It Seems You Know Nothing

On the east side of the Forest of Death, the canopy blotted out the sky.

Three figures wove through the branches at high speed, sending fallen leaves rustling in their wake.

Sasuke charged at the front, his short black hair streaming back as he raced ahead, the scarlet pupils of his Two-Tomoe Sharingan glimmering faintly in the dim forest.

He was moving extremely fast, practically sprinting at full force. He looked nothing like someone carrying out a five-day survival challenge, and far more like he was chasing something.

"Sasuke!"

Sai quickly caught up from behind, keeping pace alongside Sasuke.

That warmthless smile still hung on his face, but there was a trace of puzzlement in his voice. "Our direction seems to have deviated from the shortest route to the central tower. Did something happen?"

Sasuke did not turn his head. His gaze stayed fixed dead ahead as he answered curtly, "Find a team as soon as possible, take their scroll, and pass the exam. That's our objective, isn't it?"

His tone was cold, even a little stiff. Clearly, he did not want to say more.

Shigaraki followed silently a little behind Sasuke's left side, his eyes narrowing beneath his short black hair as he carefully studied Sasuke's profile and those Sharingan.

As a ninja trained by Root, the training Shigaraki had received made him exceptionally sensitive to microexpressions and body language.

But Shigaraki did not ask any questions. He merely gave a soft snort and pushed his doubts down for the time being.

The mission Lord Danzo had given him was very clear: monitor Sasuke Uchiha together with Sai, especially observe any possible contact between him and the Star Ninja, while also ensuring that this precious "Sharingan seed" did not accidentally wither during the exam.

As for why Lord Danzo