"The first thing I need to remind you all—inside the Forest of Death, your enemies aren't just other candidates. You'll be facing the forest itself, its environment, and the vicious creatures living within it!"
The examiner's voice was grave as he continued, "Anyone taking this exam must sign this waiver of life and death. If you refuse, you're out."
He pulled out a stack of forms—death waivers—passing them along with the scrolls.
No one backed down. Every candidate signed.
"Good. Then may luck be with you. Seven days from now, I'll be waiting at the exit."
The examiner opened the great gates, and one after another, the genin poured into the Forest of Death.
"That's him—Natsume Yō. Our mission target. Lord Uchiha Kanyue ordered it himself: don't kill him, but make sure he learns his place."
From the very start, a pack of Uchiha clan members had locked onto Yō. In truth, most of them had come to the Chūnin Exams just to help Yūsuke settle his grudge.
They trailed after him, waiting for the right chance to pounce—
—but their amateur stalking was child's play to spot. Yō slipped away in seconds.
"Damn it!" They cursed under their breath, realizing they'd already lost him.
"Seven days, huh? A bit long for my taste." Yō stretched lazily, smirking to himself. "Fine, I'll just grab an Earth Scroll tomorrow. That's enough to pass."
He ducked into a secluded patch of forest and built a small, hidden perch up in the trees. With a puff of smoke, a shadow clone appeared and went straight into training.
No point wasting time. For him, this Chūnin Exam was nothing but a formality.
While other genin scrambled to form squads, Yō chose to go solo. The first three days were quiet—everyone too busy adapting to the forest. But on the fourth day, blood was spilled.
Uchiha Yūsuke and his crew resumed their hunt for Yō. Moonlight Hayate, Hyūga Setsuna, and Shiranui Genma crushed opponents and secured their scrolls almost instantly. Those who lost theirs turned predator, hunting down others in desperation.
The forest descended into chaos, a spiral of theft and revenge.
Two more days passed in that endless struggle. With just one day left, Natsume Yō finally stirred from his secluded cultivation.
"Phew…" He exhaled, flexing his fingers. Then, with a single jutsu, he destroyed the training perch he'd used for six days.
Who would've guessed his hideout was barely a hundred meters from the entrance the whole time?
"Alright then… time to hunt down that Earth Scroll."
Chewing on a drumstick he'd exchanged from the System for stamina recovery, he grinned.
叮!
"System detected: Host currently participating in Chūnin Exams.""New Mission: Pass the Chūnin Exam successfully!""Rewards: EXP +50, Gold +100, Title unlocked — 'Rising Star'!"
Yō's eyes lit up at the familiar voice in his head.