Following the address on the scroll, the three passed through several dim corridors and descended several flights of stairs before finally reaching a hidden underground base.
This had once been one of Danzo's Root Bases, gloomy, cold, and untouched by daylight.
After Danzo was rescued, Tianyi had requisitioned it and converted it into the venue for the written portion of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
The entrance to the underground base was a heavy iron door. Its paint had peeled away in patches, exposing the rust-covered metal beneath.
As they pushed the door open, a damp, chilly draft struck their faces, carrying the mingled smells of rust and mildew.
Dim wall lamps hung every few meters along both sides of the corridor. Their dull yellow light flickered, casting wavering shadows across the floor.
Footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, each step seeming to land directly on their hearts.
At the end of the corridor lay a vast underground platform surrounded by rough rock walls. Several incandescent lamps hung overhead, bathing it in stark white light.
A group of candidates who had arrived earlier already stood on the platform, gathered in twos and threes.
Some conversed in low voices, some rested with their eyes closed, and others simply stood in silence, their wary gazes sweeping their surroundings.
Several dozen minutes later, another large wave of candidates poured in through the various entrances.
Footsteps, conversations, and the clatter of ninja tool pouches mingled together, echoing across the spacious underground platform.
Some looked composed, some had sweat beading on their foreheads, and some were still hurriedly reviewing their notes.
Just then, several iron doors in the wall at the front of the platform opened simultaneously.
Each iron door bore a number, from one to ten.
A cold, utterly emotionless male voice rang out across