"Whoever said Konoha is the safest of the Five Great Villages… I'd strangle them myself," Lock muttered under his breath, leaping across the thick branches of the Forest of Death. "If the Chunin Exams are already this brutal, I can't even imagine what a Jonin Exam would look like."
Along the way, he had already stumbled upon two more corpses—on top of the three ninja he himself had killed. And those were just the bodies he happened to cross paths with. Who knew how many more were lying broken and forgotten beneath the canopy, hidden in the endless woods?
It was no wonder so many Genin hesitated to even take this exam. It wasn't an opportunity; it was a gamble with death. Without real strength, you could end up rotting here forever.
Still, he reminded himself grimly, this was the life of a shinobi. Ninjas were trained for high-risk battles. Every promotion demanded higher skill, higher risk, and higher stakes. If you couldn't accept that, you had no business chasing the rank of Chunin in the first place.
Lock crouched low on a branch, eyes narrowing at another patch of disturbed earth. He had checked both corpses thoroughly earlier, but the scrolls had already been taken by whoever killed them. Which meant his hunt for the missing Heaven Scroll continued.
That was why, instead of rushing straight toward the central tower, he'd been weaving through side paths and detours. He wasn't desperate—at least not yet.
But something was… off.
He hadn't encountered a single living candidate since his last fight. Not one. The forest was vast, yes, but there were only a handful of clear paths toward the tower. With thirty to forty candidates still breathing, the odds of crossing at least one were far too high for him to meet no one at all.
Lock's unease grew until he reached a clearing near the tower—and froze.
"…What the hell?"
In the wide open space below, nearly twenty candidates were gathered in a loose circle. Two Genin were currently locked in combat in the center while the rest cheered, taunted, and placed bets with gleaming eyes.
Lock crouched in the shadows of the branches, dumbfounded. So this was why the forest had been eerily empty. Half of the remaining competitors had gathered here like moths to a flame.
It didn't take long to piece together what was happening.
They weren't fighting to kill. They were gambling—battling one-on-one and staking their scrolls. Winner takes all, loser walks away empty-handed.
Lock couldn't stop the incredulous laugh that bubbled out of him. "Seriously? Who came up with this? Turning the Chunin Exam into a betting game?"
At first, he thought it was absurd. But the more he observed, the more he had to admit—it was genius. Hard to set up, harder still to maintain order, but… they'd done it. The fights were clean, the scrolls were piling up, and the crowd accepted the outcomes without bloodshed.
He hid in the trees for nearly ten minutes, studying the flow. Whoever organized this had a silver tongue and iron authority to keep so many hot-headed Genin in line.
Eventually, curiosity won. And perhaps opportunity.
When one duel ended and the crowd began preparing for the next, Lock dropped down from his perch, landing lightly on the edge of the clearing. Dozens of heads snapped toward him, chakra flaring with suspicion—only for tension to ease the moment his figure was recognized.
"A new face," someone called.
From among the group, a boy of about fourteen stepped forward. He carried himself with calm authority, eyes sharp but welcoming. His smile was disarmingly genuine as he approached.
"I'm Katsuki Oguri," the boy introduced smoothly. "And you are?"
Lock blinked. The name sounded strange, foreign almost, but he brushed the thought aside. "Lock," he replied simply, inclining his head. "Genin of Konoha."
Oguri's smile widened. "Lock, huh? Well, since you're here, let me explain. We all want to become Chunin, of course. But spilling blood needlessly isn't in anyone's interest. So instead, we've agreed to settle things through open competition. One scroll wagered against another. The winner takes it. The loser leaves with their life. Simple enough, don't you think?"
Lock's lips curved into a small smirk. "Simple, yes. And clever. Was this your idea?"
Oguri chuckled, scratching his cheek modestly. "I proposed it, but it only works because everyone agreed. Without trust, this would've fallen apart the moment it began."
Lock gave a rare, genuine laugh and raised a thumb in approval. "Impressive. Not just the idea, but pulling it off. Most Genin would've cut each other's throats before agreeing to rules like these."
Oguri dipped his head in thanks, then tilted it curiously. "So, Lock… have you gathered all your scrolls yet?"
Lock noted the boy's eyes carefully—measuring, calculating, but without malice. That was good. Still, best not to reveal too much.
"If I had, I wouldn't still be wandering around," he admitted with a light sigh. "I'm still one short."
Oguri's smile returned, bright and persuasive. "Then you're welcome to join us. Put your scroll up as a stake and fight. Win, and you take your opponent's scroll. Lose… and you walk away. No one here cheats. Everyone honors the outcome."
The rules were as simple as Lock had guessed. No blood vendettas, no sneaky ambushes—just direct challenges.
Lock's brow furrowed slightly. "And joining this late? No one will object?"
"Not at all," Oguri assured him warmly. "Several others joined partway as well. But let me give you one piece of advice—" His gaze sharpened, voice lowering just enough for Lock alone to hear. "Once you're in, you'll have challengers lining up. You'd better be prepared."
Lock studied him for a moment, then chuckled. "If I didn't have confidence, I wouldn't have entered the Chunin Exams in the first place."
Oguri laughed in return, clapping his hands together. "That's the spirit!"
Lock glanced around the crowd. Twenty-one competitors now, himself making twenty-two. Which meant that most of the exam's scrolls were gathered here in this single clearing. If someone had more than one set, then the stakes were higher than ever.
This was no longer just the Forest of Death. This was a den of gamblers, a makeshift colosseum—and Lock had just stepped into the heart of it.
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