The Second Exam

"Were we going to capture her during the Second Exam?"

Motoi asked eagerly.

But Killer B rejected the idea. "No, we're in Konoha, after all. For now, our mission is to gather information on them."

"But during the exam, we can still approach her and find out what makes her so special that the village is going to such lengths."

The Land of Whirlpools and the Uzumaki Clan had been destroyed not long after Killer B was born.

So he knew very little about the Uzumaki Clan.

"Perfect. I saw that the girl and that old guy from before are on the same team. Killer B, don't get involved when the time comes. Let me teach that old guy a proper lesson."

The old guy Motoi meant was Qingshui.

And Killer B didn't refuse his request.

Killer B knew Motoi's strength very well. They had been friends and played together since they were little.

Though Motoi couldn't match him, he could hold his own against an ordinary Chunin.

A mere older Genin from Konoha would be no match for him.

"Okay, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."

As Shiko spoke, she headed out of the Ninja Academy.

She was the only kunoichi on Killer B's team, and she was no weakling either. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been chosen as his teammate.

After lunch, Qingshui and the others returned to the Ninja Academy and saw the results posted.

As expected, they had all passed and could take part in the Second Exam.

"Great! I didn't get to show off much in the First Exam, but I'm going to put on a real show in the Second!"

Kushina was full of confidence.

When it came to fighting, she'd never been afraid of anyone.

Back in school, she'd beaten up every boy in her class who bullied her, all by herself.

That was how she'd earned the nickname Crimson Pepper.

"Sure, you can put on a show later. But first, we need to head to Training Ground One in the Death Forest."

The notice announcing the results stated that the Second Exam would be held there. Everyone had to arrive before two in the afternoon, or they'd be considered to have forfeited.

Soon it was two o'clock, and all the candidates who had passed the First Exam had gathered there.

"Not bad! Thirty teams, eighty-nine people in all, are taking the Second Exam. I expected only about sixty. Looks like I underestimated you."

There were eighty-nine people because Qingshui and Kushina had teamed up as a pair, one person fewer than a regular three-person squad.

"But your luck ends here. At least half of you will be eliminated in the Second Exam."

At those words, the candidates who had only just scraped through the First Exam grew tense.

"Before the Second Exam officially begins, you'll need to sign a death waiver, because..."

"People can die during the Second Exam!"

"If anyone's scared and doesn't dare take part, you can forfeit and leave right now."

The proctor for the Second Exam knew exactly how to play on people's nerves. A few words were all it took to make everyone tense.

Only a handful, including Qingshui, were confident enough in their abilities not to be affected.

But they were ninjas. No one actually backed out at the last minute.

"Good. You've all got guts. I hope every one of you will still be alive and standing in front of me when the exam is over."

"Now, sign the death waivers. After that, I'll explain the rules of the Second Exam."

After taking the waivers from the proctor and signing them, the candidates finally learned what the Second Exam entailed.

Each Ninja Squad would receive either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. They had five days to seize the other scroll and reach the Central Tower in the middle of the Death Forest with their entire team.

Anyone who failed to collect both scrolls or reach the designated location within five days would be eliminated.

The rules were clearly meant to encourage the Genin to fight—and even kill—one another.

The Heaven and Earth Scrolls were distributed at random inside a tent, so other teams couldn't immediately find out which scroll a team had received.

Qingshui and Kushina got the Heaven Scroll, which Qingshui took charge of.

Once every Ninja Squad had received a scroll, the proctors led them to different entrances. The candidates would enter the Death Forest together when the exam began.

"Kushina, we'll head straight for the Central Tower. If we run into anyone with an Earth Scroll on the way, we'll take it from them. If we don't, we'll lie in wait outside the tower."

After entering the Death Forest, Qingshui told Kushina his plan.

Kushina didn't object.

With their abilities, the two of them were confident they could defeat any Ninja Squad.

Roar!

A giant bear suddenly charged at them, but they both dodged with ease.

The Death Forest had earned its name because it was home to many dangerous, ferocious beasts.

The giant bear that had attacked Qingshui and Kushina was one of the forest's dominant beasts. It stood more than ten meters tall, and each step shook the ground.

An ordinary person would have had no chance against such a beast.

But unfortunately for it, its opponents were two ninjas.

Kushina didn't even need Qingshui's help. She landed a single punch to the bear's stomach and knocked it down. When it got back up, it fled in a panic.

"Old guy, you really are useless. A girl had to step in to deal with a mere beast."

A teasing voice rang out.

Qingshui and Kushina looked toward the sound and saw three ninjas wearing Kumogakure Forehead Protectors standing on a tree above them.

It was the Killer B Trio, whom Qingshui had encountered once before.

The one who had spoken was Motoi.

As soon as they entered the Death Forest, Killer B and his teammates had begun searching for Qingshui and Kushina. The commotion from the bear's attack had led them straight to the pair.

And so, they'd ended up here.

"Old guy, I told you before: if we met again, I, Motoi, would beat you."

As he spoke, Motoi and the others leaped down from the tree and landed in front of Qingshui and Kushina.

The surveillance cameras throughout the Death Forest recorded the scene.

"These two are pretty unlucky to have run into the Killer B Trio so soon."

The one speaking as he watched the footage was an ordinary Jonin from Kumogakure.

He didn't know the Killer B Trio's real mission in Konoha was to kidnap Uzumaki Kushina. It was classified, so he assumed the two had simply been unlucky.

"That's right. They're very unlucky. If they know what's good for them, they'll hand over their scrolls and save themselves a beating."

Another Kumogakure Jonin quickly agreed.

In their eyes, Killer B—who had teamed up with the Fourth Raikage, the Raikage's son—was unquestionably the strongest candidate in the exam.