At 7 a.m. sharp, all 78 participants who passed the first exam gathered at the outskirts of the Forest of Death.
Some had arrived even earlier, standing in tense silence as they eyed the dark forest ahead. Towering trees, five to six meters thick, stretched endlessly into the distance, their twisted branches casting eerie shadows over the iron fence that encircled the entire area.
More than ten meters beyond the fence, tall watchtowers loomed, manned by Konoha ninjas who lazily leaned against the railings, some casually peering through binoculars.
Naruto squinted at them. Are they just here to watch, or are they actually gonna help if things go south?
His thoughts were interrupted as a figure appeared in a blur.
Mitarashi Anko stood before them, her sharp gaze sweeping over the examinees. Her voice carried an air of amusement as she spoke:
"This is the venue for the second exam—the No. 44 Training Ground."
She grinned.
"Also known as… the Forest of Death."
A shiver ran through some of the genin, but Naruto just crossed his arms, unimpressed.
Anko pulled out a stack of papers and held them up for everyone to see.
"This is a consent form. Those who wish to participate must sign here."
She paused for dramatic effect, then smirked.
"Because once you enter the Forest of Death… there's a very real chance you won't be coming out."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"Wait, what?!"
"People can actually die in this thing?"
"The Chunin Exams are this dangerous?!"
Murmurs spread among the crowd, some looking uneasy.
Anko's smirk widened.
"Quiet!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the noise. "If you're scared, now's the time to back out."
Her eyes gleamed as she scanned the crowd, almost daring someone to step forward.
But no one moved.
Despite the risks, everyone here had already set their sights on becoming a Chunin. No way were they backing down now.
Anko chuckled. "Not bad. Since no one's chickening out, let's move on to the rules."
Ninjas moved among the participants, handing out consent forms. As Naruto scribbled his name down, Anko explained:
"The Forest of Death is a massive circular area with 44 different entrances. The terrain inside varies—rivers, forests, cliffs, you name it.
At the very center is a tower. Your goal? Get there within five days."
She held up two scrolls, one with a sky symbol and one with an earth symbol.
"Each team will receive one of these. To pass, you need both."
Naruto grinned. Simple enough. Just take one from another team, right?
Anko's smirk grew darker.
"You can use any method to get the scrolls. Even if that means killing your opponents."
Sakura gulped.
Naruto's grin didn't falter. Pfft. Like any of these guys could kill me.
"Before you enter, each team will also get an emergency flare," Anko continued. "If you're in a life-threatening situation, use it, and Konoha's rescue team might come for you."
Naruto frowned. "Might?"
Anko just smiled. "Well, that depends on whether you're still alive when they arrive."
…Yeah, that wasn't exactly reassuring.
Team Seven's Strategy (Kind of)
Sasuke eyed the other teams warily. "Naruto, you should hold onto our scroll. It's safer that way."
Sakura nodded. "Yeah, you're the strongest in our team."
Naruto puffed out his chest. "Heh, good choice! You guys can leave everything to me!"
Sasuke sighed. "Just don't lose it."
The scroll distribution was handled in a hidden room, so no team would know which member was carrying the scroll.
Once that was settled, every team was led to a different entrance.
As the gates swung open, Team 7 stepped into the Forest of Death.
Kabuto's Hidden Agenda
Deeper in the forest, Kabuto and his teammates walked through the thick underbrush. One of his teammates glanced at him.
"Kabuto, Orochimaru-sama wanted the three-man team from Oto to kill Sasuke, but they got eliminated before the second exam even started. What now?"
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Don't worry. Lord Orochimaru's plans won't be disrupted. If those three can't do the job, I'll handle it myself."
The light reflected ominously off his glasses.
Naruto's 'Stealth' Mode
Meanwhile, Team 7 moved through the forest.
Well… walked through the forest.
Correction: Naruto strolled through the forest, arms behind his head, whistling a tune.
Sakura twitched. "Naruto… should we really be walking around like this?"
Sasuke sighed. "We should be hiding. Every other team is moving carefully, avoiding fights until they find an opening. But this idiot is making us the easiest target possible."
Naruto waved them off. "Relax! Nobody's dumb enough to attack us."
Rustle.
A kunai whizzed past Naruto's face.
He blinked. "Huh?"
A team of three jumped out from the trees.
"Heh, what luck," one of them sneered. "This guy's walking around like a civilian. Let's take them down and get their scroll."
Naruto slowly turned to his teammates.
"See?" He grinned. "I told you we'd be fine."
Sakura clenched her fists. Why is he like this?
The enemy ninja smirked and charged.
Sasuke and Sakura got into battle stances—
But before they could move, Naruto was already gone.
BAM!
One of the enemies was sent flying into a tree, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
The other two froze.
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Oh no. Anyway—"
CRACK!
Another enemy dropped.
The last one turned to run—
Only to find Naruto already behind him.
He swallowed.
"N-Now, let's not do anything—"
Naruto grabbed his collar.
Five seconds later, three unconscious bodies lay at Team 7's feet.
Naruto dusted his hands off. "Well, that was easy. What's next?"
Sakura and Sasuke just stared at him.
This was going to be a long five days.
(End of Chapter.)
So, guys I am writing a new story and it's not a translation: the story is a guy reborn as Iruka on the day graduation you all can read that too.
naruto:Reborn as Iruka