"Now, that mentally unstable biological nuclear bomb, those Anbu lizards trained to feel no pain, and those clan elites carrying genetic mutations are about to be locked together inside the sealed fighting pit known as the Forest of Death."
A dazzling flash of white reflected off Chisen's lenses.
"Let's see how many minutes your so-called nindo can keep those ordinary children alive in the face of absolute physiological dominance and biological violence."
Above the training ground, chief examiner Morino Ibiki's voice, as rough as sandpaper, rang through loudspeakers into every corner.
"Listen up, all candidates! There are no rules in the first exam! Now hand over your liability waivers and get your asses into the examination grounds!"
The crowd stirred. With a rumble, the massive iron gates slowly rose, revealing the deep, dark Forest of Death beyond, thick with the smell of rotting leaves.
The joint genin exam had officially begun.
The massive refined steel gates slammed shut behind them, producing a dull, teeth-grating metallic scrape.
The last sliver of sunlight from the outside world vanished. The cold dampness of the Forest of Death, where sunlight never reached year-round, instantly enveloped everyone like a giant sponge soaked in ice water.
Inside the gates, the hundreds of genin who had seemed fairly composed in the sunlight entered the gloomy forest, and the crowd immediately began
to split apart.
Some ran like startled beasts, instinctively bolting toward whatever direction they thought was safe. The snapping of dead branches and the clatter of ninja tool pouches were amplified endlessly along the quiet forest's edge.
Others immediately drew their kunai and formed circles back-to-back, nervously watching every rustling leaf around them.
"Don't run.
And don't stand here defending yourselves."
Riku Suzuki stood beneath a tree so thick it would take several people to encircle