The Chunin Exams: Bait in the Forest of Death
The first written test of the Chunin Exams was in full swing.
Inside the Hokage Building, the jonin of Konoha were holding a meeting.
"What?! Orochimaru has appeared?"
"Orochimaru..."
At the mention of Orochimaru, every jonin seemed to choke on their words, their faces showing shock or silence. Even among the seasoned jonin of Konoha, he was a figure of great dread. As one of the Sannin, his power was far beyond their reach.
"Yes," Danzō nodded slowly before continuing, "Recently, while a special jonin was performing a mission within the village, they accidentally discovered Orochimaru operating in the area."
"Additionally, during a search conducted by Root, they found a discarded snake skin in the Inuzuka clan's training grounds—a result of Orochimaru's technique."
"This technique is undoubtedly unique to Orochimaru, confirming that it was him."
Danzō revealed these startling facts, drawing astonishment from the gathered jonin, including Kurenai. Only a select few, like Kakashi, managed to remain calm.
"Wait a minute!"
At that moment, Asuma turned angrily toward Hiruzen, his father, who was seated next to Danzō. "If Orochimaru's presence was discovered earlier, why are we only being informed now?"
His anger was directed at his father for a simple reason. Orochimaru was undeniably a dangerous individual, and his appearance during the Chunin Exams likely signaled ill intent toward the participants.
Although Orochimaru had defected from Konoha years ago, investigations revealed he had secretly conducted experiments on both Konoha ninjas and ordinary villagers.
Asuma's instincts told him that Orochimaru's presence in the Chunin Exams meant he had plans for the young ninjas participating. Had he known this earlier, he would never have allowed his three students to take part in such a perilous exam.
Similarly, Kurenai and Kakashi, concerned for their students' safety, would have refrained from recommending them for the exam. The same logic applied to every jonin present.
There were 24 jonin instructors in total at the meeting, each responsible for three students. That meant 72 students were currently sitting for the first test in the examination hall.
"It was my decision to delay notifying you all," Danzō declared. "If I had informed you earlier, none of you would have permitted your students to participate in the Chunin Exams."
"In that case, the exam would lose its purpose, and we'd have no way of capturing Orochimaru."
Danzō's blunt statement made it clear—he was using the young ninjas as bait to lure Orochimaru out.
His words instantly sparked anger among the jonin, with Asuma glaring at him furiously.
From Danzō's perspective, sacrificing the lives of these young ninjas was justified. His character had always been one to prioritize results above all else, regardless of the cost. Moreover, these genin were not technically under Danzō's direct command.
Root, led personally by Danzō, operated under an independent promotion system that does not involve the Chunin Exams. The ninjas trained within this system are exclusively loyal to Danzō's faction.
Even though many years have passed since Danzō vied for the position of Fifth Hokage, his factional bias remained evident to every ninja in the village.
As Asuma prepared to argue further with Danzō, Guy and Kakashi held him back. Kakashi shook his head, signaling Asuma to let it go.
Glancing briefly at the visibly angry Asuma, Danzō continued, "The Chunin Exams will proceed as planned, but I have already arranged for Root and the ANBU to strengthen the village's defenses during this period."
"In particular, during the second phase—the survival test, which is the easiest stage for manipulation—we've set up a comprehensive trap network."
"As soon as Orochimaru appears, we will capture him."
"Therefore, I ask all of you to cooperate with this operation and refrain from revealing anything about Orochimaru's presence to your students or anyone else in the village. Violators will be charged with leaking classified mission information."
Once he finished speaking, the gathered jonin instructors, though reluctant, could do nothing but silently acquiesce. They began filing out of the room.
Kakashi, however, left while deep in thought, his hand stroking his chin.
Why has Orochimaru suddenly returned to the village at this time? And why did he specifically go to the Inuzuka clan's training grounds?
The Snake Shedding Technique was a special substitution jutsu developed by Orochimaru. Could he have been attacked?
Kakashi also pondered the unusual circumstances surrounding the joint Chunin Exams. It was Suna—who had been at odds with Konoha in recent years—that had proposed this collaboration.
Could Orochimaru be connected to Suna?
Moreover, he had to have realized that Konoha was aware of his presence.
Under such conditions, the fact that the Chunin Exams were proceeding as usual might signal a trap. Would Orochimaru still appear knowing this?
Kakashi's mind was filled with unanswered questions.
As he walked, deep in thought, Guy, who had been walking alongside him, suddenly turned back.
He strode up to the conference table where Danzō and Hiruzen sat. Placing both hands firmly on the table's edge, Guy addressed Danzō directly.
"Lee, Neji, and Tenten are my precious students. If anything happens to them during the exam, I won't go on living."
"But before I die, I'll make sure to take something down with me. You understand, Danzō-sama?"
Guy lifted his head to lock eyes with Danzō. Although his voice was calm, his gaze carried an immeasurable intensity of anger.
"You—!"
Danzō was visibly shaken by Guy's demeanor. The words were unmistakably a threat, and what startled Danzō even more was that, for a brief moment, he genuinely believed that the man in the green spandex suit standing before him was capable of killing him, even as Hokage.
Hiruzen glanced at both Danzō and Guy before interjecting, "That's enough, Guy. Return for now."
"I will handle this."
---
In the 301st classroom of the Ninja Academy, the genin began filing out.
"I can't believe we passed the test this way. Haha! This is amazing!"
"So as long as you stayed till the end, you passed, even if you didn't answer the questions? What a surprise!"
"But still, no one actually submitted a blank paper, right?"
"No way. That'd be ridiculous."
"By the way, the contrast between the proctors for the first and second exams is wild! The second proctor is such a beauty—I'm in love!"
"Yeah, her name is… Anko, right?"
---
The second stage of the Chunin Exams was a test of survival limits. The exam takes place in Training Ground 44 of Konoha, which has 44 entrances and features various environmental terrains such as mountains, rivers, and forests.
Due to the enormous size of the creatures here, whether insects or snakes, ordinary people would not survive if they ventured in, making this area a restricted zone known as the "Forest of Death."
The 78 participants who advanced from the first written test will undergo a survival challenge lasting 120 hours, or five days, within the Forest of Death.
The goal was to start from the entrance at the forest's edge and reach the central tower located 10 kilometers away within the allotted time.
Of course, such a simple task would be too easy for ninjas. Therefore, an elimination mechanism has been added to the test.
As she spoke, Anko displayed the Scroll of Heaven and Scroll of Earth she was holding.
"There are 26 groups of qualified participants from the previous written test. Thirteen groups will carry the Scroll of Heaven, and the other thirteen will carry the Scroll of Earth."
"Within five days, only a team of three members who reach the central tower while carrying both the Heaven and Earth scrolls will pass the test."
"Additionally, under no circumstances may you open the scrolls during the mission. This serves as a test of your loyalty to intelligence and secrecy in missions."
"If you understand, sign your names on the consent form!"
With a dramatic flourish, Anko's movements highlighted her impressive figure under her brown trench coat and mesh armor, causing many male genin to almost lose their composure.
Before the test officially began, all participants had to sign a consent form equivalent to a death waiver and receive their group's designated scroll.
During this time, the groups formed clusters of two or three, quietly discussing strategies and analyzing the upcoming test.
"There are only 26 scrolls, forming 13 pairs of Heaven and Earth scrolls, which means at least half of us will be eliminated," Sakura calmly analyzed.
"No one knows which scroll other groups have, nor which member of a group is carrying it. This exam not only tests survival and combat skills but also intelligence-gathering capabilities."
"Moreover, since all groups will enter through different entrances, the likelihood of encountering others at the start is low. However, as time progresses and everyone moves toward the central tower, the shrinking activity range will significantly increase the intensity of the competition, leading to frequent battles."
"That's Sasuke for you! He figured all this out in no time," Sakura enthusiastically praised the Uchiha, and her words reached the ears of Anko, who was standing more than ten meters away.
In fact, Anko could hear every single voice in the camp of 78 participants. She didn't need to get close to eavesdrop; this was thanks to the Shoggoth's abilities. The Shoggoth could enhance the host's physical capabilities as needed. For instance, Anko had heightened her hearing to an extraordinary level.
At this moment, she was using this incredible hearing to eavesdrop on every team, checking for anything suspicious. This was a directive from Danzō.
She already knew that Orochimaru had infiltrated Konoha. Given his presence during the Chunin Exams, it was likely he would target the young ninja. The Heaven and Earth scroll battle in the Forest of Death was the easiest test for him to make a move.
Thus, Danzō ordered Anko, as the chief examiner, to keep a close watch on all participants to prevent Orochimaru from acting during the exam.
In addition, many Root and ANBU ninjas had been stationed within the Forest of Death. They were prepared to act the moment Orochimaru revealed himself, aiming to capture him immediately.
Given her history as Orochimaru's former apprentice, Anko was the person in Konoha most familiar with him and the one most likely to recognize his presence. This was why Danzō assigned her as the examiner for this test.
However, despite her thorough observation of all the participating teams, she did not sense the familiar aura of Orochimaru on anyone. Not even a vague lead stood out.
Could it be that Orochimaru's target wasn't the Chunin Exams this time?
---
Behind a rock, a pair of eager, predatory eyes fixated silently on Anko, standing in the center of the field.
It's her! That woman! She has the same aura as me! It's her!
Capture her! Get her for me!
Shut up! Lord Orochimaru's mission takes precedence. Don't cause trouble here! Silence!
Get her!
Stop!
Capture her!
No!
The figure behind the rock suddenly wrenched its head away, forcibly ceasing to watch Anko with its bulging, almost dislodged eyes.
Struggling, the figure raised its trembling right hand and pressed its dislodged eyeballs back into their sockets. With a deep, shuddering breath, the figure's violently shaking hands stilled, and the faint black lines surfacing on its skin receded beneath the surface like retreating tides.
This scene, however, did not escape the notice of a nearby companion, who watched in horror as this "teammate" behaved like a monstrous entity.
"You—"
Before the word could be fully uttered, a thin black thread shot out from the figure's eye with lightning speed.
The thread was so fine, thinner than steel wire, that it would be nearly invisible unless viewed from a specific angle. It pierced through the companion's neck, even passing through the metal plate of the headband, which proved incapable of stopping it.
The black thread entered beneath the headband at an angle, exited through the back of the head, and caused instant brain death in mere fractions of a second.
The man caught his companion's body as it fell, gently laying it against the rock. The dead companion's face still bore an expression of shock, frozen in the instant of death, with no time to adjust his features.
Despite being surrounded by other ninja in broad daylight, the perpetrator remained unfazed after the assassination.
Placing a hand on the companion's neck, a stream of black liquid, like an eerie flowing river, poured into the corpse. The black substance quickly sank beneath the skin, and what happened next was even more astonishing.
The shocked expression on the companion's face immediately became calm. His lifeless, wide-open eyes began to blink mechanically.
"I've already signed the consent form. Let's go collect the scroll."
The "revived" companion slowly stood up, moving slightly awkwardly, and retrieved the signed consent form from his pocket.