Tsunade ordered everyone to rest where they were.
The Genin from the various sides, who had been trudging along without pause, finally had a chance to rest.
One after another, they squatted or sat right where they stood, panting heavily without a thought for appearances.
After issuing the order, Tsunade turned and beckoned to Kakashi Hatake and the other members of the Konoha High Command.
The other four members of the Konoha High Command had no time to rest. They immediately followed Tsunade into the dense woods nearby.
Ye Chen adjusted his "surveillance" viewpoint and followed them closely.
It was precisely this special bout of "surveillance" that allowed Ye Chen to uncover some useful information.
The five from Konoha stopped shortly after entering the dense woods.
Tsunade pointed at the woods before them and asked:
"Do you think this place would make a suitable tournament venue?"
The other four froze, exchanging glances.
Then, with the "encouragement" of the other three, Kakashi Hatake voiced his honest thoughts.
"Lady Tsunade, you... aren't planning to open the Chunin Tournament with the 'Forest of Death' straight away, are you?"
Tsunade turned and nodded with a broad smile.
"We've traveled a long way to get here. It's only right to keep everything simple."
"The Forest of Death is the most effective way to eliminate contestants, and it'll save us plenty of time."
"Don't forget our real purpose in coming here."
At the words "real purpose," Ye Chen immediately focused and held his breath, waiting for what came next.
He knew very well that what followed could very likely concern whether the Hidden Jun Village would "survive."
Ye Chen had to pay particular attention to this.
Kakashi Hatake looked out over the area.
Pointing at the empty woods, he said:
"These woods cover a large enough