Naruko was jumping from tree branch to tree branch. Her teammates were just behind her as she guided them quietly through the trees towards the Suna team they had decided to take out. They weren't terribly far so it wouldn't take long. Behind her the other two had their doujutsu active. Naruko would notice any threat long before them with her much wider range of senses but it didn't hurt to have the second and third set of eyes watching. Naruko was sure to guide them away from any other teams that might head their way. While all three of them wouldn't mind fighting skilled opponents they have too much riding on this to let something like pride stop them from advancing.
The fowl chakra was still prowling the forest and she noticed it seemed to be looking for something. She couldn't tell what, but it was searching. It seemed to be heading in the general direction they had come from.
"Naruko, how much longer?"
"Two minutes until we arrive, they should come into view of Hina-chan in thirty seconds." Sasuke nods, the Hyuuga would be able to tell them of any traps in advance, Naruko could only detect intent and chakra. They had all released their resistance seals as soon as they entered the forest. If they could be fighting to the death then they would need all the power they could get and holding back could get them killed.
It didn't take long for Naruko to be proven right as Hinata speaks up, "They've set up an ambush facing the north and east." It made sense, they were in the south west part of the forest and most other teams would be coming from those directions. "I'll take point and guide us to the weak spot in their defense." Naruko quickly falls back as Hinata moves forward. She guides them around the traps set up around the team from Suna.
They arrive above the team, quietly looking down at them as the Suna nin go about setting up their Ambush. Judging by their appearance the team was a few years older than Team 7. They didn't know the exact setup in Suna but if it's anything like Konoha then these kids likely are from one of the smaller academies or weren't trained by an elite jonin. Of course this weakness is why Naruko recommended them as targets. Though none of them would underestimate their unaware opponents they had no interest in dying because they did.
The team from Suna had two boys and a girl, a fairly standard team composition. Most teams in the elemental nations were arranged to have more boys than girls, in large part due to the lack of kunoichi in the ninja program. The girl was directing the two boys as they went about making their traps. Naruko crept along the canopy until she was above the girl. Hinata and Sasuke both went to the two boys. With a single hand sign from the redhead the group dropped down silently behind their targets. The girl noticed Hinata and Sasuke but couldn't speak as a hand covers her mouth. She finds herself growing tired. She died peacefully, drained of all the chakra in her body.
Naruko had a metric now, a civilian would die instantly from her absorbing their chakra but a genin would take longer, around five seconds. She looked down at the dead Suna genin, she felt a small bit of remorse for the girl. She had done nothing to earn her death but entered the same exams as her team. She could have used another technique, but she saw an opportunity and she took it. If nothing else at least her death was painless and swift. Looking at her teammates she sees the boys are both dead. One had his temple caved in from a powerful kick and the other had his neck slit open. They nod and Hinata takes the scroll they came here for. They had obtained it in under half an hour, now they just had to run straight for the tower.
The redhead wasn't sure when, but her Sage Mode had run out at some point while they observed the Suna team. She would need to spend a few seconds reactivating it. She closed her eyes and stood still.
"Alright we have both scrolls now, once Naru-chan is back in Sage Mode we can head straight to the tower." Hinata still had her Byakugan active unlike her girlfriend's use of Nature Chakra the Byakugan didn't wear off after a certain time, she could keep it going for as long as she has chakra. It drains her so little that she could keep it up for the next three days without stopping.
"Should we put their bodies in storage scrolls so they can be properly buried?"
"No, there are Anbu scattered around, they will find the bodies soon enough." She said looking at her male teammate. Looking at her girlfriend she sees that her hair is standing once more. Purple eyes snap open to look at her team.
"We need to move. Now!" She didn't wait to see if her team was following, she knew they would be.
"Naru-chan what's going on?"
"The Kusa genin, her fowl chakra, is heading straight for us." It was heading for the site of their battle, if it could even be called that. So she didn't know their exact location. Hopefully if they moved fast enough they could avoid the woman. "She's moving fast, be ready." The chakra was moving much faster than even Naruko's top speed when not in Sage Mode. She of course wasn't going as fast as she could be right now, even if she wasn't in Sage Mode, she's just that much faster than her teammates.
"He just entered my vision."
"I thought it was a she?"
"He's disguising himself, his real face is hidden under a dead person's skin." She could see the dead chakra coils and the active ones hidden underneath. The other two grimace at that. This person had killed a genin just to infiltrate the exams, and seemed to be targeting them. They didn't have time to ponder this further as Hinata calls out, "He's here, Jutsu on our six!" Naruko spins and holds out her hands and focuses on absorbing the chakra from the Jutsu. She can't see it but she can see all the branches breaking as a strong gust of wind shreds through them. The Jutsu gets absorbed into Naruko's hands before ever managing to reach the rest of the team. She ignores the branches that whip her skin and leave a few shallow cuts.
The team had stopped after that. They couldn't outrun this guy and leaving their backs open would be foolish. They had to stay until help arrived, or until he left.
"Kukuku, that's an interesting ability you have there." The voice was feminine but they knew it was a trick. Standing on a tree branch above them and ten yards back was the Kusa genin. "To completely negate my Jutsu takes quite the skill." He licked his lips in delight as he stared down the group. He was radiating an intense killing intent. Much to his surprise the genin were unfazed by it.
Never had Hinata and Sasuke been more thankful for the fact that Naruko's rampage let out more killing intent then this guy could ever possibly make, they likely would be paralyzed now otherwise. For Naruko's part she simply ignored it. She had felt killing intent all her life but it had never fazed her, she always figured she just had some natural immunity.
"Oh my. You three aren't fazed by my killing intent? My creation must have done a better job than I thought." Yes his creation had been his crowning achievement, not even his work towards immortality could change that. Though looking down at the group below he couldn't help but think that might change, hell his second greatest creation was right there. Yes this team could change that.
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll learn in time, Naruko-chan." So he knew who she was, though given he was targeting them he likely knew who they all were. "So then, do you three have what it takes to sate a predator?" Before they could respond or question him he flew through hand seals and a large snake came flying out of the smoke. It tried to swallow Hinata but Naruko appeared next to it and kicked it away. It took one look at her, and hissed.
"I refusssse to fight that thing. The sssnakesss will not help you here." Guess that's an advantage of animals being terrified of her. Summons won't fight her out of an instinctual fear. The snake disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the man and the genin.
"So are you going to show your real face, Orochimaru?" It was Hinata who spoke, having put the pieces together on who their assailant was.
"You're quite the smart one, Hinata-chan. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." The man started to peel off the dead skin on his face revealing his true form. He was a pale man with yellow eyes and snake-like pupils. Naruko noted he had an odd beauty to him, his features seemed to hold both a deep amusement and a deep melancholy. As though he was a man who never stopped mourning for others yet found the notion of death entertaining. She knew he was the Snake Sannin who had betrayed the village a few months before her birth. But he seemed familiar, like there was something about him she should recognize. Maybe it was his attitude, in a way it reminded her of Kaguya. But that made no sense, it could be he simply didn't care for humans in the same way the woman had, but it felt like something more than that, he seemed to have some physical traits she feels she should recognize. "Now then, let's see if you three can survive." The man lunged forward and easily embedded a fist in Naruko's stomach. She was blasted back into the forest as he turned toward the other two. "I suppose only Sasuke-kun could see me move. You'll need to be faster if you want to keep up with those eyes of yours."
That snapped the other two out of their stupor as Sasuke quickly flew through hand seals and sent a ball of fire at the Snake nin. He dodged easily enough, it's not like he would be threatened by the Jutsu even in his sleep. He was however forced to step back to avoid the kick to his ribs from the handless Hyuuga. He ducks down quickly as a kick flies through where his head would have been. He didn't have to look to be able to tell it was Naruko. "You two alright?"
"Yeah." He hadn't really tried anything after punching Naruko away. He hadn't noticed it before but looking at her now he can feel it. She's in Sage Mode. He never bothered to try and master it like his teammate but he still knew how to sense nature chakra. He couldn't help but lick his lips, these kids really did get better with every second.
The two girls pressed the attack on him. He had to admit, they worked well together. Though the boy seemed to just be standing there shocked. This was proven false when he feels a sharp pain go through his spine. The boy dissolves and he realizes he had been in a genjutsu. He hadn't thought to check since the boy hadn't had his Sharingan active, and he didn't feel anything wrong. It would seem the boy was better than he let on. With a glance back he sees his spine has been severed by the chakra scalpel. Looking closer now he can see there was a Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) over the boy's eyes. He shuts his eyes and smiles, yes they were amazing, but they have much to learn.
The three observed as the missing nin closed his eyes and seemed to peacefully die. They say no words as they quickly flee. Hinata knew the man was still alive but with his spine severed there would be no recovery. She was proven wrong as she sees him coughing out a new and undamaged version of his body. "He's not dead! He's completely healed!" The other two curse and once more they turn to face him. They got lucky he had underestimated them and now that advantage would be gone.
"Kukuku! you three are perfect, I couldn't have found a more perfect group." Naruko looks at him and asks.
"What do you want with us?"
"More than you'll ever know." That unsettled her two teammates, it would seem the man was getting to them. Naruko still felt no fear, she was realizing she likely wasn't capable of it. She did have to hold back a wince as the two behind her pushed through their fear and got to work, plucking one of her hairs in the process.
"Don't suppose you'll let us go." The man shakes his head, an amused smile on his face as he watches them. "Didn't think so. Are you an associate of Konan?" She couldn't think of any other reason an S-rank nin would be after them.
"Figures you know her, but no I'm not here for the Akatsuki." So then there were good odds he intended to kill them. If he had been with Konan then this was likely some kind of test. "Are you done buying time for your little friends yet?" He had noticed the two seemed to be hiding behind her, if he had to guess, setting up some Jutsu. His spies had mentioned Jiraiya had started training them so perhaps some kind of seal.
"No comment. If we give you our scrolls will you let us go?" She had no intention of doing so, but he was letting them stall for time so she was going to use it.
"Not a bad idea. Offering a predator a greater meal in hopes it won't devour you. But these scrolls mean nothing to me." Well there goes that plan.
"Naru-chan, now!" Naruko leaps back immediately and at the same time Sasuke and Hina-chan channel chakra into the seal they had made on the tree. Nothing seems to change immediately but they nod and start running again.
Orochimaru gives chase only to note that as he enters the seal his chakra gets sealed off. He sees the seal they made and smiles. It was a hybrid seal between a barrier and a curse seal. Everyone who doesn't have the DNA of those three will get their chakra sealed when passing through the seal. He could undo it, but it would take him a few precious minutes. He was impressed nonetheless. These kids will go far in the future. It's a shame they're stuck here in Konoha, their talent will be squandered for as long as Sarutobi-sensei was in charge. Though he'd be fixing that soon enough.