Chapter 39: Forest of Death

"Time!" the examiner for the first test called out. "Put your pencils down. Everyone still here, proceed to the second exam. The results of the first exam will be announced once the second exam is complete."

'Huh, no secret test. How disappointing,' thought Tekku as he watched the others putting their pencils down.

"I have a question!" one of the test takers raised a hand, seeking clarification. The supervisor acknowledged the request and gave permission to speak. "Does that imply that even if we pass the second exam, our ability to proceed to the third exam will still depend on our score from the first exam?"

"That is correct," the Jonin acting as their examiner confirmed, prompting a flurry of conversations among the examinees.

"Silence!" the examiner bellowed. "You are on the path to becoming Chunin, where you will be entrusted with leading a team. Not all missions deliver immediate outcomes. There will be instances where you must dedicate all your mental focus to the task at hand while awaiting other results. Throughout this exam, you must give it your all. In such circumstances, have faith in your own abilities and fight with all your strength in the second exam." The rousing cry of the Jonin left the test takers speechless. "Now, proceed to the second exam!"

'So that is the underlying test. They want to see how we succeed under uncertainty and pressure,' realized Tekku as he stood up, the words of the examiner echoing in his ear as he joined Hana on the way out.

"How did it go?" he asked, only out of politeness, as he had full confidence in his teammate.

"I briefly worried about whom I should copy the answer from, but the moment I knew there were some Chunin planted amongst the examinees, it was easy. I don't even have to ask you; this test must be a joke to you," she grinned as she clapped his shoulders.

- Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi -

"Lucky~ the first team we find is the two-man one with only a kid and a girl with her three pups," mocked the boy standing in front of Tekku gleefully.

Tekku held a scroll in his hands, showing it to his opponents.

Those who would become Chunin were scattered about the area known as the forty-fourth training ground, nicknamed the "Forest of Death." The scroll in his hands had the character for "heaven" written on it in bold, black calligraphy.

"Eh, already giving up? I thought someone as cocky as you, only participating with two members, would put up more of a fight," laughed a boy standing a bit behind him.

"Be careful, I recognize him from the Bingo Books. That is no simple kid. He has a bounty of 1,000,000 Ryo on his head, and we still don't know where his teammate is," warned the third member of their team, with worry in her voice. She carefully observed their surroundings.

The three ninja were spread out in a triangle formation around Tekku. On their foreheads, they wore the protectors of the village of Kusagakure.

"You are right. It's that Puppet User! This could be one of his puppets. Oy, use your technique to check for any Chakra Strings," said the apparent leader of the team to the other boy.

"Sensing Technique: Chakra Eye!" said the boy from Kusagakure, using a technique that allowed him to see Chakra in the air. It's basically a lesser version of the Byakugan, not allowing one to see through things but making Chakra visible, similar to the Sharingan. However, it requires more concentration, and the user can't move while using that technique, and it lacks the clarity of perception that allows Sharingan wielders to copy Jutsu and have a photographic memory.

"There are no strings! It is the original, not a puppet!" he shouted as he carefully observed Tekku.

This calmed the fifteen or sixteen-year-old leader of the team down, and he regained his confidence. "Hehe, if you hand over the scroll like a good boy, we won't kill you. But if you're gonna fight back, then I can't promise anything."

The objective of the second exam was to reach the central tower of the training ground while holding both the Heaven and Earth scrolls. The examinees were divided into small squads of three, and each squad was given either a Heaven or an Earth scroll. Tekku and Hana received a Heaven Scroll. They were then scattered across the training ground and tasked with retrieving the complementary scroll from another squad. Regardless of their location in the field, they had to acquire both scrolls. Once obtained, they had to navigate through the perilous Forest of Death, inhabited by man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, and various other dangerous creatures, to reach the tower at the center.

The exam had a time limit of five days, precisely the amount of time allotted for the examination.

It was just the start of the exam, and they already encountered a three-man team. Instead of trying to track down an enemy team, they decided to head directly for the Tower and wait there for a team already having two scrolls.

Fortunately, they didn't even have to do that, as these opponents came by themselves to them. What the Kusagakure team didn't realize yet was that they were already in their trap.

Suddenly, Tekku threw the Heaven Scroll into the air, distracting his three opponents as their eyes followed the trajectory of the scroll. The mouth of 'Tekku' opened, and an explosion of smoke left his mouth.

Everything was happening fast now. In the next instant, hands from below the Kusagakure leader grabbed his ankles, pulling him neck-deep into the earth. At the same time, multiple swishing sounds were heard as four whirling bodies impacted with the other two members of the team, knocking them out.

"You should never let your guard down, even if you outnumber your opponent," said Tekku, who appeared from underground and was holding a Kunai to the neck of the opponent leader.

"How? There were no strings. My teammate checked for them? How did you control your puppet?" asked the leader, downcast.

"If you announce your intent so clearly, I can just detach my strings and attach them when your technique is over," explained Tekku without worry, while Hana was checking the contents of the other two people's bags.

"They don't have the scroll!" she said when she searched their whole bodies.

"So you have it. Where is it?" asked Tekku while staring into the eye of the Kusagakure leader. "It is your bad luck that you encountered us. But there is no further need to make it hard for yourself. If you just hand over your scroll, we will let you go, and you can still try to complete the exam. Well, we also could try the hard way, but you would regret it," threatened Tekku, leaking a bit of killing intent.

The Kusagakure team wasn't that experienced; this little show of force was enough. "I have it. It's in my bag. There is no need for further violence," he said without hesitation.

"Good," said Tekku before he punched him in the face, knocking him out. He indeed found an Earth Scroll in the bag. They left the Kusagakure team unconscious on the ground. They still had a chance.

Meanwhile, Tekku and Hana directly headed for the Tower. There was no point in wasting more time. They had both Scrolls now.

- Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi -

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- Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi - Shinobi -

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