The Start of the Forest of Death

"This is the venue for the second exam—Training Ground 44."

Mitarashi Anko stood with her back to the ink-green forest that blotted out the sky, her black trench coat snapping in the morning breeze.

She pointed a finger at the primeval jungle, which was tightly enclosed by wire fencing, and a flamboyant smirk curled the corner of her mouth.

"Its alias: the Forest of Death."

"You'll be experiencing its terror soon enough~"

Uzumaki Naruto pinched his throat, mimicking Anko's tone in a grotesque fashion while wiggling his hips. He shouted with a face that practically begged for a punch, "Stop trying to scare us! It's just a patch of overgrown woods, I, Uzumaki Naruto, am not afraid at all!"

The entire area fell silent in an instant.

Standing in the crowd, Takuma silently covered his face. Here it comes, here it comes! The classic death-seeking scene from the original story! I knew this guy couldn't keep his mouth shut! Are you tired of living, kid, or do you think your protagonist halo works like a bulletproof vest?

Anko turned her head slowly to look at Naruto.

The smile on her face didn't fade; instead, it grew even sweeter and more gentle.

"Is that so? You certainly have a lot of energy."

Before the words had even faded, a cold light flashed.

A kunai tore through the air, whistling with lethal force as it headed straight for Naruto's face! Naruto's pupils contracted; he didn't even have time to raise his hands to block.

The kunai grazed his left cheek, slicing off a few strands of blond hair and leaving a shallow, bloody scratch on his skin. Beads of blood welled up instantly.

Naruto froze in place, his hand still raised in mid-air.

The next second, Anko's figure appeared behind him without warning.

She reached out to cup his cheek, her fingertips brushing against the bloodstain as she spoke slowly, "Careless brats usually die the fastest."

She leaned close to the boy's ear, her voice carrying a hint of morbid pleasure, "I love... this kind of bright red blood the most."

Naruto's hair stood on end, and he stiffened like a wooden stake.

Just then, a very light sound of footsteps came from the side.

A Rain Ninja wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat walked out slowly, his dusty robe obscuring most of his frame.

He bent down to pick up the kunai that had been dropped, and an impossibly long tongue flicked out from under his hood, coiling around the handle and handing it back to Anko.

"You dropped your kunai."

Anko frowned slightly, took the weapon, and her tone turned colder, "Don't stand behind me with killing intent. If I kill you by mistake, don't blame me."

"Apologies." The Rain Ninja's voice carried a trace of eerie excitement, "I just can't help but get excited when I see blood... especially the moment hair is severed."

With that, he retreated slowly back into the crowd, dissolving into the shadows like a drop of water, leaving no further sound.

The queue was deathly silent.

Many examinees turned pale, their breathing becoming shallow.

Naruto touched the wound on his face, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Anko scanned the examinees, and after confirming the headcount was correct, she cleared her throat.

"The rules for the second exam are simple... the Heaven and Earth Scrolls battle. Each team will be assigned one scroll, either 'Heaven' or 'Earth.' Your mission is to collect both scrolls and reach the tower in the center of the training ground alive within five days."

Anko paused, her tone turning dangerous, "The Forest of Death has everything: wild beasts, poisonous insects, traps, and your opponents. You must provide your own food and equipment, and handle your own medical needs."

"Now, each team come forward to collect your scrolls."

Takuma took the scroll and retreated to the edge of the formation.

Yakumo's expression was not looking good.

Her knuckles were white as she gripped the scroll, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Tetsu remained in his usual silent state.

Anko raised her arm high, paused briefly, and then swung it down sharply.

"The second exam, officially begins!"

The wire mesh gate at the entrance was pulled open.

Several figures flashed into the forest simultaneously, disappearing into the dense canopy within a few breaths.

Those who rushed to the front on the first day were either hot-blooded idiots like Naruto with too much energy, or ruthless characters prepared to hunt down isolated teams.

Regardless of which, there was no need to clash with them head-on.

The Forest of Death lived up to its name.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and beneath the layered canopy, the light was as dim as twilight.

Intertwined roots were covered in thick moss, and the air was filled with the damp scent of rotting leaves and soil.

In the distance, the low growls of beasts could be heard, mixed with the sound of metal clashing from an unknown direction—some teams had already started fighting.

Yakumo's breathing became noticeably faster after entering the forest.

It wasn't a matter of stamina, but nerves; her hands were gripped tightly around the scroll.

Takuma walked at the front to clear the path, with Tetsu bringing up the rear; the three maintained a tight and orderly formation.

After walking for about ten minutes, the surroundings gradually quieted down, leaving only the rustling of the three stepping on fallen leaves and the faint sound of flowing water in the distance.

The deeper they went into the forest, the darker it became. The canopy overhead almost completely blocked the sunlight, with only a few scattered beams of light shining in diagonally.

Takuma suddenly stopped.

Something with clear hostile intent was approaching.

This time, it wasn't the vague feeling of being watched from the entrance, but killing intent so close it felt like someone was pressing a blade against the back of his neck. His Spider-Sense had activated.

"Ambush." Takuma raised a hand to signal the others to stop, his voice very low.

Tetsu formed hand seals, his speed so fast that Takuma could barely track them.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

A thick wall of earth rose from the ground with a boom, blocking the three of them.

Almost at the same moment, three kunai tore through the air from the dense woods on the left.

The kunai embedded themselves into the earth wall with three dull thuds.

Immediately after, two shuriken followed, bypassing the wall from different angles to strike at their positions. Tetsu had anticipated the width of the wall, and the angles of the shuriken were all blocked by the wall's coverage.

Takuma leaned out from the edge of the wall, his gaze sweeping quickly across the canopy to the front left.

The light was dim and figures were hard to distinguish, but his Spider-Sense was precise enough to pinpoint the direction of the malice.

He caught the slight movement of two blurry human silhouettes in the canopy, plus a dark mass higher up—a standard triangular ambush formation.

"Three people, strength unknown," Takuma reported in a low voice, "One observing from above, two in the middle layer."

Tetsu didn't reply; his arm muscles tensed again, and the thickness of the Earth Flow Wall increased by another layer.

Yakumo had already unfolded her scroll, the sound of her charcoal pencil scratching against the paper rapid and rhythmic.

Her breathing, however, had steadied. Once she entered a combat state, her previous tension was replaced by focus.

The ambushers in the woods clearly realized their sneak attack had failed.

After a brief silence, a figure leaped down from the canopy and landed in front of the earth wall.

He wore a Rain Ninja headband.

The Rain Ninja grinned, revealing jagged, uneven teeth, "Nice reaction, but it's useless. Hand over the scroll, and you can suffer a little less."

Takuma stepped out from behind the earth wall to meet him.

His Spider-Sense was clearly transmitting information to his nerves: the Rain Ninja in front had the highest concentration of malice, while the two in the canopy were moving slowly, attempting to flank them from both sides.

His thoughts raced, but he put on a relaxed expression.

"You guys are from Amegakure?" Takuma asked casually, "I heard it rains every day over there. Do you have to moisture-proof your ninja tools? If your explosive tags get damp, they'll probably just make a 'pop' sound when you throw them."

The Rain Ninja's smile stiffened.

That was the moment Takuma had been waiting for.

His left hand, hidden behind his back, made a gesture that only Tetsu and Yakumo could see—a tactical signal they had agreed upon during their pre-exam training.

Prepare to strike.