Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

[The episode starts with Naruto and his clones fishing, they throw them and Sasuke throws kunais at the fish to catch them.]

"It's good to see that they're okay," Kendo said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

"They've been through so much lately…"

"And you say it, ribbit," Asui said, shivering at the memory.

"That's certainly a very original method of fishing." Snipe said.

"And quite effective." Hawks said.

[Naruto and Sasuke have an argument because Sasuke wants more fish and Naruto doesn't want to keep throwing them.]

"Those two." Aizawa said looking at them.

"Everything is back to normal between them." Present Mic said.

"They have enough fish already." Koda said. "In any case, they should eat those first before catching more."

"Yes, I agree." Amajiki said.

[Sakura asks Sasuke to light a campfire, Sasuke does so but complains that he has to do everything himself, which annoys Naruto.]

"All of you?! Are you serious?!" Katsuma exclaimed. "In case you didn't notice, it was Naruto who went into the river to look for those fish."

"That emo." Mineta said.

[Episode title: The last opportunity.]

"So that's the title of this episode." Iida said. "It makes sense considering Team 7's circumstances."

"If you don't get the missing scroll, you're going to fail." Shoto said. "You're in a really tough time, and you don't have much time left."

"We must have faith in them." Midoriya said confidently. "I'm sure they'll make it."

"You're right Deku-kun. I also believe that they will pass this exam." Uraraka said, as did the rest of the audience who have faith in Naruto and his friends.

[Team 7 is cooking the fish and they discuss the exam and what they should do next and how they only have one day left to finish the exam.]

"Just one day!" Kodai exclaimed. "I can't believe it's already been 4 days."

"And at this point, their chances are low." Amajiki said worriedly. "Most of the teams should have already finished or failed."

"But they will try. We must have faith in them." Mirio said confidently.

[Naruto on the other hand only thinks about when the fish will be ready and how he is so hungry that he could eat a whale.]

"Are you serious!?" Bakugo exclaimed angrily. "The exam is about to end and you two still have one scroll left and all you can think about is your stomach!"

"That kid." Aizawa said with a twitch of his eye.

Sasuke:  If we don't hurry, this will be the end.

The audience tenses upon hearing these words as they know that the odds are not in their favor, and that it will be very difficult to obtain the missing scroll and reach the tower in time.

Naruto: If I hurry, I can grab the biggest one before the others.

"Stop thinking with your stomach!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily.

"Relax Bakubro." Kirishima said trying to calm him down, which earned him an angry glare from Bakugo.

[Elsewhere we see another ninja team facing the same dilemma as Team 7. One of the ninjas splits up to find some food, leaving the other two alone.]

Ninja 1: Hey, if I remember correctly, the other scroll has the word sky written on it, and it is white.

"Eh!? What's with this scene change?" Kaminari asked confused.

"No idea Yamming-Jay, but if this scene is here it must be important." Jiro said.

"They have the same problem as Team 7." Melissa said thoughtfully.

"Great, a scene with some extras." Bakugo said bored.

Ninja 2: What's that supposed to mean? [The other ninja laughs, which surprises his partner.] You're not seriously thinking this...

"What?! What are you thinking!?" Katsuma asked.

"No idea, but whatever it is, we'll see." Mahoro replied.

[Back with Team 7, they discuss how there are few Heaven Scrolls available since it is Day 4 and there are fewer teams left to snatch them from.]

"Less words and more action!" Bakugo exclaimed, eager to see some action.

Sakura: Only 13 teams can pass, because there are only 13 pairs of scrolls. And there are 26 teams, 78 candidates looking for them. [Naruto meanwhile eats as if nothing happened.]

"Well, we already knew that." Iida said.

"It's good to remember, ribbit." Asui said. "But now there's one less scroll since Orochimaru destroyed the one Team 7 had, and at least two teams have already finished the test, so at best there are only 10 pairs of scrolls left in circulation."

"And it's possible that by now there are more teams that have finished, so the actual number of scrolls is lower." Kodai said worriedly.

"Things are really tough for them." Awase said worriedly.

"Hey! Don't worry! Everything will be okay!" Mirio said, trying to reassure everyone. "Remember, we're talking about Naruto and his friends. They will pass, I have no doubt about it." This filled the audience with confidence.

"I know you will make it, Mr. Naruto, Mr. Sasuke, and Miss Sakura. I have faith in you all." Eri thought.

Sakura: And if that wasn't enough, things just got a whole lot worse, thanks to that jerk Orochimaru destroying our Heaven Scroll. [Flashback of Orochimaru destroying the scroll.] That reduced the number of sets of scrolls, and several have already been found and secured by the other teams.

The audience trembles upon seeing Orochimaru again.

Sasuke: We've been resting for a long time, recovering from the wounds from our last battle. We must take this seriously now and make up for lost time. The next enemy could be our last chance.

"He's not wrong," Aizawa said. "If you want to pass the exam, you better hurry up."

"Finally." Bakugo said, eager to see some action.

[Sasuke leaves to get water. Naruto takes the scroll and tells Sakura that he knows how to do it without having to fight again.]

"I have a bad feeling about this," Yanagi said nervously.

"I don't know what Naruto is thinking, but it sure isn't a good idea, ribbit." Asui said nervously.

"Please Naruto, don't do anything stupid." Kushina thought nervously.

[Naruto opens his bag taking out some scrolls, his idea being to create a fake heaven scroll.]

Several in the audience are shocked and slap their foreheads upon hearing this.

"That's a terrible idea!" Iida exclaimed, making a robotic slash. "It's extremely dishonest to even think of doing something like that!"

"Not to mention that I have no idea how he plans to forge that scroll." Komori said.

"I hope he doesn't try to do something so stupid!" Kushina said worried about whatever her son wants to do to forge the scroll.

Sakura: Don't you dare. Even if you could fake the outside, how could you fake the inside? You can't do that without reading it and that's against the rules, moron.

"At least someone is thinking," Melissa said.

"And she is not wrong. I don't know how he thinks he will manage to forge the scroll and fool the exam supervisors like that." Amajiki said.

"That's really a terrible plan." Aizawa said.

Naruto: I got it figured out. I think the scrolls have something written in secret code, which only makes sense if you put them together. And that secret code is like the password you need to get into the tower at the end of the exam. Do you understand? "Well, that makes sense," Iida said thoughtfully. "But even if that's true, I don't know how you think you're going to be able to forge the scroll."

Sakura: All I understand is that you're a fool. [Annoyed] We've never seen the inside of the scroll, so how are we going to forge it!?

"She is not wrong. There is a very important obstacle in the plan to forge the scroll." Dijo Shishida.

"Not to mention that the exam supervisor won't be so easy to fool, ribbit." Asui said.

"And it is extremely dishonest to cheat." Iida said angrily.

[Naruto lowers his head in shame and Sakura tells him that she hopes his next big idea should be like getting a scroll from heaven.]

"Let's just hope this idea on how to obtain the scroll isn't as bad as this one." Yanagi said.

Naruto: Wait. We have a clue as to what's in the Heaven Scroll. The Earth Scroll. Sakura: You wouldn't dare.

The audience is shocked to hear what Naruto is saying.

"Oh oh." Several said worriedly.

"Could it be that…?" Uraraka asked.

"Are you talking about opening the scroll they have to forge the other one? Yes, I think so." Yaoyorozu said worriedly.

"AGH! That's just as bad as forging the scroll!" Iida exclaimed, making a robotic slash. "Your instructor expressly told you that you couldn't open the scroll!"

"And remembering her expression when she said that, something horrible is sure to happen if they open it." Mineta said scared.

"The only thing that will happen is that they will be knocked out and automatically disqualified. Which isn't really the worst thing they could do to them." Felicity thought.

Naruto: This is the only chance. I'm going to open and read this scroll.

"No, don't do it!" several people exclaimed worriedly.

"Open it! No, don't do it!" Twice exclaimed.

[Sakura hits him on the head and snatches the scroll from him.]

Sakura: [Furious] No Naruto! We are forbidden from opening the scrolls before reaching the tower!

"Good thing there's someone who's still using their head over there." Midnight said, somewhat relieved to see Sakura reject Naruto's plan.

"Whatever happens if they open that scroll, it sure isn't anything good," Kaminari said, scared.

"Not to mention that even if they managed to forge the scroll, it would be very difficult for the supervisor to catch on to that." Kendo said.

Naruto: I know. But if we don't do something, we won't succeed. [Sakura doubts]

"Oh no!" Katsuma exclaimed worriedly.

"No, Miss Sakura! That's a very bad idea!" Eri exclaimed worriedly.

"Please don't do this!" Melissa exclaimed. "I know your circumstances aren't good, but don't give up! This is really going to get you into trouble."

"The music is amazing, it accompanies the scenes very well." Jiro said.

[Elsewhere, the ninja team we saw earlier is about to open their scroll.]

Ninja 2: Be careful. There may be a trap.

Ninja 1: Yeah. I've already thought about that.

"Oh great, we're back with the extras." Bakugo said annoyed.

"Though it seems like they are just as eager as Team 7 to open the scroll." Shishida said thoughtfully. "I guess we'll see what happens if they do open it."

The audience tenses up at what will happen next.

[Team 7 is about to open their scroll, both Sakura and Naruto are tense, but agree to do so.]

The audience watches Naruto and Sakura tensely and expectantly, worrying about what will happen next after they open the scroll.

"This music really makes this scene a very tense moment," Jiro said.

[The ninja opens the scroll and its contents leave them very surprised, both of them can be heard screaming in terror.]

"Ahhh!" several people exclaimed, terrified at what had just happened on the screen. "What the hell happened!?" Mineta exclaimed, terrified.

"Yeah! What the hell happened!?" Kaminari asked terrified.

"Something horrible, just like your instructor told you." Shoto said.

"We already know that!" Mineta exclaimed angrily. "But that doesn't answer the question."

"Too bad they didn't show it to us, I wanted to see blood!" Toga said, causing several people to look at her in disgust.

[His partner, upon hearing the screams, leaves what he was doing and runs in his direction. When he arrives, he finds them both unconscious.]

Ninja 3: What happened? What did they do?

"A…are they dead?" Eri asked scared.

"I don't know Eri." Mirio said trying to comfort her.

"Ew, what a disappointment." Toga said, annoyed at not seeing any blood.

[Naruto was about to open the scroll but Kabuto appears and stops him by holding his wrist.]

Kabuto: I wouldn't do it if I were you.

The audience lets out a collective sigh of relief as Kabuto stops Naruto from opening the scroll.

"Phew, thank goodness!" Katsuma exclaimed. "After seeing what happened to the other ninjas…"

"Yes brother, I was also very worried." Mahoro said, trying to calm her brother down. "We all worry a lot." Ojiro said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

"It's good that Mr. Kabuto managed to arrive on time." Eri said. "Yes, it's true, Eri, he cames at the right time." Mirio said.

"And thank goodness it happened like that." Amajiki said, still worried about what would have happened if Kabuto hadn't stopped Naruto from opening the scroll.

"This is too suspicious. What is he doing there? And why did he stop Naruto from opening the scroll? There is something not right with him." Aizawa thought, looking suspiciously at Kabuto.

[Sakura and Naruto are very surprised by this. Sasuke arrives and heads to attack Kabuto believing him to be an enemy.]

"No, don't attack him! He just helped them!" Katsuma exclaimed.

"But for Sasuke who just arrived and sees that, he might misinterpret it and think it's something else." Snipe explained to the boy.

"Also seeing what he's doing, it's not strange that the situation lends itself to misunderstandings." Ectoplasm said, and Katsuma nodded in understanding.

Sasuke: I can't believe you guys...

Kabuto: If I hadn't arrived when I did...

Sakura: Sorry Sasuke.

Kabuto: There have been others who have broken the rules and seen the scrolls. I have seen what has happened to them.

"And we saw it too, ribbit." Asui said nervously as she remembered what had happened to the ninja team that opened the scroll.

"It's a good thing Team 7 didn't open it." Nejire said in relief. "It's a good thing Kabuto managed to get there in time."

Kabuto: The scrolls are protected by a very powerful hypnosis jutsu, which will affect anyone foolish enough to read them. It knocks you out and when you wake up the exam is over.

"So that's what happened? Well, thank goodness it was just that." Uraraka said a little calmer upon hearing this, as did the rest of the audience.

"Why? What did you think was going to happen?" Kushina asked.

"They were going to do something horrible to them!" Mineta said, scared.

"Hey! We're not monsters either, you know." Kushina said.

Sasuke: Kabuto, right? We met at the registry. What are you doing here alone?

"That's a very good question," Aizawa said seriously. "I hope you'll answer it."

Kabuto: Don't worry. I didn't come after your scroll.

Sasuke: I know. If you wanted to, you could have snatched it from Naruto when you had the chance. Are you looking for a Heaven's Scroll too?

"That's a good point, actually." Tokage said, somewhat surprised to realize this fact. "If Kabuto had wanted the scroll, he could have easily snatched it from Naruto."

"Then his motivation isn't the scroll. There must be something else there." Aizawa said, looking at him suspiciously.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit, sensei?" Sero asked.

"No, there's definitely something there," Hawks said. "No one does something like this without having some purpose behind it." This statement confused the audience a bit and also made them uneasy about Kabuto's motivations.

Kabuto: Not really. I already have both scrolls. [He shows them to Sasuke, surprising him.] I had a stroke of luck. I was going to the tower to join my companions, so… Excuse me. [Sasuke is left with what's bothering him.]

"Well, this also explains why he wasn't interested in your scroll, he doesn't need it," Melissa said.

"And he's not interested in extra points," Shigaraki said.

Sasuke: Wait! [Kabuto stops] I'll fight you.

"What!?" Several people exclaimed in surprise.

"He wants to fight him?! Did the emo go crazy?!" Mineta asked in surprise.

"I understand that you want Kabuto's scroll, but I shouldn't tell you." Mr. Compress said. "This is just putting him on alert."

"That was really stupid of him. I try to stab my sweeties without them noticing." Toga said.

"That kid is a fool! No, he's not!" Twice exclaimed.

[We see the Amegakure ninja that Team 7 fought before Orochimaru who is spying on them]

The audience is surprised to see the Amegakure ninja again, as they did not expect him to reappear.

"That guy…" Aizawa said, looking at him seriously.

"It's certainly unexpected." Recovery Girl said in surprise. "I really didn't expect to see him again after what happened. He has recovered very quickly from his injuries, but how?"

"They probably have a medical ninja on their team, you know." Kushina said, which sparked the audience's interest in the medical ninjas, particularly Midoriya, Recovery Girl, and Natsuo.

"Either way, this is bad," Awase said worriedly. "That guy is only going to cause trouble for them."

"Definitely, ribbit." Asui said, equally worried.

Kabuto: Will you fight me?

Sakura: But, Sasuke...

Naruto: Wait a second. Are you kidding or what?

"You're not really wrong." Yanagi said. "This almost seems like a joke."

"Next time you want to do that, don't tell him. That was stupid of him." Kurogiri said.

Kabuto: Are you serious?

Sasuke: Seriously. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to be nice.

Naruto: [Annoyed] Back off Sasuke! In case you already forgot, this boy saved us. Sakura: Naruto is right. You don't want to be ungrateful.

"You're not wrong, if it weren't for Kabuto you would have already been disqualified, so you should be a little grateful." Hagakure said.

"But under their circumstances, they absolutely need the missing scroll to pass, so they don't have time to be nice." Shigaraki said, scratching his neck.

"The only thing he shouldn't have done was warn him." Dabi said.

"That's so low!" Kamikiri exclaimed, annoyed with the villains.

"Excuse me, who do you think you're talking to?" Shigaraki replied.

Sasuke: Shut up! There's nothing else to do. It's him or us. It's all about surviving and winning. That's all that matters.

"That brat really got it." Shigaraki said, smiling.

"You're right Tomura." All for One said, much to the chagrin of the rest of the audience.

Kabuto: You're lying.

Naruto: Oh yeah?

The audience is shocked by Kabuto's statement.

"Eh?! But what does he mean?" Kaminari asked confused.

"Wait and see, young man." Nezu said, as he took a sip of his tea.

Kabuto: Admit it. Despite everything you said, your heart is not committed. [Sasuke gets upset hearing this.] If it were true that winning is the only thing that matters to you, why would you openly challenge me to a fight? Why would you warn me and put me on guard? Why not just attack me when I turn my back? After all, that's what a ninja would do.

"Ah, that's right. He has a very good point there." Yanagi said.

"If it were really true that Sasuke only cares about passing, he would have attacked Kabuto without warning him first." Midoriya said thoughtfully.

"A ninja never gives any warning when he's going to attack, you know." Kushina said, making the audience a little uncomfortable as they saw another difference between ninjas and heroes.

"The music continues to accompany the scenes very well." Jiro said. "This is possibly one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard."

"You're right, ribbit." Asui said.

Kabuto: Alright. I admire you for that. Look, this is what we'll do. I'll show you the way you should go. But let's go, it's better to leave as soon as possible. The smell of that food could attract animals and other competitors. [The Amegakure ninja are surprised to hear this and quickly leave. Kabuto smiles upon seeing this.]

The audience is extremely shocked by what just happened on screen.

"Is he still going to help them get the scroll?" Kaminari said in surprise.

"It seems so." Jiro said, also surprised.

"I don't like this one bit. It only reinforces my theory that that kid has a purpose behind it. There's no way he's doing this just because he's a good Samaritan." Aizawa thought, growing increasingly uneasy and worried about Kabuto's motives and the safety of Team 7.

"How are they going to do that though?" Ashido asked.

"Kabuto probably has a plan to achieve this." Iida said thoughtfully.

"On the other hand, it is true that they should leave there as soon as possible, they have already attracted unwanted attention." said Tiger, to which the rest of the audience nods in agreement, recognizing the danger that the Amegakure ninja and his companions can represent.

[The next thing we see is Team 7 and Kabuto jumping between the trees at full speed.]

Sasuke: Do you think there are still teams out there?

Kabuto: Oh yeah. Think about it for a second. What do you think is the most efficient way to find the scrolls in an area as large as this? Go looking for them in the forest? Wait for them to come to you. [We see an illustration with a map of the forest] The goal is the tower in the center of the forest. So, on the last day of the exam, that area will be full of teams going to the tower with their scrolls.

Sakura: I see. Like an ambush. So we head to the tower, hide, and when a team with the Heaven's Scroll shows up, we take it from them.

"That is actually a very good plan." Midoriya said in surprise. "Instead of searching for the scrolls in the forest, which is a waste of time and difficulty, they will go to the tower and ambush the other team. Which makes sense when you consider that…"

"Yes Deku! We get it!" Bakugo exclaimed, annoyed.

"It's going to be a bit more complicated than that, though. The other team isn't going to give up their scroll without a fight." Kendo said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

Kabuto: That's a third of the problem. You're not the only team that thinks that. Everyone who's missing a scroll will do the same.

"Which will add more difficulties due to the increased competition." Shishida said thoughtfully.

"Bah! I'm sure they can handle some extras!" Bakugo said.

Naruto: So what? The more the merrier! We'll take care of them! If it was easy, it wouldn't be fun! We take the scroll from someone else, we prevent them from taking it from us and that's it. We pass.

"That's the attitude!" Mirio exclaimed. "No matter the difficulties, we will always triumph!"

"I seriously don't know what Mr. Nighteye saw so funny in you." Amajiki said.

"Oh come on! My jokes and puns are to die for!" Mirio said.

"While confidence is good, it shouldn't be overdone." Thirteen said. "The other ninjas are still a huge threat."

"And let's not forget the giant beasts and insects." Shoto said, making the rest of the audience nervous as they remembered this.

"Don't even remind us!" Koda and Present Mic exclaimed, still shaking at the memory of the huge leeches.

Kabuto: That's the second third of the problem.

Sakura: At least we got closer. What else?

"So there's still something else? But what?" Kaminari asked.

"Let Kabuto explain it to us." Said Jiro, who also doesn't know what other problem Kabuto is referring to.

Kabuto: There are many collectors lurking around here.

"What does he mean by that?" Kaminari asked confused.

"I think I know what you mean." Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "But I better wait and see what you mean."

"Your intuition doesn't fail you young Yaoyorozu. You've really grown a lot since you came to UA, and this experience at the theater has only reinforced that growth. Well, all of you actually." Nezu thought as he drank some tea.

Kabuto: You can't relax, or let your guard down for even a moment. The collectors gather several sets of scrolls to use for multiple purposes, such as bribing in an unexpected situation, giving them to their fellow villagers if they need them, or preventing candidates from rival villages from passing. They'll be there ready, and it's not good news.

The audience is surprised to hear these words from Kabuto, especially since it reminds them to some extent of what Team 8 tried to do.

"It seems you were right Yaomomo." Asui said.

"It seems so." Yaoyorozu replied thoughtfully. "It seems like collecting extra scrolls wasn't such a crazy idea after all. It didn't occur to me that they could be used in that way."

"None of us really thought about it." Iida said. "But even if they have those uses, getting them can be risky, so it wouldn't be the best idea." He said, shaking as he remembered how Team 8 almost died at Gaara's hands.

"So the extra points did count for something." Shigaraki said thoughtfully as he scratched his neck. "It's certainly interesting."

"You're right, Tomura." All for One said, proud to see Tomura using his brain and thinking of possible uses for the extra scrolls himself, much to the chagrin of the rest of the audience.

Sasuke: I see. And I'm beginning to understand why you brought us here.

"Eh?!" several exclaimed in confusion.

"Why did he bring you here?" Kaminari asked in confusion.

"Does Kabuto have any intentions with that?"

"Maybe he just wants more people from his village to pass the test." Melissa theorized.

"It's possible," Kendo said.

"No, I'm sure there's something else there. Something I don't like at all." Aizawa thought, looking at Kabuto suspiciously.

Sasuke: Because you're scared.

Kabuto: Of course I am.

"I don't think that's it." Katsuma said.

"Is that emo really so arrogant as to believe that that guy would be afraid of him failing the exam?" Mineta asked incredulously at what he was hearing.

"I don't know why, but I have the feeling that it's not entirely wrong to assume that. Although I don't understand why." Aizawa thought, confused about Kabuto's motives and completely distrusting him.

[Team 7 and Kabuto stop in some trees and look at the tower in the distance.]

Kabuto: The end is in sight. Now comes the hard part.

"Well that's true. The hard part is going to start now." Natsuo said.

"This almost seems like a video game level." Tomura said thoughtfully.

"Yes, it is true." Said Spinner, who remembers it too much of video games, both the ones he played before joining the League, and the ones he played with his teammates, especially Shigaraki.

Naruto: [Excited] Well it's time, go ahead!

"Idiot! Don't make a fuss by alerting the enemies of their position!" Bakugo exclaimed.

"What did you just say?" Monoma asked mockingly. "Because if I'm not mistaken, the one who just started a scandal is you, Class A's troublemaker."

"Shut up copycat!" Bakugo exclaimed furiously.

[Everyone except Naruto tenses as they sense someone watching them from behind.]

"Oh oh!" several people exclaim, worried about what is happening on the screen.

[Naruto throws a kunai that sticks into a huge centipede, killing it.]

Naruto: False alarm.

"Ewww!" Several people exclaim in disgust at the sight of the enormous centipede, especially Koda and Present Mic.

"T…that centipede… It's huge!" Present Mic exclaimed, horrified and disgusted.

"The insects in that world are horrible!" Koda exclaimed, terrified.

"Thank goodness it was just that, and they got rid of it already." Tsuburaba said.

"I don't think it's just that. Either way, as Kabuto said, they can't let their guard down for even a minute." Shishida said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement, acknowledging that the danger hasn't passed.

Sakura: [Terrified] Just a centipede? That thing is bigger than us!

"It seems Sakura doesn't like insects either." Fuyumi said.

"Who the hell would like such hideous and disgusting creatures like those?!" Present Mic asked in horror.

"Well, the bug boy." Shinso said remembering Shino, much to the chagrin of Present Mic and Koda.

Kabuto: Naruto, do us a favor and keep it down, okay? The idea is that no one notices we're here. If you go around making a racket, you'll attract the collectors like flies, and we don't want that. [Naruto apologizes for making noise and says he understands.

"Well, that guy isn't wrong there." Aizawa said, although he distrusts Kabuto, but he admits that he has a valid point. "The last thing they want is unwanted attention, and with that scandal it will be a miracle if no one attacks them." The rest of the audience nods in agreement.

"There's still a long way to go." Midnight said.

Kabuto: Calm down Naruto. We have to use all the time we have left. [Team 7 nods in agreement.]

"Well that's true, in circumstances like these the best thing you can do is stay calm and not act rashly." Hawks said thoughtfully.

"You're right sensei." Tokoyami said in agreement with his teacher.

[The next thing we see is a river, and some trees. Kabuto looks up from one of the trees and comments that this is better. Sakura walks through a grassland, Sasuke swims in a river, and uses a stick to breathe, while Naruto is tangled in some vines, and someone invisible is watching him.]

Several people in the audience slap their heads as they see Naruto tangled in the vines.

"Are you serious!?" Bakugo exclaimed annoyed. "Hasn't the blond learned anything!?"

"I really didn't expect that." Iida said.

"Let's just hope they don't attack him like last time." Fuyumi said, remembering Naruto's previous encounter with the Amegakure ninja.

"And if it wasn't bad enough, there's someone following them." Awase said, frightened.

"And it seems that he has similar abilities to yours Toru, ribbit." Asui said, to which Hagakure nodded in agreement, surprised by this fact, while Midoriya wrote this down in his notebook.

"Wow, what a cool song. It really goes well with the scene." Jiro said, moving to the beat of the music.

[Kabuto and Team 7 look at the corpses of a ninja team, who have several kunais stuck in their bodies. Sasuke mentions that it was a trap, which Kabuto confirms, and mentions that things will only get worse from now on.]

The audience becomes very tense at the sight of the dead bodies of the ninja. Although they are fully aware that participants of the chunin exams can lose their lives, it is still an unpleasant sight to see. It also causes them to become even more worried that Team 7 or the other Konoha rookies will suffer a similar fate. Midoriya, Mirio, Mandalay and Pixie-Bob quickly cover the children's eyes so that they do not witness this scene, much to their annoyance and confusion. Shiozaki prays that the deceased ninja can rest in peace in the afterlife.

"So a trap. He really wasn't joking when he said things were going to get worse." All Might thought, uncomfortable with the deaths of the ninjas.

[Naruto trips on a wire, triggering a trap that throws multiple kunai at them.]

"Ahh!" Several people exclaimed, scared and surprised by what just happened on the screen.

"Oh no! Naruto activated a trap!" Katusma exclaimed worriedly.

"That blond brat." Bakugo said annoyed, which earned him an annoyed look from Kushina, but he was saved from a blow from her because even she recognizes that it was clumsy on her son's part.

[Kabuto lunges at Naruto, preventing the kunais from reaching him, but they stick into his back]

Now the audience is shocked and surprised by what they just saw, even Aizawa since he didn't expect Kabuto to do something like that. Everyone except Felicity, Kushina and Ragdoll who is watching the fight between Naruto and Kiba on her iPad.

"Ahh!" Several exclaimed, surprised and worried, seeing the kunais stuck in Kabuto's back.

"Kabuto!" Katsuma exclaimed worriedly.

"Is Mr. Kabuto going to be okay?" Eri asked worriedly.

"I hope so Eri, I hope so." Mirio said, hugging her to comfort her.

[Naruto becomes worried, but it is revealed that Kabuto managed to use a substitution jutsu in time]

Kabuto: Like I said, things will only get worse from now on.

The audience breathes a sigh of relief when they see that Kabuto is okay.

"Ugh!" Kaminari exclaimed. "It nearly scared me to death!"

"A substitution jutsu, I should have guessed." Iida said.

"That jutsu is actually very useful." Midoriya said. "Though it is true that things are going to get worse." Everyone in the audience tenses, but they acknowledge that despite what they have already seen, things are going to get even worse.

[Sakura collapses from exhaustion, while mentioning that despite all the walking they did, the tower is no closer, to which Naruto responds in agreement.]

The audience is surprised by these words, and they feel confused about it, since they don't understand what is happening, except Nezu who has already found out thanks to his Quirk that they have been walking in circles, although he is still not entirely sure why this is, he has a couple of theories about it, but he will wait and see.

Kabuto: Looks like we've been detected. Someone's messing with us. Remember? [He points in a direction and Team 7 is surprised to see the centipede again.]

Now the audience is extremely confused by this fact.

"Ehh!? That bug again!? But how?!" Komori asked confused.

"Seriously, what's going on?!" Koda asked, terrified when he saw the centipede again.

"It's a trap of some sort." Midoriya said thoughtfully. "Though I'm not sure what they're actually doing."

"If I had to bet, I'd say it's a Genjutsu." Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "Maybe they're using an illusion to trick them."

"It is possible." Awase said.

Sakura: What's wrong?

Sasuke: Genjutsu.

Kabuto: It seems so, and we fell completely. We were so focused on not being seen that we didn't notice we were walking in circles.

"It seems you were right Yaomomo." Ashido said to which Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement.

"So it's true, they're using a Genjutsu to disorient them." Midoriya said thoughtfully, while taking notes in his notebook. "And they didn't notice because…"

"Yes Deku! We realized that! You don't need to narrate everything that happens!" Bakugo exclaimed annoyed.

"I… I'm sorry." Midoriya said looking embarrassed.

"But then again, who would have put that Genjutsu in place?" Kodai asked.

"If I had to bet, I'd say that ninja and his companions." Kendo said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement finding this likely.

"By the way, which village are those ninjas from? Because we've seen that symbol before and they don't belong to any village we know of." Iida asked.

"Those ninja come from Amegakure which is the hidden village of the Land of Rain." Kushina explained. "It's a small country that borders the Land of Fire, Land of Wind and Land of Earth. It is mainly known for the fact that it rains constantly and for its hot-tempered shinobi." Kushina explained to the surprise of the audience, while Midoriya took notes.

"And for other things you will see later." Felicity thought.

"Oh." Eri said, wondering what the Land of Rain and its hidden village would be like. Sasuke: What's your game?

Kabuto: They're probably trying to tire us out and then attack us when we're exhausted.

"What cowards!" Bakugo exclaimed annoyed.

"That's not manly at all!" Kirishima said angrily.

"Are they fools? Strategically, it's a great plan. Weaken them first and then attack them." Dabi said.

"Did I ASK YOU, Frankenstein?!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily.

Sasuke: As we are now.

Kabuto: Exactly. They'll be here soon.

The audience tenses upon hearing those words, while others become excited for the upcoming battle.

"The music really brings out the tension in this scene." Jiro said.

[We see invisible blobs crawling in the trees, which reveal themselves to be ninjas. Team 7 and Kabuto prepare to fight.]

"Ahh!" several exclaimed.

"W… there are too many!" Melissa exclaimed in surprise.

"They must be using a cloning jutsu." Iida said.

"Well, too bad for them! Because that is Naruto's best Jutsu!" Katsuma exclaimed, supporting his third favorite hero.

Sasuke: Well Naruto? You didn't want to fight?

Naruto: [Smiling] Four against forty. I like those odds.

"Should we be worried? He's overconfident again." Midnight asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Present Mic said.

"Nah, I think it will be fine." Mirio said.

Sakura: Who are those?

"Who the hell cares!? They're enemies! Hit them first and ask questions later!" Bakugo exclaimed.

"That's right, Bakubro!" Kirishima exclaimed in agreement with his friend. "Beat those guys up!"

Kabuto: From the looks of it, they're clones. There are a lot of them.

"You are so observant." Shigaraki said sarcastically.

"It's true! No, it's not!" Twice exclaimed.

[One of the clones mocks Team 7 by calling them cornered rats.]

"Who are you calling rats, you miserable pig!?" Mahoro exclaimed angrily.

"That really bothers me." Nezu said, annoyed by the "cornered rats" comment.

"Just wait and you'll get what you deserve, bastards!" Tsuntori exclaimed, to the surprise of his companions.

"Ha! That's how you say it!" Monoma exclaimed, receiving a blow from Kendo.

"Stop teaching her that stuff!" Kendo exclaimed.

[Angrily, Naruto heads to attack one of the clones, hitting him.]

Sakura: Whatever they are, they know how to fight. That's it! Show them! Well done! "Well, that's true." Melissa said thoughtfully. "Whoever those guys are, they obviously know how to fight."

"Though on the other hand I don't think that charging in like that was the best option." Midnight said. "Naruto really needs to improve that. Thinking first and attacking later."

"To be fair, he's not the only one who lacks that." Aizawa said, looking at some of his students seriously. The students gulped, intimidated by their sensei's gaze.

[The clone falls apart where Naruto hit it, causing Naruto to pass through it, much to Team 7's surprise.]

The audience put on the same expressions as Kabuto and Team 7.

"Huh!? W...what the hell?!" Bakugo exclaimed

"Yeah! What the hell just happened?!" Kaminari exclaimed.

Sasuke:  What are they?

"That's what we want to know! What the hell are those things?!" Mineta exclaimed. "How could he have gotten through it? Even if it was a clone, Naruto would have been able to hit him." Shishida said.

"So these aren't ordinary clones. But what exactly are they?" Nezu thought. Midoriya meanwhile takes notes on everything that's happening on the screen

[The clone Naruto had pierced through splits, creating another clone. Sasuke activates his Sharingan to try and see what's happening.]

"Okay, this just got weirder." Natsuo said in surprise as he saw the clone split up, as did the rest of the audience.

[The clone that had formed goes to attack Naruto, but Sasuke manages to prevent it from attacking him.]

"Wow, that was close!" Awase said, scared to see how close Naruto's attack was.

"It's a good thing Naruto's teammates are there to cover his back." Mandalay said, relieved.

[The clone throws a kunai at Sasuke, who can't dodge it as the curse mark activates, so Kabuto jumps to protect him, being grazed by the kunai.]

Sasuke:  What's going on? My body isn't responding.  [The curse mark activates and expands.]

The audience is immensely concerned as they watch what's happening on screen, as they don't know how exactly the curse mark affects Sasuke, but whatever it is, it's something bad. "At least Kabuto is there to protect them." Fuyumi said somewhat relieved by this fact.

"I still don't trust him. There's something about him that I don't like at all," Aizawa thought. Kabuto: [Looks at the kunai the ninja threw at him] These things are real, not mirages.

"Real!?" Awase exclaimed, frightened. "B…but how!?"

"No, that can't be," Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "The most realistic thing we saw were Zabuza's water clones, and these aren't like that at all."

"If they were real, Naruto wouldn't have gone through it," Midoriya said thoughtfully. "Though I'm still pretty confused about these things."

"We all are, ribbit." Asui said.

Clone Ninjas: Hand over your scroll.

"As if something like that was going to happen, dude!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily.

Naruto: The fact that Kabuto is injured means that those things are real shadow clones. But shadow clones are supposed to disappear when you land a good hit on them and they're still here. What are we up against? Some kind of Genjutsu?

"It seems like the most likely option, that it is a Genjutsu," Shishida said thoughtfully. "Although that doesn't quite close the deal, since if it were just a Genjutsu, Kabuto's wound wouldn't be real." Kendo said thoughtfully.

"Which means there is something else there." Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's not just a Genjutsu, but a different technique as well."

"Yes, it is possible." Midoriya agreed.

"It seems that young Yaoyorozu has already discovered it." Nezu thought.

Clone Ninjas: Hand over your scroll.

Naruto: Come and get it!

Sasuke: Forget it! It won't work! [Naruto stops and looks at Sasuke]

Sasuke: We're facing optical mirages. It's a Genjutsu, Naruto.

"It seems that Sasuke has already noticed what they are doing." Yanagi said.

"Good, at least someone noticed." Ashido said. "Because we still don't know exactly what it is."

"I don't think it's just a Genjutsu though. I'm convinced there's something more there," Yaoyorozu said.

Sakura: Mirages? But how? Kabuto's wound is real.

"Even Sakura noticed it. If it was just a Genjutsu, Kabuto's wound wouldn't be real." Nejire said.

Kabuto: True. But Sasuke is right. It could be that the real enemy is hiding somewhere nearby in the forest, launching real attacks behind a curtain of mirages and coordinating his movements with theirs to trick us into believing that the Genjutsu shinobi are the ones attacking us.

The audience is shocked to hear Kabuto's words.

"So you were right Yaomomo." Ashido said, to which Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement.

"It wasn't just a Genjutsu, but they also combined it with a real attack." Midoriya said as he took notes. "It's really amazing."

"It really is." Nezu said in surprise. "It takes a lot of skill to combine both techniques like that, and the effect is to disorient and confuse your enemies. It's simply brilliant."

"An illusion, huh?" Mr. Compress said, somewhat surprised. "Ninjas are masters of deception, perhaps I should take note of them. Those tricks would be very useful. Although like all magic, once you get the hang of it, the fun wears off."

[We can see the ninja team that is behind this, which are the ninja who attacked team 7 and their companions at the beginning of the exams.]

"HEY! It's that guy again!" Katsuma exclaimed upon seeing him.

"And this time he is not alone." Nejire said worriedly. "This time his companions are with him."

"So much the worse for them!" Bakugo exclaimed confidently. "They already defeated that loser once, and they will do it again."

"Bakugo, while it is good to have confidence, you shouldn't overdo it. Or do I need to remind you of Orochimaru and the Sound Trio?" Iida said.

"Shut up! This time is different!" Bakugo replied.

Naruto: Let's find those clowns and finish them off!

"Now you're speaking my language!" Bakugo said smiling.

Kabuto: Wait. What they want us to do is blindly go after them, while they calmly finish us off, one by one.

"That young man is right. Rushing is not a good idea. It would be better to plan a counterattack instead of jumping in like that." Tiger said.

"If he jumps too hastily, he'll just give those guys what they want." Mandalay said worriedly.

"Naruto still has a lot to learn." Midnight said.

"Well, in time he will, you know." Kushina said.

Kabuto: These types of attacks, those who use them are usually weak in taijutsu and are scared of hand to-hand combat.

"That's true." Vlad said. "Those who specialize in long-distance attacks or illusions are usually weak in hand-to-hand combat."

Kabuto: All we can do is hold on to the ground and dodge their attacks.

Naruto: Fine, whatever. We have to do it.

"I don't know if that's really the best course of action, but they don't have much of a choice either." Hawks said.

Amegakure Ninja 1: How long do you think you can hold out?

Amegakure Ninja 2: The Night is Young.

"That worries me." Amajiki said nervously. "His circumstances aren't the best."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out fine." Mirio said confidently.

[The ninjas attack them, but Team 7 and Kabuto manage to dodge the attacks. Although it is obvious that they are tired.]

Naruto: This isn't going to work. [Makes a hand sign.]

The audience cares when they see what is happening on the screen.

"Oh oh." Several people exclaimed worriedly.

"This is really bad!" Awase exclaimed in fear. "Now that Team 7 and Kabuto are exhausted, they are easy targets for those guys!"

"But then again it seems like Naruto has some kind of plan." Yanagi said thoughtfully. "Let's just hope whatever it is works."

"If I had to bet I'd say they're clones." Shishida said. "It's Naruto's signature technique so far along with the Sexy Jutsu." He said causing several in the audience to blush in embarrassment as they remembered the Sexy Jutsu, while Mineta and the perverts in the audience drooled.

"Well, the only thing missing is the Rasengan, but he'll learn that later." Kushina thought, proud that her son was able to learn Minato's technique.

Kabuto: No! There's no point. You'll just waste Chakra. By fighting them, you'll just do what they want.

"That's true, but just dodging their attacks won't make any headway," Kamikiri said.

"In any case, what they should do is dodge and look for a gap to counterattack," Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "Although they don't have too many options either."

"Unfortunately it is true," Tokoyami said.

Naruto: If we try to eliminate all the mirages, whoever summoned them will be able to throw more kunais at us, without us being able to see where they are hiding. I'll show you that two can play this game. [Summons several clones, much to the surprise of the enemy ninjas.]

"Well, yes, they were clones." Asui said.

"This is already becoming a bit predictable." Vlad said. "Maybe he should consider implementing different strategies and not just the clones."

"Those ninjas don't know about it, so they don't know that Naruto frequently uses this technique, but coming up with alternative attacks and strategies isn't a bad idea. If it depends a lot on a technique, his enemies could anticipate it." Midnight said.

"That's something we should all do." Shoto said, remembering his confrontation with the students of Class B and how they were able to come up with a counterattack due to his strategy of using ice first, to which the rest of his classmates nod in agreement, since they recognize that it is important not to always do the same thing so that their enemies cannot anticipate their attacks.

"Oh yeah!" Jiro exclaimed happily. "Such heroic music!"

[Clones hit enemy clones, but these are repaired once they are destroyed]

Sakura: Shouldn't we help him?

Sasuke: Fool! You're leaving us no choice. We have to do it now.

Sakura: And then?

Kabuto: That's right, he's going to need us. We must fight. [They head to attack.] "Well, at least they won't leave him alone." Fuyumi said.

"They would be terrible companions if they did." Ashido said.

"Besides the fact that Naruto attacked those guys, they have no choice but to join him." Mandalay said.

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling there's something more to this." Nezu thought.

[Dawn breaks and Team 7 and Kabuto fall, defeated by the ninja clones, although they are not willing to give up. The enemy ninja decide to go out to kill them, and undo the clones' technique.]

The audience is extremely concerned as they watch what is happening on screen and can't help but wonder if this is the end for Team 7 and Kabuto, although the more optimistic refuse to believe this.

"Oh, I see. Simply brilliant. So this was their plan. At this point I shouldn't even be surprised." Nezu thought, surprised again by how the ninja had used deception to lure their enemies into a false sense of victory and ambush them.

Amegakure Ninja 3: [Looking at Sasuke] You were the one who hurt me. That really pissed me off, you know? Now I'll return the favor.

"And you tied up Naruto and would have attacked them if you had the chance, bastard!" Mahoro exclaimed, annoyed with the ninja.

"That's what it takes to be a ninja, you know." Kushina said.

[The ninjas realize too late that they have fallen into a trap.]

Sasuke: Okay, okay now who's the cornered rat?

[Team 7 and Kabuto are revealed to be behind the enemy ninjas, much to their surprise.]

The audience is greatly shocked by the fact that Team 7 actually set a trap for the Amegakure ninja and that they completely fell for it. Nezu for his part is not surprised since he had already discovered what was happening thanks to his Quirk.

"The only bad thing about this is that my Quirk ruins the surprise. Although there are people in this world who are a mystery to me even with my Quirk." He thought somewhat scared as he remembered Orochimaru and his mysterious motives.

"Awesome!" Katsuma exclaimed in surprise.

"They were ambushed." Yaoyorozu said in surprise. "It's really amazing that the four of them were able to coordinate so well and set up that trap."

"It really is." Iida agreed. "It is certainly surprising that they have progressed so much in such a short time and that Kabuto has been able to join in as well."

"We should certainly take note of them." Midoriya said, surprised by their coordination and teamwork, as was the rest of the audience.

"What a great song!" Jiro said, moving to the rhythm of the music.

"It definitely is a song I will definitely dance to!" Ashido said, moving to the beat of the music.

Naruto: Confused? Sorry, but it was the way to force them out of hiding. [It is revealed that those facing the Amegakure ninja were clones of Naruto.]

"Oh wow!" Tsuntori exclaimed in surprise.

"He combined the Clone Technique with the shape-shifting Technique." Midoriya said as he made a note in his notebook. "Though technically this isn't the first time he's done it, he already did it with the Harem Technique."

"Please don't remind us." Jiro said, embarrassed at the memory, just like the rest of the audience.

"Jutsu Harem…" Mineta said while drooling, earning him a flick of Asui's tongue.

Naruto: The shadow clones were just the first part. My real trick was appearing with clones of the rest of my team. [The clones fade away, leaving only the real Naruto.] Sasuke: While our doubles were fighting and getting hit, we were safe and sound, waiting for them to come out of hiding. I think our plan worked. [The Amegakure ninja are shocked by this turn of events.]

"Definitely, ribbit." Asui said.

"That was a very good plan." Iida said. "They were able to completely fool them." "Even we fell for it." Kaminari said.

"And how they were able to coordinate, it's simply impressive." Yaoyorozu said in surprise.

"We really have a lot to learn from them." Midoriya said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

[Naruto falls exhausted from having used too much Chakra, and Sasuke tells him to rest and they will take care of the rest.]

"That's not a bad idea." Komori said. "Naruto has already done a lot and it's obvious that he's tired. His companions can take care of the rest."

"Though knowing Naruto, he won't accept that. He'll probably try to fight anyway." Sato said, to which several nodded in agreement.

[Naruto punches the Amegakure ninjas, knocking them down in one blow, much to the surprise of his teammates.]

Naruto: After all this work, I refuse to miss this and leave all the fun to you.

"Well, yeah. He wants to fight no matter what." Midnight said.

"That kid." Aizawa said in frustration. "He's really stubborn. Even in his condition, he still insists on fighting."

"He really remind me a lot of someone else." Recovery Girl said looking at Midoriya and All Might.

Sasuke:  Is this really the same Naruto? What happened? When did he become so good?

"In the last few episodes." Mahoro said.

"He's really had exponential growth." Snipe said.

"And he's going to keep growing, you know." Kushina said.

"That's for sure." Midoriya said, eager to see Naruto's growth.

Amegakure Ninja 1:  That kid shouldn't be able to move by now.

"Yes, it would probably be anyone else, but Naruto is a unique case." Nezu said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

"Even though Orochimaru blocked the fox's chakra, he was still able to move. It's simply amazing." Shoji said.

"Naruto really is a box of surprises. Just when you think you've seen it all, he surprises you with something." Recovery Girl said.

"Naruto inherited the great Chakra reserves of the Uzumaki clan. That is good." Kushina thought.

Kabuto:  His Chakra is incredibly strong… To be able to do a multiple shadow clone jutsu and then transform three of them into his comrades and continue fighting, and all that on the fifth day.

"Even he noticed it." Ashido said.

"The hard part would be not noticing." Kendo said. "With everything I've pointed out, plus the fact that it's the fifth day of the exam and everything Naruto's been through so far. Even if Kabuto doesn't know all the details of what he's been through, what he already knows is enough to surprise him." The rest of the audience nods in agreement.

"When you put it like that, it's pretty obvious." Kaminari said.

"This gives me a bad feeling." Aizawa thought, staring at Kabuto.

Kabuto:  If he ever gets his Chakra under control, he'll be unstoppable.

"I have no doubt about that, ribbit." Asui said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

"This really gives me a bad feeling." Aizawa thought worriedly as he looked at Kabuto.

Amegakure Ninja 3: It wasn't bad. But that doesn't mean it's over. And time is running out for everyone. So it's time to show them our ninjutsu.

"That's true. This is still far from over." Ectoplasm said.

"And even though those guys fell right into the trap, that doesn't mean they're defeated." Pixie-Bob said.

"Well, they will be defeated very soon!" Katsuma exclaimed confidently.

"Those guys are going to get the beating of their lives!" Bakugo exclaimed, excited for the upcoming battle.

[The ninjas create multiple clones of themselves. Sasuke mentions that they are real clones, and to let them move first.]

The audience watches expectantly as the battle begins.

Naruto: If they are clones, then the real ones are right next to them. I just have to attack in my own way until I find the ones screaming.

"This is crazy! He shouldn't try to fight in that state!" Recovery Girl exclaimed, worried about Naruto's condition.

"Naruto is really reckless. His teammates can fight. He's already done enough, there's no need for him to get involved anymore." Snipe said.

"But that's the young Uzumaki. He won't sit back if he can help." All Might said, impressed. "He's a very strong and determined young man."

"Of course you would think that." Recovery Girl said.

Sasuke: Don't be an idiot! Listen to me!

Naruto: Just stay away! I'll take care of it! [He heads off to attack and Sakura yells at him to come back. Kabuto goes to help Naruto and Sasuke finds himself paralyzed again by the cursed mark.]

The audience is very concerned when watching what is happening on the screen. "Sasuke!" several exclaim worriedly.

"Oh no! That mark again!" Katsuma exclaimed worriedly.

"This is really bad!" Recovery Girl exclaimed worriedly. "That mark is affecting his health!"

"It had to be at that moment." Jiro said worriedly. "Now that Naruto and Kabuto are fighting with the ninjas and they can't do anything."

"Even if that wasn't the case, I don't know what they could do with that thing." Amajiki said worriedly.

"Let's hope they're okay, ribbit." Asui said worriedly as did the rest of the audience, while Shiozaki prayed.

Sasuke:  Just like before. A sharp pain in my neck when I try to use the Sharingan. Maybe I use too much Chakra.

"I think it actually has something to do with that thing." Makoto said worriedly as did the rest of the audience.

[Naruto attacks the clones, though he simply passes through them. Kabuto tries to stop him.]

Sakura: Are they all clones? Or is it Genjutsu again?

"I'm not sure, but I think they are clones and not Genjutsu." Kendo said thoughtfully.

Sasuke:  I must try to use my Chakra.  [He manages to summon the Sharingan and see through the clones, although the mark activates causing him to fall amid a cry of pain. Sakura, seeing this, goes to help him.]

Sakura: [Scared]  The mark again.  Please stop using the Sharingan!

"Ahh!" Several exclaimed in horror upon seeing Sasuke's state.

"Oh no! It's getting worse!" Recovery exclaimed worriedly.

"Sakura is right. He should stop using his Sharingan! It will only make things worse!" Nejire exclaimed worriedly.

"For once the brat got something right." Shigaraki said scratching his neck.

[Naruto is distracted by what is happening to Sasuke and one of the Amegakure ninjas takes the opportunity to attack him, but Kabuto manages to save Naruto in time, although the ninja injures him.]

"Ahg! That was so close!" Awase exclaimed in fear.

"It's a good thing Kabuto is there, ribbit." Asui said.

"I don't really trust that guy." Aizawa thought as he stared at him.

[Naruto moves to attack him again but Sasuke stops him.]

Sasuke: Forget it! You could spend all day like this. You're just wasting your time. The real ones aren't there.

"Or not, it's Genjutsu again." Kendo said.

"Those cowards." Bakugo said annoyed.

Naruto: What are you talking about? The last attack wasn't from a clone. The real ones have to be here. If not, where are they?

Kabuto: Use your brain. If I had the answer we wouldn't be doing this.

"Well, that's true," Hagakure said.

"If they knew where those cowards were hiding, they would be giving them the beating of their lives! Don't waste your time like that!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily.

"It's true Bakubro." Kirishima said.

"Let's hope they find them soon and that they can finish the exam on time, ribbit." Asui said, as did the rest of the audience who wanted to see how this would end. Shiozaki, for his part, prays that Team 7 can succeed.

Naruto:  I'm exhausted. I can't keep doing the shadow clone technique.

"Well, stop it!" Komori exclaimed worriedly.

"If he keeps this up, it's going to end badly for him." Shoto said, earning him glares from several in the audience. "I apologize if I said something I shouldn't."

"You're not wrong. If he keeps this up, it could end badly for him one day." Kushina said worriedly. "I think it's great that he wants to help, but he should recognize his limits."

"Funny you should say that, because if I recall correctly, you heroes always do things like that." Spinner said. "You want to keep going no matter what." These words earned him annoyed glances from the heroes and students, but they couldn't help but acknowledge that there was some truth to it.

"Amegakure Ninja 3": Looks like they gave up. Well, it was fun while it lasted. [He heads to attack him and Sasuke is shocked by something he sees.]

The audience tenses at what they are seeing on the screen, and wonders what the ninja saw that surprised him.

[Behind Naruto the ninjas come out from under the ground]

Sasuke:  Enough! I must act. They hide using the Earth Style and attack while we focus on the clones.

"Ahh!" several exclaimed in surprise.

"Okay, I didn't expect that." Mr. Compress said in surprise.

"It's a good strategy though. Using an earth technique to hide and attack them by surprise." Midoriya said, while taking notes in his notebook.

"It is certainly impressive." All Might said.

[Kabuto is wounded by one of the ninjas and the ninjas head towards him to finish him off, to the horror of Team 7.]

The audience is horrified by what happens on screen, and hopes that Kabuto is okay. "Please God help them." Shiozaki prayed.

[Kabuto's eyes turn red, causing the ninjas to retreat, and Naruto takes advantage of this to knock them down with a kick.]

The audience is very surprised to see this.

"Ehh!? What was that!?" Kaminari asked in surprise.

"No idea." Jiro said confused.

"Did he do something to them?" Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "Did he cast a Genjutsu on them or something?"

"It's possible, ribbit." Asui agreed, as did the rest of the audience who thought it was most likely.

"Who gave their enemy a chance?" Toga asked mockingly.

"Them! No, it's not true!" Twice exclaimed.

[The clones disappear and the ninjas lie defeated on the ground.]

Naruto: Like you said. Never give your enemy a chance. Good advice.

The audience cheers Team 7's victory over the Amegakure ninjas.

"Yeah!" Katsuma exclaims excitedly. "That's it! That's how it's done!"

"I never doubted them." Mirio said, smiling.

"Yes yes yes!" Eri exclaims excitedly.

"He gave those guys the beating of their lives." Bakugo said, satisfied with the fight. "And he did it in an incredibly manly way!" Kirishima said.

"Young Uzumaki's tenacity and will are truly admirable." All Might said proudly.

"Yes, yes they are." Kushina said proud to see what her son has become.

Kabuto: Thanks Naruto. You saved me.

Sakura: We should go, Naruto.

Naruto: It was nothing. [Naruto checks on the defeated ninjas, and Kabuto asks Sasuke about the mark on his neck, Sasuke covers it and tells him it's nothing to worry about.]

"I don't think it's something you shouldn't worry about." Makoto said worriedly. "Maybe he doesn't want Kabuto to worry." Yanagi theorized.

"Or maybe it's something else." Aizawa said, looking suspiciously at Kabuto.

"Wow Shota, you're still at that?" Present Mic asked, earning an annoyed look from his friend.

[Naruto is happy to find in the belongings of the defeated ninjas, a scroll of heaven, which is the one they were missing.]

The audience gets very excited seeing this.

"Oh yeah!" Hatsume exclaims excitedly. "Finally!"

"They're going to pass! Yay!" Eri exclaimed excitedly.

"How nice!" Katsuma exclaimed excitedly.

Sasuke: [Looking at Kabuto]  There's something about this boy that I don't like.

The audience is shocked to see this.

"Ehh!?" Several exclaimed in surprise.

"B…but he did help them," Ashido said in surprise. "Why would you suspect him?"

"So he noticed it too. That's good. At least Sasuke isn't naive." Aizawa thought.

[Finally Team 7 and Kabuto arrive at the tower, where Kabuto meets his teammates, who scold him for being late, and Naruto thanks him because thanks to him they managed to get the scroll they were missing, although Kabuto replies that they did almost everything.]

The audience rejoices as Team 7 finally passes the second part of the chunin exams. It wasn't easy, but it's finally over.

"Well, they're finally done." Hagakure said.

"It was really crazy, but it's finally over, ribbit." Asui said.

"Just the second stage. There's still the third stage, you know." Kushina said, worrying the audience about what's coming next.

"This second stage was absolutely crazy and extremely dangerous, and there's still more to come!?" Mineta thought in terror.

"Just wait and see Mineta." Felicity thought.

Kabuto: Especially you Naruto. Very impressive. [Naruto smiles upon hearing this] "Well, that's true. Naruto was really impressive." Komori said.

"And incredibly manly!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.

[Kabuto says goodbye to Team 7 and wishes them good luck, then they proceed to enter the tower. Inside the tower Kabuto talks to someone and mentions that he's done better than he expected and that he learned a lot and recorded all the information on his cards, then he offers the card to the person he was talking to who accepts it.]

The audience is shocked and tensed upon seeing this scene.

"Ehh!?" Several people exclaim, stunned by what they are seeing.

"What the hell!? What the hell is going on!?" Kaminari exclaimed in surprise.

"Isn't it obvious Pikachu!? He was spying on them this whole time." Bakugo said extremely annoyed with Kabuto.

"What!? B…but why?" Ashido asked in surprise.

"It seems I owe an apology, Shota." Present Mic said somewhat embarrassed. "That boy was not someone to be trusted."

"That rat! That's not manly at all!" Kirishima exclaimed angrily.

"But why is he doing that?" Kendo asked. "Is he spying on the people of his own village? For what reason?"

"What I think is that he's doing it for someone else." Hawks said thoughtfully. "Kabuto is probably a spy working for someone else. I don't know what purpose he has, but he's talking to someone about it."

"Yes, that is most likely." Nezu said. "I can't say I'm surprised. Having those cards makes it obvious that he was gathering information on the exam participants, and the fact that this is the seventh time he's taken them would indicate that he's stayed as a genin on purpose so he can continue gathering information, since he seems to have a pretty good level of skill. I don't know for what purpose or who he works for, but either way it's bad."

For their part, the villains are surprised by this turn of events since they did not expect Kabuto to turn out to be a spy.

"This is certainly interesting." All for One thought, suddenly very interested in Kabuto. For their part, neither Kushina nor Felicity are surprised by this because they already knew the truth about Kabuto. Ragdoll, for her part, is watching the start of the fight between Naruto and Kiba on her iPad.

?: And tell me what do you think?

The audience tenses and is horrified upon hearing that voice.

"AHH!" several exclaim in horror.

"D…don't tell me…" Mineta said, trembling in fear.

"Of course he would be involved. How did that not occur to me?" Nezu thought in terror.

Kabuto: Your curiosity is insatiable, Lord Orochimaru. [It is revealed that Kabuto and his companions are facing Orochimaru, who is leaning against a wall.]

Orochimaru: As a spy from the Village of Sound, you see things that others don't. I find your opinion interesting.

Kabuto: It doesn't matter what I think, does it? You're the one who has the final word, right?

Orochimaru: You're reserved, Kabuto. I like that. [Orochimaru disappears] Good job. Now the audience is completely horrified and shocked by the fact that not only is Kabuto a spy, but he works for Orochimaru.

"This is just horrible." Ashido said, very disappointed in Kabuto.

"I really believed in him!" Komori exclaimed angrily. "I thought he was someone who cared about the rookies and he ended up being a traitor like Obadiah."

"Don't even remind us of that guy." Kirishima and Tetsutetsu said annoyed at remembering Obadiah.

"Kabuto is a spy for Orochimaru." Uraraka said in shock at this fact, while Midoriya took notes on what he just learned about Kabuto in his notebook.

"That traitor rat!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily. "If he were here, he would show that traitor rat what we do with his kind!" Several students exclaimed in agreement with his words, also furious at Kabuto's betrayal and his alliance with Orochimaru. Aoyama, for his part, swallows, extremely nervous, although no one except All for One notices him.

"Konoha really needs to step up their security. Orochimaru can't just sneak in there!" Iida exclaimed, causing the rest of the audience to nod in agreement.

"Actually, being originally from Konoha, Orochimaru is familiar with surveillance and security systems, which gives him an advantage, but I agree that it wouldn't be a bad idea to improve them." Kushina said. Midoriya, for his part, takes notes on what he just learned about Kabuto in his notebook.

[Elsewhere, Naruto and his friends wonder where the exam supervisors are.]

Sasuke: You don't have to carry me anymore Sakura, I can continue on my own. [He breaks free from her grip]

Sakura: Sure, it's okay Sasuke.

Inner Sakura: [Furious]  What bad luck! I was enjoying it!

"Oh wonderful. That fool had to say something like that." Shigaraki said annoyed.

"But where are the exam supervisors?" Fuyumi asked.

Naruto: And now what?

Sakura: Look at that, Naruto. [Sakura points to a sign that reads "If the qualities of heaven are your desire, gain wisdom to elevate your mind. If the qualities of earth are lacking, train your body and prepare it to attack. When heaven and earth open together, the dangerous path will become straight forever. That something is the path that guides us from today on."]

The audience is confused by this.

"Huh? What is it?" Kaminari asked confused.

"Is it some kind of ninja motto? Or some kind of riddle?" Natsuo asked in confusion. "I think it's a bit of both." Nezu said thoughtfully. "But you better see it for yourselves." This caused the rest of the audience to turn their attention to the screen to see what will happen next.

Naruto: What is that? Or is it also a secret?

Sakura: It's like a word is needed. Anyway, it's about the scrolls. I think it's time to open them and read them.

"Is that a good idea?" Jiro asked, not entirely sure if it was a good idea, especially remembering what happened to the ninjas who opened the scroll earlier.

"Yes, I think so." Midoriya said confidently. "I think the time has come."

[Sakura and Naruto take the scrolls and prepare to open them, although at first they hesitate, they finally open them, surprised by their contents.]

The audience is watching with anticipation what will happen on the screen. There is a lot of nervousness and also curiosity about the content of the scrolls.

[The scrolls only have some scribbles that Team 7 doesn't understand.]

"Eh?" Several people asked, confused, upon seeing the inside of the scrolls.

"What the heck is that?" Kaminari asked confused.

"Maybe it's a code or something." Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "Though I've never seen one like it."

[Suddenly smoke starts coming out of the scrolls, causing Sasuke to realize that it's a Summoning Technique, and he orders his companions to throw them, which they do.]

"Ahh!" several exclaim in fright.

"What would that jutsu summon!?" Awase asked terrified.

"Whatever it is, it's something bad, ribbit." Asui said, scared.

"Not really, but well, you'll see," Felicity thought.

[The smoke reveals itself, revealing Iruka to Team 7's surprise.]

The audience is surprised as is Team 7, as they did not expect Iruka to appear there.

"Ehh!?" Several exclaimed in surprise.

"I…Iruka sensei!" Katsuma exclaimed in surprise.

"W…what is he doing there?" Mahoro asked in surprise.

"Is this a test of some kind?" Ashido asked.

"Most likely, ribbit." Dijo Asui.

Iruka: It seems that they have been through a lot in this test.

"Oh, you have no idea," Sero said, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

Naruto: [Surprised] Hey wait! Why are you appearing with a summon?

"Yes, please answer that question for us Iruka." Kaminari said.

Iruka: At the end of the second exam, the chunin are to receive those who complete this stage. And I was lucky enough to be chosen to be their messenger.

Sakura: The messenger?

"Oh so that was it." Midnight said.

Iruka: [Looking at his watch.] You did it just in time. Congratulations, you passed the second exam. [Team 7 is surprised to hear this.]

The audience rejoices to see that the second part of the exams is finally over.

"Oh yeah!" Eri and Katsuma exclaim happily.

"Finally it's over!" Nejire exclaimed happily.

Iruka: And to celebrate your achievement, I'd like to treat you to Ramen Ichiraku for dinner, but...

"What a wonderful idea!" Mirio exclaimed, excited at the idea of eating ramen. "I'm sure Naruto will love it."

Naruto: [Excited] Ramen! Seriously!? That's good! [He rushes to hug Iruka]

Iruka: I'm not done yet.

Naruto: Great! Believe it!

Iruka: Let me go Naruto.

The audience smiles as they watch this exchange between Naruto and Iruka.

"They are so cute!" Hagakure exclaimed excitedly.

"It's really nice that Naruto has Iruka in his life." Fuyumi said happily.

"He really liked the idea." Amajiki said.

"That's a great idea! What better way to celebrate than with ramen?" Mirio asked. "Who would have thought, it seems that food has uses I had never imagined. From bribing guards with pizza, to motivating children with ramen." Mr. Compress said while performing a card trick.

"I wish I had an Iruka in my life." Toga said.

Kushina for her part smiles seeing how happy Naruto is.

[Naruto continues jumping and celebrating, while Sakura and Sasuke collapse from exhaustion. Sasuke wonders where Naruto gets so much energy from.]

"It's one of the great mysteries of life." Kamikiri said.

"Or not at all." Amajiki said, thinking of the fox and Naruto's vast Chakra reserves.

Iruka: I can see you're still as hyperactive as ever, Naruto.

"Are you surprised? No matter what happens, Naruto will still be Naruto." Mirio said."Even if he becomes Hokage one day, Naruto will always be the ramen fan boy." "It's a good thing he never changes too much." Kushina said, proud of her son.

Sasuke: I understand now. [Sakura is surprised.] If we had seen the scrolls in the middle of the exam... What would you have done to us, Iruka sensei?

Iruka: Always so clever Sasuke. [He picks up one of the scrolls from the ground.] You guessed it. Part of this exam was to test your view of a difficult mission in every aspect. For example, you knew that opening the scrolls was against the rules and if you had tried to open one…

Sakura: What would have happened? [Iruka smiles wickedly and we are shown a flashback of the team that opened their scroll earlier. Iruka explains that they had orders to knock out those who opened the scroll early, and that some people learn from the bad. Sasuke comments that it's a good thing they didn't open it, which makes Sakura and Naruto horrified.]

The audience tenses as they realize what would have happened if they had opened the scroll, and how close they came to doing so.

"Oh my God!" Shiozaki said in surprise. "They were too close!"

"Yes, ribbit." Asui said in agreement.

"At least it's not something that horrible." Yanagi said, earning glances from several people. "It's just that from what Anko said, I thought it was going to be something much worse, not that Iruka or another chunin would simply knock them out."

"Yes, that's true." Awase said.

"Don't even remind me of that lunatic." Mineta said, shivering at the memory. "She's even worse than Mt. Lady!"

Naruto: I owe you one! Thanks a lot Kabuto!

"Don't thank that traitor for anything." Bakugo said, annoyed at remembering that Kabuto is a spy of Orochimaru, the rest of the audience is equally annoyed by this fact. Aoyama for his part swallows split.

Sakura: Sensei, what does the writing on the wall mean?

"That's a great question." Ashido said. "Please Iruka explain, because I really don't understand."

"Just wait and see, students." Thought Nezu, who thanks to his Quirk has already figured out the meaning of the message and knows that it will be truly valuable for both Team 7 and his students.

Naruto: We're already over it, Sakura. It doesn't matter anymore. [Sakura gets upset upon hearing this.]

Several in the audience smacked their foreheads upon hearing Naruto's words.

"This kid really drives me crazy." Aizawa said frustrated.

"Yes, that's there, it's obviously something important!" Iida exclaimed, making a robotic cut.

Iruka: In fact, explaining is another task I have to take care of. [This surprises Naruto.] It is an important matter. Read carefully. These are the instructions that Lord Hokage recorded as the principles that a chunin must follow.

Naruto: [Confused] Are these instructions?

"What? Are these really instructions?" Kaminari asked confused.

"That's what Iruka just explained to Pikachu!" Bakugo exclaimed.

"You know Jamming-Yay I'm starting to wonder if you and Naruto were separated at birth. They have a very similar confused expression. The only difference is that he doesn't turn into a fool after using his powers." Jiro said mockingly.

"Hey! Do I need to remind you about Hinata?" Kaminari countered, much to Jiro's embarrassment and the amusement of the rest of the students.

"Those lovebirds." Ashido thought, amused.

Iruka: Yes. Heaven means your head and earth means your body. "If the qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to elevate your mind." Do you understand? The audience is shocked to hear these words from Iruka.

"Oh, I see." Melissa said thoughtfully. "Heaven and earth are actually metaphors. It's certainly a very interesting thing."

"If the qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to elevate your mind," Yaoyorozu repeated thoughtfully. "In other words, if you want to be smarter, you must study to acquire greater knowledge and elevate your mind."

"Yes that is a very good explanation young Yaoyorozu." Nezu said. "And that is great advice that all of you students should implement. Some more than other students nod in agreement, especially those who recognize that academics are not their strong suit and that they need to work harder on it.

Iruka: [Seeing that they don't seem to fully understand.] I'll explain. If your weakness lies in your intellect, Naruto, then you must work hard to learn the information and skills necessary to prepare for your missions.

"It's just like you said Yaomomo." Ashido said, to which Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement.

"And that's what Naruto needs to work on." Midnight said.

"As always, the music perfectly accompanies this moment." Jiro said, happy to hear the soundtrack.

Naruto: Sure, I get it. [Sakura laughs.]

"Because I have a feeling that's not true?" Tiger asked.

"Because it's Naruto who says so." Mandalay replied.

Iruka: [Looking at Sakura] And you, if the qualities of the earth are your weakness, train your body and prepare it to attack. Your weakness is in the physical, Sakura, so you must improve your physique every day to improve over time.

"And that is what is meant by earth." Kendo said. "The body."

"If physicality isn't your thing, then you should train harder to improve your skills." Iida said thoughtfully. "I see, when you look at it that way, it's really brilliant."

"Yes it is." Midoriya said, making a note in his notebook. "It's a great way to teach a lesson."

"It's a little confusing at first, but once he explains it it's pretty good." Ashido said.

"That's something many of us have to work on as well." Uraraka said, recalling her own experience in combat training, to which several nodded in agreement.

Iruka: When heaven and earth open together, the dangerous path will become the right one forever. It means that if your body and mind work together as one, then everything will be easier.

"That is certainly a very good lesson." All Might said, impressed.

"I didn't expect this test to have such a lesson, but it's something really fascinating." Present Mic said.

"And it's something that can be applied to us heroes as well." The rest of the audience nods in agreement.

"Maybe I should include something like that in the tests." Nezu said thoughtfully. "This is pure gold for aspiring heroes."

"Not just for heroes." Shigaraki muttered annoyed.

Sakura: What's with the space where a letter is missing?

"That's true, that's missing." Yanagi said.

"I wonder what it is?" Komori said thoughtfully.

"Whatever it is, we'll see. Iruka will explain it." Tokage said.

Iruka: That part is for everyone to fill out. Can you see this symbol on the scroll? It's the symbol for people, a reference among chunin. You see, these 5 days of survival were to test your skills as chunin and see if you're good at it, and I must say that you did very well.

"So that's what it was. You have to put your names there." Sero said.

Iruka: A chunin is a leader, a guide. It is the responsibility of a chunin to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those under his command and to know what skills and training they will need to succeed on a mission. You did a excellent work on this mission, and I want you to remember these instructions for the next one. That was all I had to say to you all.

The audience is greatly surprised to hear these words. Several of them, like Yaoyorozu, feel especially impacted by these words as they remind them a little of themselves and their challenges to improve as heroes.

Iruka: [After looking at them somewhat worriedly for a while.] One more thing. For the third exam, don't put so much pressure on yourselves. Especially you Naruto, I'm worried...

"Iruka still cares about them." All Might said. "It doesn't matter if they are Kakashi's students now, they are still the children he taught."

"A teacher's work is never really done." Midnight said. "And considering who we're talking about, you're right to be concerned."

"Unfortunately you are not wrong." Kushina said.

Naruto: Iruka sensei. When I was given this headband, I was no longer a student. So you don't have to worry about me anymore. [Iruka looks at him in surprise.] This headband proves that I'm a trained ninja, right? You gave it to me. I may be hyperactive, but I'm not a child anymore. I took this second chunin exam and you watched. I'll definitely pass the third one. Right now... I'm a ninja.

The audience is shocked to hear these words from Naruto.

"Oh, kids these days." Recovery Girl said. "They grow up too fast."

"I know Naruto wants to prove himself and that at his age he has already overcome great challenges, but Iruka still worries about him." Makoto said.

"Just like I do for you, sister. Even though you're an adult, I still care about you. And knowing you, you can't say that I'm being baseless." Naomasa said.

"Yes, that's true." Makoto replied, remembering the reasons why her brother cares about her, like the time she helped a vigilant.

"Naruto has really grown up, ribbit." Asui said.

"He's not the only one, we've also grown a lot this past year." Sato said, to which the students nodded in agreement.

"Still, it makes sense that Iruka still cares about him." Thirteen said. "He may not be his sensei anymore, but they still have a bond that isn't easily ignored."

Iruka: You're right Naruto. I'm sorry about what I said. [Iruka recalls how Anko allowed him to be the one to report to Team 7, though she comments that she thought she had more confidence in them, and that if their master Kakashi has faith in them, he shouldn't dismiss them yet. She also recalls Kakashi's words about how they are no longer his students, but his.]  It seems to me that the one who now best understands the strengths and weaknesses of these young ninja is undoubtedly you, Kakashi.

"Well that's true, Iruka has missed a few things over there." Sero said. "Especially what happened in the second exam."

"Don't even remind us," Mineta said, terrified at the memory.

"Iruka should trust Kakashi's judgment. I'm not saying it's wrong for him to worry, but he should respect and trust his decision. Iruka should know that Kakashi wouldn't have recommended them if he didn't have full confidence in them," Aizawa said.

"Yes, that's true," Snipe said. "One of the most beautiful and difficult things about being a teacher is watching your students grow. A part of you will always care about them, but you have to let them follow their own path." To which the rest of the teachers nodded in agreement.

[Elsewhere in the tower, Anko is standing next to the Hokage and two other ninjas. She is clutching her shoulder with the cursed mark on it and moans about the pain, though she says that thanks to the Hokage she has gotten better.]

The audience becomes concerned upon seeing this scene and wonders about Anko's current state.

Ninja 1: Orochimaru is one of the three legendary sannin, right? He's supposedly so incredibly powerful that not even the ANBU special hunter unit can defeat him. I heard a rumor that he died, but that's obviously not the case.

Ninja 2: And why did he come now? Now the audience is in complete shock at what they just heard about Orochimaru.

"Legendary sannin?!" Several exclaimed in surprise.

"What are those?" Eri asked with interest.

"They are three legendary shinobi, who were given that title in recognition of having fought against a ninja who was considered extremely powerful when they were very young. The fact that they had survived and given such an impressive battle surprised this ninja so much that he gave them the title in recognition of their skill." Kushina explained. "Although you may see more details later." This greatly surprises the audience, leaving them even more intrigued not only by Orochimaru, but also by the other two sannin. Midoriya, for his part, writes this down in his notebook.

"Oh wow," Uraraka said in surprise.

"So, Orochimaru was so powerful even when he was young?!" Yaoyorozu asked surprised… and somewhat afraid of the answer to this question.

"Oh yes. Orochimaru was considered a genius even at a young age." Kushina said. "Fabulous, simply fabulous." Awase said, terrified by Orochimaru, just like the rest of the audience, who had already seen part of Orochimaru's power and were worried about his entire power, since Team 7 survived only and exclusively because Orochimaru didn't want to finish them off yet.

"But, that also means there are two other ninjas with the title of legendary sannin, who are they? And where are they?" Midoriya asked with interest.

"Could they be dangerous criminals too?" Mineta asked, terrified.

"Ah, you'll see later." Felicity said.

[Anko recalls her encounter with Orochimaru in the forest and the interest he showed in Sasuke. She tries to tell the Hokage but he already knew, which surprises Anko.]

"The Hokage already knows that Orochimaru is interested in Sasuke?" Iida asked, surprised by this fact.

"Well, considering he's the last member of the Uchiha clan, it's possible that the Hokage suspects that Orochimaru might have an interest in him." Shoda theorized.

"It's possible, but I suspect there's something else there." Midoriya said thoughtfully.

[A voice resounds through a loudspeaker, informing Anko that 21 ninjas have completed the second exam and that before taking the third exam they must first take a round of preliminaries, also mentioning that this is the first time this has happened in 5 years. Anko looks very surprised by this fact.]

The audience is shocked to hear this information.

"21 people passed the second exam." Komori said in surprise.

"Seeing what that second exam was like, it's impressive that you were able to complete it successfully." Uraraka said.

"Definitely, ribbit." Asui said.

"That means a total of 7 teams managed to pass." Midoriya said thoughtfully. "We know that teams 7 and 8 managed to pass, in addition to the arena team and Kabuto's team. Which means there are 3 other teams that managed to pass."

"Who could they be?" Eri wondered.

"We'll see, Eri." Mirio replied.

"I just hope Lee and his team made it through too." Kirishima said.

"And Team 10 too." Melissa said, somewhat worried about them.

"I just hope Orochimaru's servants didn't approve." Jiro said, annoyed at the memory. "Considering how they were last time we saw them, it would be difficult." Shishida said.

"Whoever they are, we'll see," Tetsutetsu said.

"Although on the other hand that guy said something very interesting." Fuyumi said.

"Yes, what is this about a preliminary round?" Nejire asked with interest.

"You'll see later." Felicity replied as Ragdoll poured her a drink.

"It is really surprising that so many candidates passed the second exam. Usually the number is one digit." Kushina thought, surprised by this fact.

Hiruzen: For the time being, we will continue with the exams as planned. But I also need to keep an eye on their movements. [Anko nods in agreement.]

"Is that really a good idea?" Naomasa asked worriedly. "It's really risky to continue with Orochimaru there."

"Well that's true, but cancelling the exams could be worse." Hawks said worriedly. "Even though it is risky, the best thing they can do is continue as planned but take extreme precautions and safety measures."

"As much as I hate to admit it, they are in a very delicate situation and it is not that easy to cancel the exams. Some of the genin came from very far away specifically for this event and canceling it could mean a conflict with their countries, you know." Kushina said, worried about this fact.

"Orochimaru has really managed to corner them. It's brilliant." All for One said, impressed by his rival.

"He really is a great villain." Shigaraki said impressed.

[The scene changes, now the Hokage, Anko and some other ninjas are on a combat field, along with the 21 ninjas who passed the second exam. There are the 9 rookies, the sound trio, Guy's team, Kabuto and his team and the sand trio.]

"Well, we finally know who managed to pass the second exam." Uraraka said, while Midoriya wrote down in his notebook who managed to pass.

"They basically approved the relevant ones and not the extras." Bakugo said.

"I'm glad to see that Lee and his team managed to pass." Nejire said happily upon seeing him.

"Someone as manly as him really deserved it." Kirishima said.

"And it's good to see that Team 10 managed to pass as well." Jiro said happily. "Though unfortunately those guys managed to pass as well."

"Well, you can't have everything in life." Kodai said.

Anko: Congratulations on completing the second exam.  There were 78 ninjas who took the exam. I'm surprised that 21 of them passed. I knew less than half would make it, but I was expecting a single-digit number.

"What less than half of them were going to pass turned out to be very true," Natsuo said. "Seeing what that second exam was like, it's not really a surprise," Fuyumi said. "Although the single-digit number is a bit surprising." "Is it really?" Pixie-Bob asked.

Choji: I'm very hungry.

"What a surprise," Shigaraki said boredly.

"Does that fat guy not think about anything else but eating!?" Bakugo asked frustrated.

Shikamaru: How boring, there are still many of us left.

"I seriously wonder if there is anything in this world that doesn't seem boring to me," Sato said.

"That pineapple head is a nuisance." Bakugo said annoyed.

Ino: Sasuke and his team also passed.

Shikamaru: Of course they passed. [We see a flashback of Team 10 helping Sakura during the second exam.] After everything we went through to keep them safe, it was their duty to pass.

"Honestly, if they had failed, it would have been a really disappointing thing," Kurogiri said.

"Yeah, but that wasn't going to happen. Naruto is the protagonist after all." Mirio said.

"And they had help from many people to pass," Makoto said. "So yes, they were forced to pass and not have so much effort be in vain."

Guy: I see your team didn't do too badly Kakashi. You were too lucky. Of course, with my team around, yours is doomed to fail. After all, in the next test it's all about skill and we've proven to be better than you. I think to mature you have to learn to handle disappointment, don't you Kakashi?

"Hey what?" Several people asked, surprised by Guy's reaction.

"That guy is really very strange," Sero said. "He really is determined to compete with Kakashi in everything."

"I wonder how Kakashi will react to this," Kodai said.

Kakashi: Did you say something? [Guy is very surprised at this, putting on a rather comical expression.]

Guy: [Annoyed]  Okay Kakashi, you won that round. How can you drive me so crazy and still be so calm!? There's no way you're better than me!

Some in the audience laugh at this scene.

"Oh wow, that guy is really funny," Kirishima said with a laugh.

"And Kakashi doesn't even take it seriously." Shoto said, somewhat surprised by that.

Tenten:  So that's Guy Sensei's rival, huh? If I had to judge by appearances, I'd say Guy sensei would lose. "

There is a reason why one should not be fooled by appearances." Nezu said. "I hope that young lady learns it."

"Although I can't say who would win in a fight between the two, since we know a lot about Kakashi and his abilities, we don't know much about Guy, except that he trained Lee and that he admires him a lot. Without more information, it's hard to say who would win." Midoriya said thoughtfully.

"If Guy fights with everything, he wins, but it's risky so he wouldn't do it unless there was no other option and I would never do it in a fight against Kakashi." Felicity thought.

Lee:  Guy sensei is the greatest of teachers. He is so genuine that his authenticity practically shines.  [Lee's eyes light up with flames.]  Watch Guy sensei. Someday he will be proud of me!  [He remembers how he saved Sakura from the sound trio, how he was defeated and Sakura crying.]  I don't want you to no one close to me will ever cry again. For that reason, I will never be defeated again, Guy sensei. Never!

"Young Lee is truly amazing. His desire to protect those he loves and make his sensei proud is truly admirable." All Might said, impressed again by young Lee.

"Despite everything, he is still determined to give his all. He is so incredibly manly!" Kirishima exclaimed, impressed by Lee's masculinity and courage.

"That's the attitude of the plus ultra!" Hatsume exclaimed. "Never give up and aim for the highest!"

"Unfortunately for Lee, he's going to suffer a great defeat soon." Felicity thought, remembering Lee and Gaara's fight.

Neji:  As expected, only the best are here.  [Looks at Sasuke.]

"You are not wrong." Yanagi said, to which the rest of the audience nods in agreement.

Zaku: [Furious and with his arms wrapped in a makeshift cast.]  You'll regret what you did to me, Sasuke.

"Keep dreaming loser. You and your boss will get beaten up pretty soon." Bakugo said mockingly.

[A sound ninja standing next to Anko and the rest, who is actually Orochimaru in disguise, smiles and Kabuto smiles back.]

The audience is terrified to see this.

"Ahh!" several exclaimed in fright.

"H…he's there!? B…but how is that possible!?" Mineta exclaimed terrified.

"He stole someone's face again and used it to camouflage himself!?" Melissa asked, terrified.

"It is indeed a terrifying ability. I have never seen a villain who could infiltrate like that, he is even worse than Mystique." All Might said in horror.

"It's so impressive." All for One said, surprised and envious of Orochimaru's skills.

Temari:  I can't believe it. Only 7 out of 26 teams remain.

"Are you really surprised?" Kamikiri asked. "Just because you guys completed the exam in record time doesn't mean everyone else can."

"Not to mention that they passed thanks to that monster of a little brother of theirs." Kaminari said, scared of Gaara.

Sunagakure Ninja:  I knew it. Not even a scratch, Gaara.

"That guy seems to know him well. I was hoping he wouldn't have a scratch on him," Melissa said.

"Maybe it's his sensei," Kendo said.

"It's possible, ribbit." Asui said.

Kurenai:  Akamaru acts strangely.

Kiba: [Akamaru is in his jacket and is still scared.] Those ninjas from the sand village. "After what it saw, I'm not surprised. Anyone would be traumatized by something that horrible," Komori said, terrified, to which the rest of the audience nodded in agreement.

Hinata:  Naruto passed too. How nice.

"Aww! She's so cute!" Hagakure exclaimed upon seeing her.

"She's glad that Naruto passed, she's really very cute." Ashido said, touched.

"She's really a good girl, you know." Kushina said, happy to see that despite everything, her son has people who care about him.

Sakura: Did you see? All the rookies are here.

Naruto: Yes, everyone is here. The old Hokage, Iruka sensei, even bushy brows. Apparently nobody is missing this time.

"Yes, they're all there, ribbit." Asui said.

"It's impressive that all the rookies passed. I've never seen so many pass at the same time, you know." Kushina said, surprised by this fact.

"They are very promising young people." Midnight said, proud of the rookies.

Sasuke: [Holding his shoulder.] I have a bad feeling about this whole thing. "Unfortunately, he is right." Awase said, scared, as did the rest of the audience who also felt that something horrible would happen soon.

Hiruzen:  It's hard to believe that there are still so many of them after the second exam, and many of them are rookies.  [Looking at the jounin behind him.]  That's why they put so much effort into recommending them.

"And they were right. They are extraordinary young people." All Might said proudly.

"Their senseis must be very proud to have educated such young people." Said Nezu.

Anko: Perfect, pay attention. Lord Hokage will explain the third exam to you. So you better pay attention, worms. All yours, Lord Hokage.

"Oh yeah, finally." Bakugo said excitedly.

"We will finally see what the third exam is." Tokage said.

"I am really worried though, seeing as what the last one will be." Komori said worriedly, as did several in the audience.

"They'll be fine, they've come a long way, so everything will be okay." Mirio said cheerfully to the audience. "I hope so."

Hiruzen: Before I tell you what the third exam is about, I would like to explain something about the exam itself. Listen carefully, it is something you must understand. It is about the true purpose of the exams.

Sakura:  The real one?

The audience is shocked to hear these words.

"It's what Kabuto had said, that there was another purpose for these exams." Natsuo said.

"And now the Hokage is confirming it." Fuyumi said. "I wonder what he'll say about it."

"It will certainly be something interesting." Nezu said, interested in hearing the Hokage's opinion on the matter.

Hiruzen: Why do you think our country is holding these exams in conjunction with our allies? To increase the skill level of the shinobi and increase friendship between nations, indeed. But it is important that you understand the true purpose. The exams are, in other words… [He pauses, during which the genin reflect.]

"Say it already, grandpa!" Bakugo exclaimed angrily.

"Bakugo! Don't be disrespectful to the Hokage!" Iida exclaimed, annoyed by his classmate's attitude, much to his classmate's annoyance.

"For once the brat is right." Shigaraki said frustratedly while scratching his neck. "The fact that he says things in one go and leaves the tutorial aside is very irritating."

Hiruzen: They are the representation of the battle between the allied nations. [This surprises the genin.] Tenten: What's that supposed to mean?

"She missed Kabuto's explanation about it," Nejire said.

"Well, she and her companions did not participate in that conversation if I recall correctly." Amajiki said.

"What the Hokage said so far matches what Kabuto said," Midoriya said thoughtfully. "But I guess he'll elaborate a bit more."

Hiruzen: You see, if we look at our history, all of the nations that are now allies were once constantly at war. [A map of Naruto's world is seen.] In order to prevent senseless war, nations chose champions to fight for their countries in a neutral location. That was how the chunin exams began.

"That's what Kushina-chan told us about the exams and the world of ninjas." Hagakure said.

"Yes." Yaoyorozu said thoughtfully. "It is somewhat surprising that these exams are actually a replacement for war. That their purpose is to maintain peace between nations and function as a replacement for war."

"Maintaining peace, how ridiculous. All they do is maintain the false sense of peace." Shigaraki said annoyed, earning glances from several people in the audience.

Naruto: That's fine, but why do we have to continue with the exams now? Don't we do this to choose a chunin to go fight?

Hiruzen: Actually, there is no doubt that part of this exam is to select shinobi worthy of becoming chunin. But that is not all. These exams also allow shinobi to have a place where they can carry the pride of their nation on their backs and fight other ninja for their lives.

"So that's the purpose too, to select shinobi worthy of becoming chunin." Kaminari said.

"That's obvious Jamming-Yay." Jiro said.

"The pride of his nation." Midoriya said thoughtfully.

Sakura: The pride of her nation?

Hiruzen: Many leaders and important people from various countries attend the exams as guests, with the option of hiring shinobi for jobs. This exam can determine the course of their careers as ninjas.

These words greatly surprise the audience.

"So another purpose of these exams is to advertise!?" Tsuntori asked in surprise.

"It seems so, ribbit." Asui said.

"In that sense, it is similar to the sports festival." Midnight said in surprise. "One of the main purposes is to introduce the hero students not only to the public, but also to hero agencies that might employ them in the future."

"You can say that again!" Hatsume exclaimed excitedly. "It's a great way to introduce ourselves! "I just hope someone noticed my great genius!" She exclaimed excitedly to the chagrin of Iida who remembers all too well how Hatsume advertised her inventions.

"But what about hiding their power so that enemies don't take advantage of them!?" Spinner asked. "I thought ninjas weren't as naive as heroes in that regard!" He exclaimed, earning several looks of disgust from the heroes who chose not to answer him so as not to start a pointless argument.

"There is a difference in that." Kurogiri said thoughtfully. "Ninjas don't reveal all their power and techniques unless absolutely necessary, but they must show some of their power in order to be taken into account." He said to which several nodded in agreement, finding this reasonable.

Hiruzen: And most importantly, those rulers will watch their battles and take note of the strengths of each ninja and each nation. If there is a power vacuum between the countries, strong nations are flooded with job applications for their ninja. On the other hand, those of weak countries are rejected. Therefore, the strength of our nation is to have a better position when it comes to negotiations with neighboring countries. So it is important to demonstrate the military power of our village.

"There you go again. The balance of power and peace maintained by force." Shigaraki said angrily.

"It's so annoying! No, it's great!" Twice exclaimed.

Kiba: But still, why is it necessary for us to risk our lives?

Hiruzen: The strength of the country is the strength of the village. The strength of the village is the strength of the shinobi. And the true strength of the shinobi is only achieved when pushed to its limits, such as in a battle of life and death. This exam is the opportunity for each country to display the strength of its shinobi, as well as the strength of the nation. That is why this exam puts one's life at risk. For that reason and for the strength of the nation that their predecessors fought in this exam. It's a dream come true.

"Someone is having some very strange dreams." Komori said, uncomfortable with the idea.

"No, it actually makes a lot of sense." Midoriya said thoughtfully. "It's just like us who train and risk our lives to save people. That's why we'll always give our all and aim for the highest." These words surprise the audience.

"When you say it yes, it makes a lot of sense Deku-Kun." Uraraka said making Midoriya blush.

"And we are wrong about that." Mandalay said. "It is in extreme conditions that one can improve one's skills, and that is what our training is trying to achieve to a certain extent. Although we don't make it as extreme as the ninjas."

Tenten: Then, why did you use the word friendly earlier?

Hiruzen: You only remember half of what I said. You must not misunderstand what these exams mean either. This is a custom whose balance is preserved by fighting and dying. In the world of shinobi, that is friendship.

"Yes, that's how they treat their friends, I think it happened." Ashido said, uncomfortable with the idea.

"What are you talking about? That sounds amazing!" Toga exclaimed, earning several disgusted glances.

Hiruzen: The third exam is a fight for life, with the pride of his village and his own dreams at stake.

"No pressure." Dabi said sarcastically.

Naruto: [Smiling] Well, now you've convinced me.

The audience smiles at Naruto's determination.

Gaara: Any test is fine. Just tell me the details of this exam. I can handle any challenge you throw at me.

"The psychopathic redhead is right! Tell us what the third exam is about!" Bakugo exclaimed.

"Please end this tutorial already. It's annoying and irritating." Shigaraki said frustrated.

Hiruzen: Very well. Listen carefully, I will tell you what the third exam consists of. [Before the Hokage can continue, a ninja appears in front of him, to everyone's surprise.]

Ninja: Lord Hokage, please allow me to say something first.

The audience is shocked by this.

"Ehh!?" Several exclaimed in surprise.

"Just now!? Are you serious!?" Bakugo exclaimed.

"But what could be so important?" Uraraka asked confused.

[The Hokage allows him to speak and the ninja says that before taking the third exam there is something they must do.]

"Oh really!? It was supposed to end right now!?" Kaminari asked, disappointed by this fact. "And what do you have to do before the third exam!?"

"Calm down Jamming-Yay, we'll find out soon enough." Jiro replied, as the next episode began to play.