They're Konoha Ninja-Take Them Out!

"Stay calm. Don't do anything. Trust your teammates."

The simple words seemed to hold boundless magic, instantly soothing Naruto's anxiety and fear.

That's right... Ling Xuan is so strong. He'll think of something!

Time passed, moment by moment, until no one else raised a hand.

"Good," Ibiki said. "Then everyone here has passed the first exam—"

"Everyone passes!"

"Huh?!"

Everyone was stunned.

"There was never a tenth question," Ibiki explained. "The choice you just faced was the tenth question. Under the pressure of uncertainty and risk, it tested whether you had the courage to take responsibility. That courage is the most essential quality a Chunin can possess!"

While the candidates were still caught up in shock and excitement, a figure burst through the classroom window like a whirlwind!

The newcomer was a purple-haired woman with a voluptuous figure, wearing a mesh shirt. Her entrance was framed with a close-up of her chest, and she dragged a huge banner behind her.

"Everyone! Don't celebrate just yet! My name is Mitaraishi Anko, and I'm the proctor for the second exam!"

"Now the real hell begins! Follow me!"

Her wild, almost crazed air made the candidates, who had only just begun to relax, tense up again.

The second exam would take place at Practice Field 44, known as the "Forest of Death."

It was a dangerous place filled with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts.

Anko announced the rules: Each team would be randomly given either a Book of Heaven or a Scroll of Earth. They had to collect both scrolls in the forest within five days, then reach the tower at its center.

"During that time, you may use any means necessary to take other teams' scrolls." Anko wore a bloodthirsty grin. "In other words, from this moment on, everyone around you is your enemy—except your teammates!"

"One more thing," Anko added. "Whatever you do... don't die."

The brutal rules sent a chill through everyone.

With a deafening crash, the wire-mesh gate behind Team 7 slammed shut.

In that moment, it felt as if the world had been split in two.

Outside the gate lay the sunlight and order of Konoha. Inside, towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, and the roars of strange beasts echoed from deep within the forest.

The air reeked of rotting leaves and damp earth. It was cold, oppressive, and filled with the primal danger of the wild.

"Th-that forest is huge..." Naruto stared at the forest, crouched like a gigantic beast, and swallowed hard.

Sakura's face had gone pale. She edged closer to Sasuke without thinking, while Sasuke gripped his kunai tightly and warily scanned their surroundings.

"Quiet."

Ling Xuan's calm voice gave his three tense teammates someone to rely on.

He paid no attention to the terrifying sounds from the forest. Instead, he calmly unfolded a simple map he had drawn himself based on the intelligence he'd gathered before the exam.

"We're at the third entrance on the eastern side. We have the Scroll of Earth, and our final destination is the tower at the center of the forest." Ling Xuan slowly traced a path across the map with his finger. "The tower is about ten kilometers away in a straight line. But this forest is full of poisonous insects, ferocious beasts, and other candidates who are even more dangerous than the two combined."

He looked up and studied each of his three teammates in turn.

"So our first priority isn't to rush straight to the tower or to look for a team with the Book of Heaven. Our first priority is to survive."

Ling Xuan's tone brooked no argument. He had the kind of natural authority that inspired trust.

"From here on, we'll follow this route." Ling Xuan pointed to a path that kept them relatively far from rivers and swamps.

"It's the longest route, but it'll help us avoid the habitats of large beasts. Sasuke, watch our right flank. Naruto, the left. Sakura, keep an eye on our rear and the sky. I'll lead."

"Remember, no one attacks without my signal. We'll move like shadows—silently and without a trace."

"Got it!" Naruto and Sasuke replied in unison. After the life-and-death battle in the Land of Waves, they had absolute faith in Ling Xuan's judgment.

The team slipped into the Forest of Death like a band of seasoned hunters.

About half an hour later, Ling Xuan, who was leading the way, suddenly raised his right hand and signaled for them to stop.

The team halted at once. Everyone held their breath.

"What is it, Ling Xuan?" Sasuke asked in a hushed voice.

Ling Xuan didn't answer. He stared at a thicket not far ahead. Through his Eye of Truth, he could clearly see three chakra sources hiding behind it.

Their chakra levels were low, all at Genin level. One of them had a distinct aura of rainwater and mud. They were Rain Ninja from Amegakure, and they had the Book of Heaven.

This information flashed through Ling Xuan's mind.

He didn't attack right away. Instead, he led the team in a quiet detour and climbed a massive tree with a good vantage point. They needed to observe and gather information.

Below, three Rain Ninja were sadistically tormenting a giant centipede they had captured. Their eyes were full of ferocity and bloodlust.

They were experienced fighters with cruel natures, skilled at using the terrain to set ambushes. But their teamwork had obvious gaps, so they could be taken down quickly.

Ling Xuan reached a decision. He turned to his teammates and gave them concise instructions in a voice only they could hear.

"Sasuke, use Fire Style on the dead tree to their left and create a diversion. Naruto, use Shadow Clones to surround them from three sides. Sakura, protect our scroll. Wait for my signal."

The three nodded at once.

Ling Xuan picked up an ordinary leaf from the ground and held it between his fingers. He took a deep breath and infused it with wind-natured chakra.

Now!

The leaf shot from his hand like an arrow, making no sound as it precisely severed a vine hanging in front of the three Rain Ninja.

"Who's there?!" The three Rain Ninja tensed immediately.

But it was already too late.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Several of Sasuke's fireballs set the dead tree beside them ablaze, and the roaring flames and thick smoke instantly drew their attention.

"Multi Shadow Clone Technique!"

More than a dozen Narutos rushed out from all sides, yelling as they charged!

"They're Konoha ninja! Take them out!" the Rain Ninja squad leader ordered at once.

But as the flames and Naruto's clones threw them into chaos and scattered their formation, a shadow appeared behind the squad leader like the real Death God.