Trouble in the Forest of Death

That night, the Third Hokage gave an official explanation to the other ninja villages, which was more of a non-explanation. The behavior of the "yellow-haired" ninja during the Chūnin exams, he clarified, had nothing to do with Konoha. It was purely the personal actions of the individual involved. If any village had a problem with it, they were free to confront the said yellow-haired ninja themselves. Sarutobi Hiruzen made it clear he wouldn't stand in their way.

These words were heavy-handed, and everyone understood that the Third Hokage was firmly protecting the "yellow-haired" ninja. Yet, the message wasn't entirely unfair. It left a path open for the other villages to seek their own justice.

Once they departed from the Hokage's office, the various village representatives began gathering information on this "yellow-haired" troublemaker. Rumor had it that this Uzumaki Starrk was the only puppet master in Konoha, relying heavily on a puppet armor technique to make up for his otherwise weak abilities. The plan was simple: take out his puppet, and the boy would be easy pickings.

Meanwhile, in Konoha...

The Third Hokage was still mulling over his options regarding Naruto. Despite Naruto's relentless pestering to learn Forbidden Jutsu, Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to trust the boy with something as dangerous as the Reanimation Jutsu. The kid already caused enough havoc with the living—what would he do with the dead? The thought alone nearly sent Hiruzen into a panic.

What worried him more was the possibility that, after his own death, Naruto might summon him back just to torment him further.

Finally, Hiruzen made a reluctant decision: He handed over his grandson, Konohamaru, to Naruto, hoping it would keep the village peaceful for a while. He reasoned that he couldn't stop the two boys from causing mischief, so he might as well try to minimize the damage. As a peace offering, he promised Naruto that if he refrained from causing any more trouble during the Chūnin exam, he could choose a Ninjutsu to learn from the sealed scroll—excluding, of course, the Tandem Paper Bombs and the Reanimation Jutsu.

Naruto, feigning politeness, agreed to the old man's terms.

Early the next morning, Team 7 arrived at the outskirts of the Forest of Death for the second part of the Chūnin exams. Unlike the original exam, this setting was eerily quiet, with only a handful of teams left and a group of ninja eyeing Team 7 with envy.

Only ten teams had advanced to this stage—four from Konoha. Out of respect for Kakashi, Naruto hadn't reported any of the teams led by his teacher's acquaintances. However, Sasuke had insisted on reporting the team that included Tenten, his animosity towards her palpable. Still, Sasuke's attempts at sabotage were less effective, so Tenten's team made it through.

The other six teams consisted of the Sunagakure squad, two teams from Otogakure, and one from Kusagakure.

Naruto, still sporting his Iron Man armor, kept a close eye on the Sound Ninja team.

"I gotta ask..." Shikamaru approached, his usual lazy demeanor intact as he whispered to Naruto. "Those Sound guys—are they your doing?"

"Of course not!" Naruto denied, waving his hand. "That's all on Uzumaki Starrk. Has nothing to do with me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sasuke, standing nearby, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Who else in the entire ninja world had the Uzumaki name?

"If we end up facing off later... do me a favor and don't hit my face, alright?" Shikamaru muttered, getting to the real reason for his approach.

"Hahaha, Shikamaru, what are you talking about?" Naruto laughed, though his eyes sparkled mischievously. "We're from the same village. How could we be that cruel to our comrades?"

Shikamaru shot Naruto a look, his expression screaming, "Really?"

After saying his goodbyes to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, Shikamaru made his way to the entrance to prepare for the test.

"Alright! The second exam... begins!" Anko's voice rang out. As soon as the signal was given, the teams darted into the Forest of Death, one after the other. Only Team 7 lingered, waiting for everyone else to enter before they moved to collect their scroll.

Naruto approached Anko, sizing up the examiner. It was hard to reconcile this slim, fit kunoichi with the frightening figure he knew she'd become in the future.

"Examiner, maybe you should lay off the dango," Naruto advised with a smirk.

"Mind your own business, kid," Anko shot back, rolling her eyes as she popped the last dango into her mouth. She had already heard about Naruto's antics during the first exam and was just hoping he wouldn't cause too much trouble under her watch.

Seeing that Anko wasn't interested in his advice, Naruto shrugged. "You're gonna regret it later," he muttered under his breath before turning back to his team.

After confirming that Sakura had received the scroll, Naruto led Sasuke and Sakura into the forest, heading straight for the Sound Ninja team. This exam wasn't much of a challenge for them; the real objective was dealing with Orochimaru.

Naruto and Sasuke moved quickly, with Sakura struggling to keep up. Eventually, Sasuke had to carry her on his back to maintain their pace. To expedite their progress, he even handed Naruto his prized sword, the Xuan Zhong Ruler.

"Sakura, stop squirming," Sasuke grumbled as they ran. "It's distracting."

"I... I'm not!" Sakura stammered, though she shifted uncomfortably.

Naruto, running ahead, nearly tripped over his own feet as he burst out laughing. Sasuke's bluntness had caught him off guard.

"Hehehe..." Naruto chuckled, slowing down. "You're a real charmer, Sasuke."

At that moment, three ninja from Otogakure blocked their path, grinning with overconfidence.

"So, you're the ones we've been hearing about," the lead Sound ninja sneered, his clothes emblazoned with the word "death." Naruto recognized him instantly.

This guy... his name was Zaku. Naruto remembered the ninja for his overwhelming strength. If he wasn't careful, this could get messy.

Naruto's expression turned serious as he pulled out his makeshift Iron Man shield.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged confused glances. How strong was this guy if Naruto was taking out his heavy-duty gear?

"Are they really that tough?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing as he retrieved the Xuan Zhong Ruler.

"Very," Naruto replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is personal. Let me handle it."

Sasuke reluctantly stepped back, though his hand remained on his weapon.

Naruto squinted at Zaku, his mind flashing back to a different time—a different battle. This guy wasn't just a random opponent. If anything, Zaku's strength was a reminder of another battle... another person...

Obito.

Zaku's power to crush rocks with sound waves was eerily reminiscent of how Obito had been taken down. It was almost as if fate had drawn these lines together, and now, Naruto had to face him.

"Let's do this," Naruto muttered under his breath, readying himself for what was to come. "This one's for you, Obito."