As expected, the exam followed the Scroll of Heaven and Earth format.
Each team drew lots before the start—some received the Scroll of Heaven, while others got the Scroll of Earth. The goal was simple: steal the missing scroll from another team and make it to the designated checkpoint.
Only those who collected both scrolls would pass.
---
Sakiya walked leisurely at the front, a faint smile on her face. Behind her, Masaru Sakuragi and Tsuchiya Tsukigami followed closely.
They both understood something very clearly—if they wanted to pass, they had to stick close to Sakiya.
Over the past few days, they had gradually come to accept their new reality as members of the Deed of Death. At first, it was unsettling, but now… it just felt normal.
---
Sakiya suddenly stopped. She gripped her left eye, tilting her head downward, a strange smile forming on her lips.
"Heh… pathetic weaklings."
Her voice echoed eerily through the forest.
"Come out."
Her gaze snapped forward, and she raised her head, eyes gleaming.
"I see you crawling through the underbrush like rats. You can't hide from me."
Sakuragi and Tsukigami immediately tensed, instinctively moving behind Sakiya, scanning their surroundings.
Rustling.
Three figures emerged from different directions, surrounding them.
Their headbands bore the symbol of Kusagakure—Grass Village.
The leader, a tall ninja with a cocky grin, scoffed.
"Hah! You're either overconfident or just plain stupid."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Hand over your scroll."
His smirk widened.
"Don't make us hurt you."
---
Before anyone could react, Sakuragi stepped forward.
"Alright," he said casually.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a scroll and tossed it toward the enemy ninja.
Tsuchiya's eyes widened in shock.
"WHAT?! Sakuragi, are you insane?!"
Then—it hit him.
Wait… wasn't the scroll supposed to be in Sakiya's hands?
The Grass ninja eagerly grabbed the scroll and unrolled it—only to see a half-burned explosive tag inside.
His face drained of color.
"Damn it—!!"
He barely had time to react before the scroll exploded in mid-air.
BOOM!
A thick cloud of smoke erupted, obscuring everything.
---
Sakuragi and Tsukigami exchanged glances.
Now!
They dashed into the jungle, disappearing into the trees before their opponents could recover.
But Sakiya?
She remained still, standing exactly where she was—still holding her left eye.
And she was smiling.
_______________________
Sakiya blinked in confusion, momentarily dazed by the sudden explosion.
"Huh?"
The two remaining Kusagakure ninjas tensed, their expressions shifting to alarm. They glanced toward the smoke cloud where their teammate had been.
"Hey! Naraku! Are you okay?"
From within the thick smoke, the scorched and battered ninja stumbled out. His face was covered in soot, his clothes slightly singed—but he was still standing.
"I'm fine!" he growled, his voice dripping with rage. "Don't let them get away!"
His furious gaze snapped toward Sakiya.
"So it's just you left, huh?" He sneered. "Did your teammates abandon you? Well, too bad—don't blame us for being ruthless!"
He turned to his right-hand teammate, about to give an order.
"You—"
Before he could finish his sentence—
A hand shot out from the bushes behind the Grass ninja.
In a blink, the unsuspecting ninja was yanked into the undergrowth.
---
Rustling.
Then—the sounds of a brutal beatdown.
"Mist Concealment Strike!"
"Heavenly Dropkick!"
"Take that, you bastard!"
A chorus of grunts, yells, and frantic struggling followed.
Then—silence.
Everything had happened too fast.
The remaining two Kusagakure ninjas barely had time to react.
The leader, still covered in dust from the explosion, broke into a cold sweat.
The last ninja hesitated, shifting uneasily. He slowly stepped closer to his leader, seeking reassurance.
But the leader raised a hand, stopping him.
"Don't come any closer!" His voice wavered slightly. "Our only chance is to capture her!"
He pointed at Sakiya.
Only then did he realize—
Sakiya was gone.
The leader's face drained of color.
"W-Where—?"
He turned to check on his remaining teammate—
But he was gone too.
Silence…
The ninja swallowed hard, his throat dry as he glanced around the dark, empty space. A creeping sense of fear clawed at his chest.
"Y-You guys… stop hiding! Come out already!"
A voice purred from behind him.
"Okay~"
His heart lurched. He spun around—nothing.
A chill ran down his spine. He instinctively leaped away, scanning the area as his pulse pounded.
Still… nothing.
Then, movement—he caught sight of Sakuragi and Tsuchiya nearby.
Sakuragi smirked, reaching into his pouch.
With a quick flick of his wrist—
A cloud of fine powder burst into the air.
"Blinding Powder—God's Mist!"
The Kusagakure ninja tried to dodge, but it was too late. His eyes burned, his throat tightened, and he gasped for air.
He coughed violently, squeezing his eyes shut as he wildly swung his kunai in desperation.
"Arghhh—Damn it! Pepper powder?! You bastard!"
Sakuragi shrugged, shooting a glance at Tsuchiya.
No words were needed.
Tsuchiya nodded, then launched forward—
A perfectly executed roundhouse kick landed squarely against the ninja's side.
"Divine Strike—Absolute Kick!"
CRACK.
The Kusagakure ninja froze.
His body trembled. His arms fell limp. The color drained from his face.
Sakuragi calmly walked over and plucked a scroll from his motionless hand.
Just then, Sakiya emerged from the undergrowth, casually tossing aside the wooden club she had been carrying.
She gave them a thumbs up.
"Nice work. As expected from those who signed my contract of death."
Sakuragi and Tsuchiya straightened up immediately.
"Yes! Thank you for your praise, Leader!"
Sakiya blinked.
"Leader…?"
She tilted her head, lost in thought.
"…That doesn't sound too bad."
Sakuragi and Tsuchiya exchanged a glance.
Their mission was complete.
[Title successfully changed.]
---
Sakuragi pulled out the scroll and unrolled it in front of Sakiya.
As soon as she saw the contents, a spark of joy flashed across Sakuragi and Tsuchiya's faces.
"Nice! We got the first one!"
Sakiya smirked. "Hmph, this so-called trial is almost too easy."
"Let's move. The faster we reach the end, the better."
---
Meanwhile…
Team 7 ran into their own set of enemies—three ninjas from Kusagakure.
They were strong, but no match for Naruto's Shadow Clones and Sasuke's precision attacks.
The battle didn't last long.
...And Sakura?
She stood at the back, doing nothing.
Yeah. Let's just ignore her.
As the last Kusagakure ninja collapsed, Sasuke stepped forward and picked up a scroll from their belongings.
With his usual cold expression, he unrolled it.
"The Heaven Scroll… Looks like our luck isn't great."
Before he could react, a long, slimy tongue shot out of the shadows—
Snatching the scroll from his hand.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he snapped his head up.
"Who's there?!"
A woman emerged from the shadows, her forehead protector bearing the symbol of Kusagakure.
Sasuke's guard lowered slightly. His expression twisted into a sneer.
"Tch… Great. More of you Kusagakure weaklings."
The woman ignored his insult.
Instead, she slowly dragged her tongue across her lips, her gaze locked onto Sasuke.
Her eyes gleamed with something sinister.
"Ah~ this body… I can't wait to claim it."
___________
Read 100 chapters ahead on patreon
patreon.com/Silver757