The morning air felt a bit colder than it should have been, but it was probably the effect of standing at the edge of the Forest of Death. What a naming convention... Really... I couldn't help but narrow my eyes as I looked up at the massive trees rising before us, and they looked thicker and taller than the forest I was used to or where we went as students. These ones were... darker, too. I mean, their shade. Their trunks were thick enough that three grown men couldn't wrap their arms around them, while their canopies grew so dense that even the morning sunlight failed to pierce them. No wonder it made the land under them look like it was a perpetual night in there.
Yeah… Standing before the entrance, this place wasn't natural, and I wondered what Hashirama did to it, or was it his creation at all. Whatever the truth was, the place felt... alive, and not in a good way.
"You feel it too?" Minato asked quietly beside me, bringing me out of my thinking.
"Yeah," I muttered back, blinking my eyes, "Brr. This place is… off."
"That is putting it lightly." He agreed, and it was clear that his instincts didn't like it at all either.
Before all of us stood a tall iron gate reinforced with thick beams and sealed with tags along its frame. Beyond it, the forest felt as if it stretched towards every direction, while its actual depths were impossible to read from where we stood. No matter how much I remembered of the show, the manga, or any of the articles, watching it from the entrance was a wholly different matter. It wasn't even comparable. Scanning the rest, around the entrance, multiple Chūnin proctors were already there, checking papers, organizing the teams, and keeping the growing crowd under control.
It wasn't that easy still, because maybe around sixty of us remained, meaning the ones who passed.
Looking at them, seeing which gate they would enter from, I noticed that the Konoha teams clustered into smaller groups, though not as tightly as before. Which wasn't a surprise, we still had more participants than any other guest villages. What was clear, though, was that the higher-ranking teams were spaced out to make sure we would meet later, if ever, after entering. I watched the Hyūga twins walk off, following a pair of proctors to their gate, while Shikaku stood with his hands in his pockets, nodding at me when our gazes met, leaving in another direction.
"Still think inviting them to ramen was a good idea?" Minato asked quietly.
"Best idea I had all week," I shot back, grinning slightly. "You saw how Chōza looked at me after gifting him free food! That's loyalty right there."
"I'm just asking because I also agree with you, and want to make sure you didn't poison them or something," Minato added with a soft laugh, while my gaze moved towards the foreign teams.
"Ha-ha. Very funny." I muttered, pouting, while my eyes scanned the people there.
The Kusagakure trio stood near the far side of the clearing, looking as serious as one could... What was the guy's name I was looking at? Um... Rei Kuragi, I think... Yeah... He was gazing at the trees while resting his hand on the hilt of his blade, trying to look loose, but he was nervous. Mika Narae... was the girl's name next to him, I think, and I noticed that while she was crouching near him, she was adjusting something... Hm. probably traps. We will have to be careful of that.
As for Takigakure's team, they were also led away, to a different gate to enter, while the Amegakure team remained close to our entry point... Difficult. That was the feeling I got from looking at them.
"They're the most dangerous," I muttered to Minato, as he also threw a glance towards them.
"Mhm," he nodded once he turned his gaze back towards the forest. "Yeah. But they are not the only ones. Look towards the north."
As I did, I caught the Genins from Yugakure, following another proctor, walking away from our point.
They were the complete opposite of most of the teams. Remembering their names, Haru Kazenami was stretching as if it were a friendly sparring match, grinning at everyone he passed by, even waving at us when our eyes met. None of the others in their group seemed concerned.
"They're hiding something," Minato said after they were out of sight.
"Everyone is," I replied, nudging him, "We too."
"Well, if you put it that way..." He grunted, holding back a laugh, but then a voice had interrupted us. To my surprise, I could see multiple Sakumos standing before each gate and each participant group, telling us to listen.
"This is the second stage of the Chūnin Exams." He started the moment our eyes landed on him, and his eyes were locked onto each team. "The Forest of Death... Don't take the name lightly. As for the task itself, you will be given a scroll upon entry by the proctor who opens the gate for you," he continued, holding up two different scrolls, "Heaven or Earth."
Okay, so far this is the same. I am not that surprised by it; it's probably a standardized examination. I guess...
"You will enter as teams." Sakumo continued in the meantime, "Your objective is simple: reach the tower at the center of the forest within five days or less, while possessing both a Heaven and an Earth scroll. Each team will start with only one, so..." He looked into our eyes warningly, "You must acquire the other… by any means necessary."
Yeah. Duh. I wasn't thinking about how we will do it, though. Mostly, my thoughts were... could we break the record for completing it early, or is there even a record yet?
"If you lose your scroll… You fail." Sakumo continued while I was thinking about our possible record-setting run, "If you open your scroll before reaching the tower… You fail. If all members of your team are incapacitated… You also fail. And if you die…" he paused, letting the tone of his voice scare us, "Well… you die."
No one laughed, of course, and I guess that was his aim. And I believed him, without it anyway. However, we didn't have a Gaara in our exam, which was a plus. Well, we had the ones from Hanzo's depressing country, but... Maybe we should deal with them? Take their scroll?
"This is not a game," Sakumo said, as if reading my mind. "This is a simulation of survival behind enemy lines, of actual war. You will not be supervised once you enter! You will not be saved if you make a mistake... so try to avoid making any. You have one hour to get ready before entry. Use it wisely..."
And just like that, the pressure doubled, even if his shadow clone popped out of existence, leaving behind a thick white smoke that slowly dissipated.
"So… scroll hunting." Minato shrugged, making me remember that he didn't know about it.
"Yeah," I nodded, already planning ahead, "Standard setup, really. Half the teams have what we need, the other half want what we have, and it could make teams work together or just get more paranoid." I said as I glanced around again, my eyes lingering on each team I could see.
"Renji," Minato said quietly, drawing my attention back.
"Yeah?"
"What's the plan?"
"Wait..." I blinked at him in surprise, "You ask me?"
"I'm curious about what you think, yes." He nodded, being serious, "I don't want to always seem like I'm taking control of you and ordering you around."
"Don't worry about that!" I shrugged, waving a hand at him, "We are brothers."
"Still!"
"If you want my idea," I added, ignoring his rising protest, "I say, we go and kick the rain-boys out. I don't like their aura... at all. And I don't trust their emo faces."
"What's an emo?" He asked, suddenly confused.
"Don't mind it!" I chuckled, shaking my head, "I would be happier if they were out of the competition early."
"And if they have the same scrolls as us?"
"Just get them out." I snorted, "They smell and look like killers, and I bet you, if they kill someone inside, and someone sees that, spreads it, it could kick off the war."
"So you believe they are here to..." He asked in the lowest whisper he could muster, throwing a glance in their direction.
"That's my guess," I said with a shrug. "It would be a perfect ploy to pull off. Why else would Amagakure send killers to an exam? They are Genins? Are they? Really? I hadn't seen the proof yet, and I don't care if they were examined by Sakumo or the Hokage himself. Call me paranoid if you want..."
"I won't," He nodded, crossing his arms, "I'm in. We will head straight towards them and take their scroll."
"That was easy," I said with a mild surprise. "I didn't know I could convince you so quickly!"
"Well," He smiled, patting my shoulder, "I do agree with you. And my idea was to aim for a team anyway, get a scroll, and sprint towards the tower. Jiraiya-sensei did say we should dazzle everyone so... I want to get this done before sunset."
...
....
...
Far from the towering trees of the Forest of Death, somewhere hidden under and away from the eyes of the villagers, the scent of formaldehyde was almost unbearable. The chamber itself was located deep underground, which didn't help with ventilation, especially since its stone walls were reinforced with hundreds of seals. Inside it, glass instruments lined one side of the room, some filled with cloudy liquids, responsible for the smell, while others were still empty, but already prepared and waiting. Some were even... human-sized.
At the center of the stage stood a long table, made of metal, cleaned and almost sparkly, yet its shape would have reminded Renji of how an autopsy table should look. A man leaned over it with gloved hands as he adjusted something within a sealed container, and his pale skin was one of the most recognizable features of him, even in his current, tight dress and half-mask covering his face.
It was Orochimaru.
"You've improved your containment methods."
The voice came from behind him when it broke the silence, and Orochimaru did not turn immediately or show any reaction to his presence. Instead, he finished what he was doing, sealed the container he was fiddling with, with a soft click, and only then allowed a faint smile behind his mask.
"…Danzō-sama." He said, with none of the respect the words would suggest in his voice, as he began to turn slowly.
Danzō stood near the entrance of this... laboratory, leaning on his cane. His single visible eye moved across the room, taking in everything in a single sweep, nodding with approval.
"You've been busy," Danzō added, "But results are nowhere to be seen."
"Curiosity is a difficult thing to satisfy," Orochimaru replied lightly, stepping away from the table. "Especially when one is given… such sub-par subjects to try and make a miracle with. Animals won't cut it anymore."
"The second stage of the Chūnin Exams begins today," Danzō answered simply to that insult, and as Orochimaru took off his mask, so he could see how his eerie smile widened just slightly.
"Ah… the Forest of Death."
"It is an ideal environment," Danzō continued, tapping his cane on the floor, "For observing… natural selection. You will have your subjects."
"How generous." Orochimaru answered with a fake smile, "But what about Sakumo? I heard that he will oversee the second round in person..." Danzō's grip tightened subtly on his cane while Orochimaru continued, "He will not tolerate interference."
"There are methods," Danzō answered simply. "Contingencies have been arranged, and you will get what you have been asking for."
"Alive?" he asked, his yellow eyes flashing, "I told you that if you want results, I need them... intact."
"If possible." Danzō met his eyes, just looking at him for a moment.
"Excellent." Orochimaru let out a quiet breath, actual satisfaction slipping into his face while he moved around the table, running his fingers lightly against its surface. "Dead specimens are also useful," he continued, almost conversationally, "They at least allow for structural analysis, chakra pathway changings and mapping after the cells are integrated into them… And for reconstruction... So the live ones have a better chance at survival." His fingers tapped once against the table's surface, thinking. "I won't ask how you will get me them. But make sure your people know that intact bodies are a must! Otherwise, the chance of my experiments working out will remain low." He went on, his voice lowering slightly, as if he was warning Danzō. "And it will not be my fault."
"You just ensure the experiments succeed," Danzō answered him sternly, "The rest will be handled by me."
"That depends on the quality of what you provide me." Orochimaru chuckled softly, not backing down at all.
"They are simply genins." He said, feeling offended and letting some information slip, just to make Orochimaru shut up, "The team working for us has more experience than any of them put together... They know how to complete their mission. There won't be anyone... to interfere with it."