Forest of Death.
Naraku and his two teammates arrived early. Many teams that had passed the first exam were already there. He even saw his teammates from yesterday not far away.
Unfortunately, today everyone would become competitors again.
At eight o'clock sharp, two unfamiliar Examiners arrived on the high platform and began to read out the exam rules.
"The second trial is a comprehensive team test."
"Each team will enter the Forest of Death from different locations. Teams that collect five mission cards and successfully reach the central high tower will pass."
"However, if any member of the team falls behind, that member will be eliminated."
"Teams that do not collect all mission cards or do not reach the finish line in time will all fail."
"Mission cards may be placed anywhere in the forest, surrounded by various traps, and even exploding tags."
"Any accidents that occur are your own responsibility."
Afterward, several proctors each led a team to their starting points. At nine o'clock, all examinees were simultaneously allowed to enter the Forest of Death...
When the time came, Naraku and his two teammates quickly entered the forest.
The Forest of Death was filled with towering trees, their branches and leaves lush, providing dense shade that blocked out the sky.
Layers of canopies intertwined, forming an opaque ceiling that blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only scattered, dappled light.
Stepping into this forest was like jumping from daytime directly into evening. One could vaguely hear the calls of animals and the lingering echo of the wind.
"Over there!"
Naraku's sharp eyes spotted a red mission card with the character "Fire" written on it, located near the top of a large tree.
"I'll go."
Kakashi drew his blade and moved. As soon as he stepped onto a branch, the sound of vibrating steel wire reached his ears.
The next second, Kakashi vanished, leaving behind only a wooden stake impaled with several senbon falling to the ground, and a wisp of smoke that hadn't yet dissipated.
Immediately after, a flurry of weapons whistling through the air erupted from all directions. Kakashi weaved and dodged between several trees, parrying left and right, deflecting all the hidden weapons, and successfully reached the treetop to retrieve the card.
"Splendid!"
Might Duy flashed his signature smile and gave Kakashi a thumbs-up.
Over the next two hours, Might Duy obtained a white card with the character "Wind" on it, and Naraku retrieved a black card with the character "Lightning" written on it. They only needed "Water" and "Earth" to complete their team's collection.
As the three squinted in the dim environment, trying to discern where a mission card might be, a Kunai shot from a distance, tied with a violently shaking exploding tag.
"Someone!"
Naraku threw out two shuriken. The first one struck the Kunai, making it spin in place, while the second one carried the Kunai back the way it came.
At this point, the exploding tag was on the verge of detonation. Naraku vaguely heard an angry curse, and then two men and one woman leaped out from some bushes in the direction the Kunai had been returned from.
Boom—!!!
The flash of fire from the exploding tag illuminated the surroundings, exposing everyone's figures.
"Damn it."
The leading young man's face was grim, but since their position was exposed, they had no choice but to proceed.
"It's just some kids and an old man who looks weak. Take them down!"
His female teammate recognized Kakashi and hesitated, "Xi... that's the White Fang's son, and the Uchiha..."
"So what? They just graduated. How strong can they be? They're probably just testing the waters."
The young man named Xi took a step forward. Seeing his teammates still hesitating, he was annoyed by their lack of resolve.
"Besides, at this point, Heliang, Yuko, you can't possibly think that if we just give up the snatch, they'll leave us alone, can you?"
At this, the expressions of the remaining man and woman finally firmed up. They pulled out their weapons, ready for battle.
While they were talking, on the other side, Naraku and his two teammates were also discussing their strategy.
"It looks like they plan to steal our mission cards, so they don't have to risk collecting them themselves."
Kakashi stared at the young man opposite, who was clearly the leader, wary of any attack he might launch at any moment.
"Eh, that's not hot-blooded at all! Youth should be about being honorable and getting your spoils of war through your own abilities!"
"According to intelligence from previous years, the total number of mission cards is definitely not enough for all teams to pass."
Naraku was at a loss whether to laugh or cry at Might Duy's naivety, patiently explaining.
"So even if everyone doesn't attack each other, in the end, some teams will have no cards left to collect and will have no choice but to plunder others."
"Rather," Kakashi interjected, "the Examiners actually hope to see examinees attacking each other, with the strong surviving and the weak being eliminated."
Kakashi's hand was already on the hilt of his blade. Chakra gradually coated it from his palm, and faint, tiny electrical arcs subtly leaked from the gaps between the scabbard and the hilt.
For this Chunin Exams, he had specifically asked Sakumo for his birthday present from two years ago, a Chakra Blade.
He couldn't use it back then, but now, the time was right.
"Duy-senpai and I will be the main attackers. Naraku, you provide cover."
"Alright."
"Alright!"
Might Duy readily agreed, completely unfazed by being assigned a combat mission by a child the same age as his own son.
In his eyes, Kakashi and Naraku were reliable companions, not naive little children.
Since his companions had a plan, he would cooperate fully.
Naraku glanced at the three people opposite, then vanished from his spot.
This sudden change seemed to flip a switch. Both sides' nerves immediately tensed, and battle was imminent.