The man's attire was almost identical to Shino Aburame's, down to the heavy, concealing layers. The only difference was the gloves covering his hands and the mask hiding the upper half of his face, rather than just sunglasses.
Inside Naruto's mind, Menma's voice was sharp with suspicion. "Aburame Torune? He's a Root ninja under Danzo Shimura. Why is he here? Does he want Naruto?"
Kakashi Hatake, the original team leader, was a no-show. Instead, Danzo's shadow had arrived.
"Are you our team leader?" Naruto asked, tilting his head as the man walked in and ordered him to follow.
"You idiot, it has to be the teacher in charge!" Sakura snapped, rapping Naruto sharply on the forehead as she stood up to leave. "Who else would know we're Team 7 and where to find us?"
She was clearly still bitter about what happened at lunch, though she didn't dare mention her stolen kiss in front of Sasuke Uchiha. Instead, she took her frustration out on Naruto.
Naruto didn't seem to care. He just clutched his head, groaning with a forced smile. Compared to the vicious curses from the villagers, Sakura's insults were like a gentle breeze.
But Sasuke cared. He was an orphan, just like Naruto. Hearing Sakura casually throw the insult at him while Naruto just grinned foolishly made something snap.
Sasuke stepped between them, his voice chillingly cold.
"No one wants to be an orphan," he said, his eyes fixed on Sakura. "No one wants to be without parents. You have no idea what it's like to be alone in an empty house, with no one to tell you what you can or can't do."
He took a step closer, the air around him dropping several degrees.
"And yet here you are, casually calling him an annoying, ill-mannered orphan just because of a mistake."
Sakura froze, his words echoing in her head.
"You... really disgust me."
Sasuke's words hit her like a physical blow, leaving her rooted to the spot. Naruto, however, looked at him with genuine surprise. He understood. The loneliness, the emptiness... Sasuke got it.
Looking at that arrogant, handsome face, Naruto suddenly didn't find him so annoying anymore. In fact...
He shook his head violently. No, no, no. Bad thought. Go away.
"I am your team leader, Aburame Torune."
Torune cut the drama short. He'd seen enough from the doorway. "Enough chatter. You're all coming with me. Now."
He turned and walked out without waiting for an answer.
Sasuke frowned at the man's impatience but followed quickly. Naruto grabbed Sakura—who looked utterly defeated—and chased after them.
As they stepped out of the academy, the air was filled with the sound of movement—whooshing noises from the rooftops and trees, and the sharp clang of metal on metal.
"ANBU are running an attack and defense drill," Torune explained casually. "Ensuring the village isn't infiltrated by spies."
The three saw glimpses of figures in masks fighting in the distance. It looked legit, but Torune urged them forward. "Hurry up. Don't distract them."
As the street narrowed and the crowds thinned, Naruto's internal alarm bells started ringing loud and clear.
"Naruto, be careful," Menma warned inside his head. "This is Torune. He's suspicious. Don't let him lead you into the Forest of Death. That's Root territory."
The Forest of Death.
Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He came to an abrupt halt.
Something was wrong.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Torune stopped and turned, closing the distance in a few strides. "We're almost there."
Naruto backed away, putting space between them. His expression was wary. "Why are you taking us to the Forest of Death?"
"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, her voice strained. "Torune-sensei said we're almost there. Stop acting out."
She just wanted to get this over with and go home.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, flashing to Naruto's side. He glared at Torune. "You led us to the Forest of Death on our first day and didn't explain why. We passed three different training grounds that would have been perfect for a team meeting or a basic lesson."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You claim Naruto isn't observant? I think you're the one lacking the instincts of a ninja."
"What are you standing there for?" Torune snapped at Sakura.
She looked between them, confused and hurt, but she ran to join Sasuke and Naruto.
Torune sighed, dropping the act. He stretched his limbs, his tone turning icy.
"You guys are smarter than you look. Why couldn't you just follow orders like good little genin?"
He looked at the three of them—two academy students and a jinchuriki with a sliver of Nine-Tails power. He was an Elite Jōnin, and with the methods Danzo had given him, this would be over in seconds.
"Now I have to teach you a lesson," he said.
Before the word "lesson" had fully left his lips, Torune was moving.
He delivered a brutal kick to Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha boy flew backward, spitting bile.
Then, a palm strike to the forehead. Sakura's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, unconscious instantly.
This wasn't a sparring match. Torune attacked with lethal intent, dropping the two behind him in a heartbeat.
"Sakura! Sasuke!"
Naruto stared, eyes widening in horror. Sasuke was barely lifting his head from the ground. Sakura wasn't moving at all.
Pure, unadulterated rage flooded Naruto's veins. His gaze locked onto Torune, burning with murderous intent.
"You bastard! You hurt them!"
Torune scoffed, unfazed. "What now, brat? Going to cry?"
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"