First Round

Of course, the Search Team wouldn't be too serious, otherwise few taking the exam would pass. The First Round tests more on team coordination, stealth, counter-tracking, and escape abilities. The Second Round is where real strength is tested!

A day passed quickly. As dusk fell, the Search Team had already deployed. Through Jiogan's sensing, some unlucky ones had already been caught and eliminated. Team 11 had two Sensor Ninjas, Jiogan and Inuzuka Yoru, allowing them to easily dodge several rounds of capture.

Might Duy's Team had no Sensor Ninja. They encountered a wave of pursuit, struggled through it, and managed to escape at the cost of two members injured.

As for Anima and Okamura Taro, they were too far away for Jiogan to sense, so he wasn't clear on their situation.

The Forest of Death was too vast. Jiogan could only sense about one-fifth of its area.

At night, the Search Team continued their pursuit, with people being eliminated one after another. "Looks like getting a good night's sleep these three days is out of the question!" Jiogan said.

The three of them were still near the river. Jiogan arranged, "I sense Brother Might Duy's team moving toward our position. They're probably coming to find water. Once our two teams meet up, we'll move together!"

About ten minutes later, Might Duy and his team reached the riverbank and were about to draw water when Duy suddenly tensed. "Who's there? Show yourself!" The other two quickly pulled out kunai, ready for battle.

"Brother Duy, it's me, Jiogan."

Jiogan's figure emerged from the forest, followed by Inuzuka Yoru and Kurama Feiyun.

"Ah, it's Jiogan! I thought it was the Search Team lying in ambush by the water source!" Might Duy breathed a sigh of relief. Though they'd escaped the earlier wave, two of his team were injured. If they ran into another patrol now, getting everyone out intact wouldn't be so easy.

"We three have been lurking nearby all day, dodging several rounds of pursuit. I sensed you moving toward us, so I waited on purpose. Let's move together as two teams!" Jiogan said.

"But two of my team are already injured. I'm afraid we'll hold you back!" Might Duy said.

"Don't worry. Yoru and I are both Sensor Ninjas. We'll reassign personnel!" Jiogan said.

"Yoru, Brother Duy, and Kusama—you three form one team. Feiyun, Tōji, and I form the other. That way, each team has a strong point and a sensor point, and we'll redistribute the injured," Jiogan said.

"Alright, let's do it!" Might Duy agreed.

"The Search Team won't stop at night, but we can't stay awake 24/7. We need to stand watch. Feiyun and I will take the first half of the night; Yoru and Brother Duy take the second half. The injured don't need to stand watch!" Jiogan said.

After they settled things and collected water, Jiogan picked a hidden spot, and everyone took their positions. They rotated watch duty as agreed, ready to relocate the moment the Search Team approached.

Fortunately, the first night passed without incident. The injured rested well and recovered to about seventy to eighty percent of their combat strength.

"I wonder how many have been eliminated. I heard several sounds of battle last night. The closest was only a kilometer from our hideout!" Might Duy said.

"There are too many uncertainties in the First Round. Luck is also a kind of strength. I can only wish the examinees good fortune!" Jiogan said.

Another day passed with the group staying put. Perhaps the spot Jiogan had chosen with his Qi Sensing Technique was too well-hidden. Throughout the day, six Search Teams passed nearby, yet none discovered them.

"Jiogan, the spot you picked is amazing! If we breeze through the First Round this easily, everyone else will be furious!" Inuzuka Yoru said.

"None of those six Search Teams had a Sensor Ninja. I'm guessing that if too few people are eliminated by the third day, the Search Team will send out Sensor Ninjas to speed things up," Jiogan said.

"Mm. Based on past Chunin Exam First Round pass rates, it's about thirty percent. That means out of the forty-eight participants this time, only about seventeen will make it through the First Round!" Kurama Feiyun added.

It seemed the real test would come on the third day.

Another night passed without incident. The six of them, Jiogan's group, seemed to have been completely forgotten.

"How many have been eliminated in two days?" At the Central Tower in the Forest of Death, Orochimaru asked his assistant.

"Lord Orochimaru, fifteen have been eliminated," the assistant replied.

"Only fifteen? The Search Team is too slack!" Orochimaru frowned.

"Lord Orochimaru, the quality of this batch of Genin is quite high. Several teams escaped head-on after encountering the Search Team!" the assistant said.

"Oh? That's somewhat interesting!" Orochimaru licked his tongue in his signature manner.

"Lord Orochimaru, should we send Sensor Ninjas to join the search?" the assistant asked.

"No. I'll go myself and see the caliber of this batch of Genin. Hehehe!" Orochimaru flashed a sinister smile.

"But... the chief examiner personally participating goes against the rules," the assistant said with difficulty.

"Forget those rigid thoughts. Learn to adapt. If I don't get involved myself, what's the point of just sitting on the stage as the chief examiner!" Orochimaru said.

With that, he leaped out of the Central Tower and vanished.

Leaving the assistant sighing where he stood. "Sigh, I'd better report this to Lord Hokage."

The remaining thirty-three examinees had no idea what kind of opponent they were about to face or what torment awaited them.

After entering the Forest of Death, Orochimaru summoned several white snakes from Ryūchi Cave and took control of the local snakes, beginning a full-scale sweep of the forest. "Come on, let's find all the little mice!" Orochimaru flashed his trademark sinister grin.

Back in Konoha, at the Hokage's Office, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had already received the exam report and learned that Orochimaru had personally gone after the examinees. He took a few deep puffs from his pipe and sighed, "That's just like Orochimaru. Let him be."

At that moment, Jiogan and his group had no idea they were about to face a crisis from the future Sannin, the Cold Lord Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's snakes had already locked onto the six of them. It couldn't be helped—too many people, too big a target. It was hard not to be noticed.

Jiogan periodically used his Qi Sensing Technique, but he completely failed to notice the snakes around them. There were simply too many snakes in the Forest of Death. Jiogan never imagined that an outlier like Orochimaru would personally intervene, and that they had been marked by Orochimaru's snakes.