Although some examinees felt a lingering sense of unease, they still chose to sign the waiver of life and death.
At the very back of the group, Veigar Koshima signed his name on the document. Seeing this, Orochimaru let out a sinister smile and said:
"Now that you've all signed the waiver, I will proceed to announce the rules for the second stage of the Chūnin Exams."
It's happening!
The long-awaited second stage of the Chūnin Exams was finally about to begin. Every examinee straightened up, paying close attention to Orochimaru's words.
"Before entering the Forest of Death, each team will receive a scroll."
"There are two types of scrolls: the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth."
"To pass this stage, the method is simple—you must collect both the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth and reach the central tower in the Forest of Death within three days."
Orochimaru paused briefly before adding with a smirk:
"Oh, and one more thing—you must reach the tower with your team intact."
The moment Orochimaru finished explaining the rules, a dark cloud seemed to settle over the group.
The first rule alone made it clear that passing this stage required stealing scrolls from other teams.
But Orochimaru's last remark made it even more brutal—eliminating just one member of an enemy team would ensure their failure, even if they managed to gather both scrolls.
It didn't take long for everyone to realize: this exam would be a bloodbath.
"Now then," Orochimaru continued, "each team, step forward to receive your scroll before entering the examination field!"
"I'm looking forward to seeing how you all perform."
His eerie smile sent a chill down Veigar Koshima's spine, as if he had been marked by a predator.
One by one, teams approached, took a scroll, and hurried into the Forest of Death, carefully concealing whether they held the Scroll of Heaven or the Scroll of Earth.
As always, Veigar was the last to act. When he stepped forward and received a Scroll of Heaven from Orochimaru's hands, the Sannin leaned in and whispered:
"Veigar-kun, be careful."
"Don't die in there."
Veigar simply nodded and walked into the Forest of Death without hesitation.
...
Not all teams rushed deeper into the forest.
Some chose to wait near the entrance, lying in ambush for a worthy target.
Among them were:
Kisame Hoshigaki, Itō Uto, and Yuki Minazuki from the Hidden Mist Village.
Ayase Mado, Kozuka Tachibana, and Mizushima Kimou from the Hidden Rain Village.
Hasegawa Masaki, Morita Daiku, and Matsunaga Hisahide from the Hidden Waterfall Village.
Three squads, nine Genin in total.
As Veigar stepped forward, about to enter the Forest of Death, Itō Uto from the Mist Village shot a bloodthirsty glance at his teammates, Kisame Hoshigaki and Yuki Minazuki.
"Kisame, Yuki, should we strike first?"
Though Veigar had kept a low profile throughout the exams, the fact that he was competing alone had drawn the attention of every examinee.
The nine-man ambush was set up just for him.
Others who had already entered the forest watched from a distance. Some took a wait-and-see approach, while others, sensing that Veigar must be exceptional to be taking the exam solo, chose to avoid provoking him altogether.
Among Genin, those from the Hidden Mist Village were known for their superior combat skills and merciless nature.
To Itō Uto's suggestion, Kisame Hoshigaki simply smirked and shook his head.
"No. Let them move first."
Yuki Minazuki nodded in agreement.
"Let them test his strength for us."
They were referring to the six Genin from the Rain and Waterfall villages.
...
Stepping into the Forest of Death, Veigar walked casually, at ease.
He had already noticed the hidden presences of the Rain and Waterfall teams.
But what truly caught his attention was the Hidden Mist squad.
More precisely—Kisame Hoshigaki.
"I suppose it's time to show my strength," Veigar thought to himself.
"Let's see just how far I've come."
At that moment, he stepped directly into the center of the ambush.
"Attack!"
Mizushima Kimou from the Hidden Rain Village and Hasegawa Masaki from the Hidden Waterfall Village shouted the order at the same time.
From both sides, six kunai shot toward Veigar—three from each direction.
The kunai struck his body directly, embedding into him.
"That was... too easy?"
Veigar collapsed to the ground, unmoving, his breath completely still.
Because the Rain and Waterfall squads had attacked at the same time, they only now realized the presence of the other team.
"Shff shff shff..."
Both teams emerged from their hiding spots, tense and ready to fight, with Veigar's "dead body" as the dividing line between them.
Hasegawa Masaki from the Waterfall Village sneered.
"Rain-nin, this is our prey. Are you looking to die in the Forest of Death?"
Mizushima Kimou from the Rain Village scoffed.
"Waterfall-nin, do you really think we'll back down? I think it's you who won't be leaving this forest."
At that moment—
"Poof!"
Veigar's "corpse" vanished in a puff of smoke—replaced by a wooden log.
A Substitution Jutsu!
Before they could react, six razor-sharp wind-enhanced shuriken flew toward them from the entrance of the Forest of Death.
It had been a trap.
Veigar had anticipated the ambush, setting up his Substitution Jutsu in advance while vanishing into the shadows.
Now, using himself as bait, he and his two Shadow Clones launched a surprise attack.
Even worse—they weren't done yet.
Veigar and his two clones stood atop the tree branches, each holding another Wind Style: Shuriken Jutsu, prepared to unleash their next assault.
Realizing the imminent danger, both squads' expressions changed drastically.
They barely had time to react—
Kozuka Tachibana from the Rain Village and Morita Daiku from the Waterfall Village immediately started forming hand seals, preparing their jutsu in a desperate attempt to survive.
But Veigar had already decided their fate.
-----------------------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON