Bleach x Naruto: Shinigami in Konoha

After seeing the number of people left in the classroom, Mitarashi Anko was momentarily stunned.

"Why are there still so many people left?" Anko asked Ibiki.

At that time, Ibiki Morino, having just removed his hood and stepped out from behind the exam banner, glanced at the remaining candidates. With a slight smile, he replied, "Because this year's candidates are quite exceptional."

His eyes paused meaningfully on Naruto for a moment.

"I see…" Anko muttered, sweeping her gaze across the room. "Well then, in the next phase, I'll cut your numbers to less than half."

She didn't bother lowering her voice, so most of the room heard her loud and clear. The weaker candidates immediately began to panic and whisper nervously.

"Isn't that exciting? I'll give you the details tomorrow. Meet at the designated location. Ask your Jonin-sensei for the exact time and place. That's all for now—dismissed!" Mitarashi Anko said with a grin, turning and walking toward the exit.

Sasuke Uchiha watched Anko carefully, curious to see if he could spot the Cursed Seal of Heaven that she had once been branded with, but her position made it hard to see clearly. Still, he was almost certain of its presence.

After the announcement, the examinees started trickling out of the classroom to prepare for the second exam.

"Hey, Uchiha ninja—what's your name?"

Just as Sasuke was leaving, a familiar voice called out to him. It was Karui, the Kumo kunoichi he had sparred with the day before. She approached with her arms crossed, a wooden sword slung across her back.

Omoi walked beside her, sucking a lollipop as always.

"Karui, didn't Captain Samui say not to cause trouble? If you do this, I'll get scolded again," Omoi said, clutching his head in exaggerated worry.

"I'm just asking his name! Since when is that considered trouble? You're way too paranoid," Karui snapped back, clearly annoyed.

Sasuke frowned slightly. He was already unimpressed with Karui's aggressive attitude and had no interest in pointless interactions. He didn't understand why she kept bothering him.

"I have no obligation to answer you," Sasuke replied coldly, walking past her without another word.

Although, in the original timeline, Sasuke had once clashed with Killer Bee—Karui and Omoi's teacher—he hadn't done anything to them personally. Still, it was clear that Karui was always itching for a fight. If memory served, she had once pummeled Naruto pretty badly when trying to learn Sasuke's whereabouts.

Sasuke's cold dismissal made Karui clench her fists in frustration. She looked like she was about to yell, but remembering Samui's instructions, she held herself back.

"Why are you so obsessed with the Uchiha kid? Don't tell me you like him or something? Though… he is pretty handsome, I'll admit. Still, I doubt he'd go for someone like you," Omoi said nonchalantly, rubbing his chin as he stared after Sasuke.

Smack!

Karui punched Omoi hard in the head, leaving a huge bump.

"I just want to test my strength against him, that's all! Yesterday, I saw him take down a Rain ninja without even drawing his blade. His speed was insane—his Body Flicker was even faster than our Lightning Step," Karui explained, eyes glinting with anticipation.

Clearly, she'd chosen the wrong target.

"Wouldn't that be all the more reason to be cautious? You still want to challenge that?" Omoi said, groaning and rubbing his head.

Karui paused, and for once, she considered that Omoi might have a point.

"Enough talk. We need to prep for tomorrow's exam," Karui muttered, grabbing Omoi by the ear and dragging him out of the classroom.

As Sasuke walked home, he began analyzing what might occur in the second exam.

So far, there'd been no sign of Orochimaru. None of the Sound Village (Otogakure) genin who were supposed to infiltrate the Chunin Exams had appeared, making Sasuke wonder if Orochimaru was using an entirely new tactic. The Sannin's identity as Otogakure's founder was still secret to most, so his strategies remained unpredictable.

As for impersonating the Fourth Kazekage as he did in the original timeline, Sasuke doubted Orochimaru would be foolish enough to pull the same stunt. This Chunin Exam was jointly hosted by the Five Great Shinobi Nations, and all five Kage were expected to attend the final tournament. If Orochimaru dared to appear disguised again, it would be suicide.

The most likely scenario was that Orochimaru would disguise himself as a Kusagakure (Grass Village) ninja, infiltrating the Forest of Death just as he had in the original timeline.

Sasuke was almost certain Orochimaru would come. The man's obsession with immortality and powerful vessels was legendary. Now that Sasuke's body carried such immense potential—his Sharingan evolving fast, his chakra stronger than ever—there was no doubt Orochimaru would target him.

And the Chunin Exams were the perfect hunting ground.

As for other points of interest, Sasuke hadn't decided yet. If possible, he did consider retrieving Karin and bringing her back to Konoha. While his current medical and recovery support tools were effective, to be honest, Karin's healing via chakra bite was still preferable. It was just more… efficient.

Once home, Sasuke spent the night preparing special rations and spices.

After all, the Forest of Death was known to house numerous giant beasts, and he wanted to see how some of them might taste. Well… it wasn't really that Sasuke wanted to eat them—it was more of a backup survival tactic.

---

Early the next morning—outside the Forest of Death

All remaining Chunin Exam participants gathered at the designated entrance gate.

Sasuke scanned the crowd and quickly spotted a masked Kusa-nin in a bamboo hat standing behind Mitarashi Anko. From his instincts and knowledge of the original timeline, Sasuke strongly suspected that was Orochimaru in disguise. But right now, he couldn't confirm it.

"This place is really creepy," a female ninja muttered, staring at the dark, spiny trees beyond the gate.

"Creepy? Just wait. Soon you'll understand why we call it the Forest of Death," Anko said with a devilish grin.

This time, Naruto didn't try to mimic her movements or crack jokes like he had originally. He remained still.

Anko reached into her vest and pulled out a stack of papers.

"These are consent forms. Everyone must sign before taking the second exam. You might die in there."

After all participants signed, she explained the rules of the second round, which—just like in the original—was a battle for Heaven and Earth scrolls.

Each team of three would receive one scroll. When Sasuke approached the distribution table alone, the Chunin in charge looked confused.

"You're by yourself? Where are your teammates?"

"My teammates already advanced to Chunin. I'm the only one from my squad taking the exam," Sasuke answered calmly.

Nearby candidates from other villages stared at him in disbelief. A one-man team? They immediately sized him up as their first target, assuming he'd be easy prey.

"…Alright then," the Chunin muttered, handing over the sealed scroll. He still didn't understand why someone solo was even allowed, but his job was to hand out scrolls, not ask questions.

Sasuke slipped the scroll into his cloak, though he actually stored it inside his system space to avoid carrying it physically.

"All set. The second exam—scroll battle—begins now!" Anko shouted.

The massive gates to the Forest of Death creaked open.

Sasuke stepped inside, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

Far behind him, the bamboo-hatted Kusa-nin smirked ominously and licked his lips, a serpentine tongue flicking out.

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