...Anko quickly stepped up to the Third Hokage and asked:
"Hokage-sama! The sudden incident inside the Forest of Death has been basically contained; it's just... should this year's Chunin Exams continue? Please instruct us, Hokage-sama!"
Her voice rang out, immediately drawing the attention of every candidate present.
Everyone held their breath, eyes locking onto the Third Hokage, faces etched with tension and hope.
For most of them, the chance to take the Chunin Exams was hard-won; none of them wanted this accident to force them to quit halfway.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked over the crowd, saw the longing in their eyes, pondered a moment, and spoke:
"Regarding this unexpected incident during the Chunin Exams..."
He paused slightly, noticing that every ear had pricked up.
"Essentially, it was a battle among candidates of this year's Chunin Exam, within the scope of... normal competition during the exam!"
The moment the words fell, sharp gasps echoed across the field.
Countless gazes instinctively flicked toward the huge sand dune and the shattered forest beyond, then back at Tejima Shinichi standing there calmly and Gaara lying in Temari's arms... Not only did the candidates' facial muscles twitch, but even the expressions behind some Anbu masks turned exceedingly strange.
Normal competition?
A "normal competition" between two Genin candidates that shook the earth?
It was the most absurd definition of "normal" they'd ever heard.
This level of confrontation had long surpassed the realm of "Genin" or even "Chunin" strength.
They were willing to call it—the most intense Chunin Exam in the history of the hidden villages since their founding!!
As if Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't seen everyone's shocked expressions, he continued:
"However, because the scale of the battle did indeed exceed normal expectations, to ensure the safety of all candidates we intervened without authorization to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control and causing irreparable losses!"
He shifted his tone, looked toward Anko and the candidates, and formally issued the order:
"Now that the crisis has been resolved by the candidates themselves, the Chunin Exams should naturally proceed!"
"Anko Mitarashi, as Chief Proctor, I order you—continue the second stage of the Chunin Exams!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Anko accepted the order at once.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to the candidates and raised his voice: "And you? Are you willing to continue the exam?"
After a brief silence, a mixed but clear answer burst from the crowd.
"We'll continue!"
"We want to take part!"
"We've come this far—how can we give up now?"
The voices were uneven, but the will was unanimous.
At worst... when they ran into those two monsters they could simply toss away their scrolls and run.
Without any scrolls on them, surely those two monsters wouldn't bother chasing them down, right?
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
"Very well... then the exam continues. Anko, I'll leave this to you."
After giving the order, Hiruzen Sarutobi left quickly with the Anbu.
The full weight of the scene now rested on Chief Proctor Anko Mitarashi's shoulders.
Anko looked at the candidates, then at the surrounding edge of the ravaged battlefield, and couldn't help rubbing her temples and letting out a long sigh.
"Tch... what a pain," she muttered under her breath.
Who could have imagined an ordinary Chunin Exam escalating to this level.
Anko took a deep breath, pushed the distractions aside, and raised her voice:
"Since the Hokage has ordered the exam to continue, and because the earlier accident interrupted the proceedings, for fairness' sake..."
She swept her gaze across the crowd and announced:
"Scrolls obtained earlier remain valid. But everyone's starting point will be reshuffled under proctor guidance. From this moment on, the rules stay the same: within five days, bring a Heaven and Earth Scroll to the Central Tower!"
This arrangement stirred a buzz of discussion.
The candidates looked at one another and mostly accepted the plan. Keeping their earned scrolls meant their advantage was intact; they just needed to replot their routes and tactics.
For squads that hadn't yet obtained scrolls, this was also a new opportunity.
As for those two "monsters"... as long as they carefully avoided the areas where they were active, there was still a chance to complete the mission. After all, the forest was huge; the goal was simply to get the scrolls and reach the finish line, not to fight... Soon, under the guidance of the proctors, the second stage of the Chunin Exams began anew!
A Chunin proctor came up to Tejima Shinichi's team.
"Tejima Shinichi... your squad, follow me!"
The three followed the proctor through the trees and finally arrived at the edge of a woodland far from the previous battlefield.
The proctor stopped and turned to face them.
"All right, this is your squad's starting point. The other squads have also been scattered throughout the forest." He pointed into the deep forest. "The rules remain: bring a Heaven and Earth Scroll and reach the Central Tower within the time limit."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Tejima Shinichi's face for a moment, and offered a respectful:
"Good luck!"
With that, the proctor performed the Body Flicker Technique, leaping several times toward the Central Tower and soon vanishing from sight.
Only Tejima Shinichi, Kobayashi Takeshi, and Satō Yū remained.
Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū immediately moved to Tejima Shinichi's side.
"Shinichi," Kobayashi asked, "how are you? Has your chakra recovered at all?"
Satō Yū also studied Tejima Shinichi carefully; aside from his complexion being less ruddy than usual, she saw no obvious injuries.
Tejima Shinichi looked at his two teammates and gave a slight nod.
"No problem—just a bit of wear and tear."
Saying this, Tejima Shinichi crouched, pressed his fingers to the ground to activate a Sensing Technique, and closed his eyes:
"Let's continue with our original plan... blitz through this exam!"
Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū exchanged glances, both seeing determination and a spark of fighting spirit in each other's eyes. With a teammate like this, what did they have to worry about?
'Let's do it!'
"Got it!" the two answered in unison, instantly slipping into battle readiness.
Tejima Shinichi said no more. He stood, eyes locking onto the nearest squad in the forest.
"Go."
With that, the three figures melted into the dark woods.
...At a clearing not far from Tejima Shinichi's squad's new starting point.
A Kusagakure Genin squad was taking a short rest.
In the squad, a girl with brilliant red hair and glasses was leaning against a large tree, her body trembling slightly.
Her two male teammates, looking impatient, stood around her.
"Karin, stop dawdling!" urged a tall, thin Kusa ninja. "Our earlier fight with those other ninja used up a lot of chakra. Come on, let us replenish it!"
"Yeah," added a short, fat Kusa ninja, licking his lips. "You aren't injured anyway—don't waste your ability!"
Uzumaki Karin lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes, eyes behind her lenses filled with humiliation and reluctance.
Her unique constitution allowed others to bite her to quickly heal and replenish their chakra.
But every bite brought intense pain and the loss of her life force.
And her mother... had died from being drained...