Chapter 31: The Forest of DeathThe Second Exam Begins
Noon of the following day.
Outside Training Ground 44—the Forest of Death—the twenty-six teams and seventy-eight genin who had passed the first exam gathered in anxious anticipation.
Mitarashi Anko stood before them, explaining the exam's structure with her characteristic lazy menace. Her tone, dripping with condescension, proved too much for Naruto. He couldn't resist mimicking her.
A kunai buried itself in the log beside his head, centimeters from his ear. The lesson was delivered.
Then followed a strange exchange between Anko and a hooded figure among the candidates—a reunion of master and apprentice, though neither acknowledged it openly.
The "Death Waivers" were distributed.
Twenty-six teams. Seventy-eight genin. Each would sign away their lives before entering.
The second exam was extreme survival. But not simple survival—combat survival, centered on scroll acquisition.
Each team would receive either a Heaven scroll or an Earth scroll. Their mission: collect both scrolls and reach the central tower within the time limit.
To gather both, they would need to take from other teams. Conflict was inevitable.
Given the tense relationships between hidden villages, the death rate would undoubtedly be high. Hence the waivers.
The exam duration: one hundred twenty hours. Five full days.
Team 8 submitted their signed waivers, received their assigned scroll, and proceeded to Entrance 5.
Five minutes before the exam officially began, Ryuzen glanced at the Earth scroll in his hand, then passed it to Hinata for safekeeping.
Shino spoke calmly. "My insects indicate the team closest to us carries the Heaven scroll."
Ryuzen nodded. "We'll acquire both scrolls quickly and reach the central tower. No need to waste time in this place—wild beasts, poisonous insects, treacherous terrain."
"Understood." Hinata and Shino responded in unison.
At exactly 14:30, the guards opened Entrance 5's iron gate.
Into the Forest
Towering trees swallowed the light as they entered.
Hinata activated her Byakugan immediately. The veins at her temples bulged as her vision expanded, covering a full kilometer in every direction.
"Five teams within range," she reported. "Two are fighting. Two are moving away quickly. One is moving slowly—that should be the team from Entrance 6. One of them has extremely large chakra."
Extremely large chakra.
Ryuzen considered the possibilities. Among all candidates, only three possessed truly enormous chakra reserves: two jinchūriki—Naruto and Gaara—and one impostor.
But Hinata knew Naruto's chakra signature from their Academy days. Team 7 had entered through Entrance 12, far from here.
The slow-moving team with massive chakra could only be Gaara's group.
Ryuzen turned to Shino. "Which team carries the Heaven scroll?"
Shino didn't answer verbally. Instead, he leaped to a treetop and began leading the way.
Ryuzen and Hinata followed.
First Contact
Nearly twenty minutes of travel brought them to their target.
Before Shino could report, Hinata's Byakugan had already identified the opposition. "Ryuzen-kun. A team ahead—their headbands mark them as Amegakure."
"Let's finish this quickly."
Ryuzen's figure blurred forward, Kenbunshoku Haki already locked onto the three Rain genin ahead.
Two minutes later, Team 8 emerged from the forest.
The three Amegakure genin, huddled together discussing something, immediately went on alert. When they spotted Konoha forehead protectors, their expressions shifted.
"Careful." The oldest—a man carrying an oxygen tank—spoke in a low voice. "That girl is Hyūga. The one in sunglasses is Aburame."
Another, burdened with several umbrellas, nodded grimly. "Konoha's famous clans."
Ryuzen showed no concern. His crimson eyes regarded them with calm disinterest.
"Three uncles." His voice carried no threat, only statement. "Would you hand over your Heaven scroll?"
The Rain ninja exchanged startled glances. "How do you know our scroll is Heaven?"
Suspicion colored their expressions. Had Konoha given their genin advance information?
Ryuzen sighed softly. "It doesn't matter. You weren't going to hand it over anyway."
His right hand settled on his sword's hilt.
"Three uncles... safe travels."
SWISH—
An afterimage. A flash of silver.
The lead Rain ninja opened his mouth to warn his comrades—
Sharp pain erupted at his waist.
Darkness claimed him before he could speak.
Six pieces of three bodies hit the forest floor. Blood dyed the soil crimson.
Shino observed the aftermath with his usual flat delivery. "Every time I see Ryuzen draw his sword, I'm grateful we're teammates, not enemies."
"Mm." Hinata nodded calmly.
Neither showed discomfort. For ninja, killing was unavoidable. And Ryuzen's swordsmanship had always been a technique forged for exactly this purpose.
Ryuzen retrieved the Heaven scroll from one body and straightened—
"Hey, kid. How about handing that scroll over?"
A familiar voice.
Team 8 turned.
From the forest emerged three figures—red-haired boy in the lead, two companions flanking him. A team from Sunagakure.
Gaara's team had arrived.
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