The massive trunks and boughs of the trees blurred past as we moved northward. Naruto and Sakura were falling behind, their breaths loud in the still air, dragging despite the slow pace we’d set for their benefit. We’d be lucky to reach the destination before nightfall, and the thought alone was an irritant.
"Oi!" The blonde’s voice shattered the quiet. "Sasuke! Slow down!"
We stopped, turned, gave him a look. "Be quiet," we said. "You're making a racket."
"I AM NOT!"
"You are," we told him. "If you keep this up, everyone within a mile will know we're here."
"I AM NOT!" His voice was louder, defiant. "AND YOU NEED TO SLOW—"
We flickered behind him, placing a palm on his back. Chakra surged from within, spreading through his meridians with ease. The fox stirred, but a glance in its direction quieted the beast. Naruto's eyelids drooped and closed, his body limp as it sailed toward a tree. Before he collided, we caught him by the scruff of his jumpsuit, dragged him aside, and slung him over our shoulder like dead weight.
Sakura blinked. She stopped, searching. "N-Naruto? Sasuke's—"
We stood before her, one brow arched. She stared back, wide-eyed, slack-jawed.
"You both need to work on your stamina," we said. Then we moved again. She followed, stumbling after, panting.
"Sasuke," she gasped, "Naruto had a point. Please. S-slow down..."
We sighed and paused just long enough for her to catch up. We adjusted the pace once more, accommodating her.
"...S-Sasuke," she murmured, "what happened to Naruto?"
"Nothing," we said. "I put him to sleep."
"Oh." A beat. "Oh..."
Her face was flushed for reasons that didn’t need exploring. We turned back to the forest. "Sakura."
"...Yes?" Her voice was small.
"I’ll need you to work with me. Can you do that?"
"Yes!" She was eager.
"Good," we said, pulling out the mission scroll from the pouch at our thigh. "According to this," we tossed it to her. She fumbled, catching it at the last second. "One of the castles is fifty-two miles north. At this pace, we’ll make it in two and a half hours. It’ll be night by then. I’d prefer we keep our current pace and avoid unnecessary noise, like this fool here was making. Can you manage that?"
She scanned the scroll, her brow furrowing. "But... there's nothing here about a castle’s location," she said. "Just clues. I thought this was a treasure hunt, where we find clue after clue."
"It is," we replied. "But the instructions for finding the first clue contain a steganographic message. The key is in the first line. A simple cypher. You just have to look."
Sakura fell silent, piecing together the hidden message. A minute passed. "These are coordinates..." she breathed, pulling out a map to confirm. Her eyes flicked up, filled with awe. "How did you know?"
"Shinobi read the hidden meaning behind the hidden meaning," we said simply.
"That's Kakashi-sensei's line... You’re amazing, Sasuke."
We smiled as the moment demanded before returning our gaze forward. Human emotions still sometimes get tiring to keep up with. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was silent. By the time we arrived, the moon had begun its climb. Naruto still slept as we laid him down in his bag.
Our camp was simple. No tents, nothing that would be hard to conceal. Just a flat patch of ground beneath a fallen log, enough space for three bodies. We sealed one end with mud wall jutsu and created an escape tunnel with head hunter jutsu, rigged with traps. Camouflage netting broke up the camp’s outline, blending it into the forest.
Satisfied, we glanced at Sakura, who knelt on her bag, staring. Expectant, perhaps? The thrum of her heartbeat betrayed her. The flush on her face deepened when we met her gaze.
Hormones. We sympathized. Even we found our body’s sudden whims irritating at times. The lack of structure, the primal freedom of the forest—her emotions must be unshackled by it. Maddening, no doubt.
"...Uhm—"
"Secure the perimeter," we said, cutting her off. "I’ll check to see if we were followed. Then I’ll scout the castle." Her shoulders drooped in disappointment. We ruffled her hair as we passed. "I’m leaving Naruto in your care because I trust you," we lied. "Take care of him. And yourself. I’ll be back soon."
Without waiting for a response, we flickered into the trees, moving toward the castle. When we arrived, we paused to take in the sight. It hung from a massive bough—a small treehouse hidden among the leaves. Our castle.
But not our immediate concern.
We turned, facing the shadows.
"Come out," we said. "I know you're there. Shiore, right? Why tail us for three hours? Do we seem so weak that you think it worth the effort?"
The bark shimmered as a woman emerged, flanked by two more Kusagakure shinobi. "Sasuke..." she purred, drawing out the sound. "It’s so nice to finally meet you. You cannot imagine how happy I am. I’m a big fan."
"What do you want?" we asked, entirely uninterested in engaging in senseless banter with another weird human. We've had our fill for the day it seems.
The kunoichi smiled, her tongue lopping out to lick the bottom half of her face. Her eyes gleamed, predatory.
"I want you, Sasuke-kun."
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He was perfect, the thought came unbidden to the Sannin’s mind. The boy sat on a tree bough, legs crossed at the ankle, dangling freely above the forest floor. Relaxed. His black hair, sleek and immaculate, caught the faint breeze that passed through the canopy, momentarily veiling the left side of his face before falling away, revealing the half-lidded onyx gaze beneath.
"...You want me?" the Uchiha asked, one sculpted brow lifting in mild curiosity. "I’d like to assume you mean that in a non-sexual way, but your tone suggests otherwise."
Orochimaru chuckled. Humor. So unlike that brother of his. The boy intrigued him even more now. He smiled, a smile meant to mislead, but Sasuke’s gaze remained cold. Detached. The kind of detachment found only in nature—unfeeling, implacable.
"You’ve no interest in my humble castle," Sasuke continued, gesturing to the small structure behind him.
Orochimaru’s smile widened. "What makes you think that, Sasuke-kun?"
"You haven’t made any move against my teammates. You haven’t tried to hold them hostage. You’re not fools—if the castle were your target, they wouldn’t be left untouched."
The Sannin’s eyes glinted. "You don’t seem like someone who cares about winning either. Leaving such weak links unprotected? Easy way to get eliminated."
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The boy shook his head, his voice as calm as if discussing the weather. "If you had gone for them, you’d be dead already."
Orochimaru’s smile broadened further.
"Enough circling," Sasuke said, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "You want something. Speak plainly. If it interests me, perhaps we can reach an understanding. If not, I’d rather deal with you now before you become an annoyance."
He was so perfect.
"Very well, but proper introductions are in order, are they not?" Orochimaru said, reaching for his face. His fingers dug into the flesh of the skin mask, tearing it away. Sasuke watched with a raised brow, curiosity flickering in his dark eyes. The disguise fell to the ground, revealing the lustrous mane beneath.
Sasuke murmured something, recognition dawning. He reached into the pouch at his waist, pulling out a bingo book. With practised ease, he flipped through it.
"Orochimaru," he drawled, expression unchanging. "An S-rank missing-nin from Konoha. I wonder what you could possibly want with someone like me."
The Sannin giggled, the sound hissing through his teeth.
"Perfect."
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Sakura bit her lip at the sound of footsteps outside. Her heart quickened. She reached for a kunai, holding it in a reverse grip as she positioned herself between the unconscious Naruto and the entrance.
"It’s me, Sakura," came Sasuke’s voice. Relief washed over her at the sound, her body relaxing. But then her heartbeat spiked again, and her face flushed. He was back. "Come outside," he called, his voice smooth as ever.
"I-I’m coming," she stammered, her legs weak as she scrambled to her feet. She crawled out of the shelter, and something whizzed past her head, embedding itself in the fallen tree beside her. Her eyes widened—it was a kunai. Attached to it, an explosive tag. Already lit.
Her heart sank, terror gripping her as her life flashed before her eyes. Then, a hand rested on her shoulder, soft and steady, pulling her from the Genjutsu.
"So careless," Sasuke whispered. She turned, looking up into his stern gaze. His hand reached for her chin, his thumb grazing her cheek. She shivered as it brushed against the cut she hadn’t noticed.
He hurt me, she thought, heart pounding. He must be so angry.
"Heal it," Sasuke ordered, his voice cold. She shivered again, a strange warmth spreading through her chest as she placed her palm to her cheek, her fingers glowing green as the cut closed.
His eyes remained fixed on her, impassive. "You’re still wasting too much chakra," he said. "You’re not practising enough."
"I... I’m sorry," Sakura whispered, catching herself before she leaned into his touch. His hand pulled away, and she immediately missed its warmth.
"Naruto’s still asleep?" Sasuke asked, his tone casual, though he already knew the answer. He always knew things, things he had no way of knowing. It didn’t bother her. It only made her admire him more.
"Yes," she replied. "T-the castle?"
"It’s secure."
"...What do we do now?"
"We wait." Sasuke turned and disappeared back into the shelter. Her eyes followed him, unblinking. Was he in a good mood? She hoped so. Maybe tonight he’d let her cuddle again.
That would make today just perfect.
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Shikamaru felt uneasy as he came to a stop beneath a particularly large tree. He didn’t know why—he just did.
"Is this the place?" Ino whispered, crouching beside him. He glanced down at the map in his hand, then double-checked the hidden message from their mission scroll.
"I hope so," he muttered. "It’d be such a drag if my hunch was wrong after all this."
"It better not be," Choji chimed in, his cheeks puffed out as he munched on handfuls of chips. "The first clue is a three-hour hike west. If this isn’t one of the castles, we’ll never catch up with the other teams."
"We’ll be fine," Ino said, ever the optimist. But Shikamaru couldn’t shake his unease. The thought of failure loomed large in his mind.
Ino took the lead, leaping forward with Shikamaru and Choji close behind. It didn’t take long for them to spot their target: a small treehouse suspended from a thick branch.
"We found it!" Ino exclaimed, pumping her fist. "Alright, once we finish surveying the area, we’ll—"
thuk thuk thuk thuk thuk
A volley of senbon needles rained down, piercing the branch where they had stood moments before.
"Hehe! Leader-san, you were right! These little brats were up to something!"
Shikamaru caught himself on a nearby tree, skidding to a stop. Three Ame-nin emerged from the underbrush, clad in black skinsuits under heavy raincoats. Two wore wide-brimmed hats and had pressurized tanks on their backs, with umbrellas strapped to their shoulders. Shikamaru might have laughed at how ridiculous they looked if he weren’t so rattled.
"I can’t believe they led us straight to one of the castles," said the shortest Ame-nin, grinning. "This year’s chunin exams are going to be a breeze!"
Shikamaru’s eyes flicked to his team. They weren’t hurt—yet. But he knew they were outmatched. They had to retreat. Fast.
"...So, running away sounds like a good plan, yeah?" Choji whispered between furious bites of chips. "We fight them, we’re toast. Maybe we find a weaker team, take their mission scroll, and—"
"Where are we supposed to find weaklings?" Ino hissed. "Have you seen the other teams? They’d crush us!"
"...Well, except for Naruto’s team," Choji muttered.
"What are you talking about?" Ino snapped. "Naruto and Sakura are losers, sure, but they’re with Sasuke. SASUKE!"
"...She has a point," Shikamaru admitted, still eyeing the Ame-nin.
"Oi! What are you losers whispering about?" shouted the shortest Ame-nin.
"You can have it!" Shikamaru called back, raising his hands. "The castle! We won’t fight you for it if you just let us go!"
"Whatever! Get lost, losers!" the Ame-nin jeered.
Shikamaru exhaled in relief as his team turned to retreat. "What a pain," he muttered.
"What now?" Ino asked.
"We could still try to find some weaklings and take their scroll," Shikamaru said, though inwardly, he doubted they’d find anyone weaker than them.
AHHHHH!!!
Shikamaru froze. The scream behind them abruptly cut off, and a chilling sense of dread crawled down his spine. He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto a pair of familiar onyx ones.
Sasuke stood there, his gaze half-lidded, as though barely awake. He blinked, seeming to finally recognize them, and the suffocating pressure in the air lifted. Shikamaru gasped, realizing he’d been holding his breath.
"You guys should be more careful," Sasuke said, his tone calm and almost lazy. His eyes flicked to Ino. "Especially you, Ino. You know I’d hate for something bad to happen to you."
Ino nodded, looking pale—far from her usual fawning over Sasuke. Shikamaru said nothing, watching as Sasuke tossed something at him. His hands moved instinctively to catch it—a scroll.
A mission scroll.
"I assume you found the hidden message in your scroll for you to be here so quickly?" Sasuke asked.
Shikamaru nodded, his body moving automatically.
"Good. That team back there... well, it was theirs. And I a certain they won’t need it anymore." Sasuke shrugged. "The scroll has coordinates for another castle, four hours northeast. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding it."
Shikamaru shook his head, mute.
"Good. Stay safe." And with that, Sasuke vanished.
"...Scary," Choji muttered, for once without food in his mouth. Shikamaru silently agreed. So did Ino.
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We flickered back to our camp to find Sakura still asleep and Naruto finishing off the last of the spit-roasted fish we had prepared earlier.
"That was supposed to last all three of us for the rest of the day, Naruto," we said in passing, making our way back to our sleeping bag. Preparing rations was always a hassle—something we had to do far enough from camp to avoid attracting unwanted attention. And Naruto, in his usual gluttony, had eaten everything in one sitting.
"I was starving!" he whined, as expected. We sighed, mentally noting to make enough for three weeks next time—surely, even Naruto couldn’t eat that much. We pulled the covers over our shoulders, letting ourselves drift into a state of semi-consciousness.
Two hours later, we awoke briefly to lob a water orb at the campfire Naruto had started, in blatant disregard of our prior warnings. His indignant squawking as steam and smoke rose into his face was the last thing we heard before drifting back to sleep.
Three hours later, we woke for real. It was dawn, and Sakura still slept. A Naruto clone sat near the entrance, playing tic-tac-toe with another clone, while a third doodled on the mud wall we’d created to seal the exit.
We reached out with our senses, locating the original Naruto in a taijutsu spar with another clone. We ignored them, extending our awareness further for potential threats. There were none. Not until the sixth day, when we encountered our next visitors: a trio from Otogakure. By the day’s end, two more teams had arrived, one of them from Konoha—Team 8. We sent them off with coordinates to a castle farther south. They were the last.
The exam time eventually elapsed, and a chunin proctor—Iruka, from the academy, surprisingly—appeared via summoning seal in the treehouse to congratulate us. We tuned out the usual drivel, waiting until it was time to leave. One reverse-summoning later, and we were back at the academy.
There, waiting for us, was the Hokage.