Plans couldn't keep up with change

The Forest of Death, the location where Konoha held the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Including Konoha, teams of three Genin from the Great Nations retrieved the Heaven and Earth Scroll and entered Training Ground Number 44 — the Forest of Death!

To pass the Second Exam, the Great Nations's Genin teams must carry the Heaven and Earth Scroll and reach the central Tower in the Forest within a specified time.

Tōka wandered aimlessly through the forest. Although the Forest of Death was just a training ground, it covered a vast area and was densely covered by lush Forest.

The forest is crisscrossed with Mountain Stream and ravines, the terrain resembling the intertwined roots of old trees, and the streams winding through the Forest like Poisonous Snake.

The Forest of Death is filled with towering ancient trees, their branches and leaves so dense that light can hardly penetrate, making the forest dark, damp, and covered with dead leaves.

It is extremely prone to breeding snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and is also a source of trouble for many wild animals.

Tōka had been wandering on the outskirts of the Forest of Death without encountering the person he was looking for. Logically, that guy should be someone who couldn't stay still...

Just then, a faint smell of blood drifted on the wind.

The smell of blood was faint, seemingly drifting far away, largely masked by the fragrance of grass in the Forest.

"The wind is blowing from that direction, so..." Realizing that the wind was coming from the Tower in the center of the Forest, Tōka flashed and headed straight for the Tower.

The deeper you go, the stronger the stench of blood becomes in the air.

However, Tōka did not find any signs of a fight in the Forest along the way.

There's only one possibility: the battle not far ahead was exceptionally fierce, which is why the smell of blood has traveled such a long distance.

Murderous look!

As soon as Tōka stepped into a lush forest, he felt a chilling sensation wash over him, an evil, bone-chilling feeling that stimulated his nerves.

Tōka leaped onto the treetop, where the dense canopy concealed her body, allowing her to look down at the open space below.

"So it was this guy!" A look of realization flashed in Tōka's eyes.

I should have guessed it long ago. Apart from Gaara, the Jinchūriki Genin Sunagakure, none of the other genin from the Great Nations could possibly possess such a strong killing intent.

Should Gaara?

The thought flashed through Tōka's mind for a moment, but he immediately rejected it. Capturing Gaara wasn't difficult; the difficulty lay in alerting him.

With a loud bang, Tōka's attention was drawn to the Sandstorm falling in the arena.

"Not enough... not enough..." Gaara screamed maniacally, clutching his face. The blood wasn't enough!

Kill!!

Gaara's eyes were filled with hideous bloodshot veins. The Genin in the Sandstorm had already been crushed to pieces, and the blood that the sand could not contain splattered out, staining the muddy earth red.

Temari and Kankuro, who were in the same group, had already hidden under Big Tree about twenty paces away.

Once Gaara is in this state, even his teammates will intervene!

The Grass Ninja Squad Gaara looked terrified and wanted to retreat, but Gaara, caught up in the excitement of the battle, was not about to let them leave so easily.

"Go to hell, all of you!"

Gaara crouched down and slammed his hands on the ground, unleashing a massive sandstorm that surged towards the two remaining Grass Ninja.

Ah!!

Two piercing screams rang out in unison, shaking the mountains and forests, and startling a flock of birds and beasts into a frantic scramble to escape.

Concealing his presence and hiding under the shade of a tree, Tōka couldn't help but grin upon seeing this scene, thinking to himself, "With such a commotion, Konoha will definitely send someone to investigate."

A surging sandstorm engulfed a forest, and the massive burst of chakra attracted the attention of the Konoha Ninja in charge of the Second Exam.

Outside the Forest of Death, upon receiving the news, the examiner, Mitarashi Anko, didn't have time to think and plunged into the Forest, rushing towards the direction of the chakra outburst.

Suddenly, a strange gust of wind rushed towards us.

Anko, who was speeding past, felt a sudden tightness in her chest. Her figure, which had been leaping through the Forest, suddenly dropped and hid in the Bushes.

Anko warily scanned her surroundings. "Could it be my imagination?"

Just then, the dark shadow under the tree stood up strangely, and a figure slowly formed behind Anko.

"You're quite alert, Anko!" Tōka smiled and moved closer to Anko's side.

Upon hearing the sound, Anko sprang like a spring, nimbly flipping in the air and leaping away into the distance.

Then she whirled around and stared intently at Tōka. When she saw Tōka's face clearly, her pupils contracted sharply, and she exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?!"

"Surprised?" Tōka's body moved closer eerily, like a shadow.

Anko's expression changed drastically. She flipped her hand and threw out several Shuriken from her palm. Whoosh whoosh whoosh!! The Shuriken pierced through the air and rushed towards Tōka, their reflections rapidly magnifying in her black eyes.

Buzz!

An invisible wave of energy suddenly surged outwards from Tōka's Original Body in all directions.

The Shuriken suddenly stopped, its force gone, and remained suspended in mid-air before a gust of wind blew it away.

Forced back by the Shuriken, Tōka stopped five steps away and did not approach any further.

"Did you come here specifically to wait for me?" Anko asked tentatively, though she didn't know why she had this feeling.

This guy in front of me is coming for me!

A look of surprise flashed across Tōka's face. Even Jiraiya, did not know his purpose in infiltrating Konoha.

Even if we were to speculate, we would likely think of Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

But Anko's words hit the nail on the head, how could Tōka not be surprised?

"Why do you say that?" Tōka infiltrated Konoha time and time again, risking exposing himself, all to take Anko away.

This was a backup plan he left behind, one that even Black Zetsu didn't know.

"So they were after me after all." Although Anko was usually carefree, she was very reliable in crucial moments; she could sense Tōka's intentions...

In the dim Forest, a chilling scream would occasionally echo. Gusts of cold wind swept in, brushing against your cheeks and creeping down your neck.

Anko stared intently at Tōka with a tense expression.

This guy in front of her was even more dangerous than Orochimaru. She simulated several battle plans in her mind, but all of them were immediately rejected.

Whether she takes the initiative or defends, Anko finds her win rate is zero!

Should I run away...? He's not going to give me a chance...

Anko bowed slightly, one hand secretly Hand Seals behind her back, while the other hand held Kunai in front of her in a defensive posture.

Tōka stared at Anko, not in a hurry to make a move. This time, it wasn't some kind of cat-and-mouse game.

Instead...

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Tōka took a deep breath, then his chakra surged to his throat, and he opened his mouth to exhale a burst of scorching air.

A massive fireball filled the entire screen, Kakkō the dim forest and causing the temperature in the space to surge dramatically.

The enormous, scorching fireball wasn't aimed at Anko, but even so, a thin layer of sweat instantly covered her cheeks.

Boom!

With a muffled thud, the fireball struck a large Big Tree several meters in circumference, instantly engulfing it completely.

Did it miss? Anko glanced to the side and immediately dismissed the idea, only to see a dark shadow darting out of the flames at lightning speed.

"Lord Jiraiya?!"

"Jiraiya!"

Two different voices rang out at the same time.

Tōka frowned slightly, his probing gaze falling on Jiraiya. Although he wasn't as good at concealing his presence as Black Zetsu, he was definitely not easily detected.

Was it just a coincidence once, or just a coincidence twice?

"Your target is Anko?" Jiraiya glanced at Anko indifferently. Initially, everyone speculated that Tōka was after Naruto.

Therefore, Naruto was surrounded by three squads of Anbu Ninja.

Unfortunately, Tōka never appeared; instead, he intercepted Anko's path in the Forest of Death.

Before answering your question, could you tell me why you were able to find me so quickly both times?

Tōka is not afraid of Jiraiya, but Jiraiya one of the few strong individuals who can pose a threat to him. This is because Jiraiya summon the Toad of Mount Myōboku to combine with them and enter Sage Mode.

Why? Perhaps it's because I'm an immortal!

Jiraiya laughed loudly, leaped into the air, and slapped his wooden clogs together, making a clattering sound.

In an instant, countless Natural Energy surged into his body.

Noticing the infusion of Natural Energy between heaven and earth, Tōka then noticed that Jiraiya had been keeping his hands clasped together the whole time!

"That troublesome guy is coming out!" Tōka's face darkened, and he thought to himself, "Why are they risking their lives just to catch an Anko?"

Just as expected!

Even before he arrived here, Jiraiya had already prepared to gather Natural Energy and enter Sage Mode, and now he was almost ready.

Bang!

A cloud of white mist exploded, completely enveloping Jiraiya's figure. In the hazy Mizukage, a dark shadow could be seen standing not far away.

Through the blurry vision, I could vaguely see that the dark figure had three heads on its shoulder.

"Jiraiya, why did you suddenly call us out? I'm still busy preparing lunch!" A Purple Toad perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, chattering away.

"Mama, Jiraiya must have something important to tell us," said the white-bearded Toad perched on Jiraiya's other shoulder.

"Indeed, they are a rather troublesome enemy."

As the white mist dissipated, Jiraiya, now in Sage Mode, appeared not far away.

Tōka stared blankly at the two Toad, suddenly feeling a headache coming on, her thoughts racing.

Sage Mode gathers Natural Energy on top of creating chakra, greatly increasing the amount of chakra and the power of the Ninjutsu activated, and also granting powerful sensory abilities.

Even if Jiraiya were to enter Sage Mode, he Jiraiya be difficult to deal with.

But if a fight breaks out here, it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest; not only would it expose our whereabouts, but it would also bring a whole host of trouble.

Since Tōka intends to use Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan as a model for his scheme.

Naturally, they had to wait until the third exam, when Daimyō and Nobles from the Great Nations arrived in person, and most of Konoha's forces were concentrated there.

At that time, Gaara One-Tail Jinchuriki, and Naruto Uzumaki, the Naruto Uzumaki of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, would both appear at the venue.

When everyone who should be there and everyone who shouldn't be there are all there, we'll take them all down in one fell swoop!

However, having been caught red-handed by Jiraiya twice in a row, Tōka had a vague feeling, a rather mysterious guess.

Perhaps it's that old man pulling the strings behind the scenes.

To prove this point, Tōka decides—to fight!

The thought flashed through his mind, Tōka immediately Body Flicker Technique behind Jiraiya, taking advantage of the moment when the two old Toad were exchanging information with Jiraiya.

Crack! Tōka suddenly stretched out his palms, and a Bone Spur protruded from his palms.

"Watch out, Jiraiya!" Shima's expression changed, and he exclaimed in alarm.

On the other side, Fukasaku had clearly underestimated Tōka's speed as well. After a moment of shock, he immediately turned his neck.

Puff!

A jet of water shot straight toward Tōka's face. At the same time, with the help of the two immortals Jiraiya slumped down to gather his strength and took the opportunity to leap out and create distance.

Tōka slightly turned his head to dodge Fukasaku's High-Pressure Water Gun, pushed his palm forward, and shot out the Bone Spur in his palm.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A whirlwind blew out, instantly disrupting the direction of the Bone Spur.

Pfft!

Two muffled sounds rang out, and Bone Spur the thickness of a thumb struck a towering ancient tree, its decaying power surging into the trunk.

In an instant, the vibrant Big Tree was shrouded in a deathly atmosphere, and the flying scraps of paper fell like snowflakes.

"This is..." Fukasaku Shima both looked astonished.

"The ability to All-Killing Ash Bones a single blow." Jiraiya said with a solemn expression. Even in Sage Mode, he still found Tōka troublesome.

Tōka is like a hedgehog; a prickly sting can be fatal, but she can also shoot out her quills for ranged attacks.

After the first wave of probing attacks ended, the two sides entered a brief stalemate.

The momentum of both sides continued to rise, as if a solid mountain was pressing down.

Anko, just standing aside watching the game, felt a tightness in her chest, and her breathing became rapid.

Jiraiya quickly noticed this, and no matter what Tōka's purpose was in kidnapping Anko, he couldn't let him have his way.

"Leave here first and go inform the Hokage!"

Before Anko could finish speaking, Jiraiya kicked Anko in the side, using the momentum to send her flying.

Seeing this, Tōka did not pursue, but instead slowly raised his hands in front of him and carefully formed mudras one by one.

Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Wei!

Chakra gathers, Jutsu Formula activated!

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

In the Forest of Death, a cluster of white Mushroom Cloud suddenly exploded.

The attention of both the Konoha Ninja guarding the outside of the Forest and the Genin taking the exam Forest was focused on this forest.

"Such a commotion..." Jiraiya looked up in surprise and doubt, gazing at the large, ghostly box in the mist.

Fukasaku and Shima, however, were not focused on that. Their pupils constricted as they stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar ghost face.

"The Box of Paradise... this is the Box of Paradise!"

The two old Toad had never actually seen the Box of Paradise, but they had heard from the Toad Sage that it was the Ultimate Weapon from the era of the Sage of Six Paths!

An aura of evil instantly enveloped the entire Forest.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, blocking out the bright sunlight, making the dim forest even more eerie and terrifying.

Roar!

A roar of defiance, like the combined screams of millions, erupted from the hideous, grotesque Demon Face Gate, unleashing an evil creature with fangs and fleshy wings.

Tōka's Summoning Beast, Wu!