The Forest of Death.
This was one of Konohagakure's (the Hidden Leaf Village's) most important resource zones — home to a variety of dangerous ninja beasts, medicinal herbs, and rare materials. The natural energy here was denser than in other places, making it an absolute treasure trove.
Normally, no one was allowed to enter.
But during the joint Chūnin Exams, this was the exception. The forest transformed into a massive testing ground.
A hidden bonus.
Combat stimulated both body and mind intensely, and doing so in such a special environment often pushed ninja into breakthrough periods after the exams.
And the corpses, the spilled blood, the shredded flesh of fallen genin?
That was the best "nutrient" the Forest of Death could ask for.
A perfect win-win.
It was almost like a sacrificial ritual — every time the Chūnin Exams were held, the Forest of Death reaped its share. No wonder Konoha was more than happy to offer it up as an exam site.
On the edge of the forest, outside the iron-wire fencing, groups of ninja squads gathered.
Dozens of exam proctors stood at the entrances.
But make no mistake — the iron fencing wasn't the real defense. That was only meant to deter ordinary people. The real safeguards were the traps and barrier jutsu layered over the entire area. Without specialized knowledge, even jōnin (elite ninja) wouldn't easily sneak into the Forest of Death.
On a raised platform at the forest's edge, many proctors stood, looking down on the crowd of assembled candidates.
"Welcome to hell, everyone!"
"The test you're about to take will be one you never forget for the rest of your lives!"
"The rules are simple: scattered throughout the Forest of Death are a number of special tokens. Retrieve one and bring it to the central tower — that's all it takes to pass!"
"Now, take your signal flares. The exam begins!"
Anko Mitarashi gestured, and assistants brought out boxes of signal flares for the candidates to claim.
Signal flares were a last resort — if you used one, a proctor would rush to rescue you, but it also meant you forfeited your place in the exam.
Of course, that assumed you had time to even fire the flare…
This exam was far crueler and more brutal than the later, more "peaceful" versions.
Everyone knew the truth: among the candidates were hidden assassins, sent specifically to hunt down the prodigies of rival villages.
And yet, even knowing this, there were no extra safety measures in place for the examinees.
Because in the shinobi world, only those who survived this cruelty were considered worthy of being called geniuses. Those who died? Well, they simply didn't matter.
It was a deadly version of a battle royale.
A game, sure — but one where you bet your life.
"What's on your mind?" asked Koji Yamakami, noticing that Akira Sato was scanning the crowd of examinees and proctors with sharp, searching eyes.
"Ah, it's nothing. Let's go." Akira shook his head slightly.
He had been trying to spot any familiar faces.
And sure enough, he had.
Ye Cang — the striking, beautiful kunoichi who would one day challenge Rasa for the position of Fourth Kazekage, only to be betrayed and killed.
In real life, her beauty far outstripped her anime portrayal.
Without her distinctive outfit, Akira almost hadn't recognized her. The real shinobi world's people often looked quite different from their drawn counterparts, so it took him time to match memory to reality.
"How interesting…"
With a small, inward smile — part excitement, part a sense of "witnessing history" — Akira picked up his signal flare and headed toward one of the many entrances into the Forest of Death.
There were plenty of entrances, designed so that participants could enter from different directions.
Akira deliberately picked a quiet, empty entry point.
But, unsurprisingly, he soon noticed people following him.
They were targeting his team specifically.
"Plan A," Akira murmured to his two teammates.
They had prepared strategies in advance, discussing possible scenarios the night before. They hadn't known the exact test format, but the general outline was common knowledge among genin from the three great ninja villages, so they'd come ready.
Kakashi and Koji Yamakami gave small nods to show they understood.
Once they crossed the threshold, Akira's team abruptly accelerated, dashing into the trees at full speed.
"After them!" shouted the group behind.
But just as they surged forward —
"Check examinee IDs!" barked a cold voice from one of the Konoha proctors stationed at the entrance, stepping forward to block the pursuers.
Come on — this was Konoha territory.
No matter how generous the host village wanted to appear, they weren't about to let outsiders openly gang up on their own young ninja without lifting a finger.
And checking IDs? Perfectly reasonable, right?
The proctors from Sunagakure (the Sand) and Iwagakure (the Stone), who were mixed in with the proctor ranks, stayed silent.
Why?
Because if this were happening in their village, they'd be doing the exact same thing.
Sure, the exam rules were meant to be fair.
But no host village would ever truly give up all home-field advantage.
In the real shinobi world, total fairness was a myth — just like the idea that the five great powers on Earth would treat smaller nations as true equals.
Be grateful you even get a "relatively fair" environment. That's the best you'll get.
The romantic ideals of anime — passion, bonds, the power of hard work — were one thing.
The real shinobi world? It was cold, dark, and brutal.
Just like the lyrics say: "Fairy tales are all lies."
Meanwhile, deep inside the Forest of Death's central tower…
A massive hall, larger than a basketball arena, was packed full of high-ranking village leaders, nobles, and wealthy merchants.
At the center, giant monitors displayed live feeds from all corners of the forest, showing every move the examinees made.
(The shinobi world's technology was wildly uneven — they had surveillance cameras and computers, but in other places, they were practically stuck in the Warring States era, struggling just to eat.)
At the head of the room sat three robed figures wearing hats marked with the kanji for "Wind," "Rock," and "Fire."
The Three Kage.
The smallest among them, the red-nosed Tsuchikage (Ōnoki), was the first to speak.
"Konoha truly is blessed, constantly producing geniuses… unlike us in Iwagakure, where we barely have a single talent to our name. It's enough to make this old man jealous."
A sly, backhanded comment.
He was suggesting that Konoha's success was purely due to favorable circumstances — and hinting at Iwagakure's own frustrations and weaknesses.
If it were just him and Hiruzen Sarutobi here, it might pass as casual conversation.
But with so many others present — including the Kazekage — Ōnoki's words subtly stirred the pot, fanning jealousy and ambition that might lead to unexpected consequences.
"You're right. It's because of these geniuses that Konoha has survived so many covetous eyes unscathed," Hiruzen Sarutobi responded smoothly, making it clear that Konoha wasn't afraid of anyone's envy.
The verbal sparring between Kage might not involve jutsu, but the danger level was no less intense.
"Is that so? Well, let's hope these geniuses continue to protect Konoha…" the Third Kazekage chimed in, his words sounding like praise but laced with undisguised malice.
The Land of Wind was poor and desperate.
Their neighbor, the wealthy Land of Fire, was a tempting target.
If they got lucky, they'd score a windfall. If not, at least they'd bleed Konoha by consuming their ninja resources.
"We in Konoha, under the light of the Will of Fire, have never disappointed," Hiruzen said, smiling calmly but subtly signaling to the ANBU with coded gestures.
Because he could sense it — the other two Kage were hinting that something was about to happen.
And so, as Konoha outwardly bustled with the excitement of the Chūnin Exams, unseen currents of danger began to surge below the surface.
Yet for now, all eyes remained locked on the second round of the exams.
No one realized the storm already gathering in the shadows.
(End of Chapter)