The second day of the Chunin Ninja Exams.
Outside the Forest of Death.
The Genin who had passed the One Exam gathered there, waiting for the Second Match Exam to begin.
Perhaps it was the change of venue, but most of those present sensed that the atmosphere of the Second Exam was different. Most candidates kept their distance from one another, wary and watchful.
Under these circumstances, the Konoha Genin gathered together stood out conspicuously.
Konoha had the most candidates who passed the One Exam to begin with. As the other villages spread out, they happened to surround the Konoha Genin in the middle.
"Everyone's here, huh? You're all pretty well-behaved, knowing to arrive early!"
As the appointed time arrived, Mitaraishi Anko suddenly appeared.
Just as in the One Exam, a row of assistant examiners appeared simultaneously using the Body Flicker Technique, lining up behind Mitaraishi Anko.
Unlike the One Exam, however, twenty of the assistant examiners wore matching Konoha flak jackets and masks bearing the character for "man."
"What does that mean?"
Some candidates murmured among themselves, but Sasuke and Hinata were immediately startled.
She could not help exchanging a glance with Sasuke, confirming that he was thinking the same thing.
These people looked like the Anbu who had been captured at the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Of everyone present, only those two had encountered that group of Anbu and knew what had gone wrong with Konoha's Anbu.
But why were they here at the Chunin Ninja Exams when they should have been receiving treatment?
After a quick look, Hinata confirmed from their heights that Naruto was not among the masked examiners, though she could not rule out the possibility that they had all used the Transformation Technique.
Mitaraishi Anko did not immediately explain the examiners' presence. Instead, she smiled