Gaara's Provocation

Forty-eight Genin candidates who had passed the first written exam stopped before a massive iron gate under Anko Mitarashi's lead.

It was a rust-streaked iron gate five meters tall, wrapped in heavy chains, each link as thick as an adult's arm.

A dozen or so examiners stood in front of the gate. On either side were towering walls made of wire fencing, stretching left and right with no end in sight.

Dark-green vines crawled all over the fencing, and the foundations were covered in moss. Clearly, it had been there for quite some time.

A wooden sign hung on the gate, with an eye-catching warning written in red paint:

Training Ground 44, also known as: Forest of Death. Danger Level: A

Entry without permission is strictly forbidden.

The words "Forest of Death" were written in an even brighter red, the handwriting messy and vicious, as if it had been written in blood.

"We're here." Anko Mitarashi turned around to face the candidates, a flamboyant smile on her face. "Welcome to the site of the second exam—Training Ground 44, more commonly known as the Forest of Death."

As she spoke, she raised a hand and patted the rusted iron gate, making a dull clang.

"As you can see, this is an enclosed training ground, twenty kilometers in radius, completely surrounded by this wall." Anko planted her hands on her hips, her gaze sweeping across every face.

"Your exam is simple, too. Carry your mission scrolls and reach the tower at the center of the training ground within 120 hours—in other words, five days."

Five days?

The candidates looked at one another.

Choji was holding a bag of chips, his motion of bringing a chip to his mouth frozen in place.

He blinked, asking in confusion, "Th-then what are we supposed to