The 44th Training Ground was a place of palpable dread.

"Alright, kids, there's only one minute left before the exam begins, so you—!"

"Wait, proctor, I have a question," a voice hissed. A figure with long, dark hair and wearing the forehead protector of the Hidden Grass Village slowly raised their head, a sinister smile spreading across their face.

"..." Anko glanced at the Genin, a slight frown creasing her brow. There was something strangely familiar about them, a nagging feeling that she had seen them somewhere before, or perhaps known them long ago. Shaking off the feeling, she snapped, "What's the problem? Spit it out!"

"Tsk tsk… If, in the process of acquiring a scroll, one were to accidentally kill someone, or be killed themselves… that would be acceptable, correct?"

As the Grass ninja spoke, a heavy silence fell over the other candidates. They all turned to Anko, swallowing nervously as they awaited her answer.

Anko let out a cold, sharp laugh. "The ninja world operates by the law of the jungle. Since you came here to take this exam, I assume you are all prepared for the possibility of death."

"Alright, time's up! No more questions! The second stage of the Chunin Selection Exam begins… now!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the teams of three surged forward, rushing into the Forest of Death at top speed. Being one step ahead meant having the upper hand, a truth that every Genin understood.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

A piercing scream suddenly ripped through the air.

The nearby candidates spun around to see a Konoha Genin lying on the ground, his body already covered in blood. Swarms of grotesque, poisonous insects crawled over him, burrowing into his flesh.

"Damn… damn it! Quick, someone save me!"

Before his teammates could even react, three figures appeared beside him, callously looting his body.

"Tsk! It's an Earth Scroll, same as ours. What a waste."

"It doesn't matter. Take it anyway!"

"Haha, you're really cruel."

The three of them conversed casually, smug and sinister smiles on their faces, showing no intention of helping the dying Konoha ninja.

"Please…" the boy begged, his voice weak and desperate as the venom coursed through him. "Please, just take the scroll! Just save me!"

"Save you?" one of them sneered. "Hmph. Is this your first day as a ninja?" With that, the trio rolled their eyes at him and vanished back into the trees.

Soon, all the teams had entered the Forest of Death. Most did not dare to linger in the open, instead finding suitable hiding spots as they slowly made their way toward the central tower.

Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga hid behind a massive tree, discussing their strategy in low whispers.

Kiba, pretending to be careless, shouted loudly, "Our priority isn't to grab a scroll just yet! We should head toward the tower, conserve our strength, set up some traps, and wait for the other, more exhausted teams to fall right into them!"

Suddenly, Shino murmured, his senses on high alert, "Be careful. A team is about to be attacked."

"Whoooa!!! Why is there a net here?!"

A team of three Grass ninja, attracted by Kiba's loud proclamation, had attempted to ambush them. They never expected to trigger the black net trap that Akamaru had secretly set, and they were instantly ensnared and neutralized.

"Woof! Woof!"

Akamaru scampered back to Kiba, a scroll held triumphantly in his mouth.

Kiba was ecstatic. "Nice! It's a Heaven Scroll, the one we needed! Well done, Akamaru!"

Hinata, her voice a nervous whisper, said, "Um… Kiba, you should… you should keep your voice down."

Shino remained perfectly calm, his voice cold and logical. "Although we have acquired both scrolls, we must not become complacent. The reason being, discretion is the key to survival in this environment."