Dealing with Snakes!
Morning light filtered through the dense canopy of the Forest of Death, streaking golden rays across the underbrush as Team 7 moved through the trees with practiced ease. It had been a full day since they secured both the Heaven and Earth scrolls, and with four days left to reach the tower, things were—surprisingly—going well. Almost too well.
“We haven’t run into another team since yesterday,” Sakura remarked, leaping onto a sturdy branch and steadying herself before glancing back at her teammates. “Either everyone’s avoiding us, or they’ve already been picked off.”
“Maybe we’re just that scary,” Naruto said smugly, folding his arms behind his head as he walked along a thick branch instead of jumping.
“Or maybe they just don’t want to deal with your loudmouth,” Sasuke said dryly, barely sparing Naruto a glance as he kept his focus ahead.
Naruto scowled. “Oi! I’ll have you know I’ve been very stealthy!”
Harry snorted. “Sure, as stealthy as a bull in a china shop.”
Naruto huffed but didn’t argue. Instead, he pulled the map from his pouch—the very same one he had “borrowed” from Anko. He grinned as he unfolded it. “Anyway, according to this totally-not-stolen map, we’re about half a day’s travel from the tower.”
Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. “I still can’t believe you managed to steal from her of all people. I don’t know whether to be impressed or terrified for your life when she finds out.”
“She won’t find out,” Naruto said confidently. “Unless one of you snitches.” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them.
Harry held up his hands in surrender. “Not my problem.”
Sasuke scoffed. “Like I care.”
Sakura sighed. “I hate that I’m involved in this.”
The four of them moved in sync, weaving through the branches as they followed Naruto’s map, the tension of the previous day momentarily lifted. But even with the lighthearted banter, there was an unspoken agreement between them—they wouldn’t let their guard down. The Forest of Death was named that for a reason.
And something told them their luck wouldn’t last forever.
The rustling of leaves was subtle at first, barely enough to register against the usual sounds of the forest—the chirping of birds, the distant snapping of twigs, the occasional rustle of unseen creatures moving through the underbrush. But then, the earth trembled. A deep, resonating rumble rolled beneath their feet, like something massive shifting through the dense vegetation.
Sakura’s brow furrowed. “Did you feel that?”
Naruto’s ears perked. “Yeah… it’s like—”
Another tremor. Then another. Leaves shook from the trees. Branches above them swayed. The rhythmic vibrations grew heavier, closer, and then—
CRACK!
A massive shadow loomed ahead, sliding through the trees with terrifying grace, parting the foliage as though it were no more than overgrown grass. Then, they saw it.
A gigantic snake.
Its scales glistened in the patches of sunlight filtering through the treetops, a sickly greenish hue marred with streaks of dark red. The color of blood. Blood that wasn’t its own. Blood that still dripped from its massive fangs, pooled onto the dirt as it slithered forward.
Sakura slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Naruto’s entire body tensed. Harry’s fingers twitched near his katana, his sharp green eyes locked onto the monstrous creature. Sasuke’s expression darkened, his Sharingan activating instinctively.
Corpses littered the area behind the snake, mangled bodies of other genin teams that had been unfortunate enough to cross its path. Some were crushed, others torn apart. The sickening scent of iron hung in the air, thick and suffocating.
“…That thing’s not natural,” Harry muttered under his breath.
Naruto swallowed hard. “No way that’s just a regular old snake.”
“It’s a summoning,” Sasuke said, his voice calm but edged with steel. “Someone brought it here.”
“But who?” Sakura whispered, eyes darting around as if expecting its summoner to step out of the shadows.
It didn’t matter. Not right now.
Because the snake had finally noticed them.
A deep, guttural hiss rumbled from its throat, its massive head swiveling in their direction. Slitted yellow eyes locked onto them with cold, predatory calculation. Its tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
Then, with horrifying speed, it lunged.
“Scatter!” Kakashi’s training kicked in, and all four leaped in different directions just as the snake’s enormous head crashed into the spot where they had been standing. Dirt and debris exploded into the air. The sheer force of impact sent shockwaves through the ground, rattling their bones.
Harry landed on a high branch, katana drawn in an instant. Naruto flipped mid-air and landed crouched against a tree trunk. Sasuke and Sakura had taken to opposite sides, forming a loose perimeter around the beast.
“This is bad,” Sakura breathed, her heart hammering against her ribs.
“No kidding!” Naruto called back, glaring at the snake. “What kind of psycho just lets that thing loose in here?!”
Harry’s grip on his blade tightened. Whoever summoned it hadn’t just let it loose. This wasn’t a mindless rampage.
This snake was hunting.
And from the way its gaze shifted between them, tasting the air again, it was deciding whether or not they were its intended prey.
“We need to move,” Sasuke said coolly, his Sharingan spinning as he analyzed the beast’s movements. “If we stay here, we’ll end up like the others.”
The corpses.
The thought sent a chill down their spines.
Then, the snake coiled back, preparing for another strike.
“Move!”
And just like that, the fight for survival had begun. The snake reared back, its body twisting unnaturally as it searched for its prey.
Sakura took a deep breath, snapped open her iron fans, and channeled her chakra into them. Her hands moved in a practiced motion as she inhaled sharply.
"Fire Style: Blazing Cyclone!"
A controlled whirlwind of flames surged forward, licking hungrily at the snake’s scales. The attack wasn’t strong enough to fully damage it, but the flames singed its underbelly, causing it to recoil with a guttural hiss.
Seizing the moment, Naruto leaped forward, kunai spinning in his grasp as he made a quick sequence of hand seals.
"Water Style: Raging Torrent!"
A spiraling column of water shot out from his palm, crashing against the flames. Instead of dousing them, the water superheated upon contact, creating a burst of scalding steam that enveloped the snake’s face. The monster let out an enraged screech, its vision momentarily obscured.
"Nice one, Naruto!" Sakura called, flipping backward to gain distance.
Harry didn’t waste the opening. His katana sparked with electricity as he blurred into motion, chakra-enhanced speed making his movements almost birdlike—fast, fluid, and precise. He dashed up the length of the snake’s body, his blade carving deep gashes along its scales.
"Lightning Style: Thunderfang Strike!"
The moment he slashed across its side, lightning exploded from the wound, making the massive reptile convulse violently.
Sasuke was already moving before the snake could recover. His Sharingan spun, tracking its every movement as he ran up a nearby tree. He could see it now—its pattern of movement, the perfect weak spot. His hands moved in a blur.
"Chidori!"
A piercing chirping sound filled the air as Sasuke's hand became enveloped in crackling lightning. He launched himself from the branch, propelling forward at incredible speed. With deadly precision, he drove his Chidori straight through the snake’s head.
The beast let out one final, earsplitting screech before collapsing. Its massive form twitched violently for a few seconds before falling completely still.
Breathing heavily, Sasuke yanked his hand back, landing smoothly beside his teammates as the corpse of the snake slumped lifelessly against the forest floor. The tension in the air remained thick.
"That was way too big to be a normal summon," Harry muttered, wiping the blood off his katana.
"No kidding," Naruto huffed, rubbing the back of his head. "What kinda freak calls a monster like that?"
Sakura exhaled, her fans still in hand. "I don’t know... but I think we just found out that we’re being hunted."
Sasuke stared at the carcass, his Sharingan still active. "This isn’t random. Someone sent this thing after us specifically."
The realization sent a chilling silence over the group. They had expected danger in the Forest of Death—but not like this.
Whoever was behind this... they weren’t just after the scrolls.
They were after them.
The tension hung thick in the air, an oppressive weight pressing down on them as they stared at the unmoving corpse of the giant snake. The realization was obvious—this was no random encounter. Someone had sent that creature after them.
Sakura’s grip tightened on her fans, her instincts screaming at her before she could even think. Without hesitation, she snapped open one of her iron fans and launched it forward, chakra surging through the metal as it sliced through the air.
The moment the fan struck, the air shimmered—like ripples across the surface of a lake. And just like that, the illusion shattered.
From the shadows, an odd-looking kunoichi was revealed.
Her form had been completely hidden, her presence so perfectly concealed that none of them had noticed her before. She stood tall, draped in a beige battle dress with a large rope belt tied around her waist, her long black hair pulled into a high ponytail. She had a sickly pale complexion and sharp, slitted eyes that gleamed with something unreadable. But despite her delicate features, there was something off about her, something that made the skin crawl and the stomach twist.
Sakura’s heart pounded against her ribs. She had seen high-ranking shinobi before—Zabuza, Haku, even members of the Dagger’s Veil—but this woman exuded something different. Something far more dangerous.
The kunoichi chuckled, tilting her head with eerie amusement. “How very impressive...”
Naruto instinctively took a step forward, kunai in hand. “Who the hell are you?”
The woman didn’t answer. Instead, her gaze swept over them, analyzing them like a scientist studying test subjects. Then, she smirked.
“You took down my little pet so easily... Not a single other genin team in this forest could even hope to do that, and yet...” Her eyes lingered on the dead snake before returning to them, intrigued. “Team 7 truly is special, aren’t they?”
Sasuke’s fingers twitched near the hilt of his chokutō. “You sent that thing after us.” It wasn’t a question.
The kunoichi didn’t deny it. Instead, her lips curled further into a pleased grin. “You should be proud. I didn’t expect you to survive.”
Something about the way she said it sent a chill up Sakura’s spine. She wasn’t praising them—she was studying them. Sizing them up.
Harry subtly shifted his stance, his katana angled slightly downward, lightning still sparking faintly at its edge. His green eyes didn’t waver from her face. “And what exactly do you want from us?”
The woman exhaled softly as if they had finally gotten to the real question. “Oh, I only came here for one of you…”
Her gaze slid to Sasuke, her snake-like eyes gleaming with something dark and possessive. “Sasuke Uchiha.”
Sasuke’s breath hitched slightly, his body tensing on pure instinct. The weight of her attention felt like something cold slithering up his spine.
Naruto immediately stepped in front of him, kunai raised. “Like hell you did! What do you want with Sasuke?”
The woman’s smirk deepened. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
And then, as if an afterthought, she let her gaze drift back to the others. Her sharp nails tapped against her wrist as her amusement grew.
“But now… I find myself fascinated by all of you.”
A slow, unsettling smile stretched across her lips. “Surviving an S-rank mission at such a young age... Taking down a terrorist group that had existed for years... That is not the work of ordinary genin.” Her voice was velvety smooth, yet it carried a weight that made their muscles coil in anticipation. “And here I thought I would only be leaving a gift for Sasuke… but perhaps, I should see what the rest of you are truly capable of.”
Harry’s fingers tightened around his katana. His grip remained steady, but inside, his mind was racing. This is bad. Whoever this woman was, she was powerful—too powerful.
Sakura swallowed, her iron fans clutched tightly in her hands. “She’s toying with us,” she murmured.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “She thinks we’re prey.”
Naruto bared his teeth, his stance shifting slightly. “Yeah, well, she’s gonna regret that.”
The kunoichi only chuckled again, utterly unbothered by their reactions.
“Oh? Let’s see, then…”
And then, with a single, fluid motion, she moved faster than any of them could react. However, Naruto reacted on pure instinct, pushing off the tree branch with an explosion of speed. His grip tightened around the three-pronged kunai as he lunged at the strange kunoichi, his blue eyes locked onto hers. His movements were aggressive and brutal, but calculated—his strikes weren't wild swings, but precise, each one forcing his opponent to shift, evade, or counter.
The kunoichi’s smirk deepened, her golden eyes glinting with something twisted and delighted.
Fascinating.
She leaned back just as the edge of Naruto’s kunai sliced through where her throat had been, her movements fluid, unnaturally smooth. But Naruto was relentless. His feet barely touched the ground before he twisted mid-air, bringing the kunai down in a vicious arc, aiming for her side.
CLANG!
Her arm shot up, blocking it with nothing but her bare wrist. The metal didn't cut.
Naruto’s eyes widened slightly. What the hell—?!
The woman took advantage of his surprise, twisting her body unnaturally and delivering a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him flying back. But Naruto adjusted mid-air, twisting and landing on a tree trunk before launching forward again.
She laughed. Oh, he’s fast. Very fast. She hadn't expected that. His speed wasn't purely skill—it was raw power.
But what intrigued her the most...
"That kunai..." she mused aloud, effortlessly dodging another attack.
Naruto clicked his tongue. He feinted left before suddenly dropping low, aiming a sweeping kick at her ankles, but she leaped into the air, dodging it entirely.
The kunoichi’s eyes flicked down to the three-pronged kunai in his grip, realization dawning. "Ah... the Hiraishin Kunai... Now, that is a surprise."
Naruto said nothing, but the slight tightening of his grip didn’t go unnoticed.
"Do you even know the jutsu that comes with that blade, boy?"
He didn't answer. He didn't need to. His attacks spoke for him.
She smirked, dodging another strike with unnatural grace. "No, I suppose you don't… But even without it, you wield it well. How interesting—"
She dodged again.
Except this time, Naruto was ready.
A paper tag, hidden behind his kunai’s hilt, suddenly detached and latched onto her arm—one of his newly learned sealing tricks. It glowed faintly as it activated, slowing her movements for just a fraction of a second.
But it was enough.
A blade cut through the air.
Harry’s katana crackled with lightning as he shot forward, aiming straight for her back.
At the same time, Sakura flicked her wrist, sending a burst of fire-laced senbon from her fan, forcing the kunoichi to either take the attack head-on or reposition.
And repositioned she did.
Her form twisted in a way that wasn’t human, bending unnaturally at the waist as she slithered out of their combined assault. Sasuke was already waiting. His chokutō came down like a flash of silver, slicing toward her throat—
But she caught the blade with two fingers.
His Sharingan spun wildly in shock. What—?!
The kunoichi grinned at him, and for the first time, something changed.
Her skin began to peel.
Naruto watched in horror as the illusion of a normal face melted away, revealing pale, almost white skin underneath. The woman’s pupils stretched into thin slits, and her grin sharpened, stretching too wide, too inhuman.
That’s not a person.
Then, she moved.
A sharp burst of chakra sent all four of them skidding back, their feet digging into the bark of the trees to stop their momentum.
"Enough playing," she said, her voice silky smooth but filled with something sinister. She flicked her wrist, and dark chakra coiled around her fingers like mist. "Let's see what you really fear."
Then, she formed a series of hand seals.
And the ground beneath them twisted.
Black snakes erupted from the earth, their eyes glowing unnaturally as they lunged at Team 7 with terrifying speed.
Naruto barely had time to dodge as one nearly sank its fangs into his shoulder. "Shit—!" He rolled, flipping onto a higher branch just in time to avoid another. "Where the hell is she getting all these damn snakes?!"
Sakura jumped backward, snapping open her fan. "Fire Release: Scorching Palm!"
She swung downward, sending a wave of fire across the ground, incinerating several of the black snakes in an instant. The flames crackled hungrily, but more kept coming.
"There's too many!" she gritted out.
"Then we take out the source," Sasuke growled, eyes locked on the kunoichi. Lightning crackled in his palm.
Harry nodded, tightening his grip on his katana. "We move together."
Naruto's expression darkened. "Fine. Let's wreck this freak."
And in perfect synchronization, Team 7 attacked.
The real battle had begun.
Orochimaru licked his lips, a twisted excitement bubbling in his chest. Oh, yes… this is what I was waiting for.
He had suspected Team 7 would be impressive—after all, their accomplishments were no mere flukes. They weren’t like the other genin teams, fragile and easily broken. No, these children were different. They were weapons being forged, tempered through fire and blood.
And he wanted to see just how far he could push them before they snapped.
His fingers curled, and in an instant, the battlefield shifted.
A wave of dark chakra surged outward, distorting the air with its sheer potency. The trees groaned under the pressure, bark splintering. The ground cracked. The oppressive energy was suffocating.
Then he moved.
Like a phantom, Orochimaru disappeared from sight.
Naruto barely had time to react before something slammed into his stomach, hard enough to send him flying backward. He crashed through two trees before skidding to a stop, coughing violently.
Sakura gasped. "Naruto!"
"Keep your eyes on him!" Sasuke snapped, his Sharingan spinning as he barely dodged a kunai aimed straight for his throat. He countered immediately, his chokutō flashing in a deadly arc, but Orochimaru’s body twisted, bending at an unnatural angle to avoid the strike.
Harry lunged from behind, his katana crackling with lightning as he aimed straight for Orochimaru’s ribs.
Orochimaru caught the blade with his bare fingers.
Harry’s eyes widened. What—?!
The next second, a devastating kick slammed into his side, sending him rocketing into the trees. His katana flew from his grip, embedding itself into the ground.
Sakura spun on her feet, snapping her iron fans open. She slashed forward, sending a concentrated stream of fire toward Orochimaru, but he simply exhaled, releasing a torrent of wind that smothered the flames before they could reach him.
Then, he was behind her.
She barely had time to widen her eyes before a hand gripped her by the throat and slammed her into the ground.
"Sakura!" Naruto roared, forcing himself up, his fingers digging into the dirt. His gut burned from the earlier blow, but he forced himself to stand. His fury overshadowed the pain.
His hands blurred through hand seals. "Water Release: Raging Current!"
A spiraling torrent of water erupted from his palm, racing toward Orochimaru. The snake Sannin dropped Sakura and jumped back just in time, avoiding the attack, but the ground where he had been standing was obliterated, soaked with residual chakra.
Naruto didn’t let up. He dashed forward, kunai in hand, engaging in a high-speed exchange of blows with Orochimaru. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the sheer speed of their movements causing shockwaves.
But Naruto was getting slower. His breath was ragged. His movements became just a fraction more sluggish. Orochimaru noticed.
He smirked.
Then, without warning, his fingers plunged into Naruto’s shoulder.
"Gah—!"
The world tilted.
A sickly, paralyzing sensation spread through Naruto’s body like venom. His legs gave out. His arms felt heavy. His vision blurred as he slumped to the ground, his fingers twitching weakly.
Orochimaru straightened, licking the blood off his fingers. "Delicious," he murmured.
Sasuke was breathing heavily, sweat rolling down his temple. Harry was slowly pushing himself up from the ground, his katana too far from his grasp. Sakura coughed, struggling to get to her knees.
They were done.
Orochimaru turned his gaze to Sasuke, his grin stretching unnaturally wide. "Now then… shall we begin?"
Sasuke’s body tensed, every instinct screaming at him to move, but his limbs felt like lead. His chakra was nearly spent. He could barely lift his chokutō.
Orochimaru raised his hand. Dark chakra swirled at his fingertips.
Then—
Something whistled through the air.
Orochimaru barely had time to react before a fire-imbued katana came soaring toward him, slicing clean through his chest.
"What—?!"
A plume of smoke erupted as the blade made contact, and from the shadows, a figure emerged.
No…
Orochimaru’s golden eyes widened in genuine shock.
Harry stood before him, but something was wrong.
His irises were pure white, like the surface of the moon, while his sclera had darkened to an unnatural shade of black. Two curved horns jutted from his head, their ivory surface glowing faintly in the dim light. His face was impassive, eerily calm.
And his presence—
Orochimaru felt something he hadn't felt in decades.
Fear.
This wasn't normal. This wasn’t some bloodline limit.
This was something else entirely.
Something that should not exist.
"You..." Orochimaru breathed, clutching his chest, his body already regenerating. He ignored the pain, his focus solely on the boy before him. "What are you?"
Harry tilted his head, his white irises practically glowing. He raised a hand, and black lightning crackled at his fingertips.
"You talk too much," he said simply.
And then he moved.
The battle had changed.
Orochimaru had witnessed many terrifying things in his lifetime.
He had fought war veterans, battled legendary shinobi, and faced death more times than he could count. He had seen what chakra could do, what power in its purest form looked like.
And yet—
He has never faced a battle like this before.
Harry moved like a phantom. No—like a god.
Every attack Orochimaru threw, every technique, every strike—it was useless. Harry dodged each one as if he knew they were coming before they were even executed. His body shifted perfectly, his movements fluid, effortless, untouchable.
Orochimaru struck with his sword, aiming for Harry’s neck—
But before the blade could even come close, Harry leaned back by a fraction, just enough for the steel to barely graze the air in front of his throat.
No wasted movement.
Orochimaru flipped back, weaving hand seals at lightning speed. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A horde of venomous serpents erupted from his sleeve, lunging toward Harry with fangs bared—
Only for Harry to take a single step back, avoiding them all with a grace that was almost inhuman.
Orochimaru’s mind raced. What is this? Some kind of advanced precognition?
He needed to test it.
Orochimaru suddenly vanished and reappeared directly behind Harry, his hand glowing with dark chakra, fingers outstretched to pierce through his spine—
Harry’s head tilted to the side ever so slightly.
The strike missed.
Orochimaru’s breath hitched.
That should not have been possible.
It wasn’t just his speed. It wasn’t just skill. It was instinct.
Something beyond human comprehension.
Harry turned his head to look at him, those unnatural white irises glowing. "You’re too slow,"he said, his voice eerily calm.
Too slow—?!
For the first time in decades, Orochimaru felt his body react before his mind did. He jumped back on instinct, narrowly avoiding a devastating wave of black lightning that obliterated everything in its path. The ground was scorched, and trees split apart as if struck by a divine force.
Orochimaru landed several meters away, panting slightly, but his mind was racing.
This wasn’t just a dōjutsu. This wasn’t just some chakra-enhanced combat ability.
This was something else entirely.
Harry's entire existence in this moment was a paradox. It was beyond any kekkei genkai, beyond any shinobi art Orochimaru had ever seen.
And it excited him. He had to have him.
Not just Sasuke. This boy, too.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with hunger.
But then—
That’s when he felt it.
A shift in Harry’s presence. His breathing hitched, and his body trembled slightly—just slightly, but it was enough.
Orochimaru recognized that sign instantly.
The strain is catching up to him.
Even this level of power wasn’t infinite.
Orochimaru smirked. So, there is a limit after all…
And then, without hesitation, he did what he did best.
He retreated.
Not because he feared Harry—no, fear was irrelevant. He was a scientist. A collector. If he wanted something, he took his time.
And now, he wanted Harry Potter. But he wanted him ripe.
As he slithered away into the depths of the forest, he couldn’t suppress his grin.
Oh, yes… I’ll be seeing you again soon, my dear boy.