not at all," Kabuto said quickly, forcing a chuckle. "I just thought my teammates might already be at the tower, so I could go with you…"
"Leave. Now." Sasuke's voice dropped, ice-cold. "Or I'll kill you."
Kabuto's fake smile faltered, and he instinctively took a step back. For a moment, a dark look flickered in his eyes, but he quickly masked it.
"A-Alright. I'll look for my team first, then." Kabuto retreated into the forest.
Once he was out of sight, his expression darkened.
That was… strange.
For a brief moment, he had felt genuine fear from Sasuke's gaze. And that made no sense—he shouldn't be afraid of a Genin.
"Was that an illusion? His Sharingan shouldn't be that advanced yet…" Kabuto muttered to himself, burying his doubts.
More importantly, he now had to report to Orochimaru.
"I don't get it," Naruto muttered as they resumed their journey. "Why were you so harsh on Kabuto-senpai? He helped us back in the first exam…"
"Hmph. He's hiding something. My Sharingan doesn't lie," Sasuke said flatly. "Both of you, stay on guard around him."
Naruto scratched his head, still confused. Sakura, on the other hand, just admired Sasuke more.
Sasuke-kun is amazing… he sees through everything!
As they neared the tower, Naruto found himself glancing at Sasuke with a newfound sense of respect. During these past few months, Sasuke had been training him hard, pushing him to improve. And now, Naruto could see why.
Sasuke was just that strong.
Finally, the trio entered the tower, stepping into a large hall where several teams had already gathered.
The first thing Sasuke noticed was Gaara's team, standing off to the side.
Nearby, Neji's team had also arrived.
"Ah, damn it! We only got third place?" Naruto groaned.
"Hmph." Kankuro smirked, crossing his arms. "I thought the great Uchiha clan was supposed to be fast. Looks like you guys took your sweet time."
Naruto bristled. "What did you say, you—"
Sasuke grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.
"Ignore him, Naruto. The real fight is still ahead," Sasuke said coolly.
Naruto clenched his fists but nodded. He almost slipped up—mentioning Orochimaru's attack in front of the examiners would have been a huge mistake.
From the corner of his eye, Sasuke spotted Anko watching from a distance, along with several proctors and Anbu.
Yeah… best to stay quiet about that.
Sasuke led the team to a quieter area, sitting down to observe the competition.
Not far away, Neji and Lee were eyeing him intently.
They knew how strong he was.
After all, with just a single illusion, Sasuke had effortlessly crushed Lee.
Neji narrowed his eyes. He's the biggest threat in this exam.
As time passed, more and more teams arrived, filling the hall. The second phase of the Chūnin Exams was finally over.
And the real battles were about to begin.