Forest of Death

After enjoying a hearty meal of ninja-world delicacies, Liuxia, Nawaki, and the others headed toward the results posting area with satisfied smiles. Their steps were light and their faces beamed with confidence; clearly, they were certain they had passed the Chunin Exams.

The results area was crowded with young ninjas, some nervous and others excited as they waited for the announcements. Liuxia, Nawaki, and their group, however, appeared exceptionally composed. They joked among themselves, their relaxed atmosphere forming a sharp contrast to the tension surrounding them.

"Look, the results are out!" Nawaki pointed at the bulletin board ahead, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

The group quickly crowded around, seeing the board densely packed with the names of those who had passed. Their eyes scanned the list rapidly, searching for their own names. None of them feared failure; after all, they were young geniuses, and gathering information had been a breeze. As expected, they had all passed.

"Attention! All teams that passed, please assemble at the original exam hall!"

The ninjas who had cleared the first round filed into the hall, preparing to face the next challenge. Liuxia, Nawaki, and the others followed the flow of people, their gazes sweeping across the room to observe the ninjas from other villages.

The seating in the hall was noticeably emptier than during the written exam that morning. Many seats were vacant, indicating that the first round had indeed eliminated a significant number of candidates.

"Looks like quite a few people were weeded out in the last round!" Upon entering, Nawaki noticed at a glance that compared to the packed room from the morning, there were now many gaps. Still, judging by the headbands, the number of Konoha genin remained dominant.

"Who knows what kind of dirty tricks you Konoha people pulled behind the scenes!"

A mocking female voice came from nearby. Turning around, they saw the speaker was a girl from a three-person Sunagakure team consisting of two girls and one boy. She had dark green hair tied into a cute bun, with yellow bangs framing her cheeks, giving her a playful and adorable look. Her figure was slender, and her classic oval face wore a look of disdain. Her light outfit highlighted a physique that was already beginning to mature. Most striking was the patch of snow-white skin exposed on her back, which made one want to take a second look; Liuxia even lamented that it was a pity not to use cupping therapy on it.

Liuxia didn't react to the girl's words. He felt that, given the elders' style, while they couldn't blatantly eliminate ninjas from other villages, it was possible they had been slightly lenient toward their own. He felt the girl looked familiar, though he couldn't quite place where he had seen her. However, Nawaki, standing beside him, could not tolerate an outsider slandering the hard work and glory of his grandfather—Konoha!

"What did you say! We in Konoha aren't like you Sunagakure people, always liking to pull dirty tricks behind other countries' backs," Nawaki retorted angrily.

"Bastard! Do you want a beating?" The girl didn't back down, glaring at Nawaki provocatively.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The gazes of other ninjas focused like searchlights on the dispute involving Pakura's team, with curiosity, confusion, and even schadenfreude intermingling in their eyes.

"Pakura, we aren't here to argue. There will be plenty of opportunities later to teach these Konoha ninjas a lesson."

Just as the sparks between the two began to fly, the boy beside Pakura stopped the situation from escalating further with a cold, detached voice.

"Rasa, don't you go putting on airs as the captain. You're so cowardly, I really don't know why the Kazekage chose you!"

"Ye, Rasa is only doing this for our own good. After all, this isn't Sunagakure. And you, Suna, don't be so cold to your teammates." The third girl in Pakura's team gently tugged at Pakura's sleeve, her gentle voice and attitude soothing the tense atmosphere like a spring breeze. Clearly, both of them listened to her; the two glared at each other but said no more.

"I'm truly sorry. We are ninjas from Sunagakure. You should know their names by now; my name is Karura!" The girl had sandy-brown shoulder-length hair, and her indigo eyes revealed infinite gentleness.

"It's fine, just a misunderstanding."

Liuxia felt these names were very familiar. A flash of insight struck his mind: weren't these Gaara's parents? And that unfortunate Sunagakure hero, Pakura, who was betrayed by her own village—they were actually on the same team.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen enough yet! Does your Konoha lack beautiful women?"

Pakura had long been annoyed by this boy who, while handsome, kept leering at her back, though she had previously been distracted by the round-faced boy.

"Quiet! I am Konoha Jonin Sarutobi Ryoma! Now, all candidates present, follow me!"

Sarutobi Ryoma began the assembly, and all the candidates' eyes focused on him. His voice carried a hint of severity; clearly, the upcoming exam was no small matter.

"This is the location for the second exam—Training Ground 44. Also known as the Forest of Death!" Sarutobi Ryoma's words echoed in the air, each syllable striking heavily upon the hearts of the candidates.

As Sarutobi Ryoma's voice fell, the entire area plunged into a deathly silence. Only his voice lingered in the air, as if even the wind had stopped blowing. Most of the candidates' eyes were filled with shock and unease; for many of them, this was the first time they had heard of this terrifying place.

Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death, was a place filled with the unknown and danger. A chill surged through the candidates' hearts. The Forest of Death was the site most frequently used for the Konoha Chunin Exams and one of the best outdoor venues for testing the comprehensive capabilities of genin teams.

At the entrance to the forest, the trees towered into the sky, their branches and leaves so dense that they barely let in any sunlight, as if nature had intentionally draped a mysterious veil over this land. The trunks were covered in the marks of time—moss that glowed with a faint, eerie green light in the dimness, appearing ancient and mysterious. The sunlight struggled to pierce through the heavy obstacles, casting only mottled shadows on the ground.

Occasionally, the roar of an unknown beast from deep within the forest broke the silence, making one's hair stand on end. Standing at the edge of the forest, the candidates could feel an invisible pressure slowly surging from the dark depths, as if countless eyes were watching them from the shadows.

Just as its name suggested, this forest held forces that could claim lives at any moment. But for these genin taking the Chunin Exams, more terrifying than the beasts that might appear at any time were the competitors who might pop out at any moment. They not only had to survive in the forest but also face challenges, struggles, and even slaughter from other candidates...

Sarutobi Ryoma continued to announce the rules, his voice clear and firm: "The rules for this assessment are simple: the Heaven and Earth Scroll battle. Each team present will be issued one scroll—either a Scroll of Heaven or a Scroll of Earth."

The candidates exchanged glances; they knew this would be a contest that tested both survival skills and combat techniques.

"Within five days, besides surviving in the Forest of Death, everyone must collect both scrolls and reach the destination—the tower at the center—before the deadline. Those who fail to arrive within the allotted time or fail to collect both scrolls will be eliminated. Teams that are not at full strength will also be eliminated. Finally, the scrolls must not be opened." Sarutobi Ryoma's words carried a hint of cruelty.

The candidates' hearts tightened; they knew the difficulty of this mission far exceeded any previous exam.

"To give you time to adapt, the teams here will be randomized and enter from different entrances."

"Now, come over and sign this consent form. Once signed, no one's life will be protected anymore; you are responsible for your own lives." Sarutobi Ryoma pointed to a table to the side, where a stack of consent forms lay.

The candidates lined up, one by one, to sign their names. Each stroke felt like adding a heavy weight to the scales of fate. The moment they signed, they realized they would have to rely entirely on their own strength to survive in this Forest of Death.

As the last candidate signed, Sarutobi Ryoma announced: "Then, the second stage of the Chunin Exams begins now!" His voice echoed at the forest entrance, as if blowing the horn of battle. All teams quickly entered from their assigned gates.

In this exam, entering earlier meant seizing the initiative. Whether it was setting up subsequent traps or familiarizing oneself with the environment to wait for an opportunity, time was essential!