Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

With the entrance to the Forest of Death opened—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

One by one, figures dashed into the dense jungle, each team disappearing through different entry points.

Meanwhile, standing atop a thick tree trunk in the distance, a man in a soundless, eerie presence watched the candidates with an amused smile.

"It's been a long time, Anko..."

Orochimaru murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Next, I will act alone. You two don't need to follow me."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

His subordinates nodded, vanishing into the shadows.

---

Elsewhere, deep within the vast jungle, teams of Genin moved cautiously.

The air was damp, filled with the chirping of insects and the distant cries of unseen creatures. Many teams concealed their presence, carefully setting up traps.

Some, like Kiba and his team, made use of the natural wildlife—placing venomous insects in their surroundings, waiting for unsuspecting prey.

Others, however, took a more direct approach.

"Kill them all—take their scroll!"

A chilling voice rang out before a team ambushed their opponents.

"Ha! You think you can kill me? Go ahead and try!"

A fierce battle erupted between multiple teams, each vying for a chance to secure the crucial scrolls.

In the distance, a trio clad in Sound Village attire watched the chaos unfold.

"Let's finish Orochimaru-sama's mission as soon as possible," their leader, Dosu, ordered.

A sneer curled on Zaku's lips. "Heh, once we find them, I'm going after Uchiha Sasuke first. That arrogant bastard needs to be taught a lesson!"

----

Throughout the Forest of Death, screams echoed.

The brutal reality of the Chūnin Exams quickly set in as teams engaged in fierce battles. Blood stained the undergrowth, and the number of surviving candidates steadily dwindled.

Meanwhile, outside the forest, Anko Mitarashi leaned against a railing, lazily eating dango.

Hearing the distant screams, she smirked.

"Looks like the real fun has started..."

---

"Alright, Naruto, Sakura," Sasuke said, his voice firm. "We've got the Heaven Scroll."

He held up the parchment.

"We're not going to waste time picking fights. Our priority is reaching the tower first—then we can hunt for the Earth Scroll when we're in a better position."

"Got it!"

Naruto and Sakura nodded in unison.

With that, the three of them moved swiftly, leaping from tree to tree toward the heart of the forest.

As they passed a thick tree trunk, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Who's there?!"

Naruto and Sakura immediately tensed, weapons at the ready.

A moment later, Naruto let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you, Kabuto-senpai!"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, putting on a sheepish smile. "Ah, Naruto. You scared me for a second. My team was attacked earlier, and we got separated..."

He stepped forward—then, without warning, whipped out a kunai and lunged at Naruto.

Clang!

Naruto narrowly dodged, stumbling backward in shock.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Tch. Idiot," Sakura scoffed. "That's not Kabuto—he's using a Transformation Jutsu!"

Realization dawned on Naruto's face. "Oh... Sasuke was right. Good thing I was ready!"

With a smirk, the "Kabuto" disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing a masked ninja from the Hidden Rain.

"Tch. I thought fresh rookies like you would be easy prey..."

His fingers clenched around his kunai. If deception didn't work, he would just overpower them.

But before he could move—

Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life.

The Rain ninja barely had time to react before his world spun.

He hit the ground hard, unconscious before he even realized what had happened.

"Pathetic," Sasuke muttered, stepping over the fallen opponent. "Can't even withstand a basic genjutsu."

He quickly searched the Rain ninja's belongings but found no scroll.

"Looks like he was acting alone. His team probably has it."

Sasuke clicked his tongue. "Let's go."

He didn't even spare the unconscious ninja a second glance. Whether he was eliminated by another team or devoured by the creatures lurking in the forest—it wasn't Sasuke's problem.

---

Hidden within the thick shadows of the jungle, Orochimaru watched.

His golden slit pupils glowed as he observed Sasuke's flawless execution of the genjutsu.

"Such skill at this age..."

A flicker of something almost nostalgic crossed Orochimaru's face.

"He reminds me of... that man."

His lips curled into a hungry smile.

"Sasuke… I want your body even more now."

With a faint chuckle, Orochimaru's figure melted into the darkness.

---

As Team 7 pressed on, Sasuke suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He glanced back, his expression hardening.

"That chakra… There's no mistaking it. Orochimaru is here."

He scoffed.

"He's probably just testing me this time. Let's see what he's got."

A smirk played on Sasuke's lips.

---

After a few minutes, Naruto suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Sasuke, Sakura—I need to take a leak."

Sakura groaned. "Seriously, Naruto? Now? Sasuke just said we need to move fast!"

"Come on, I've been holding it in since the first exam!" Naruto whined.

He hopped down behind a tree and quickly unfastened his pants.

But just as he was about to relax—

Hiss!

A massive snake lunged at him from the shadows, its jaws wide open.

"Shit!" Naruto yelped, scrambling backward in panic.

Then, he looked down.

His pants were damp.

"Great…" Naruto groaned. "Stupid snake—this is your fault!"

His frustration quickly turned to rage. Forming a hand seal, he shouted:

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a burst of smoke, dozens of Naruto clones materialized.

"Alright, guys! Let's smash this overgrown worm!"

The clones roared and charged at the serpent.

An Imposter Among Them

Meanwhile, back with Sasuke and Sakura—

"Naruto" emerged from the trees, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry, guys. I'm done! Let's go."

Sasuke's gaze sharpened.

Without warning, he flicked a shuriken straight at "Naruto's" head.

"Oi, what the hell?!" The imposter dodged, looking outraged.

"You should drop the act," Sasuke said coldly.

Poof!

The shuriken transformed—revealing another Sasuke, who appeared behind "Naruto."

Before the imposter could react—

Fwsshh!

A massive fireball erupted toward him.

The figure leapt in panic, only to realize too late—

Steel wires gleamed in the air as two Sasukes pulled them tight, binding him mid-air.

Whoosh!

The fireball struck dead-on.

The forest lit up with flames.

And the imposter let out a bloodcurdling scream.

--

(A/N: Advance Chapters Are Available On My Patreon... Please Think Of Joining It)