Desert Flower

The Curse Mark

The Grass Ninja unleashed several snakes, ensnaring Naruto in them.

"Damn it! Let go of me!" Naruto shouted as he tried to break free out of the snakes that were holding him. Then the shinobi lifted Naruto up and started to pull Naruto towards him.

"So the nine tailed brat is still alive." the Grass Ninja laughed and began to lift up Naruto's jacket, revealing his seal on his stomach. "When your emotions are heightened, the power of the nine tails overflows. Very interesting." He smirked. "Five Part Seal!" The shinobi fused some of his chakra to his fingertips and slammed them into Naruto's stomach. Naruto gasped out in pain.

"Naruto!" Yuri quickly moved, ready to throw a punch at the ninja's head. But he threw Naruto away, grabbing her. Sakura quickly threw a kunai, stopping Naruto from falling as it pierced his jacket, lodging itself to a tree. Yuri growled and slammed her head against the shinobi's, headbutting him. The Grass ninja glared at her angrily and kneed Yuri in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Yuri hissed in pain, grabbing her stomach and the ninja picked her up the back of her shirt, taking the Heaven scroll.

"Sasuke! Snap out of it! Naruto and Yuri are-!" Sakura cried to him. Just as the shinobi was pulling Yuri closer to him, getting closer to her neck. Sasuke's eyes widened and he shook his head, snapping out of it. He quickly activated his Sharingan and pulled out a windmill shuriken and several kunais and darted, fast, towards the Grass Ninja. Sasuke threw the windmill shuriken and a kunai, and the shinobi quickly ducked, moving his head out of the way. But Sasuke smirked and pulled back on an invisible string, pulling the weapons back at the Grass Ninja. There was also an invisible string in his mouth. The Grass Ninja quickly dropped Yuri, throwing her away, and the windmill shuriken, sliced into his neck. Sasuke made a hand sign.

"Fire style! Pheonix Flower Jutsu!" Fire quickly spread on the string in Sasuke's mouth, heading towards the Grass Ninja, engulfing him in it.

But the fire didn't little damage. Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widen in shock to see the Grass Ninja's face was slowly peeling away a little. Yuri groaned as she woke up, seeing it happened as well.

"What the hell?"

The Grass ninja chuckled, darkly. "To be able to use Sharingan at such an young age. You are the man who truly carries the Uchiha blood. I want you as well. I had fun testing your powers." Yuri frowned, seeing a strange aura surrounding the man. She quickly closed her eyes. However, Sasuke and Sakura, were unable to move, stuck in a genjustu.

"You really are brothers. I sense power in your eyes that surpasses Itachi." The Grass ninja smirked.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Sasuke screamed.

"My name is Orochimaru. If you want to see me again then survive and pass this exam." He spoke and burnt the Heaven scroll.

"No! The scroll!" Sakura cried out.

"Of course, you'll have to beat my men. The sound ninja trio, who are on the way." Orochimaru said.

"What are you talking about?! We never want to see you again!" Sakura shouted at him. Orochimaru laughed.

"I won't go that way." Then he performed a hand sign and his neck began to stretch out. It quickly darted towards Sasuke and Orochimaru bit down on Sasuke's neck. Sasuke cried out in pain. Orochimaru smirked.

"Sasuke-kun, will seek me out. To seek power."

A strange spiral seal appeared on Sasuke's neck and Sasuke screamed out in pain, grabbing his neck.

"What's happening?!"

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out running over to him and glared at Orochimaru. "What did you do to Sasuke!?"

"I gave him a little present." Orochimaru snickered then he turned his head, setting his sights on Yuri. "You have special abilities girl. Your eyes can see things differently than any other people can. I must have you."

"Try it, freak." Yuri growled at him.

Orochimaru lunged as he stretched his neck out at Yuri, getting ready to bite her next.

"Yuri!" Sakura cried out for her in worry.

Yuri quickly pulled out her kunai and jumped into the air as Orochimaru was inches from reaching her. She quickly came down and sliced the shinobi's neck, cutting it off. Then She quickly stabbed her kunai into Orochimaru's head. The ninja's body began to dissolve, breaking into pieces. Yuri frowned as she stood up, looking around for any sign of the ninja. He had fled. She quickly ran towards Naruto, who was lying on the ground still unconscious and picked him up, supporting his arm over her shoulder. Then Yuri turned towards Sakura.

"Sakura, get Sasuke. We need to get out of this area and find some place to hide and rest." She told her. Sakura blinked before she quickly grabbed Sasuke. The two kunoichi eventually found a large tree to hide under for the night. Yuri placed Naruto down while Sakura set Sasuke down, looking down at him in worry.

"What did that guy do to Sasuke? And what are we going to do now? We have no scroll anymore." She asked.

"I don't know. I'm just glad that freak's gone and that we escaped with our lives." Yuri told her, sitting down completely exhausted and panting. "Do you think you can keep watch for a little bit?"

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked her, concerned.

"I'm almost completely out of chakra and we have no scroll. No, I'm not alright. I've had it with his forest and I've had it with snakes!" she told Sakura, harshly. Sakura flinched. Yuri sighed and her eyes fell, feeling bad for yelling at her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized to Sakura.

"It's okay. Just get some rest. I'll keep watch." Sakura smiled, softly. Yuri closed her eyes and slowly began to fall asleep. Sakura watched her for a bit until she noticed that Sasuke was starting to run a fever. She got up to grab some water at a nearby river and put a damp cloth on his forehead. She sat down, looking at her three teammates, feeling completely hopeless.

What are they going to do, now?