Konoha.
The afternoon sun hung over the village like a blazing furnace, but the scorching heat was unable to quell the flow of people in the streets, and many more gathered at the entrance gate of Konoha, ready to enter the village.
Konoha was recently the most popular visiting destination for the people of the Land of Fire and neighboring allied nations, this year's chunin exams involving genin from other allied shinobi villages as well.
Konoha Training Ground 44.
At the northern outskirts of Konoha was the famous Death Forest, which had 44 entrances. Civilians were prohibited from entering the forest as some dangerous animals in it were capable of even harming chunin, and genin were mostly prohibited from entering the forest.
But today this dense forest with the tall tower in the middle served as the venue for the second exam of the chunin exams. Genin who had passed the first exam gathered outside the entrance, some showing tense, some excited, and some anxious faces.
Among the many gathered, at a corner stood three shinobi, and the tall curly black-haired shinobi among the three stood out the most, around 178 cm. He was fair-skinned and had deep black eyes, attractive facial features, but on that attractive face currently was a troubled look.
"Sigh... to think I'll most likely die within a day after my memories awakened," muttered Isagi, adjusting the Konoha forehead protector and letting out a tired breath.
Arisawa Isagi, currently 14 years old and a Konoha genin who graduated from the academy two years ago, after two years of missions with his teammates, their instructor Jonin finally considered them good enough for a chunin exam.
Isagi was sad as just today during the first written exam, pressured under the tenth question, he managed to awaken his memories of his past life—memories which told him this world he was in was a famous comic in his previous life, memories which also told him how the events of the future would unfold and how dangerous the upcoming 2nd exam was.
Isagi and his two teammates, Mei Harumi and Kanzaki Ryota, all three of them had average shinobi talent and barely had the strength of an average chunin.
Mei Harumi was the same age as his, standing at 160 cm and had black hair and black eyes, fair-skinned with an above-average attractive face, her face showing a kind look.
Kanzaki Ryota, also the same age, had short black spiky hair, black eyes, and tanned skin, a short blade with the handle having a loop base fixed at his back and his Konoha forehead protector coiled around his forehead.
Over the last two years they had gone through a lot of dangerous missions and nearly lost their life a few times, some luck by their side, but now it seemed their luck had finally run over, chances of walking out alive from the forest before them slim.
"Pat*
"Don't worry Isagi-Kun, surely we can pass through this challenge as well, we've been through worse." Perhaps seeing Isagi worried, the kind Mei couldn't help but pat him on the back to assure him, though her eyes themselves contained concerns.
Isagi wanted to say he was fine, but his eyes suddenly narrowed, spotting something right above Mei's head which he was sure wasn't there just a second ago.
A small blue arrow floated above Mei's head, and as Isagi thought about what it was, he saw the arrow disappearing and before his eyes some words appearing.
Isagi didn't first focus on the words and just looked around, noticing no one else beside him able to see the words floating before him. Just to make sure, Isagi made a silent hand sign, and the chakra in his body rushed towards his head, but the words still stayed in his vision, confirming most likely he was not in a genjutsu.
After making sure he was not under a genjutsu, Isagi finally focused on the words, and his eyes widened after reading them, the worry in his eyes disappearing and endless joy replacing it.
"It's finally here… my cheat." Heaved Isagi a sigh of relief inwardly, knowing he might survive in this dangerous world after all.
{Green Ability – Chunin Chakra Reserves – 80% Chance of Replicating.}
{Green Ability – Chunin Rank Body Flicker Jutsu – 80% Chance of Replicating.}
{White Ability – D-Rank – Earth Release! Rock Fist Jutsu – 100% Chance of Replicating.}
(Matching abilities can be superimposed to elevate their rating grade, only two out of three options can be selected, and for every person only one copying chance is granted every year.)
(Number of replicants allowed: 10/Year)
"This ability most likely requires physical touch to initiate." Isagi didn't hurry to choose and first figured out how this ability could be initiated, remembering how the blue arrow above Mei had appeared after she had patted him on the back.