The two teammates froze for an instant when they saw the kill. That moment of distraction was enough—Ao and his partner struck simultaneously, finishing off the remaining Iwagakure shinobi in one clean exchange.
They checked the scrolls on the fallen enemies.
"Heaven scroll… and the other—Earth."
Exactly what they needed.
The next challenge would be surviving five days inside the Forest of Death.
No one could predict how many ambushes would come before then, so the team immediately set up traps and fallback points, ready for anything.
Elsewhere, another Moenin team—Hatsufuyu, Kodomo, and Kaku—was already locked in combat with another Iwagakure squad.
But this time the result was obvious.
With a Ranton (Storm Release) bloodline wielder like Hatsufuyu leading, victory was guaranteed.
In less than five techniques, the Iwa-nin were overwhelmed.
However, the burst of lightning and wind chakra drew attention—three new figures appeared in the trees.
Omoi, Karui, and Samui, the Cloud trio under Killer Bee's tutelage.
All three were skilled with blades and among the strongest genin of the current generation, clear candidates for promotion.
Omoi and Karui wielded long blades, while Samui held a short one, her calm eyes fixed below.
From the branches above, Omoi called out,
"Yo! What scroll do you have? Heaven or Earth?"
The three Moenin shinobi said nothing.
But when their eyes shifted briefly toward the unconscious Iwa-nin on the ground, the Cloud trio instantly understood.
Karui grinned. "They've got the Heaven scroll. The Earth one's with those guys on the ground!"
With that, she lunged.
"Don't let them take it!" Hatsufuyu shouted.
The clearing exploded into chaos.
Both sides fought fiercely, dragging and reclaiming the Iwa-nin's limp bodies like prizes in a tug-of-war.
The unconscious Iwa team had become nothing more than bargaining chips.
Hatsufuyu unleashed Ranton (Storm Release) bursts of light, while Karui met him head-on, blades clashing in midair.
The bloodline advantage quickly became clear—Karui was cut and forced back.
Samui, calm as ever, slipped behind Hatsufuyu and struck. Her short blade flashed once.
Hatsufuyu took the hit—but before she could follow up, Kodomo's healing chakra surged, closing the wound in seconds.
The Cloud trio exchanged glances.
"Ridiculous," Omoi muttered. "They've got a medic that fast?"
They fought on for several more rounds, but soon realized they were losing ground.
Bleeding and frustrated, the Cloud genin withdrew, abandoning the fight.
When the dust settled, the Earth scroll from the Iwa-nin lay safely in Hatsufuyu's hands.
Meanwhile, in another sector of the forest, Hōzuki Tsukiya's team was engaged.
Earlier, the Fourth Raikage had mocked her as timid and weak—but now his expression froze as he watched her on the screen.
Her Mizugakure (Hidden Mist Technique) was flawless.
Working with a teammate who used Doton (Earth Release), she could vanish into damp soil and strike unseen.
Her signature move—Suiton: Mizudoroboshi no Jutsu (Water Release: Drilling Water Drop Technique)—turned a droplet into a razor-sharp weapon.
Infused with chakra, each drop pierced silently, killing before the enemy even knew they'd been hit.
It was her own creation.
While most waited for grand waves or torrents, Tsukiya's true strike had already begun the moment she finished weaving seals.
Only the Byakugan or Sharingan could reliably detect it—
and their opponents were from Iwagakure.
The result was inevitable.
The Moenin trio claimed another victory.
Two days passed.
Some spectators had already left the arena; three days remained before the second exam's end.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's interference through the Sound Village made the field even more chaotic.
But their targets were Konoha, not Moenin.
So as long as Shigeo's students maintained discipline, their promotion was virtually assured.
As dusk fell, the Kage and village heads began to leave the stands.
Only their subordinates stayed to continue observation.
"Danna-sama, you should rest too," said Mukō, nudging the half-dozing Shigeo beside him.
Shigeo yawned, stretching. "Fine, fine. Keep watching. I'll leave it to you."
He stood and left the observation tower.
Back at the guest manor, after washing up, Shigeo collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
But deep into the night—
"Danna-sama! Emergency!"
Mukō's voice jolted him awake.
"Hongyan's been injured! The assailant hasn't been found!"
Shigeo was up in seconds. Together they rushed toward Konoha.
The distance from the manor to the village was considerable, and he didn't know what had happened along the way.
When he arrived at the Konoha Hospital, he saw Hongyan sitting up on a bed—her right arm limp and motionless.
"What happened?" Shigeo demanded.
"It's my fault, Danna-sama," Hongyan said bitterly.
"I was stationed outside the second test area. I must've dozed off for a moment. When I heard a scream, I jumped up—but a Raiton (Lightning Release) hit me. My arm went numb. Now it won't move."
"How strong was the Raiton?"
"Not very," she said. "That's what's strange. The attack was weak, but my arm—"
She tried to lift it. Nothing.
"Let me see."
Shigeo began his own treatment, channeling chakra into fine acupuncture points along her arm.
A pale blue glow spread, restoring energy flow.
Hongyan's fingers twitched. Sensation returned.
Mukō, watching, frowned. "I checked her post, Danna-sama. It was completely hidden. No one could have found her, much less launched an attack. And she's vigilant—she would've noticed anyone approaching."
"Where were you resting?" Shigeo asked.
"In a hollow tree."
"So… an enclosed space?"
She nodded.
That made no sense.
In a narrow tree hollow, performing a Lightning Release attack should have been impossible—
there was no room for hand seals, no angle for a clean strike.
"Yes, Danna-sama. I even covered the entrance with branches to conceal myself.
If anyone had pushed through or attacked from outside, there would've been burn marks or broken twigs from the lightning.
But there were none. Everything was untouched."
Shigeo's expression hardened.
A stealthy lightning user who could strike through solid cover, leaving no trace—
this wasn't random.
They were a new power in the ninja world, and Shigeo had made enemies across nations.
Even the Iwagakure representatives still glared daggers at him during every meeting.
And in the exam itself, the Iwa genin had clearly targeted his students.
Now, outside the field… someone had gone after his own jōnin.
Whoever it was—they wanted to send him a message.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]