Orochimaru Appears

Kazuma's team quickly defeated their opponents, took their scroll, and headed straight for the tower. Jun smiled; he was proud of them. Karin's team encountered more trouble. They were facing strong Amegakure genins. Meanwhile, Neji, Tenten, and Inaho were rushing toward the tower, but they're still missing the other scroll.

Sasuke's team briefly appeared on a screen, leaping from branch to branch, and then disappeared. Jun tried not to let his nervousness appear.

In the original story, it was during this exam that Orochimaru approached Sasuke. The teenager's life changed after that encounter. Jun hoped things would be different this time around. Moreover, there was also the risk that Orochimaru would turn to Kazuma. However, Jun wasn't too worried about that. Kazuma didn't have the Sharingan, so he believed his brother wouldn't attract Orochimaru's attention.

The Uchiha clan leader would have sent his summonings to follow Kazuma and Sasuke, but cats hated the Forest of Death. Reluctantly, Jun had to resign himself to trusting Konoha to protect his family.

On the other hand, if Orochimaru was in Konoha, would he be able to resist the desire to see Jun, the shinobi who stopped Itachi? Thinking about it, Jun felt even more nervous. He could no longer hide like before when he was younger. He had to take action. 

"Konoha vs Konoha!" One of the Jonins in the room suddenly cried out.

Jun turned his head. On one of the screens, two Konoha teams were facing each other. Shikamaru, Naiki, and Shiho were facing another genin team from Konoha. The other team was older. There were two kunoichis that Jun didn't know, but the third member was a member of the police force. It was a Genin named Yoroi. Jun remembered him. He was Orochimaru's spy.

"They seem to be chatting," someone said.

"They are from the same village; they will not fight…"

"Are you sure? The kunoichi in black is clearly provoking them."

"The son of the Jonin Commander is on the other team; he won't let himself be tricked so easily."

On the screen, the conversation seemed to heat up, and one of the kunoichis attacked.

Shikamaru's team was perfectly synchronized. Shiho went to the left, Shikamaru to the right, and Naiki remained in the center as he sent a gust of wind on the enemy. The flora got covered with frost as the wind blew them. The enemy kunoichi blocked the jutsu with a wall of Doton, but it got frozen under the effect of Naiki's Jutsu. Another gust of wind blew the defensive wall to pieces.

Shikamaru and Shiho weren't as strong in ninjutsu as Naiki, so they worked as a duo. The Nara was trying to trap the opponent with his shadow's technique. And Shiho was following his movements, armed with kunais and shurikens. Though Naiki's Jutsu was strong, he could only deal with one opponent at a time. Shikamaru could occupy another one, but Shiho couldn't take an opponent alone. 

Eventually, Yoroi grabbed Shiho and put her in a chokehold that left her unconscious. Then, he used her to threaten Shikamaru and Naiki. The two genins naturally surrendered and gave their scroll to Yoroi. 

"That was easy." A jonin said as he laughed.

"You don't look very disappointed, Asuma." A Konoha Jonin said to him.

Asuma shrugged his shoulders.

"I got them into the exam for the experience. Taking a beating is an unpleasant, but necessary experience. I'm glad they came across Konoha ninjas this time."

Jun looked back at the screen. Asuma wasn't wrong. His team could have encountered some dangerous people, like Gaara. They would have no chance of surviving then. They had good tactics but lacked the power to fully use them. Shikamaru and Shiho were both weak in Taijutsu. Hiding behind Naiki's Hyoton to keep the enemy at bay wasn't good enough.

The conversation resumed among the Jonins in the room as they kept on watching the genins.

There was a fight that shocked all the jonins in the room. It was more of a massacre than a fight. An unlucky team from Kusa met Gaara's team. The latter squeezed them to death with his sand in a few seconds. Several people looked at Pakura, but she made no comment and remained impassive. Gaara's team quickly reached the tower after that. They were the first to arrive. Many jonins in the room were reaccessing the strength of the Suna trio.

It was almost four hours since the examination had begun. Several Jounins began to leave the room. They were either tired of watching the screens or had lost hope for their Genins. Also being in the same room as ninjas from other villages wasn't the best. There was a constant tension in the air. 

Jun decided to stay a bit longer. He hoped to find some clues about Orochimaru's activities in the forest. But nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far. However, he hasn't seen Sasuke's team on any of the screens for a little while now. They seemed to have completely vanished. 

Jun's heart rate quickened. He had a bad feeling. 

**********

Sasuke held back a curse word. His back was against a tree as he was hiding in its shadow. He tightened the grip on his kunai. His back was drenched in sweat. Had he managed to lose his pursuer? He had no idea. He could hear his heartbeat in the silence of the forest. He glanced around him. He had lost sight of the enemy but also of his teammates. That was bad.

The man after him wasn't a Genin; Sasuke was sure of it. His level was far beyond what he could handle. And for some reason, the man was after him.

Team 7 didn't usually separate. But when it happens, they always follow the same formation. Sakura and Kiba would go one way, and Sasuke would go the other. The two seemed to be working well together, so it was convenient. 

They were first attacked by a snake. Then, the man appeared. The snake was only a diversion to separate them while the man went after Sasuke. The young Uchiha had fought. But all his attacks were easily blocked or dodged. The man was toying with him. Sasuke was overwhelmed. He knew he couldn't beat him, so he fled.

Sasuke heard a rustle of leaves. He shuddered. He didn't know if it was caused by a friend or a foe. He took a peak. An enemy! He jumped back just in time to avoid… a tongue that crashed into the tree behind him. Who could expand his tongue like that? It was disgusting. Was it the man? Sasuke didn't want to find out. He ran away, jumping from branch to branch.

"Hehe… Run, keep running, my little prey. I haven't had my fun yet."

Sasuke clenched his teeth, furious and panicked. He hated that voice. He turned around abruptly to throw shurikens, but the man was already close by with his creepy smile. Sasuke felt fear and instinctively activated his Sharingan. The man's eyes were suddenly filled with greed. And Sasuke realized what he wanted. Jun had warned them enough about the existence of people who wanted the Uchiha Dojutsu. 

The realization fueled his rage. He remembered how they wanted to sell him during his last mission out of the village… All because of his Dojutsu. His Sharingan was part of his legacy. He wouldn't let anyone have it.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu."

The fire technique hit his opponent, engulfing him in flames. Sasuke leaped back, out of breath. But to his horror, the man emerged from the blaze. His body smoked slightly but he was completely unharmed. His clothes weren't even scorched.

"Impossible!" Sasuke whispered. 

The enemy ninja stared at him, and the creepy smile appeared once more.

"Oh? You're not running anymore?"

Running wasn't working. His Ninjutsu seemed not to be strong enough. Sasuke was running out of ideas.

"What do you want?" The young Uchiha asked.

"What I want, little Sasuke? I want to measure your power. I want to see your potential."

Sasuke's anger rose again. It gave him a renewed strength. He knew he couldn't run away, so there was only one option for him. He must fight. The young Uchiha took his fighting stance. The enemy spread his arms, inviting him to make his move. 

The dense foliage of the Forest of Death rustled as a light breeze swept through, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth, and the distant cries of unseen creatures echoed through the trees. Amidst this eerie atmosphere, a tense silence hung between the two figures.

Sasuke Uchiha, his Sharingan blazing with fury, was unusually calm. His opponent looked at him with the ever-creepy smile, his yellow eyes gleaming with malevolent amusement.

"Impressive, Sasuke," The man hissed, his voice dripping with a mix of admiration and contempt. "I can no longer smell your fear. But let's see how you fare against a true predator."

Without warning, the man lunged forward, his movements unnaturally swift and fluid. Sasuke barely had time to react, instinctively side-stepping to evade the initial strike. The man's hand sliced through the air where Sasuke's head had been a moment before, the force of the blow splintering a nearby tree.

Sasuke landed lightly on his feet. With a flick of his wrist, he launched a barrage of shuriken, each one whistling through the air with deadly precision.

Orochimaru's body seemed to blur as he twisted and contorted, effortlessly dodging the projectiles. He slithered forward, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed. Sasuke braced himself.

"Raiton: Lightning Ball!" he shouted, thrusting his electrified hand forward, sending a sphere of crackling electricity toward the enemy.

Jun and Sasuke shared the same elemental affinities with the Katon and the Raiton. So the Uchiha clan leader had taught the young Uchiha some Raiton Jutsus.