"All right, brats! Hello there, Forest of Death!" Boomed the voice of Anko Mitarashi as the genin congregated at the gated entrance of the infamous practice area. The field was filled with looming long shadows as the massive gates towered above them. There were dense trees, eerie quietness, and possible predators within.
Looking beyond the gates, Naruto gulped. "I get creeped out by this place."
Sasuke scanned the place. "Stay alert. It's not a park here."
Sakura nodded. "We'll need a strategy. If you mess up once, it's gone."
Anko flicked a kunai between her fingers and grinned. "This level is simple. Either an Earth or Heaven scroll is assigned to each group. You have to reach the tower in the middle within five days to qualify. But there's a twist."
Her eyes gleamed as she licked her lips. "You are welcome to use any means necessary. This includes ambushes, deception, or even killing. We won't interfere with you."
Naruto's eyes grew wide. "You are just kidding me!"
Anko threw their Earth scroll in their direction. "Good luck. Try not to die."
The Gates Open
Genin units flooded into the woods as the gates groaned open in reply to the signal. Trying their best to stay as far away from others as possible, Team 7 sprinted through thick underbrush and low-sweeping branches.
Sasuke proposed "We find a hiding place and wait for a weaker team to strike."
Naruto frowned. "You mean we wait and ambush them?"
Sasuke nodded. "This is how it works."
Sakura nodded but looked anxious. "It's the best way to avoid unnecessary arguments."
They set up an impromptu hideout near a cliff face in a shaded glade. Sakura marked out a boundary with paper bombs, and Naruto laid traps using explosive tags and ninja wire. Sasuke guarded from a tree.
Hours passed. Shouts, crashes, and the occasional boom were the sound of combat echoed through the forest.
Alarmed, Sakura noticed, "Some teams are already fighting."
The rustling of leaves warned me of movement in the vicinity.
The First Meeting
Not knowing that they were being watched, a group of three Rain-nin stepped carefully out from among the trees.
"All set?" Sasuke grumbled.
Naruto nodded. "Leave now."
They set the trap. The Rain-nin formation was littered with explosive tags, and Sasuke entered immediately with strikes. Naruto created two clones to flank and disorient Sakura, who supplied ranged kunai support.
In spite of their hot defense, the Rain-nin were clearly disoriented.
When one of them tried to escape, Naruto's clone knocked him down. "Where do you think you're going?"
The fight was won by Team 7 shortly afterwards. A Scroll of Heaven was part of the spoils.
"We both have it!" With a shout, Naruto held the scroll up.
Sasuke smiled. "We head to the tower now."
"First, let's rest," Sakura cautioned. "Time remains, and rushing may lead to our demise."
They decided to find a safe place for their recovery.
The Actual Risk
Something strange began to occur while they were getting settled for the night.
On guard duty, Sasuke saw an enormous snake slithering between the trees; it was larger than any normal creature.
"What the—"
The snake struck before he could get out of the way.
Sasuke dodged and called out for the others to awaken. Sakura and Naruto leapt to his aid, but the snake vanished among the trees.
Sasuke growled, "That wasn't natural."
Suddenly, a tall, pale figure stepped out of the trees. The figure smiled, wearing a Kusa headband and possessing uncanny, almost unhuman eyes.
With a smooth and unsettling voice, the stranger said, "I was hoping to find a few promising genin."
Naruto's instincts burned. "Who are you?"
Instead of answering, the figure attacked—quick, precise, and terrifyingly powerful.
One punch sent Naruto flying back. One kunai was barely blocked by Sakura. The opponent dodged with ease as Sasuke attacked with a series of fire and shuriken.
"He's not an ordinary guy!" Naruto grunted.
His lips were moistened by the stranger. "You're right. I'm far beyond your level."
Their spines stiffened.
The Curse Begins
Sasuke unleashed his complete speed on a last-ditch attack and managed to make contact. The stranger, though, didn't flinch and retaliated with an illegal technique—biting Sasuke's neck and injecting dark chakra into him—while chuckling maniacally.
With a howl of agony, Sasuke crumpled to the ground.
Naruto's eyes widened. "SASUKE!"
He attacked with Thunder Palm, a jutsu inspired by Pikachu's fighting style, a Rasengan-type jutsu infused with Pokémon power. The enemy was left dazed when it hit.
The stranger glared at Naruto and thought, "That. energy. Intriguing. I'll see you again."
The enemy vanished into the woods.
Sakura rushed towards Sasuke, who was burning with fever and had black spots covering his body.
"What do we do?" She cried.
Naruto's expression turned hard. "We survive. No matter what."