The forest was quieter now. The tension of battle still clung to the air, thick and suffocating, but the only sounds were their footsteps crunching over dried leaves and the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees. The tower loomed in the distance, barely visible through the thick foliage, standing like a silent monument to those who had survived the horrors of the exam. They had both scrolls now. The hardest part should have been over. It didn't feel that way.
Naruto walked at the front, his grip on the Earth Scroll tight. He should have been celebrating, but the pit in his stomach refused to go away. He had seen it. The way Sasuke moved, the way he had smiled after breaking that guy's arm. It wasn't normal. It wasn't him. "Hey, Sasuke," Naruto called without turning around. "That fight back there… you weren't yourself."
Sasuke, walking just behind him, barely spared a glance. "What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was calm, too calm, like he didn't even care.
Naruto clenched his fists. "You almost killed that guy. And you didn't even hesitate."
Sasuke scoffed. "If I hadn't, we wouldn't be walking to the tower right now."
Naruto whirled around, stopping so fast that Sasuke almost bumped into him. "That's not the point! There's a difference between winning and just—just hurting people!"
Sasuke's eyes flickered with something unreadable. Then, with slow precision, he took a step closer. "And if I held back, if I hesitated, then what? Should I let myself get killed? Should I let you or Sakura die?" His Sharingan glowed faintly under the dim forest light. "Strength is the only thing that matters."
Sakura had been silent up until now, keeping an eye on Sasuke since the fight ended. But this… this wasn't just his usual coldness. Something was different. "Sasuke…" She reached for his arm, hesitated. "You're acting like—like Orochimaru."
Sasuke tensed at the name. His fingers curled slightly, as if remembering the fangs that had sunk into his skin. Then, just as quickly, he exhaled and shook his head. "We're wasting time." Without waiting for them, he started walking again.
Naruto's jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. Not now.
Raven had been watching the whole exchange in silence, her gaze calculating. She had seen this before—the way the Curse Mark wrapped around the minds of its hosts like a slow-growing infection. Sasuke was strong-willed, but even the strongest couldn't resist forever. She could suppress it. A single touch, a bit of chakra manipulation, and she could stall its growth. But was that her choice to make?
No.
Mikoto had made her decision.
The path Sasuke walked wasn't hers to alter.
The forest stretched on, and the tension settled into a quiet, suffocating weight. Naruto kicked a rock out of frustration, his thoughts too loud in his head. Sakura kept sneaking glances at Sasuke, hoping for a sign that he was still himself. And Raven, walking a little behind the group, simply waited.
An hour passed. Then two.
They weren't alone.
Raven felt it first, the brief flicker of chakra signatures somewhere beyond the trees. Someone was following them. She didn't react immediately, instead letting her senses expand, calculating their position.
Sakura noticed the slight shift in Raven's posture. "What is it?"
Raven smirked, hands sliding into her pockets. "Seems we have company."
Naruto's head snapped up. "Huh? Where?"
Sasuke had already stopped walking, his fingers twitching toward his kunai pouch. "How many?"
Raven tilted her head. "Two, maybe three. Keeping their distance. Smart. Probably waiting for an opening."
Sakura tightened her grip on her kunai. "Should we—"
The attack came faster than expected.
Kunai rained from the trees, slicing through the air toward them. Sasuke reacted first, twisting out of the way and deflecting two with his own. Naruto dropped into a crouch, barely dodging as one grazed his shoulder. Raven didn't move. A kunai sailed toward her, but the moment it reached her, she tilted her head just slightly, letting it pass inches from her face.
Their attackers dropped from the trees. Three of them. Clad in dark clothes, faces covered, eyes sharp with intent. They were professionals. Not desperate genin fighting for scraps—real killers.
Naruto wiped at the shallow cut on his arm, glaring. "Great. More idiots who think they can take us down."
One of the masked shinobi smirked, flipping a kunai in his hand. "You're injured, exhausted, and your strongest fighter looks like he's two seconds from passing out." His eyes flicked to Sasuke, who was swaying slightly, his breath coming in shallow gulps. "This won't take long."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Try me."
Naruto was already forming clones, but before he could move, one of the enemies lunged—straight at Raven.
A mistake.
The attacker moved fast, but she didn't move at all.
The moment their eyes met, his body locked up.
It was instant.
A silent pulse of death rippled from Raven's gaze, invisible but absolute. His breath hitched. His knees buckled. His heart stopped.
He collapsed, lifeless, before he even understood what had happened.
Naruto froze mid-motion, his eyes wide. "What the hell—"
The other two enemies stopped dead in their tracks, staring at their fallen teammate in disbelief.
Raven blinked, sighing softly. "Well. That was easy."
Naruto took a step back, swallowing hard. "You—you just—"
Sakura was pale. "Raven… what did you do?"
Raven shrugged. "Killed him."
The two remaining shinobi bolted, vanishing into the trees before anyone could stop them. The fight was over before it even began.
Naruto, still shaken, pointed at the lifeless body. "You just—looked at him!"
Raven smirked. "I know. Convenient, right?"
Sakura wasn't sure whether to be impressed or horrified. Sasuke, still struggling to stay standing, simply muttered, "Tch. At least you're useful for something."
Naruto shook his head, but before he could argue, Raven stretched her arms lazily. "We should move before those two idiots bring friends."
Naruto hesitated, but finally turned away, still glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
Sasuke staggered slightly, forcing Sakura to reach for him. He jerked away. "I'm fine."
No one believed him.
The tower was close. Just a little further.
And then, finally, this part of the exam would be over.
Naruto walked ahead, his thoughts a mess. Sasuke followed, his mind whispering things he didn't understand yet. Sakura kept watching them both, unsure who she should be more worried about.
Raven?
She just smiled.
The end of this phase wasn't the end at all.
It was just the beginning.
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