Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was soon time for the Chunin Exams to officially begin.
The first test was a written exam, assessing basic Ninja Knowledge. It was very straightforward, without any special trick questions or unique rules, which resulted in a relatively high number of passers.
The proctor for the second exam soon appeared, leading everyone to the edge of a vast, seemingly endless desert.
The head proctor introduced, "This place is called the Demon Desert."
"What? The Demon Desert!"
"The second exam is actually in such a dangerous place?"
Many Sunagakure's examinees became restless, clearly aware of the desert's fearsome reputation. Their reaction made examinees from other villages nervous.
"Silence!" The head proctor shouted, then continued, "Each team will be assigned either a Heaven or an Earth scroll. You must defeat opponents within the desert to collect both Heaven and Earth scrolls, and cross the desert within five days to officially pass the second exam."
"But I must warn you, the Demon Desert is home to numerous giant sand scorpions, and even many terrifying ancient creatures that have survived from prehistoric times. A single misstep, and even a Jonin could end up as a pile of bones in the Demon Desert."
"I am giving you one last chance to withdraw from the exam now. Those who do not forfeit within the next five minutes will be dispatched to various entry points into the Demon Desert. Awaiting you will only be two outcomes: crossing the desert, or death."
Many broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. A Ninja from Takigakure couldn't help but protest, "A place where even Jonin can die, and you're sending a bunch of Genin in for an exam? This is too reckless!"
The head proctor replied coldly, "You may choose to withdraw."
Hearing this cold response, some immediately succumbed to the immense pressure and chose to quit.
"I... I quit! I'm withdrawing!"
"This exam is too terrifying. There's no way we can pass."
Not only Ninja from small villages, but even among the three great Ninja Villages, many who lacked confidence in their strength chose to forfeit.
The originally somewhat crowded group quickly diminished by nearly half.
"Five minutes are up. More people remained than I expected," the head proctor nodded slightly, "Thirty-six teams remain. That means a maximum of eighteen teams can pass the second exam. Still too many. I hope the Demon Desert can help me screen out a few more teams."
Hearing his malicious words, many examinees glared at him angrily.
The proctor didn't care. After distributing the scrolls, all remaining examinees were sent to different entry points into the desert.
…
Ten hours later, the previously composed second exam proctor rushed disheveled into the Kazekage Building.
Rasa appeared to receive him. "Kazekage-sama is currently using Magnet Release to gather gold dust and has no time to see you at the moment. You can report to me first."
"Yes, Rasa-sama," The proctor didn't think much of it. Since Rasa learned Magnet Release from the Third Kazekage, he was already seen as the future Fourth Kazekage.
"Just now, a group of Rogue Ninja broke through our defenses and charged into the Demon Desert."
"What did you say? Rogue Ninja?" Rasa's expression changed drastically.
"Judging by their clean and efficient methods, they are most likely assassins sent by some assassination organization, or killers who took on a bounty from the underground exchange."
Rasa frowned deeply. This was completely unexpected.
The proctor said urgently, "This could very well be a plot by Kumogakure or Kirigakure. If all the examinees are killed in the Demon Desert, Konoha and Iwagakure might use it as a pretext to declare war. Even the surrounding small countries might join the fray."
Although he wanted to eliminate more teams, if all teams were eliminated, the day he got 'eliminated' wouldn't be far behind.
"This is indeed troublesome, but don't worry. The Demon Desert has complex terrain and a harsh environment. Those assassins won't find their targets so quickly," Rasa quickly made a decision, "I will immediately gather the village's Jonin to form a rescue team. You also go inform the team leaders from the other villages and ask if they are willing to join the rescue effort."
"Ah? Tell them about this?" the proctor hesitated.
"Now is not the time to shift blame. At the very least, we must let them know that Sunagakure is also a victim and that we are making efforts because of it," Rasa said firmly. "Go. I will take responsibility if anything happens."
"Yes."
…
Meanwhile, under the night sky, Setsuna's team of three sat enjoying the delicacy of giant sand scorpions.
Before them, a giant sand scorpion over thirty meters long was being roasted, emitting an enticing aroma.
"The proctor was right. These sand scorpions are truly dangerous. If you're not careful, you might gain a few pounds," Shizune said worriedly, touching her belly, but she couldn't bear to put down the roasted scorpion meat in her hand.
"Especially this seasoning of rock salt and cactus juice, it elevates the scorpion's flavor to another level," Guy praised.
Setsuna was also somewhat surprised. Even Don Slime had rarely given this scorpion meat a positive evaluation.
"Although it can't be considered a top-tier ingredient, every world indeed has its own specialties," Don Slime remarked while enjoying the delicacy, then made a suggestion. "This village called 'Sunagakure' still has some value. After you conquer this planet, have them specialize in breeding these sand scorpions."
Setsuna replied inwardly, "Breeding scorpions is a minor matter. The key is to mobilize everyone for a massive 'tree-planting' campaign."
Don Slime, unaware of the God Tree, was puzzled. "Tree planting? You have that kind of hobby?"
Just as Setsuna was about to explain, cries for help suddenly came from the distance.
"Help!"
"I quit the exam! Please, someone save us!"
Setsuna looked into the distance and saw a sandstorm brewing, with huge commotion.
Looking closer, he saw five or six giant sand scorpions chasing examinee teams. It seemed the scorpions had been pursuing different teams but happened to converge, resulting in a large-scale chase scene.
Judging by their forehead protectors, they seemed to belong to Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, Amegakure, and Hoshigakure.
Setsuna couldn't help but laugh. "There really are Ninja from every village."
Seeing the scorpion horde charging towards their direction, Guy's mouth was practically watering. "Setsuna-san, leave these sand scorpions to me!"
"Alright, be careful," Setsuna nodded slightly. Under his guidance, Guy had also been training in the Ki Power System. Although he hadn't fully mastered it yet, his strength was definitely far greater than in the original timeline.
"It's Mizuki and Ebisu! I'll go assist them," Shizune was also eager. After training in Taijutsu under Tsunade, she had picked up some of her mentor's aggressive tendencies.