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Orochimaru was once the most proud and promising disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Gifted in all aspects of ninjutsu, he was widely regarded as the most likely candidate to inherit the title of Fourth Hokage.
However, his forbidden experiments on immortality crossed Hiruzen's moral line. In the end, Hiruzen personally led a mission to confront him, forcing Orochimaru to flee Konoha.
Was Danzo involved in this affair? No one can say for certain.
After all, Danzo had always coveted the position of Hokage. And back when Orochimaru first began his human experimentation, he had received covert support from Danzo and Root.
Given Orochimaru's cautious nature and his backing from Root, how was it that Hiruzen discovered the hideout? Wasn't that strange?
"Aren't you the least bit curious?" someone asked.
"Curiosity kills," Ye Dou replied flatly.
Konoha's political waters ran deep and murky.
At the end of the day, he simply wasn't strong enough. If he had the power of the legendary Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, then no one could stop him. He could impose his will upon the world.
"All right, but are you sure it's okay to be this flamboyant?" someone asked him.
"It's just a few brats. Don't worry."
Ye Dou flipped the grilled snake meat with indifference, ignoring the presence of the three hidden figures watching him from the shadows.
Just like Orochimaru, he had complete faith in his strength. He wasn't afraid of being exposed. Orochimaru had even threatened to cancel the Chūnin Exams if Konoha interfered with his plans.
Ye Dou shared that same boldness. He didn't see the three intruders as a threat at all.
"How arrogant," one of the Sound ninja whispered. "A Konoha genin, acting like he's invincible in a place like this."
Hidden in the trees, the trio from Otogakure sneered, watching Ye Dou as if he were already dead.
They were shinobi—they understood that nighttime in the Forest of Death was when it was most dangerous, a time to be cautious and hidden.
And yet this boy didn't even bother to conceal himself. He openly grilled meat, practically sending a message: I'm right here. Come kill me if you dare.
One of them, eyes gleaming with bloodlust, asked, "Shall we strike?"
"No," the bandaged Sound ninja replied with a grin. "Lord Orochimaru said to wait until dawn. Let him enjoy his last meal before we send him on his way."
They snickered cruelly, but when they looked at the flavorless ration pills in their hands and then at Ye Dou savoring grilled snake meat, a strange sense of dissatisfaction stirred.
Why is he eating better than us?
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[Meanwhile, at another part of the forest…]
"Hey, Chōji, do you have anything else to eat? Because of you, we haven't found a single person all day!"
It was morning. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio had crawled out from hiding to resume their search for other teams and the Heaven or Earth scrolls.
But Yamanaka Ino was clearly annoyed. The first thing Akimichi Chōji did after waking up wasn't getting ready for battle—but pulling out snacks.
"Our team isn't strong to begin with," Ino muttered. "And I'm stuck with two guys who only know how to eat and sleep. Could this get any worse?"
"Even if we set out now, there's no guarantee we'll find another team," Chōji said matter-of-factly. "If we just wander around, we'll get into trouble. Might as well eat and wait for others to find us."
"Ugh, as shameless as ever," Ino sighed.
"Although he's being lazy, what Chōji said makes sense," said Nara Shikamaru. "In this exam, most teams are probably stronger than ours."
He glanced at Ino. Both he and she were more suited to support roles. Only Chōji had solid frontline power. If it came down to a 3-on-3 fight, their odds weren't good.
"That's why I don't get it," Ino snapped. "Why am I on the same team as you two? If I had someone like Sakura's team—Naruto or Sasuke—I'd be fine!"
"Even if you're right… don't say it out loud," Shikamaru replied with a sigh.
He leapt into a tree to scout the area. No use arguing with Ino—it never went anywhere.
But just as he settled on a high branch, his eyes narrowed.
"Wait—there's movement up ahead!"
"What? I haven't finished yet—" Ino began.
"Quiet! We've got company," Shikamaru interrupted.
"Enemies?" Chōji and Ino tensed.
Shikamaru nodded slowly. "Yeah. And Ino—you're in luck. It's Naruto and Sasuke. But they look… hurt."
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[Back at the confrontation site…]
At sunrise, the trio from the Sound Village no longer waited. They launched their attack.
"Well, Konoha brat," one sneered, "how was your dinner last night?"
"Heh. In that situation, you actually sat there and had a barbecue. Are you suicidal?"
"Hand over your scroll and we'll give you a quick death."
They hadn't forgotten Ye Dou's defiance—and they took it personally.
Ye Dou opened his eyes lazily and glanced at the three.
He didn't recall their names. Just that their techniques were bizarre. The one with bandages and a single visible eye used sound-based jutsu—ultrasonic attacks that could rupture eardrums and disorient enemies.
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"Why are both Naruto and Sasuke injured?" Ino whispered, crouched low in the grass.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio was watching from a hidden position, tense.
"This looks bad," Ino added. "What should we do, Shikamaru?"
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