Chapter 250: The Forest of Death
After briefly introducing himself, Morino Ibiki began rearranging the candidates.
Every three person team was separated, with teammates placed far enough apart that they could not easily communicate.
Once everyone had taken their assigned seats, Ibiki walked to the front of the classroom and wrote the examination rules across the blackboard.
Then he turned around.
"The written portion consists of ten questions."
His deep voice carried clearly through the room.
"Each question is worth one point. The tenth and final question will be given by me later."
Several candidates immediately became tense.
Ibiki continued.
"Points will be deducted for incorrect answers. More importantly, your result will not be judged individually."
He tapped the board.
"The scores of all three members of a team will be combined."
"If even one member receives zero points, the entire team fails."
His expression hardened.
"The same applies if you are caught cheating."
A heavy silence filled the classroom.
"You have one hour."
Ibiki looked over everyone present.
"Begin."
At once, pens began moving.
Naruto lowered his gaze to the examination paper.
Nine questions.
He read through the first.
Then the second.
Then the rest.
His expression remained unchanged.
For the current Naruto, none of them were particularly difficult.
Years of training under Asuramaru had done far more than improve his combat ability. Naruto had long since developed the patience to study things properly rather than merely relying on instinct.
He picked up his pen and began answering.
Before long, all nine questions were complete.
Naruto set his pen down.
Then came the boring part.
Waiting.
Around him, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed.
Some candidates stared at their papers with growing panic.
Others tried to discreetly gather information from nearby competitors.
A few were removed after being caught cheating.
Others simply lost confidence and withdrew.
One team after another disappeared from the examination hall.
The pressure only increased as time passed.
Eventually, Ibiki glanced toward the clock.
It was time.
"Stop."
The room fell silent.
Ibiki stepped forward.
"Everyone, look at me."
Naruto raised his eyes.
Ibiki crossed his arms.
"We have reached the tenth question."
The remaining candidates focused completely on him.
"Before I give you the question, you must make a choice."
His expression became severe.
"You may refuse to answer."
"If you do, you fail immediately."
Several candidates stiffened.
Ibiki continued.
"But if you choose to answer and get the question wrong, you will permanently lose the right to participate in the Chūnin Exams."
The classroom erupted.
"What?!"
"You can't be serious!"
"What kind of ridiculous rule is that?!"
One candidate even stood from his seat.
"How does that make any sense?"
Ibiki merely sneered.
"You are free to leave."
The room quieted slightly.
"No one is forcing you to answer."
His cold gaze swept across them.
"If you are afraid of losing your chance forever, then raise your hand and withdraw."
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then one hand rose.
A candidate gritted his teeth.
"I quit."
His teammates reacted immediately.
"What?"
"Are you serious?"
But it was already done.
The three left.
That broke the tension.
Another hand rose.
Then another.
One team after another withdrew from the exam.
Some candidates looked furious.
Others looked ashamed.
Several simply could not risk losing the chance to ever become Chūnin.
Naruto watched quietly.
He had no intention of leaving.
Sasuke remained in his seat.
So did Sakura.
Eventually, no more hands rose.
Ibiki looked across the remaining candidates.
His earlier sneer disappeared.
"Very well."
The room became completely still.
"You have made your choice."
Ibiki paused.
Then he spoke calmly.
"All seventy eight candidates remaining in this room pass the first stage of the Chūnin Exams."
For a moment, nobody reacted.
Then confusion spread across the room.
"What?"
"We passed?"
"That's it?"
Even Naruto raised an eyebrow.
That had been the tenth question?
Ibiki then explained the purpose behind the examination.
The written problems had tested their ability to gather information under pressure.
The final question had tested something more important.
Resolve.
A Chūnin could be entrusted with missions where failure carried consequences far worse than losing an examination.
A Shinobi who could not make a difficult choice under pressure had no business leading others.
Some candidates visibly relaxed after hearing the explanation.
Others looked annoyed that they had been frightened for nothing.
Then the window exploded inward.
Crash!
Glass scattered across the classroom.
A figure burst through the opening and landed on the podium.
A banner unfurled dramatically behind her.
"I am Anko Mitarashi!"
The young woman wore a mesh shirt beneath a light coat, her expression full of energy.
"I'll be your examiner for the second stage!"
She pointed toward the room.
"This is no time to celebrate!"
Several candidates stared at her.
Anko quickly counted the remaining participants.
"Seventy eight?"
She frowned.
"That means twenty six teams."
Her eyes narrowed.
"That's still way too many."
Ibiki looked thoroughly unimpressed by her entrance.
Anko ignored him.
"The second exam begins tomorrow."
She placed her hands on her hips.
"If you want the location and meeting time, ask your Jōnin squad leaders."
Her grin widened.
"Get some rest."
"You're going to need it."
The next morning, the surviving candidates gathered outside one of Konoha's most dangerous training areas.
A massive forest stretched beyond a tall chain link fence.
Dense trees rose so high that their crowns blocked much of the sunlight.
A warning sign beside the entrance clearly read:
NO ENTRY
Anko stood before the gathered Genin.
She gestured toward the forest behind her.
"This is Training Ground Forty Four."
A grin appeared on her face.
"You'll probably know it better by another name."
"The Forest of Death."
Several candidates swallowed.
Anko seemed pleased by their reactions.
"There are forty four entrances around the perimeter."
She pointed toward the distant forest.
"The tower at the center is ten kilometres from the outer fence."
Then she lifted a stack of papers.
"Before we begin, every one of you will sign a consent form."
Sakura frowned.
"A consent form?"
Anko smiled.
"Anything can happen inside."
"Injury."
"Poisoning."
"Death."
She shrugged.
"I don't want your families blaming me."
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
Anko continued.
"The objective of the second stage is simple."
"This is a scroll battle."
She held up two scrolls.
One was marked Heaven.
The other Earth.
"There are twenty six teams."
"Thirteen teams will receive a Heaven Scroll."
"The other thirteen will receive an Earth Scroll."
Naruto listened carefully.
"To pass, your team must acquire both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll."
Anko pointed toward the forest.
"Then reach the tower in the center."
"You are forbidden from opening either scroll before arriving there."
Her expression became serious.
"You have five days."
She spread her hands.
"That's all."
"If you have no objections, sign the forms and prepare yourselves."
The forms were distributed.
One by one, the candidates signed.
Then each team received a scroll.
Team 7 was given a Heaven Scroll.
The twenty six teams were then separated among the forty four gates surrounding the Forest of Death.
Naruto stood with Sasuke and Sakura before their assigned entrance.
Beyond the metal gate was nothing but dense forest.
A place where every other team could become an enemy.
The gate opened.
Team 7 entered.
The instant Naruto stepped beneath the trees, he spoke inwardly.
"Asuramaru."
"What?"
"Can you help me locate the other teams?"
Asuramaru sounded mildly annoyed.
"You don't need to ask me every time."
Naruto smiled slightly.
"If anyone dangerous approaches, I'll tell you."
"Thanks."
Team 7 continued deeper into the forest.
The vegetation quickly became thicker.
Massive roots twisted across the ground.
Vines hung between enormous trunks.
Animal cries echoed from somewhere in the distance.
They had not travelled far when Asuramaru spoke again.
"Three people are approaching from the right."
Naruto stopped.
"Sasuke. Sakura."
Both immediately looked toward him.
"Enemies are coming from the right."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"You sensed them already?"
Then he remembered the Land of Waves.
Naruto had repeatedly detected enemies before Kakashi or anyone else reacted.
At this point, Sasuke had learned not to question it.
Sakura looked toward the trees.
"What do we do?"
Her voice lowered.
"Should we ambush them?"
Naruto considered it for a moment.
"I'll hide."
He formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Poof!
A Shadow Clone appeared beside him.
"You two continue acting normally."
The original Naruto jumped into the trees and disappeared among the branches.
Below, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto's Shadow Clone stopped beneath the canopy and behaved as though they were simply resting.
Naruto remained concealed above.
He waited.
A few moments later, Asuramaru's voice sounded again.
"Two are in the tree behind you."
Naruto's gaze shifted slightly.
"One more is hiding in the bushes below."
"Got it."
The three enemies had surrounded Team 7.
They were waiting for an opportunity.
Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch.
A three pronged kunai appeared between his fingers.
He threw it.
Whoosh!
The weapon cut through the leaves toward the tree behind him.
The two hidden Genin reacted immediately.
Their attention snapped toward the incoming kunai.
They jumped aside.
Thunk!
The three pronged kunai embedded itself deep in the tree trunk.
One of the enemy Genin frowned.
"When did he notice us?"
His teammate recovered quickly.
"We've already been exposed."
He reached for his weapon.
"Then we take their scroll by force."
They moved.
Naruto disappeared.
Flying Thunder God.
Flash.
He appeared beside the kunai embedded in the tree.
Before either enemy could turn, Naruto was already behind them.
His hands struck.
One sharp blow to the first neck.
Then another.
Thud.
Both Genin went limp.
Naruto caught them by their collars before they could fall from the branch.
He glanced downward.
The third enemy had already attacked from the bushes.
Unfortunately for him, Sasuke and Sakura had been expecting exactly that.
By the time Naruto looked, the fight below was already over.
Naruto jumped down carrying the two unconscious Genin.
He placed them beside their defeated teammate.
Sasuke crouched and searched them.
A moment later, he found a scroll.
Sakura's eyes lit up.
Then immediately dimmed.
"Heaven."
She sighed.
"It's the same as ours."
"So that was pointless."
Naruto shook his head.
"Not necessarily."
Sakura looked toward him.
"If we find another team with two Earth Scrolls, we can trade."
Sasuke considered it.
"That could work."
Then he glanced at the three unconscious Genin.
"What do we do with them?"
Naruto answered without hesitation.
"Leave them in the bushes."
Sakura blinked.
"That's it?"
"They're unconscious, not dead."
Naruto picked up the extra Heaven Scroll.
"There's no reason to do anything else."
The defeated team was dragged out of sight and left beneath the cover of the surrounding vegetation.
Team 7 prepared to move on.
Inside Naruto, Asuramaru was almost completely uninterested in the entire examination.
With Naruto's present strength, fighting ordinary Genin was hardly an exam.
It was closer to bullying.
There was only one person in the Forest of Death who truly interested him.
Orochimaru.
Asuramaru had already noticed him among the candidates before the second stage began.
That presence had stood out immediately.
No matter how well Orochimaru disguised himself as a Genin, the aura of someone at his level was impossible to hide from Asuramaru's Perception.
He had simply been waiting to see when the snake would make his move.
Then Asuramaru sensed it.
The familiar presence had changed direction.
It was approaching Team 7.
Fast.
Asuramaru's boredom disappeared.
"Oh?"
He looked toward the source of the approaching aura.
"Speak of the devil."
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"And here he comes."
....
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