In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
The outskirts of the Forest of Death.
The morning mist had yet to clear. Twenty-three figures stood in neat rows outside the perimeter.
No one chatted.
No one whispered.
Even Obito, usually the most restless of them all, wore a tense expression now, staring straight at the mist-shrouded forest ahead.
Guy stood toward the back of the group.
Half a year.
A whole half a year.
He lowered his eyes and looked at his hands.
They were even thicker than they had been six months ago.
Calluses layered over calluses, his knuckles prominent.
At some point, he had shot up in height, too.
At least, when he was measured three months ago, he was already 168 centimeters tall.
Now he was probably a little over 170.
The big cleaver was strapped to his back.
Standing among a group of eight-year-olds, he looked like an oddity.
He had used the bandit chief's blade for half a year. A few new chips marked the blade, but its edge was still sharp.
He had replaced the twine around the handle three times. It now gleamed from the oils of his hands.
He raised his eyes and glanced over the people in front of him.
They had all changed quite a bit.
Obito stood in the front row.
He was taller, his shoulders broader. His face still had that same punchable look, but his gaze was steadier than before.
Rin stood beside Obito.
Her brown hair had grown a little longer, and she had tied it into a small braid that hung over her shoulder.
A medical kit had been added to her waist. It bulged with supplies; who knew how much medicine she had packed inside?
Ebisu had gotten a new pair of sunglasses, the lenses a little thicker than before.
Yamashiro Aoba stood beside him. He wasn't holding any crow feathers, and his hands were empty, but his knuckles were callused.
He had spent a lot of time practicing shuriken over the past six months.
Even the cocky Asuma had become much more composed.
Of course, Gekko Hayate's face was even paler, and he had grown thinner still.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he'd been starved for the past six months.
The others were more or less the same.
Guy drew his gaze back and looked toward the front of the group.
Kurenai stood there.
Her black curls were a little longer than they had been six months ago, falling to her shoulders.
She was taller, too. Standing beside Rin, she was only half a head shorter.
She wore a dark training outfit, with a kunai pouch at her waist.
This was the first time Guy had seen her in half a year.
Kurenai seemed to sense his gaze and turned her head slightly.
Their eyes met.
The corners of Kurenai's lips lifted, and she smiled at him.
It wasn't the shy, blushing smile she'd given him six months ago, her head bowed.
It was a different kind of smile.
Open and unreserved.
Her eyes curved into crescents.
Then she turned back and continued watching what lay ahead.
Guy froze for a moment.
We haven't seen each other in half a year. Has she gotten a lot bolder?
He remembered that quick kiss in the woods that day.
And the words—
"Do you... like me?"
Guy's lips twitched.
He shoved the thought out of his mind.
Now wasn't the time to think about that.
Ikkaku Umino stood at the very front of the group.
He wore a Chunin flak jacket, and his expression was ten times more serious than usual.
He wasn't holding a notebook.
His hands were empty.
"Is everyone here?"
He glanced over them.
All twenty-three stood in neat rows.
No one was late.
Ikkaku nodded.
"Good."
He turned and pointed toward the mist-shrouded forest behind him.
"Do you know what this place is?"
The group fell silent, and Ikkaku continued without waiting for an answer:
"The Forest of Death."
"Konoha's Training Ground Forty-Four. It's twenty kilometers in diameter, with a tower at the center."
"Wild beasts, poisonous insects, toxic plants, and traps and mechanisms set by generations of Konoha ninja live inside."
"Every year, Genin die in there."
Ikkaku's voice was calm, but each word landed in their hearts like a stone.
The group grew even quieter.
Someone swallowed.
Ikkaku continued.
"Your final mission before graduation is to cross the Forest of Death!"
He raised one hand, holding up a finger.
"You may bring only three days' worth of rations."
He held up a second finger.
"You have seven days to reach the Central Tower."
"I'll be waiting for you at the Central Tower. Aside from a few special ninja who may team up, everyone else will enter alone."
He glanced over the group.
"Of course, what you encounter inside, and whether you run into anyone else, is up to you."
"But!"
His tone sharpened.
"The rule is that you can only rely on yourselves."
Guy fell silent.
Cross the Forest of Death alone.
Eight-year-old children.
Within seven days.
He turned to look at the forest.
Mist shrouded the trees, hiding whatever lay within.
But every so often, he could hear a low growl.
Wild beasts.
Poisonous insects.
Traps.
Mechanisms.
And, if they were really unlucky, spies from other villages.
After all, it was wartime.
Though the Forest of Death was Konoha's training ground, the occasional enemy slipped through its outer perimeter.
Was it cruel?
Maybe.
But if they failed here, they might still survive.
The battlefield would only be more brutal.
Guy took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
He turned to look at the other side of the group.
Anko had her head lowered, frantically stuffing dumplings into her mouth.
Sneaking food again.
Guy looked at her stuffed cheeks, his expression turning odd.
No wonder she held such a grudge against the Forest of Death later...
Guy's lips twitched.
So this is where it started.
Eight years old, alone, crossing the Forest of Death.
They hadn't even given her a signal flare.
If he ran into the wrong unknown situation, he might end up traumatized, too.
But Ikkaku gave them no time to prepare.
Or rather, he had already given them plenty of time to get ready beforehand.
He immediately began calling them forward.
"Number one, Uchiha Obito. Step out."
Obito's body stiffened.
Then he took a deep breath and strode forward.
Ikkaku looked at him.
"Remember, once you're inside, head east. Don't look back. If you run into danger, run if you can. If you can't, hide. Don't fight head-on."
Obito nodded.
"Yes."
Ikkaku pointed to a small path behind him.
"Go in that way. Once you're inside, head deeper into the forest. Everyone else, turn around and face away from the entrance."
Everyone turned around.
With his back to the path, Guy listened to the footsteps behind him.
Obito's footsteps.
At first, they were quick.
Then they slowed.
When he reached the edge of the forest, he paused for a second.
Then—
He went in.
The mist swallowed the sound of his footsteps.
Ikkaku led the others forward a short distance.
"Number two, Asuma. Step out."
Asuma stepped forward, glanced at everyone, then went straight into the Forest of Death.
The others repeated the same actions as before.
Then came number three, number four, number five...
One after another.
Before each person entered, Ikkaku said the same thing.
"Head east. Don't look back. Run if you can, hide if you can. Don't fight head-on."
After several rounds.
"Yamashiro Aoba, Ebisu."
Ikkaku's voice rang out.
"You two can go in together."
Kurenai blinked.
Rin blinked too.
Guy felt a weight lift from his heart.
He knew they probably wouldn't run into any trouble, but having them go in together put him much more at ease.
Just as the two girls were nearing the edge of the woods, Kurenai suddenly stopped.
She turned around.
Through row after row of classmates standing with their backs to her, she looked at Guy.
Guy had his back to her.
But he knew Kurenai was looking at him.
"Guy!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it rang out clearly in the quiet line.
Guy froze.
But he didn't turn around.
Kurenai looked at the green figure with his back to her.
She took a deep breath.
Then she smiled.
Her smile was especially sweet.
"I'm going in first!"
She called.
"Hurry up and come join me!"
Guy still didn't turn around.
But he gave her a thumbs-up.
With his left hand.
Held beside his shoulder.
His teeth weren't showing, but Kurenai knew he was smiling.
She turned around.
And took Rin's hand.
The two small figures disappeared into the mist.
Guy lowered his hand.
Then followed Ikkaku Umino toward the next position.
One by one.
Until at last—
"Number twenty-three, Might Guy. Step forward."
Guy turned around.
And walked up.
Ikkaku Umino looked at him.
"Head east. Don't look back. Run if you can, hide if you can. Don't pick a fight you can't win."
It was the same advice as before. Guy nodded.
"Yes, sir."
He turned and headed toward the narrow path.
He took two steps.
Then suddenly stopped.
And looked back.
"Teacher Umino."
Ikkaku Umino raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Guy grinned.
And gave him a thumbs-up.
His teeth flashed.
"Youth doesn't die in the Forest of Death!"
Ikkaku Umino froze for a moment.
Then he laughed.
It was the kind of laugh he hadn't let out in a long time.
"Get going." He waved him off.
Guy turned around.
And strode into the mist.
Behind him, Ikkaku Umino stood where he was.
Watching that figure disappear.
He raised his head and glanced at the sky.
The mist had cleared.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and spilled down.
Twenty-three people.
Twenty-three eight-year-old children.
Three days' worth of provisions.
Seven days.
To cross the Forest of Death.
"Hope... they all make it out alive."
Ikkaku Umino gazed at the woods and murmured to himself.