The Curse of Orochimaru

"Hiss..."

Sasuke clutched his neck, his legs weakening as he dropped to one knee. Sakura, who had been watching the entire battle from a distance, was still in shock after witnessing Orochimaru bite Sasuke's neck. Though she hadn't been close enough to hear everything clearly, Sakura's sharp ears had caught a fragment of the snake-like ninja's chilling words to Sasuke:

"If you seek power... then come find me..."

She hadn't caught the full conversation, but the smart kunoichi knew something was terribly wrong. Orochimaru's strength was overwhelming—and he had marked Sasuke!

Sakura's concern deepened. Sasuke had always been drawn to power, and now this sinister figure had planted something in him. Without hesitation, she jumped to Sasuke's side, grabbing his arm to help him stand. If this had happened earlier, she would have been thrilled to be so close to Sasuke. But now, her heart was heavy with worry.

She glanced at Naruto—Naruto Uzumaki with her twin ponytails and long legs—her greatest rival in love. Behind her, Sasuke's new weapon, the massive Xuanzhong Ruler, seemed to mock her efforts to protect him. And now, Orochimaru, this terrifying being with ambiguous motives, had also set his sights on Sasuke.

Is Sasuke's heart really safe? Sakura thought desperately. Maybe she should introduce Sasuke to Kakashi-sensei's book collection to realign his thoughts on love...

"You okay, idiot?" Naruto asked, snapping Sakura out of her thoughts. He had just finished pulverizing Orochimaru's remains and now stood before them, his eyes fixed on Sasuke's neck, as if trying to figure out how to help.

Sasuke, sensing Naruto's gaze, looked confused. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. Naruto often knew things others didn't, so Sasuke figured it was worth asking.

Naruto hesitated, glancing nervously at Sakura. How do I explain this? he thought. I can't just say Orochimaru wants to steal Sasuke's body! Sakura will freak out!

Before Naruto could respond, Sasuke spoke again, as if piecing the puzzle together himself. "He wants to take my body, doesn't he?" His tone was serious, almost resigned.

Naruto was silent for a moment, his expression twisted with discomfort. Hearing Sasuke say it so plainly felt... wrong. But in truth, Sasuke had hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah, that's about right," Naruto finally admitted. "But don't worry. I've got a plan to ruin that old snake's scheme." Naruto was already plotting ways to cleanse the curse mark from Sasuke, though he wasn't sure if his usual methods would work.

Sasuke frowned, considering Naruto's words. But then his expression hardened. "No need," he said firmly. "I won't let him succeed. Besides... this power is useful." As he spoke, he willed the curse mark to activate. Dark lines began to spread across his face, adding an eerie, almost sinister aura to his features. Sakura, watching nearby, blushed involuntarily.

Despite the ominous nature of the mark, Sasuke found himself intrigued. The curse mark had boosted his chakra. Under the intense training he had endured, he was confident he could control this power and turn it into a weapon against his brother, Itachi.

This might just be the edge I need, Sasuke thought. A small, almost imperceptible smile crossed his lips as he wondered when he could challenge Naruto again.

"Alright," Naruto nodded, oblivious to Sasuke's thoughts of rivalry. It's fine, Naruto mused. The curse mark is just an early power-up for Sasuke, and it'll be taken care of eventually... probably by Itachi. Naruto was still surprised that Sasuke could use the curse mark already. In the original story, Sasuke had been incapacitated after getting bitten. But now...

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, now fully controlled with the curse mark. He had no doubt that if Orochimaru showed up again, Sasuke would activate the curse mark, grab his Xuanzhong Ruler, and charge in for another round.

"Let's go," Naruto said, preparing to open a portal. But Sasuke held up a hand.

"Wait," Sasuke said, his voice steady. "I need to take a leak."

Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but make it quick."

Sasuke broke free from Sakura's grip and disappeared into the forest. Sakura watched him go, her heart heavy with concern. Naruto, meanwhile, sat down and fiddled with the two scrolls he had taken from the Sound Ninja.

Ten minutes passed before Sasuke returned, hands in his pockets, head slightly lowered.

"Why did that take so long?" Naruto complained. "Were you peeing or taking a nap?"

"I saved someone," Sasuke replied coolly. He didn't mention how he had just encountered two ninja from the Grass Village bullying a red-haired girl and how he had swiftly dispatched them using his Chidori.

Naruto shrugged, not pressing further. He opened a portal, and the three of them stepped through, emerging at the final stage of the Chunin Exams.

Before them stood a tall tower. Naruto, feeling the weight of the upcoming battles, pulled out his Iron Man weights and strapped them on, even though they were battered from his fight with Orochimaru.

They pushed open the tower door and entered, finding themselves in a large room where several teams had already gathered, including the other Konoha teams, a group from Sunagakure, and a team from Takigakure. At the front stood the Third Hokage, accompanied by the other examiners.

The Third Hokage nodded at their arrival, signaling to Anko to begin.

"Congratulations on reaching the final stage of the exam," Anko announced. "Up next are the individual battles."

As she spoke, the display behind her began to scroll through names. Finally, it stopped, showing the first match-up.

"First match," Anko said, a sly smile on her lips. "Uzumaki Naruto versus Kankuro."

Kankuro, standing nearby with his face painted and a grin stretching wide, glanced at Naruto. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

"I've been waiting for this!" Kankuro said, his voice filled with anticipation. "Let's see whose puppet technique is stronger!"