The second stage of the chunin ninja exams took place in the so-called Forest of Death. Hashirama Senju had originally created it with Wood Release as a training ground. Its intricate terrain made it a suitable choice for the chunin ninja exams, and after careful cultivation by the Inuzuka, Aburame, and other clans, it had become a habitat for venomous insects and ferocious beasts, making it extremely dangerous.
Precisely for that reason, it qualified as a proving ground for a ninja's abilities. Compared with a complicated battlefield, facing only creatures from the natural world in the Forest of Death was already relatively simple. Because death was a possibility, Konoha Ninja Village required the candidates to sign consent forms, confirming that they willingly accepted this condition before entering the forest.
Every country took the Joint Chunin Exams seriously. The ninja they sent had long since prepared themselves for death, so they signed their names without fear and entered the Forest of Death under the examiners' guidance.
The second stage emphasized teamwork within three-person squads. Because the Forest of Death's terrain was so intricate, even a squad that lacked strength could defeat a powerful one if it possessed distinctive abilities and made good use of them alongside the forest's unique environment.
Of course, this was the first time the Forest of Death had been opened. Not even the Konoha ninja knew what lay inside, let alone those from other countries. Tobirama had issued a gag order forbidding anyone from revealing specific details about the forest. One reason was to ensure fairness; another was that he wanted the Konoha ninja to receive proper training as well.
Thus, candidates who wanted to exploit the Forest of Death's terrain had to observe their surroundings and gather intelligence. The forest's environment was exceptionally well suited to