Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice

Teriyaki moved silently through the trees, his breathing steady as he wove between branches like a shadow. The faint whispers of distant teams skirmishing drifted through the forest, but his attention remained locked on the trio below. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were gathered in a clearing, huddled beneath a rock overhang. They looked tired, their clothes tattered and dirt clinging to their limbs. The fourth day of the exam was taking its toll.

"We still need an Earth scroll," Naruto muttered, tossing a rock at the dirt. "We can't give up now! We should make a fire and send out a smoke signal, we could get them all to come to us!""

"Stop being an idiot," Sakura snapped. "We've been moving non-stop. We need rest."

"She's right," Sasuke added, voice low. "If we push too hard, we'll have no energy left too fight.

Teriyaki watched idly. He already knew about them from when he read the manga, this spying mission felt menial,

He shifted his weight on the branch, leaning further to gain a better view. Sakura was tending to Naruto's arm, wrapping a cloth tightly over a gash. Naruto winced but grinned through the pain.

"Don't worry," Naruto said. "If any of them try to take us down, we'll definately win!"

"That idiot's loud enough to bring every team in this forest straight to them," Teriyaki muttered. But he smiled, Naruto had main character energy.

He turned his gaze to Sasuke. The Uchiha's cold, calculating expression didn't waver. Sasuke was clearly conserving his strength, but Teriyaki could tell he was on edge. His eyes flickered to every rustle in the leaves.

Teriyaki drew back deeper into the foliage, carefully weaving hand signs. A stealth jutsu.

He camoflauged himself to match the forest floor. Orochimaru's orders had been simple: gather information on those on the list.

"I'm only supposed to watch," Teriyaki reminded himself. But curiosity gnawed at him.

"Maybe just a little push..."

He flicked a pebble off the branch, watching it skip along the dirt behind Naruto. Naruto whipped around, fists clenched.

"Who's there?!"

Sasuke was already up, kunai in hand. His crimson Sharingan eyes flared to life as he scanned the mist.

"I don't see anyone... yet." Sasuke's voice was sharp.

"You're imagining things." Sakura sighed, but her own hand was on a kunai.

"Maybe," Sasuke muttered, though his gaze didn't soften.

Teriyaki grinned. The brat was sharp. Even so, he'd succeeded. Orochimaru wanted details, and now Teriyaki had plenty. Sasuke's patience, his teamwork, even his reliance on the Sharingan—everything Teriyaki needed to report was falling into place.

"No reason to stick around," Teriyaki thought. He turned and flickered away, moving swiftly across the treetops.

He traveled deeper into the forest, his thoughts restless. Orochimaru's orders were clear, but something gnawed at him. Watching Sasuke had been easy enough — but Orochimaru's interest in him was intense. Too intense. Whatever Orochimaru had planned for the Uchiha, Teriyaki suspected it wouldn't end well. For anyone.

"None of my business," he muttered, shaking the thought away. 

He thought carefully as he jumped from branch to branch.

'I need power to escape Orochimaru's grasp, but how do I get it?'

He ended up coming across Gaara's group,

Teriyaki slowed his movements as he approached the clearing, his senses on high alert. The air here felt different—tense, thick with the oppressive aura that surrounded Gaara and his teammates. Unlike the others he'd encountered, Gaara's presence felt more like a storm waiting to break, a quiet force of nature ready to erupt at any moment. The sand in his gourd shuffled endlessly.

Temari and Kankuro were speaking quietly, though their voices were edged with impatience. Gaara stood apart from them, as usual, his gaze fixed on the ground. His sand gourd rested against his back, the faint sound of it shifting audible even in the stillness of the forest.

Teriyaki paused behind a tree, watching from the shadows. He knew the main points about Gaara—stories of his violent nature, his Jinchuuriki status, and the issues from his childhood. Orochimaru was obsessed with this one, too. Gaara's abilities could be a potential asset, or a terrifying force to wield against enemies. Either way, Teriyaki knew better than to get too close. His mission was clear—gather information, and leave.

Yet, as he watched Gaara's lone figure, something stirred within him. 

Gaara was no mere target. Teriyaki knew that, deep down. He was a weapon, a ticking time bomb. And Orochimaru wasn't the only one with plans for him.

His mind wandered for a moment to his own ambitions. He could change the entire story if he really wanted to, just leading Orochimaru to Naruto or Sasuke could prove to be insane decisions.

But at the end of the day, he didn't want to ruin this world by diverting too far from the main plot.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden motion from Gaara. The sand surrounding his gourd began to shift, rising slightly into the air, as if it had a mind of its own. Teriyaki's breath caught in his throat. Gaara wasn't just powerful—he was unpredictable, like the wind that could change direction in an instant. One wrong move, one slip in concentration, and Teriyaki knew he'd be in the middle of a storm he wouldn't be able to escape.

"Temari," Gaara spoke, his voice quiet, but carrying a weight that demanded attention. "Kankuro... we should move. I sense another team nearby. We'll head towards them, east."

Temari narrowed her eyes, scanning the area. "Another team? Are you sure?"

"I am always sure," Gaara responded coldly, his sand rippling with dangerous intent.

Teriyaki held his breath, body tense, frozen in the shadows. Gaara's attention had turned toward him, or at least toward the general direction of his position. For a moment, Teriyaki was certain Gaara could sense him, could feel the subtle shift in the air around him. He clenched his fists, ready to move at a moment's notice.

But then, to his surprise, Gaara's gaze softened, his focus turning back to the path ahead.

"Let's go," Gaara commanded.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances, and with a silent nod, they began to move, following their leader through the trees.

Teriyaki exhaled slowly, realizing just how close he'd come to being discovered. He hadn't underestimated Gaara, but it had been a near thing. The Suna team were adept, he was lucky to have body flickered away at the last moment.

As they disappeared into the woods, Teriyaki lingered for a moment longer, watching them vanish into the distance.

With a shake of his head, Teriyaki turned away. He needed to focus. He had information to report, and a mission to complete. But something inside him told him that the events of this exam would lead him to more than just a simple report.