Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 19: Forest Of Death

Teriyaki woke up with an aching back.

"So today is the Forest of Death..."

He looked down at his hands, feeling confident.

"I've spent two years in this world, I can't fail because of Chuunins."

The candidates were gathered at the edge of Training Ground 44, a wide, fenced-off area surrounded by chain-link topped with barbed wire. Thick trees loomed just beyond the fence, their trunks and branches stretching impossibly high, covering the sky in their silhouettes. A humid breeze rolled out from the forest like the breath of a living creature. Even Teriyaki — who had spent years training in isolation under Orochimaru's watch — felt uncomfortable facing it.

Genin teams stood in clusters, some whispering plans, others silently flexing kunai between their fingers, testing nerves already stretched tight. Teriyaki stood alone, a solitary figure at the far edge of the crowd, Mist forehead protector tied tight and angled low over his brow. He could feel eyes sliding toward him every so often — confused glances at the single competitor standing apart from the neatly organized teams of three.

It was exactly how he had expected it, many seemed to think he would be easy pickings.

"Alright, maggots!"

The loud, unmistakable voice of Anko Mitarashi cut through the uneasy quiet. She perched herself on the fence, arms folded, grinning like this was all a joke at their expense. The first thing most people noticed about Anko was her sharpness — not just her kunai, but her whole presence, like every part of her was direct and to the point.

"Welcome to the Forest of Death," she said, smile widening at the dramatic pause. A few nervous genin swallowed hard, and someone near the back muttered, "Why is called that?"

Anko's smile sharpened. In a blur, she flicked a kunai, slicing through the air so fast most genin didn't even see it until it embedded itself in a nearby tree. The kunai passed so close to the speaker's cheek that a thin line of blood appeared. "You'll find out exactly why it's called that soon enough," she purred. "If you're lucky, you'll only leave with a few scars."

Teriyaki didn't react. Surely it couldn't be worse than what Orochimaru had done, eating his students, forbidden jutsus etc.

Anko jumped down and unfurled a large scroll, slamming it against the fence for everyone to see. Two symbols were drawn across its surface — Heaven and Earth.

"Here's how this works, kiddies. Each team gets one scroll — either Heaven or Earth. To pass, you need both. That means you're either gonna steal, trade, or kill for it. I recommend using force — it's faster. Killing is allowed, to weed out the shinobi who aren't fit for war and shouldn't be here in the first place."

A few nervous laughs scattered through the crowd. Teriyaki sighed, he didn't really want to kill anyone here considering they were all children. Deadly ones, at that.

"You have five days to make it from the outer gates, through this forest, and reach the tower in the center. If you die before you get there — well, that's your problem. Medical teams are stationed outside, but they don't go in after you. Don't get your hopes up."

The rules were simple. Survive. In one way or another posess both scrolls. Get to the tower.

"Now," Anko said, stretching lazily. "Any questions?"

A boy raised his hand. "What happens if we open the scroll before we reach the tower?"

Anko's grin turned vicious. "Oh, that's the fun part. Open your scroll early, and you'll be knocked out cold until the exams end. Maybe you'll even die because another group takes advantage of you."

More uneasy shifting from the crowd. Teriyaki absorbed the rules without reacting. It was exactly as Orochimaru had described. Simple. Brutal. The kind of test that rewarded killers, not thinkers — though the smart ones would use both. In the show he was aware Orochimaru interacted with Sasuke here, perhaps he would do the same thing now.

"Alright, enough talking," Anko said, waving the group toward a line of proctors. "One representative from each team, come grab your scroll and gate assignment. When the gates open, your death march begins."

Teriyaki stepped forward when his turn came, plucking a Heaven scroll from the proctor's hand. The man glanced at the empty space behind him, confused. "Your team—?"

"I'm on my own" Teriyaki said flatly. "I think I'll be fine."

The proctor hesitated for half a second, but Orochimaru's forged paperwork had already paved the way. With a nod, the man handed Teriyaki a slip with his starting gate number. Gate 7. He folded it into his sleeve and walked away, ignoring the stares that followed his back.

The gates loomed tall, heavy steel reinforced with thick bolts, rusted from years of exposure. It reminded Teriyaki a little too much of his old cell door back in Orochimaru's first lair. A low vibration ran through the ground as the mechanisms unlocked, gears turning with a heavy groan.

With a sharp creak, the gates opened.

No starting pistol. No official signal. Just the forest yawning open like a mouth, inviting them all inside.

Teriyaki stepped through without hesitation. He had no teammates to discuss strategy with — no one to cover his blind spots. Just him, his jutsu, and his orders. Whilst others frantically made for plans he relaxed himself.

"I need to find someone with an Earth scroll and take it, I don't want to fail the exam so I need to hold off my scouting priorities..."

The Forest of Death swallowed him whole as his figure crept inside it.

The first twenty minutes were nothing but movement. Teriyaki stuck low after casting a stealth jutsu, weaving through the thick roots and heavy brush, memorizing spots as he went. The canopy overhead choked out the sunlight, turning day into twilight. It was hot, damp, the air full of moisture that clung to his skin.

"I can't find anyone..."

Through the small breeze and the nestles of the forest he couldn't hear anything remotely human.

He found water almost immediately — a thin stream cutting through the underbrush. He knelt at the edge, fingertips dipping into the cool flow, sending out the first pulse of chakra.

It spread downstream, a sensory net that would change if anyone crossed the water further ahead. Not perfect, but enough to give warning. Water jutsu flowed easiest near natural water sources.

"I need to remember every source of water..."

Teriyaki moved parallel to the stream, footsteps precise, breath controlled. An hour had passed and now everyone seemed to be nearby.

Around him, the forest was alive with sounds of battle. The clash of metal, the crack of exploding tags, the sharp scream of someone caught off guard. It was only an hour in, and the killing had already begun.

He wasn't here to fight yet. He still needed to adjust his plans based on who he was up against.

"Shikimaru's group... Naruto's group... Gaara's group. I should probably htink about dealing with each."

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A flicker of movement caught his eye — three figures moving just ahead. Rain genin, tense and alert, constantly looking over their shoulders. They had a scroll. Earth.

"Perfect."

Teriyaki trailed them from the cover of his stealth jutsu, his chakra signature suppressed so low he barely existed. They never even knew he was there.

For the next few minutes, he followed them silently, collecting information but as they began sprinting through the trees he realized he couldn't keep up without being noticed. He didn't want to blow his cover yet.

"If I go all in and another group cleans up it's over... Same goes for if I kill them and get picked off on my way to the tower... I can die here, it's not a ninja academy exam." Teriyaki grunted. "So annoying."

Far off, a burst of chakra spiked, brief and violent. A huge geyser of sand erupted over the forest canopy. Teriyaki recognized it — Gaara. Sand shifting like a living creature. Another team, obliterated in seconds. He heard loud screams cut short. That wasn't his problem yet. Soon, though.

He settled into a hollow between two roots as night fell fully, mist curling around him like a cloak. From his sleeve, he summoned a snake clone, whispering instructions. It wandered into the dark, acting as a scout.