The Eve of Graduation

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside the Forest of Death.

The morning mist had yet to dissipate, and twenty-three figures stood in perfect formation behind the perimeter line.

There was no whispering.

There was no murmuring.

Even Obito, usually the most restless of them all, kept his face taut, his eyes fixed straight ahead at the mist-shrouded woods.

Guy stood in the middle-rear of the formation.

Half a year.

A full six months.

He lowered his head to look at his hands.

These hands were a size thicker than they had been half a year ago.

Callus upon callus, knuckles protruding.

He didn't know when he had started his growth spurt.

Regardless, when he measured three months ago, he was already 1.68 meters tall.

Now, he estimated he was just over 1.70 meters.

He carried that large broadsword on his back.

Standing among a group of eight-year-olds, he looked like an anomaly.

He had used the bandit leader's blade for half a year; the edge had a few more nicks, but it remained razor-sharp.

The hemp rope on the hilt had been replaced three times, polished to a shine by his grip.

He raised his eyes and scanned the people in front of him.

They had all changed quite a bit.

Obito stood in the front row.

He was taller, his shoulders were broader, and his face still wore that punchable expression, but his gaze was steadier than before.

Rin stood beside Obito.

Her short brown hair had grown a bit, tied into a small braid that rested on her shoulder.

A medical kit hung at her waist, bulging and stuffed; there was no telling how much medicine was inside.

Ebisu had a new pair of sunglasses, the lenses a size thicker.

Yamashiro Aoba stood next to him; he wasn't holding any crow feathers, his hands were empty, but there were calluses on his knuckles.

He had practiced a lot of Shuriken techniques over the past six months.

Even the cocky Asuma seemed much more composed now.

Of course, Gekko Hayate's face was even paler, and he had grown thinner.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd been starved for the last six months.

The others were in much the same situation.

Guy withdrew his gaze and looked to the very front of the formation.

Kurenai was standing there.

Her black curly hair was a bit longer than it had been half a year ago, falling to her shoulders.

She had grown taller too, standing beside Rin, only half a head shorter.

She wore a dark training outfit with a Kunai pouch strapped to her waist.

This was the first time Guy had seen her in half a year.

Kurenai seemed to sense his gaze and tilted her head slightly.

Their eyes met.

The corners of Kurenai's mouth curled up, and she smiled at him.

It wasn't the shy, head-bowing, blushing smile from half a year ago.

It was a different kind of smile.

Open and confident.

Her eyes curved into crescents.

Then she turned back to continue watching the front.

Guy was stunned for a moment.

Half a year later, this girl... has she become a lot bolder?

He recalled that day in the woods, that fleeting kiss.

And that sentence—

"Do you... like me?"

Guy's mouth twitched.

He shook the thought from his mind.

Now was not the time for this.

At the front of the group, Ikkaku Umino stood waiting.

He wore his chunin flak jacket, his expression ten times more serious than usual.

He held no notebook in his hands.

His hands were empty.

"Everyone here?"

He swept his gaze across them.

Twenty-three people, standing in perfect formation.

No one was late.

Ikkaku Umino nodded.

"Good."

He turned around and pointed toward the mist-shrouded forest behind him.

"Do you know what this place is?"

The group remained silent, so Ikkaku Umino continued on his own:

"Forest of Death."

"Konoha Training Ground Number Forty-four. It has a diameter of twenty kilometers, with a Central Tower at its heart."

"Inside, it is teeming with all manner of wild beasts, venomous insects, poisonous plants, and traps and mechanisms set by generations of Konoha shinobi."

"Every year, genin die inside."

Ikkaku Umino's voice was flat, yet every word struck the hearts of those present like a stone.

The group grew even quieter.

Someone swallowed hard.

Ikkaku Umino continued.

"Your final mission before graduation is to cross the Forest of Death!"

He raised his hand and held up one finger.

"You may only carry three days' worth of rations."

He held up two fingers.

"You must reach the Central Tower within seven days."

"I will be waiting for you at the Central Tower. With the exception of certain special shinobi who are permitted to team up, everyone else will enter alone."

He scanned the group.

"Of course, what you encounter inside, or whether you run into others, is your own business."

"However!"

He emphasized his tone.

"The rule is, you must rely only on yourself."

Guy fell silent.

Crossing the Forest of Death alone.

Eight-year-old children.

Within seven days.

He turned his head to look at the forest.

Shrouded in mist, it was impossible to see what lay within.

But he could hear the occasional low growl.

Wild beasts.

Venomous insects.

Traps.

Mechanisms.

And if one were truly unlucky, they might even encounter spies from other villages.

After all, this is an era of war.

Although the Forest of Death is a training ground for Konoha, stragglers occasionally slip through into the outer perimeter.

Is it cruel?

Perhaps.

But failing here might still offer a chance at survival.

The battlefield, however, is only more brutal than this.

Guy takes a deep breath.

He suddenly remembers something.

He turns his head to look at the other side of the group.

Anko is bowing her head, frantically stuffing dango into her mouth.

Sneaking snacks again.

Guy looks at her bulging cheeks with a strange expression.

No wonder she held such a grudge against the Forest of Death later on...

Guy's mouth twitches.

So the root of it lies here.

Eight years old, alone, traversing the Forest of Death.

They didn't even give her a signal flare.

If he had encountered some unknown situation, he might have developed psychological trauma.

But Ikkaku Umino does not give everyone time to prepare.

Or rather, before coming here, he had already given everyone enough time to prepare.

He immediately begins issuing orders.

"Number one, Uchiha Obito. Step forward."

Uchiha Obito's body stiffens.

Then, he takes a deep breath and strides forward.

Ikkaku Umino looks at him.

"Remember, once you go in, head east. Do not look back. If you encounter danger, run if you can; if you can't run, hide. Do not fight recklessly."

Uchiha Obito nods.

"Yes."

Ikkaku Umino points to a small path behind him.

"Enter from there. Once inside, head deep into the woods. Everyone else, turn around, back to the entrance."

Everyone turns around.

Guy stands with his back to the path, listening to the footsteps coming from behind.

Uchiha Obito's footsteps.

At first, they are fast.

Then, they slow down.

When he reaches the edge of the woods, he pauses for a second.

And then—

He enters.

The sound of his footsteps is swallowed by the mist.

Ikkaku Umino leads the others a short distance forward.

"Number two, Asuma. Step forward."

Asuma walks up, glances at the group, and walks straight into the Forest of Death.

The others repeat the same actions as before.

Then comes the third, the fourth, the fifth...

One after another.

Before each person enters, Ikkaku Umino says the same thing.

"Head east. Do not look back. Run if you can, hide if you can. Do not fight recklessly."

After several rounds.

"Kurenai Yuhi, Nohara Rin."

Ikkaku Umino's voice rings out.

"The two of you, you may enter together."

Kurenai blinked.

Rin blinked as well.

Might Guy felt a weight lift from his heart.

Although he knew they likely wouldn't face any trouble, having the two of them together made him feel much more at ease.

Just as they reached the edge of the woods, Kurenai suddenly stopped.

She turned back.

Looking past rows of classmates who had their backs to her, she gazed at Might Guy.

Might Guy had his back to her.

But he knew Kurenai was watching him.

"Might Guy!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it rang out with startling clarity in the quiet line.

Might Guy's body stiffened.

But he didn't turn around.

Kurenai watched that green figure standing with his back to her.

She took a deep breath.

Then, she smiled.

It was an incredibly sweet smile.

"I'm going in now!"

She said.

"You hurry up and come too!"

Might Guy still didn't turn around.

But he gave a thumbs-up.

His left hand.

Held up beside his shoulder.

His teeth weren't showing, but Kurenai knew he must be grinning.

She turned.

Taking Rin by the hand.

The two small figures vanished into the mist.

Might Guy lowered his hand.

He followed Ikkaku Umino toward the next position.

One by one.

Until the very end.

"Number twenty-three, Might Guy. Step forward."

Might Guy turned.

He walked up.

Ikkaku Umino looked at him.

"Head east. Don't look back. Run if you can, hide if you can. Don't force a fight."

It was the same advice as before; Might Guy nodded.

"Yes."

He turned and walked toward the small path.

He took two steps.

Then suddenly stopped.

He looked back.

"Teacher Ikkaku."

Ikkaku Umino raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

Might Guy grinned.

He gave a thumbs-up.

His teeth flashed.

"Youth will not die in this forest!"

Ikkaku Umino froze for a moment.

Then he smiled.

It was the kind of smile he hadn't worn in a long time.

"Get lost." He waved his hand.

Guy turned around.

He strode into the mist.

Behind him, Ikkaku Umino stood where he was.

He watched that retreating figure vanish.

He looked up and glanced at the sky.

The mist had dispersed.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, spilling down.

Twenty-three people.

Twenty-three eight-year-old children.

Three days of rations.

Seven days of time.

Traverse the Forest of Death.

"I hope... they can all come out alive."

Ikkaku Umino looked at that stretch of woods and muttered to himself.