Asuma and the others watched Moriyue's group disappear into the distance. Rubbing his neck, Asuma remarked that the examinee named Moriyue seemed rather open-minded. If he remembered correctly, Moriyue had also been the first to arrive yesterday. Kumogakure had produced quite a talent for once.
"It's only the Forest of Death, but it won't be that simple..."
"Ahem. Some examinees have already entered. Hurry up, everyone. Anyone who doesn't come forward within five minutes will automatically be deemed to have forfeited the exam!" Asuma swept his piercing gaze across all the examinees present. Time was limited. Any ninja who lacked the resolve could leave now.
With Moriyue taking the lead, quite a few nearby ninja teams stepped forward to sign the liability waivers and collect their scrolls. Some teams had already been considering backing out, but when they thought about how withdrawing meant they could no longer teach that detestable guy a lesson, many examinees gritted their teeth and signed the waivers anyway.
However, there was never any shortage of people who gave up halfway. Even after five minutes had passed, quite a few examinees were still hesitating over whether to continue. Asuma had no intention of giving them time to regret it.
"Time's up. Any examinees still remaining here may leave. There's no need to feel sorry about it. After all, entering the Forest of Death without sufficient strength could cost you your lives."
When Asuma heard another wave of sighs around him, he felt it was worth offering everyone some comfort. After all, those Sunagakure ninja were currently Konoha's allies.
"After years of unchecked growth, the Forest of Death has birthed countless terrifying creatures under the brutal laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Those creatures may be beasts, but their strength is not much weaker than that of Chunin. Some of them might even leave a Chunin unable to escape unscathed."
"Those beasts have incredibly tough hides and bodies that have evolved to be exceptionally resilient. They are no ordinary animals. You only need to know that they are weapons of war created using someone's cultivation fluid."
With a wave of his hand, the Konoha genin orderly escorted away the eliminated examinees.
"I'm only saying this to tell you that there's no need to be discouraged by today's failure. Go train until you can face your fears head-on. Konoha will always welcome you back for another exam."
After saying that, Asuma also headed toward the Forest of Death. Rules were made by people, and those words had only been meant for appearances. Having said what needed to be said, it was time for him to see whether anything else was happening in the forest. He naturally had to look after Konoha's own ninja.
Moriyue's group knew nothing about what Asuma had said, but Moriyue would not joke around with Ando and the others when lives were at stake. Although the examinees present were all quite strong, with many outstanding talents among them, they probably could not kill him.
Not to mention that Moriyue could now perform ninjutsu. Though the results differed somewhat from normal casting, its power was only greater than the original. Combined with the uniqueness of his chakra pathways, he could perform ninjutsu without hand seals, giving him a faster attack speed than others.
He had never neglected his Nintaijutsu training either. Every moment, he was being strengthened by Lightning Torment. It was time to show the results of his training.
"By the way, did you bring the sacks and ropes I told you to prepare? We'll be needing them soon."
"They're in the scrolls. We'll need them soon? What for?"
Though Ando was puzzled, he still took several scrolls from his waist pouch.
Moriyue smiled mysteriously and patted the unsharpened Katana at his waist.
"You'll find out soon enough. Right now, our priority should be finding a Heaven Scroll."
Led by the staff, the three quickly reached their designated starting point. Without lingering, Moriyue's team swiftly left the starting area and ran toward the depths of the forest.
Konoha's Forest of Death had served as the venue for the Chunin Exams several years ago. However, after Orochimaru's invasion, it had been abandoned ever since. It was only put back into use after Sunagakure proposed jointly holding the Chunin Exams. The Forest of Death had originally been a place where venomous snakes and ferocious beasts gathered, and after several years of being "left to grow," it had only become more dangerous.
"Captain, there's a life sign five hundred meters ahead. Judging by its size, it should be a bear..."
"Conserve your strength. You two avoid that thing first." Moriyue reminded them while taking two iron nails from his waist pouch. He was not comfortable using kunai.
"What do you mean? What are you going to do, Captain?" Ando heard something unusual in Moriyue's words. What did he mean by "you two avoid it first"? Was there going to be danger? He did not need to ask further, because Moriyue had already demonstrated what he meant.
A pitch-black mass as large as a small hill blocked the only path Moriyue's group could take. Even though Moriyue had prepared himself mentally, he could not help sighing.
"What a huge bear."
That was right. Instead of stealing robes, that Black Bear Spirit had come here to block their path. It was not as if Moriyue had never seen a bear before, but the bears here were just a tiny bit too huge. One of its claws was as large as Moriyue's head. Calling it a bear was less fitting than calling it a mammoth.
Moriyue did not remain stunned for long. In battle, time was life. Several steel nails gathered power in his palm. It seemed he had not prepared enough of them.
The black bear clearly had no intention of reasoning with them. It raised its foul-smelling paw high and slammed it toward them. Its scarlet pupils contained not the slightest trace of reason. It was nothing more than a crazed beast.
Ando and Zero had long been prepared. They used the Body Flicker Technique to change position, moving like snow foxes whose tracks were impossible to find. Their feet lightly tapped the branches as the bear's paw crashed down, catching nothing but a clawful of mud.
As Moriyue dodged, he fired the steel nails in his hand. Lightning coiled around the nails, blue currents forming rings around them. The nails floated in the center of those electric rings, and as electromagnetic force continuously accelerated and charged them, their black surfaces turned red from the intense heat.
The muscles in his arm stood out in sharp definition, veins bulging as sparks burst continuously from the hand gripping the nails. Crackling currents filled the air, making everyone's scalp tingle.
Boom!
An explosive roar erupted from Moriyue's palm, and a violent gust lifted his long hair. The giant bear that had been baring its fangs at him moments ago let out a pained howl. A massive hole had appeared in its left chest. Through it, the trees behind the black bear could be seen clearly. No blood flowed from the wound; the extreme heat had instantly roasted the flesh around it. A strange fragrance even filled the air.
"ROOOOAR!"
An incomparably fierce roar spread through the entire forest. The black bear only had time to release that heart-wrenching cry before it crashed heavily to the ground and lost all signs of life.
Even Asuma, who was currently making his way through the forest, was startled by the sound.
"That sound... was that the Bear King?"
At that moment, not just him, but every examinee who heard the roar was stunned. What was going on? Had someone started fighting a bear? Did they have energy to spare?
"Pfft... so heavy..." Moriyue had just entered the brief stiffness that followed using ninjutsu and had not managed to dodge in time. He pushed aside the foul-smelling bear paw and muttered softly.
"So the Electromagnetic Cannon concept really is viable. I just didn't expect the first experiment to cause such a huge commotion. How am I supposed to explain this to Ando and Zero..."
Before you continue