Naruto: Mizuki The Savior

Chapter 37: The Top Student and the Newcomers

Sakura Haruno gazed in horror at Sasuke Uchiha, whose body was radiating an eerie chakra.

Just moments ago, in the dead of night, Sakura had been startled awake by a chilling presence right beside her. Initially, she had assumed it was an enemy infiltration, only to discover that the disturbance came from Sasuke, who was still unconscious. The area where Orochimaru had bitten Sasuke was now covered in cloud-like markings that gradually spread across his entire body. His whole form exuded a tangible, dark purple chakra, and the oppressive aura thickened with each passing moment.

In the corner, unnoticed by Sakura, the sealing array she had set up quietly activated. The seal began absorbing the overwhelming chakra emanating from Sasuke, attempting to suppress it.

However, as time went on, the barrier started to fail. Given Sakura's level of skill, being able to set up a functional sealing formation was already an impressive feat. However, the power of the cursed mark was simply too overwhelming. The amount of chakra Sasuke was releasing far exceeded the seal's absorption capacity. As a result, some of it inevitably leaked out. It was only a matter of time before someone else noticed the disturbance.

---

At dawn, Team 8—Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga—set out early and soon arrived at the center of the Forest of Death. Their team specialized in reconnaissance and tracking, with no clear weaknesses in combat. They had efficiently gathered the required scrolls and made their way to the meeting point ahead of most other teams. However, they were not the fastest—Sunagakure's team had arrived even earlier. For now, they had to tread carefully, sharing the space with formidable opponents.

Meanwhile, the only other team with a Byakugan user was the squad led by Might Guy. If one excluded powerhouses like the Jinchūriki or Orochimaru, their team was undeniably the strongest in the Forest of Death. Working together, they could crush almost any team, including the undercover spy Kabuto Yakushi's group. If not for Neji Hyuga's disdain for preying on the weak, they could have easily eliminated half of the candidates.

As they moved forward, they suddenly detected intense battle fluctuations up ahead. Judging from the sheer magnitude, it was unlikely to be a weak combatant. The three of them picked up their pace, but by the time they arrived, the battle had already ended. The only ones left at the scene were the heavily injured members of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio—Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka.

Shikamaru was the first to regain consciousness. Coming from a family that ran Konoha's largest medicinal business, he immediately retrieved some secret clan medicine and distributed it among his teammates. Choji, with his naturally resilient body, was the first to recover. After a short rest, he was already munching on snacks as if nothing had happened. Shikamaru himself had fared decently, having evaded most major injuries thanks to his quick thinking. The worst off was Ino—though her external injuries weren't severe, she had suffered internal damage, which would affect her combat abilities for some time. Fortunately, her clan's mental jutsu wasn't significantly impacted.

As the trio rested, they spotted Neji's team approaching.

"Today is really not my lucky day," Shikamaru muttered, beginning to question his own fortune. "If it comes down to it, we'll just hand over the scroll."

Choji and Ino exchanged resigned glances and nodded. There was no other option. Against a superior force, they had no choice but to surrender.

"Who were you fighting just now?" Neji asked from atop a tree, looking down at them.

"The three Sound-nin," Shikamaru answered. Despite being the laziest member of his team, he was naturally regarded as the leader due to his strategic mind.

"Which direction did they go?"

"Over there." Shikamaru pointed.

"We're going." Neji turned and prepared to leave.

"Aren't we taking their scroll?" Tenten asked, causing the three Genin below to tense up.

"There's no merit in fighting weaklings, let alone taking advantage of fellow Konoha shinobi in such a manner. That would be disgraceful," Neji replied before addressing the trio below. "You should understand—rookies should act their part. If you're struggling, quit while you can. Staying here any longer will only bring shame to the village."

With that, Neji, Lee, and Tenten departed, leaving behind the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, who had just been utterly dismissed.

Still chewing on his snacks, Choji grumbled, "Shikamaru, what he said might be true, but why does it feel so frustrating?"

"Because we were completely looked down upon," Shikamaru replied. "Though, given that he was last year's top graduate, he does have the strength to be that arrogant. Still, we're not as weak as he makes us out to be. We still have a chance."

---

Meanwhile, the Sound-nin trio had finally tracked down their target.

"So, this is the place," Zaku said arrogantly. "Hiding right under our noses the whole time. We even passed by here a few times without noticing."

"Quit complaining," Dosu replied. "Who would've expected there to be a Genin capable of setting up a small-scale barrier? That's unheard of. It's no surprise we overlooked it. If they hadn't run into trouble themselves, we might never have found them."

"Let's get this over with. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return. Maybe Lord Orochimaru will even reward us," Kin added impatiently.

Inside the barrier, Sakura remained fully focused on Sasuke, deeply worried about his condition. The curse mark had now spread across his entire body. After an intense outburst, his chakra fluctuations gradually subsided, and the sealing formation stabilized. The sinister aura had also diminished significantly.

Sakura mistakenly believed that the chakra was simply dissipating naturally. Completely preoccupied with Sasuke's condition, she failed to notice anything else—nor did she sense the approaching intruders.

A sudden explosion shattered the stillness. A powerful shockwave tore through the surrounding area, obliterating every trap in its path before crashing into the barrier. The previously invisible barrier flickered with glowing lines as it struggled to hold.

"There it is," Zaku sneered. "No more hiding, little rats. Come out and die."

He fired another powerful sound wave, and the already weakened barrier shattered, revealing the figures inside—Sakura, along with the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke.

As she looked up at the three Sound-nin, panic surged through Sakura. She knew that she was no match for them in a direct fight. Their earlier display of destructive jutsu had already proven that.

However, glancing back at Sasuke and Naruto, a determined light flickered in her eyes.

"There are moments when you simply can't run away."

Tightening her headband, Sakura stepped forward. It felt as if she were marching onto a battlefield from which there was no return.

Some things… you have to face yourself to truly understand.

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