The Genin who had passed the first exam followed the wild examiner, Mitaraishi Anko-whose style could not have been more different from Ibiki Morino's-to Training Ground 44 on the outskirts of Konoha, also known as the "Forest of Death."
A towering wire fence completely sealed off a dense, primeval forest that stretched beyond sight. The air was thick with the smell of rotting earth and the rank odor peculiar to dangerous creatures. Even standing at the entrance, they could feel its oppressive atmosphere and hear unsettling hisses drifting from within.
"This is where you'll take the Second Exam!" Anko spread her arms, her brilliant smile carrying a hint of bloodlust. "Well? Doesn't just looking at it make you tremble with excitement?"
Quite a few Genin did turn pale and tremble at the sinister surroundings, but excitement had nothing to do with it.
Anko briefly explained the rules: the Scroll Scramble. The Heaven Scroll and the Earth Scroll. They had to collect a matching pair and reach the Tower at the center of the forest within five days. She also stressed that the forest teemed with poisonous insects and savage beasts, and even "things" more dangerous than those. And... deaths were permitted!
The brutal rules instantly chilled the atmosphere.
After signing the so-called "Consent Form"-in reality, a waiver accepting the risk of death-each squad received its scroll. Team 7 got an Earth Scroll, and the squads were sent to different entrances.
Standing before the iron gate at their assigned entrance, Naruto swallowed nervously, Sasuke's eyes were sharp, and Sakura's face was pale. Ling silently sensed the presence of things within the forest, his brow slightly furrowed.
[There's a strong presence of wildlife, but... something else seems to be mixed in. Unpleasantly cold chakra,] Tobirama warned. [Be careful. I can already faintly smell Orochimaru's stench. He's definitely slipped inside.]
The iron gate slowly rose.
"Go!" At the signal, every squad shot into the dark forest like arrows loosed from their bows!
The moment they entered the Forest of Death, the light dimmed. Towering trees blotted out the sky, while thick layers of fallen leaves and tangled roots covered the ground. The rustling of unknown creatures came from all around, along with faint screams and sounds of fighting in the distance. The atmosphere instantly grew tense and dangerous.
The four members of Team 7 raced through the trees, maintaining an alert formation with Naruto and Sasuke in front, Sakura in the middle, and Ling bringing up the rear.
"What do we do next?" Sakura asked nervously.
"Find somewhere to hide first and assess the situation," Sasuke decided calmly. "If we rush in blindly, we'll be easy targets for an ambush."
Though Naruto was itching for action, he knew Sasuke had a point.
They had not gone far, however, when Ling suddenly barked, "Stop! It's an ambush!"
Almost as soon as he spoke, several dark figures dropped from the treetops on either side! Kunai and shuriken whistled through the air toward them!
Naruto, who was out in front, instinctively tried to block with his still-unpolished taijutsu.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan in an instant and hurled shuriken with precision to intercept the attacks.
Ling formed hand seals with one hand. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" A small wall of water rose, blocking the attack from their flank.
Their attackers seemed to be a squad from some minor ninja village. They were not particularly strong, but they had used the terrain to launch a surprise attack.
"Take them down!" Sasuke said coldly, charging in first. His Sharingan let him read their movements with ease, and his kunai flashed coldly.
Naruto shouted and used the Shadow Clone Technique to disrupt the enemy's formation.
Ling did not join the direct assault. Instead, he moved around the edge of the battlefield, using the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique for precise ranged harassment and suppression while keeping his senses trained on their surroundings. With his support, the skirmish ended quickly. They knocked out the attacking squad and took its scroll-unfortunately, another Earth Scroll.
"Tch. All that work for nothing." Naruto pursed his lips.
"Keep moving. Stay alert." Sasuke flicked the blood from his kunai.
Over the next half day, they encountered several more attacks and traps, making it through with some close calls but no serious trouble. Yet they still failed to find a squad carrying a Heaven Scroll. The dangers in the forest went far beyond the other examinees. Huge poisonous insects, cleverly disguised man-eating plants, and even acid-spitting lizards continually drained their strength and energy.
Toward evening, they found a relatively dry cave where they could rest for a while. Naruto took charge of starting a fire-and nearly set the cave ablaze. Sakura treated some minor scrapes, Sasuke stood guard at the entrance, and Ling closed his eyes to recover his chakra while extending his senses as far as possible.
[To the southwest, about a kilometer away, there's an extremely well-concealed but unusually powerful chakra presence moving fast... its direction... it's coming toward us!] Tobirama's voice abruptly grew urgent and grave. [He's here! It's Orochimaru! Watch out!]
Ling's eyes snapped open, and he barked, "Something's coming! It's incredibly fast-and incredibly strong!"
Sasuke immediately tensed, pushing his Sharingan to its limit. Naruto and Sakura also readied themselves for battle.
But it was already too late!
An indescribably terrifying wave of killing intent instantly flooded the entire cave! Cold, thick, and brimming with bloodthirsty malice, it was so powerful that they could barely breathe, their limbs stiffening!
Thud! Sakura was the first to buckle, collapsing to the ground with terror in her eyes. Naruto trembled all over, drenched in cold sweat, barely able to remain standing. Sasuke's Sharingan spun frantically, but his body also shook beyond his control. That killing intent brought back memories of the night his clan had been slaughtered!
Only Ling, though pale and under immense pressure himself, could still think clearly and move, supported by Tobirama's powerful Soul Power. He formed hand seals in an instant!
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A thick wall of water sealed the cave entrance!
But in the very next instant!
Riiip-!
The water wall was torn apart as easily as paper! A long, slender tongue wrapped around the Kusanagi Sword shot inside at a speed almost impossible to follow with the naked eye, aiming straight for Sasuke!
"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, but there was no time for him to react.
Sasuke tried with all his might to dodge, but the killing intent and the attack's speed left him utterly helpless!
At that critical instant!
Ling lunged forward and knocked Sasuke aside, his hands simultaneously racing through hand seals!
"Water Release: Water Mirror Barrier!"
A denser water shield appeared before him in an instant, its surface smooth as a mirror and slightly distorting the light!
Clang!!!
The tip of the Kusanagi Sword slammed into the Water Mirror Barrier with a piercing crash! The barrier rippled violently, fine cracks spreading across it, but it did not shatter immediately! It successfully deflected the strike!
"Oh?" A cold, hoarse voice drifted from the darkness outside the cave, tinged with surprise and intense interest.
The attack paused, but the terrifying killing intent did not diminish in the slightest.
A figure slowly emerged from the dark forest. He had skin as pale as a snake's, golden eyes with vertical pupils, and long black hair. A chilling aura radiated from him, making their skin crawl. He extended his long tongue and licked his lips, first fixing a burning gaze on the still-shaken Sasuke before slowly shifting it to Ling, who stood in front of him.
"How surprising... Water Release so pure and solid..." Orochimaru's golden, serpentine eyes brimmed with the greed and curiosity of someone who had discovered a new toy. "You little brat from the Hatake Clan... you seem... more interesting than I imagined..."
A terrifying sense of danger coiled around everyone in the cave like an icy snake.
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