"Yakushi Kabuto?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen repeated the name in a low voice, his eyes falling on the boy's still-youthful face on the registration form. He nodded slightly. "I remember this child. He was an orphan who once lived in the Konoha Orphanage."

Changing the subject, he frowned and raised the other two registration forms to his eyes. "But these two… Ken Misumi? Akagi? I've never heard these names before. I'm familiar with almost every registered Genin in Konoha, yet I've never seen them!"

"That's right." Kakashi nodded, pressing his finger against the two forms. "These two aren't Konoha shinobi at all."

Before he could finish, a knock came at the office door.

"Come in." Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately composed himself, speaking in a deep voice.

A ninja wearing an ANBU uniform and an owl mask stepped inside, dropped to one knee, and reported: "Hokage! Three Kusagakure candidates' bodies have just been found in the woods near the village. Their faces were completely peeled off."

Sarutobi Hiruzen trembled at the words, nearly losing hold of his pipe.

He and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both seeing the grim understanding in the other's eyes.

"Orochimaru."

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with resolve and pain.

He gripped his pipe tightly and said in a low voice, "So he really did sneak in."

Classroom 301.

The first round of the Chūnin Exams was about to begin.

The chief examiner, Morino Ibiki, stood at the podium. His cold gaze swept across the room as he announced loudly, "The first exam the written test begins now!"

The three Genin of Team 7 sat apart in different corners of the classroom.

Naruto opened the test paper. It was covered with complicated questions he had never even heard of. His eyes went wide.

"What the heck is this?!"

He stared dumbly at the paper, his scalp tingling.

Scratching his head, he tried to think hard, but no answers came.

Gradually, sweat broke out on his forehead, and bitterness welled in his chest.

I'm done for. I can't answer a single question. What am I supposed to do?

If he failed, not only would he be eliminated, but Sasuke and Sakura would be dragged down with him.

"No, I can't panic!" Naruto pinched his cheeks hard, trying to calm his racing heart.

He glanced around, hoping to exchange looks with his teammates, but all he saw were candidates buried in their writing and proctors patrolling the aisles. He didn't dare make a reckless move.

Suddenly, his head buzzed, and a strange dizziness overtook him.

He blinked, and then froze. Clear lines of handwriting began appearing across his once-blank test paper, breaking down each question step by step. Every solution and correct answer was written plainly before him.

Naruto blinked again, realization dawning: Sasuke was using the Sharingan to help him!

Relieved, he couldn't help curling his lips into a grin. He grabbed his pen and began copying the answers with all his might.

A few rows away, Sasuke lowered his hands from the last seal. The two tomoe in his scarlet Sharingan spun slowly before fading.

He exhaled deeply, rubbed at the corners of his sore eyes, and turned back to his own paper. His test sheet was already filled every answer copied word for word from Sakura.

In another corner, Sakura had completed the exam with confidence.

She let out a small breath, then glanced at her teammates. Naruto was writing furiously, looking unusually smooth for him. Sasuke remained calm and composed as he wrote.

A faint smile touched her lips. That's Sasuke-kun for you.

Time slipped by.

Finally, Morino Ibiki raised the last hurdle: "Question Ten."

If they quit now, they would be allowed to take the next exam. But if they failed this time, they would remain Genin for life.

The crushing psychological pressure proved too much for many candidates, who raised their hands and withdrew.

But Team 7 had already completed their papers. Naruto and Sasuke trusted in Sakura's knowledge completely.

Ibiki's threats meant nothing to them they sat firm and unshaken.

When no one else chose to give up, Ibiki's lips curved faintly. "Then I declare: everyone who stayed has passed the first exam!"

For a moment, the classroom was silent. Then came an eruption of cheers and long sighs.

Candidates who had slumped in despair moments earlier now collapsed in disbelief.

Naruto exhaled hard, nearly springing out of his chair.

"Yes! We passed!" he whispered, clenching his fist.

The weight on his chest vanished, replaced with the joy of surviving a disaster.

Sasuke crossed his arms, a faint smirk on his lips.

Sakura smiled at Naruto. "Don't get too excited yet. That was only the first round."

"Hehe, that's true." Naruto scratched his head and grinned. "But Team 7's going all the way!"

The three of them were secretly pleased, thinking they could discuss their countermeasures during the break, when suddenly a loud crash rang out. The glass window at the back of the classroom shattered into pieces.

"Wha ?!"

Naruto jumped in shock and instinctively stepped in front of Sakura.

Shards of glass scattered across the floor as a lithe figure leapt through the broken window, spun gracefully in midair, and landed firmly in front of the podium.

The newcomer was a tall kunoichi. She wore a beige long coat over fishnet mesh that outlined her striking curves. Her short purple hair swayed in the breeze, and her presence radiated unrestrained energy.

With her hands planted on her hips, she burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Congratulations, everyone, on passing the first exam! But don't get comfortable. I'm the proctor for the second exam, and I'll be taking you to the venue right now!"

The candidates froze, stunned by her dramatic entrance, and the classroom fell silent.

"Let me introduce myself!" she said, curling her lips into a bold smile. "I'm Anko Mitarashi, special jōnin of Konoha, and the chief examiner of the second stage of the Chūnin Exams!"

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

This ridiculously fierce woman is really the examiner of the second test?!

"What are you waiting for?" Anko swept her gaze across the room and waved toward the door. "Those who passed, gather up and follow me. The second exam won't be held here."

Pushed forward by her sharp tone, the dozens of Genin who had cleared the first test barely had a moment to rest. They scrambled together, following her out of the classroom and then beyond the walls of Konoha.

Half an hour later, the group arrived at the edge of a sprawling forest.

A towering fence of barbed wire enclosed the area. At the entrance stood a wooden sign painted with the words Training Ground No. 44. Behind it stretched an endless sea of colossal trees. Their dense canopy blocked out much of the light, the forest beyond thick with shadow.

From within came unsettling rustles, the kind of sound that suggested countless unseen creatures stirring in the dark.

The ground was muddy, littered with rotting branches and leaves, and the air carried the damp, decaying smell of earth. A cold wind swept through, carrying a faint scent of blood that made many shiver.

The Genin gathered at the entrance, staring at the oppressive woodland before them. Cold sweat pricked the backs of more than a few.

"Welcome to the Forest of Death!"

Anko stood proudly before them, arms folded across her chest, an excited smile on her face. "The second exam will be held here."

She took a stack of papers from an assistant, raised it high, and shook it. "This is the waiver form. If you want to enter, you sign it first. Once inside, you may lose your life any consequences are on you."

At the words lose your life, many of the newer candidates swallowed nervously.

But those who had survived the first round had already steeled themselves. None backed away.

On Team 7's side, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged firm nods. Their eyes gleamed with eagerness.

One after another, they signed their names on the form.

Once the agreements were collected, Anko raised her voice to announce the rules. "Each team will enter the forest from a different gate. The goal is to obtain the scroll. Before you enter, each team will be given either a 'Heaven' Scroll or an 'Earth' Scroll."

"Within five days, you must secure both types and reach the tower at the center of the forest. Only then will you pass. If you fail to collect both scrolls, or if you cannot reach the finish line within five days, your team is eliminated."

Faces around the clearing tightened in alarm.

"So we have to steal another team's scroll? That means we'll have to fight head-on!"

"Five days of survival, while guarding against ambushes? That's brutal!"

But Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained calm.

After all, the rules were just like those in their dreams. They had already prepared themselves.

"And one more thing…" Anko's sharp eyes swept across the group. She licked her lips with a crooked smile. "Every year, someone dies during this exam. I hope this year's crop of brats can do better let's keep the deaths to a minimum."

Her words made the Genin shift uneasily. The atmosphere grew heavier.

Soon, the proctors distributed sealed scrolls to each team.

Team 7 received an Earth Scroll, marked with the character for "Earth." Naruto tucked it carefully into the inside pocket of his jacket, patting it twice to be sure it was safe.

Under the invigilators' direction, each team moved to separate numbered gates around the enclosure.

Anko stood at the central platform and raised her right hand high.

Then, with a sweeping motion, she brought it down. "The second exam begins now!"

The heavy iron gates creaked open.

Team 7 exchanged a quick glance before leaping forward together, vanishing into the dark forest beyond.

Thick vines and bushes parted as they pushed through, only to close again at once, swallowing their figures into the gloom.

Anko watched their silhouettes disappear, then stretched lazily, muttering to herself, "I wonder how many of these little punks will die this year."

Swish swish swish

Suddenly, the air behind her stirred.

Anko's brows arched as she turned and saw seven or eight figures appear silently not far away.

Most wore ANBU uniforms and animal masks.

All except the man at the front.

"Kakashi?" Anko blinked in surprise.

....

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