"This is the site of the second exam—the Training Ground 44."
Mitaraishi Anko stood with her back to a vast sea of dark green trees. Her black coat flapped in the morning breeze.
She pointed at the primeval forest behind her, enclosed by a tall wire fence, and flashed a bold smile.
"It's also known as the Forest of Death."
"You'll soon find out just how terrifying it is~"
Uzumaki Naruto pinched his voice into a comical imitation of Anko's tone. He wiggled his hips twice, then shouted with an obnoxious grin, "Don't try to scare us! It's just a crappy forest. I, Uzumaki Naruto, am not afraid one bit!"
The entire crowd fell silent.
Standing among them, Takuma silently covered his face. Here it comes! The classic scene where someone gets himself killed! I knew this guy wouldn't be able to hold back! Do you have a death wish, or do you think your protagonist's plot armor can stop bullets?
Anko slowly turned to look at Naruto.
Her smile didn't fade. If anything, it grew sweeter and gentler.
"Is that so? You certainly have a lot of energy."
Before she had finished speaking, a flash of cold light streaked by.
A kunai cut through the air with a sharp whistle, heading straight for Naruto's face! His pupils contracted, and he didn't even have time to raise his hands to block it.
The kunai grazed his left cheek, cutting off a few strands of blond hair and leaving a shallow scratch on his skin. A bead of blood immediately welled up.
Naruto froze in place, one hand still raised in midair.
The next moment, Anko appeared behind him without warning.
She grabbed Naruto's cheek and brushed her fingertips over the cut, then spoke slowly. "Careless brats are usually the first to die."
Leaning close to the boy's ear, she spoke with a trace of sick delight. "I love... this bright red blood."
Every hair on Naruto's body stood on end. He went rigid as a wooden post.
Just then, the faintest footsteps came from behind them and to the side.
A Grass Ninja wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat emerged at an unhurried pace. His dusty gray robe concealed most of his figure.
He bent to pick up the kunai that had fallen to the ground. An unnaturally long tongue slid out from beneath his hood, curled around the handle, and offered it to Anko.
"You dropped your kunai."
Anko frowned slightly as she took it, her tone turning cold. "Don't stand behind me with killing intent. If I accidentally kill you, don't blame me."
"Sorry." The Grass Ninja's voice carried a strange excitement. "When I see blood, I can't help getting excited... especially when someone's hair gets cut off."
With that, he slowly retreated into the crowd, like a drop of water disappearing into shadow. Then he fell silent.
The line of examinees was utterly still.
Quite a few had gone pale, and even their breathing grew faint.
Naruto touched the wound on his face, unable to recover for a long moment.
Anko swept her gaze over the examinees, confirmed that everyone was present, and cleared her throat.
"The rules for the second exam are simple... a battle to seize the Heaven and Earth Scrolls. Each team will receive one scroll, either Heaven or Earth. Your task is to collect both scrolls, then reach the tower at the center of the training ground alive within five days."
Anko paused, her tone turning dangerous. "The Forest of Death is full of all kinds of things: wild beasts, poisonous insects, traps, and your opponents. Bring your own food and equipment. You're responsible for your own medical care."
"Now, each team come forward in turn to receive your scroll."
Takuma took the scroll and returned to the edge of the group.
Yakumo didn't look well.
Her fingers gripped the scroll so tightly they had gone slightly pale, and her lips were pressed into a thin line.
Tetsu still wore his usual silent expression.
Anko raised her arm high, paused briefly, then swung it down.
"The second exam officially begins!"
The wire gate at the entrance was pulled open.
Several figures rushed into the forest at once, vanishing among the dense treetops within seconds.
Those who rushed ahead on the first day were either hot-blooded idiots with too much energy, like Naruto, or ruthless types planning to hunt down lone teams.
Either way, there was no need to take them on headfirst.
The Forest of Death lived up to its name.
Towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, and beneath their layered canopy, the light was as dim as dusk.
Thick moss covered the tangled roots, and the air was heavy with the damp smell of fallen leaves and soil.
The distant growl of beasts mingled with the clanging of metal from some unknown direction. Some teams had already clashed.
Yakumo's breathing grew noticeably quicker after they entered the forest.
It wasn't from exertion. She was nervous, her hands gripping the scroll tightly.
Takuma took the lead, clearing the way, with Tetsu behind him. The three kept a close, orderly formation.
After about ten minutes, the surroundings gradually grew quiet. All that remained was the rustle of their footsteps through the leaves and the faint sound of running water in the distance.
The deeper they went into the forest, the darker it became. The canopy almost completely blocked the sunlight, with only a few scattered beams slanting through.
Takuma suddenly stopped.
A presence radiating clear hostility was drawing near.
This wasn't the vague feeling of being watched they'd experienced at the entrance. This was killing intent, close enough to feel like someone was pressing a knife to the back of his neck. His Spider-Sense had kicked in.
"Ambush." Takuma raised a hand to signal the others to stop, keeping his voice low.
Tetsu formed Hand Seals with both hands, moving so quickly that Takuma could barely follow.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."
A thick earthen wall thundered up from the ground, blocking the three of them.
At almost the exact same moment, three kunai shot out of the woods to their left.
They struck the wall with three dull thuds.
Two more shuriken followed, curving around the wall from different angles toward the trio's positions. Tetsu had made the wall wide enough in advance, so the shuriken's trajectories fell entirely within its protection.
Takuma leaned out from the edge of the wall and quickly scanned the treetops to the front left.
The light was dim, and the figures were hard to make out, but his Spider-Sense could pinpoint the direction of their hostility.
He caught sight of two indistinct human silhouettes shifting in the canopy, and a darker shape higher up—a standard triangular ambush formation.
"Three of them. Unknown strength," Takuma reported in a low voice. "One's watching from above, and two are in the middle."
Tetsu didn't reply. The muscles in his arms tensed again, and he thickened the Earth Wall by another layer.
Yakumo had already unrolled the scroll. Her charcoal pencil moved across the paper in a quick, steady rhythm.
Her breathing had actually calmed. Once she was in combat, her earlier nervousness gave way to focus.
The ambushers in the forest had clearly realized their sneak attack had failed.
After a brief silence, a figure leapt down from the treetops and landed in front of the earthen wall.
The Forehead Protector of Amegakure.
The Rain Ninja grinned, revealing crooked teeth. "Nice reflexes, but it won't do you any good. Hand over the scroll, and you'll suffer less."
Takuma stepped out from behind the wall and went to meet him.
His Spider-Sense clearly conveyed the information to his nerves. The Rain Ninja in front of him had the strongest killing intent, while the two in the treetops were slowly moving, trying to flank them from both sides.
His thoughts raced, but he put on a relaxed expression.
"You're from Amegakure?" Takuma asked casually. "I hear it rains there every day. Do you have to waterproof your ninja tools? If an Explosive Tag gets damp, all it'll do is make a noise when you throw it."
The Rain Ninja's smile stiffened.
That was exactly the moment Takuma had been waiting for.
Behind his back, he made a hand signal only Tetsu and Yakumo could see—the tactical cue the three of them had agreed on during their pre-exam training.
Get ready to move.
Before you continue