The Advantage Is Mine Again

The Forest of Death was vast. Kishimoto probably had no concrete concept of scale, because according to the original story, this forest had a radius of ten kilometers—meaning an area of 314 square kilometers, roughly equivalent to 44,000 standard soccer fields.

In such a boundless sea of trees, releasing a little over a hundred examinees failed to stir even the slightest ripple.

The entire forest featured seven entrances in total, with each entrance assigned eight squads. The Genin from various nations entered in batches, instantly blending into the deathly silent dense woods.

In the East Area 2 entrance zone, Nara Tsukimi, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi were the last to enter. The three had just stepped into the forest and had yet to move deeper when the surrounding air abruptly grew heavy.

Over a dozen strands of chakra carrying intense hostility locked onto the three of them from all directions at once, like an invisible net.

Without any probing or roundabout intentions, those six squads from other villages began closing in on this side at almost the exact same moment.

The branches and leaves in the forest rustled softly. Figures stepped out from the woods, and apart from another Konoha squad, the remaining six teams gathered here entirely—totaling eighteen elite Genin.

They made no effort to conceal their killing intent, their gazes icy as they surrounded the Tsukimi squad tightly.

Facing a six-to-one encirclement, ordinary Genin aside, looking across all examinees of this year, anyone besides Sasori with his Jonin-level strength and Yugito with her unknown trump card would have only two choices upon coming here: either run or die.

Unfortunately, they had run into a variable outside the plan—a cheater!

Tsukimi and his two teammates stood inside the encirclement, still wearing languid expressions without a shred of panic. In