"I am in control of this body now. Prepare to feel the despair of a comrade's betrayal, you Sound bastards!"
"So that's it. The puppet master is using a secret mind technique..." Dosu, the only composed and polite member of the Sound trio, instantly understood the situation. He abandoned his plan to save Kin and turned toward the caster, Lady Saya. "No matter what kind of secret technique it is, if I defeat you, the problem will be solved."
The weak sand puppets nearby were no threat to him; he could shatter them with a wave of his hand.
***
Just as Dosu shattered another sand puppet, he felt something was wrong.
"This one's different, idiot."
Saya and Sana watched Dosu's rampage with mocking expressions, not a hint of worry on their faces.
From within the scattered remains of the sand puppet, Shira, who had been lying in wait, burst forth. A heavy punch struck the back of Dosu's jaw. The force sent Dosu flying backward, tumbling over ten meters before collapsing to the ground. The Sound leader, caught completely off guard, nearly blacked out.
Using Sana's Sand Armor, Shira had coated his body in a layer of sand, disguising himself as one of the puppets. He had been lying in ambush for some time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike the decisive blow.
Having succeeded, Shira didn't stop. Before Dosu could recover, he lunged forward with a flying kick, stomping down hard on Dosu's right arm to prevent him from using his perforated arm guard. Then, he reached into Dosu's tool pouch and retrieved what he was looking for.
"The Scroll of Earth. Just what we needed. Good luck!"
"Excellent. Let's get out of here!" Lady Saya released her Puppet Imitation Technique on Zaku, took the Scroll of Earth from Shira, and led her sister and Shira in a swift retreat.
"My lady, why the rush? We've already defeated them..."
"Someone is watching us! I don't know who, but it's dangerous..." Though not a sensory ninja, Lady Saya was a master of secret mind techniques, and her powerful spirit gave her instincts sharper than most. "Hunting is one thing, but being hunted is another. There are too many monsters among the genin in this exam..."
It wasn't obvious during the first test, but now in the Forest of Death, with everyone let loose, the truly unrestrained ones were beginning to show their true colors. Furthermore, the foul, sickeningly evil chakra emanating from Uchiha Sasuke's prone body nearby was growing stronger.
"Let's head straight for the Central Tower. I have a very bad feeling about this!"
"Yes, my lady!" Shira had no objections. Three months ago, he wasn't even a ninja. Being able to participate in the Chunin Exam and fight against so many powerful opponents was already deeply satisfying. Every step forward was a welcome surprise.
Meanwhile, Zaku snapped back to his senses, staring in disbelief at the chaotic scene around him.
"What happened?"
Kin was on the ground, unable to get up, her injuries clearly caused by his own Decapitating Air Wave. Dosu was struggling to his feet, resetting his slightly dislocated jaw with an audible pop. Haruno Sakura was half-buried under scattered sand.
"Dosu, what the hell happened?"
"Stay calm. We were just ambushed. You fell for that puppet master's secret mind technique..."
"This... I did all this?" Zaku asked in shock.
"That's a minor issue," Dosu said calmly. "They took the Scroll of Earth, but it doesn't matter. We're not here for the Chunin Exam anyway. As long as we kill Uchiha Sasuke, our mission is complete."
"You lost too? Seriously..." For the ever-confident Zaku, losing to some random ninja who came out of nowhere was a terrible feeling.
"I was just unfamiliar with their jutsu and misjudged their abilities. Plus, that burly, purple-haired man is a powerful taijutsu specialist. We won't be so careless next time we meet." Dosu didn't let the minor setback bother him. "Put that aside for now. The fight here made a lot of noise. I'll check on Kin's injuries. You go kill Uchiha Sasuke before someone else shows up to interfere."
"Got it!" Zaku grumbled as he walked toward Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. "If I ever see that hag again, I'll make her pay!"
Nearby, Hyuga Neji stopped Rock Lee from intervening. They had arrived a step too late to encounter Saya, Sana, and Shira, who were long gone.
"Neji, why? Those Sound Ninja are out for blood! If we don't help, it'll be too late!"
"There's no need, Lee." Hyuga Neji, his Byakugan activated, had already noticed the unusual chakra emanating from the now-awakening Uchiha Sasuke. "Both defeated teams should be without scrolls now. It won't be so easy for the Sound Ninja to kill anyone. Just watch."
Compared to the Sound Ninja and Team 7, the other candidates watching from the shadows were the opponents they needed to worry about.
Just as Neji predicted, Dosu and Zaku, who was helping Kin to her feet, stared in stunned silence at Uchiha Sasuke. His body was covered in Cursed Seal markings, and he radiated a terrifying aura.
"Sound Ninja?" Uchiha Sasuke turned his head, surveying the area. The terrifying man who had inflicted this pain upon him was gone. *Were we spared?*
The unconscious Uzumaki Naruto had few external injuries and his breathing was steady; he was fine. However, the sight of Haruno Sakura, battered and half-buried in sand, sent the emotionally unstable Sasuke into a rage.
"You did this."
Terrified by Sasuke's piercing gaze, Zaku instinctively raised his arms to defend himself. In a blur, his arms were seized, violently twisted behind his back, and a foot came down on the back of his neck. A sickening crack echoed through the clearing.
"No!" Zaku screamed in despair. This was the source of the power Lord Orochimaru had granted him. If it was destroyed, he could only imagine his fate in a hellish place like Otogakure.
Dosu watched Zaku's agony with a heart full of dread. Kin was beside him, unable to fight, and he himself was in poor condition. Most despairing of all was the realization that the Cursed Seal on Sasuke had clearly been placed by Orochimaru before their team had even acted. What did that make him, Zaku, and Kin?
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