Forest of Death (Part One)

The second stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams: the Forest of Death.

Unlike its usual gloomy, oppressive atmosphere, the entrance was buzzing with excitement today. The reason was simple: standing on the platform was the Seventh, clad in a white Hokage cloak and smiling as brightly as the sun—Naruto Uzumaki!

"Yo! You're all looking pretty lively!" Naruto stood with his hands on his hips, his booming voice full of energy. "I'm the examiner for the second stage, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Excited gasps and murmurs immediately rose from the crowd. Having the Hokage himself serve as their examiner was an unprecedented honor—and a lot of pressure!

Naruto's smile faded slightly, and his tone grew serious. "The rules for this stage are simple! See the scrolls in my hands?" He waved the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.

"Just like before, take the other team's scroll, collect a pair of Heaven and Earth Scrolls, then make it to Laozi Rock at the other end of the forest! The first ten teams to arrive will pass!"

He paused, a sly, warning smile appearing on his face. "But don't think I'll go easy on you—" He coughed. "I mean, don't think I'll let you off easy! Anything goes in this exam! However—causing an opponent's death or an irreversible, serious injury is strictly forbidden! Anyone who crosses that line..." His eyes suddenly turned razor-sharp, and a powerful chakra pressure seemed to spread through the air. "I'll personally throw them out of the exam grounds, and they can forget about ever becoming a Chunin! Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" The response shook the air. The children's faces were filled with excitement, nerves, and awe at being examined by the Hokage himself.

"Good!" Naruto nodded in satisfaction and swept a hand through the air. "Now, teams will enter through different entrances in the order of their draws, with ten minutes between each team! The exam—begins now!"

At his command, the first team charged into the forest entrance, which gaped like the maw of a giant beast, their hearts pounding with excitement and nerves.

Kakashi Sakuya, Nadeshiko Haku, and Hatake Lian had drawn a spot in the middle of the order. As they waited, Sakuya rested with his eyes closed, Haku quietly wiped down her Senbon, and Lian checked his ninja tool pouch. As usual, the three of them were silent, standing out against the other teams, who were either excitedly discussing tactics or so nervous their hands and feet had gone cold.

At last, it was their turn.

The moment they stepped into the forest, hot, humid air and the rich scent of vegetation washed over them. The enormous canopy broke the sunlight into scattered fragments.

"One kilometer northeast. There's a chakra clash—not a small one," Sakuya said first, his deep purple eyes sweeping over the shadowy woods. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan remained inactive, but his powerful senses had already spread out. "There's running water to the southwest. The terrain might be complicated—good for ambushes or taking a detour," Haku added, focusing her attention. Lian silently formed Hand Seals and sensed the area for a moment. "About seven hundred meters straight ahead. There are fresh signs of extensive damage to the vegetation. A team may have passed through, or there may have been a fight."

They quickly brought the information together.

Without hesitation, Sakuya said, "Avoid every known point of conflict. Haku, scout the high ground first and use the treetops to move. Lian, clear our tracks and set traps. We won't take a straight route. We'll circle west and use the river valley for cover as we approach Laozi Rock."

His orders were crisp and decisive. He sounded nothing like a Genin and more like a battle-hardened commander.

"Understood." Haku and Lian had no objections.

The three of them sprang into motion!

Haku moved with astonishing lightness, leaping onto a branch as if she weighed nothing and weaving through the dense canopy. Her figure appeared and disappeared among the leaves, making her the perfect scout.

Sakuya sped ahead along the ground. His steps were strange but efficient, always landing exactly where they were least likely to make a sound or leave a trace. He was like a ghost in the woods.

Lian followed close behind, meticulous in his work. He not only erased every trace of their passage but also set extremely well-hidden, pressure-triggered traps at several key forks. They weren't meant to hurt anyone; they would only make a faint sound or cause a small disturbance in the chakra around them, serving as warning devices.

They moved through the perilous forest like a special-operations team that worked together flawlessly, swift and silent.

But exams never went entirely to plan.

Just as they tried to skirt a stretch of rock wall, the sounds of a fierce fight and angry shouts came from ahead!

"It's that bunch from Sunagakure! They've got the scroll!" "Take it!"

Two teams were fighting in a narrow valley. The clash of Kunai and the blasts of Ninjutsu rang out without pause.

Sakuya's team immediately stopped and hid behind rocks and bushes.

"Should we go around?" Haku asked quietly, her ice-blue eyes assessing the battle. Taking a detour would cost them at least half an hour.

Sakuya's gaze swept across the battlefield. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan flashed open and shut, and he had already assessed both sides' numbers, strength, condition, and the advantages of the terrain.

"No," he said coldly. "Wait. They're evenly matched, so there's a good chance both sides will be badly hurt. Once they decide the winner, the victor will be at their weakest. We'll strike quickly and take the scroll."

It was the calmest and most efficient plan: let the mantis stalk the cicada, while the oriole waited behind.

Sure enough, the fight was nearly over a few minutes later. One side won by a narrow margin, but all three of its members were badly injured. Exhausted, they began searching the defeated team for its scroll.

Just as one of them picked up the Earth Scroll and a pleased smile appeared on their face—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three figures shot out of the shadows at their flank like ghosts!

Haku's hands flashed. Countless Senbon swept over the three members of the winning team like a swarm of pinpoint-accurate bees! She didn't aim for vital points, instead targeting their weapon hands and leg joints!

"Argh!" The sudden attack caught the already exhausted trio completely off guard. They cried out and fell to the ground, instantly losing the ability to fight.

At the same time, Sakuya appeared before the exam candidate holding the Earth Scroll as if he had teleported. Under the candidate's horrified gaze, he took the scroll with ease.

Meanwhile, Lian quickly checked the defeated team and found the corresponding Heaven Scroll on one of them. He handed it to Sakuya.

The whole thing was over in less than ten seconds. The two teams that had been fighting moments ago could only stare, dumbfounded, at the three "fishermen" who seemed to have dropped from the sky.

Sakuya didn't even glance at the people on the ground. He put away the Heaven and Earth Scrolls and said simply, "Move."

The three didn't linger. They vanished into the dense woods at once, leaving six stunned and regretful exam candidates behind.

Inside the tower, Naruto watched the events through a crystal-ball technique, rubbing his chin with an intrigued smile.

"Oh? Those two boys from Kakashi-sensei's family and that girl from Nadeshiko Village work pretty well together! Interesting!" His gaze lingered on Sakuya for a moment, a trace of subtle curiosity flickering deep in his eyes.

With the Hokage watching and powerful teams joining the fray, the competition in the Forest of Death grew ever fiercer. And Sakuya's team continued steadily toward the finish line at Laozi Rock, using their own swift and ruthless methods.