Chapter 59: Phase Two.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 18-22 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 79 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 80-82

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Arata Takeshi - POV.]

After two hours of waiting in the room, the remaining teams that had passed were moved on to the next phase.

The number of participants had been cut down by almost 70%. Meaning a lot of teams had been disqualified already.

With the now smaller group of contestants, we stood outside the massive gates of the Forest of Death, the infamous training ground known for its treacherous terrain and deadly inhabitants. This was the place I had been itching to visit all my life but couldn't due to not being a Chunin or part of the exams. The air was thick with tension as the gathered teams, each with varying degrees of confidence and anxiety, listened intently to the second proctor.

The man in question, Maki Tobu, was… quite different from the first proctor. He was laid back, carefree even, his eyes half-closed as he leaned against one of the giant wooden gates. A slight grin played on his lips as he savored a small popsicle he had bought from a nearby food stall that was, for some reason, two feet away from him. His demeanor was so at odds with our surroundings that it was almost comical.

"Alright, little shits," Maki began, smiling at us. "Welcome to the second phase of the Chunin Exams. For those of you who feel happy to have reached this stage, don't. Sorry to burst your cute little bubbles of grandeur, but anyone can pass a written exam—that's like being happy because you can color inside the lines. The same can't be said about this stage. This is where things start to get real. The Forest of Death is not for the faint of heart or for the weak. Inside, you'll find more than just wild animals and poisonous plants. There are no rules; you can kill whoever you want, or be killed by anyone, and your villages won't give a flying fuck."

Don't threaten me with a good time.

"That said, the objective of this phase is simple," the proctor continued. "Each team will be given one of two scrolls: either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. To pass this test, your team must obtain both scrolls and make it to the tower in the center of the forest within five days. If your team loses a scroll, you must acquire another, either by taking it from another team or… well, that's up to you."

A few gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Now, there are a few rules," Maki Tobu added, his tone growing even sterner. "One: if you open the scroll before reaching the tower, you will be disqualified. Two: if any member of your team dies, your entire team fails. And three: if the time limit expires and you haven't reached the tower with both scrolls, your team fails. Any questions? Don't ask them—I couldn't care less about your well-being."

I glanced at Itachi and Shisui. Itachi was calm, while Shisui, on the other hand, seemed even more excited than me about this phase.

"How fast do you guys think we can get both scrolls?" Shisui asked, his face showing the biggest grin I had ever seen on him.

That was a rather complicated question. Mostly because this was one of the few things that our skill as a team didn't directly affect. Sure, I had no doubts we would pass the second phase of the exams without any inconvenience, but how fast exactly wasn't something we could really predict. Even if we operated under the assumption that we were stronger than every other team taking the exam, we couldn't really tell which scrolls they would carry.

This made it a game of chance. If the first team we encountered had the scroll we needed, then our finishing time would probably be record-breaking, but if that wasn't the case… well, it would be rinse and repeat, like playing a slot machine waiting for the jackpot. Granted, in this case, we had a clear number of how many tries we would have before we hit big, unlike in casinos.

"No idea," I replied. "Anything from five minutes to five days. I mean, you do realize we're playing a game of odds here, right?"

Shisui frowned, seemingly disappointed by my response. "Well," he started, looking around, "Even if our luck sucks, I bet we can do it in under a day. And by that, I mean, taking every scroll."

Huh, that's… not a bad idea. Taking every scroll, or at least as many as we could, would basically force the proctors to skip the next phase. And, seeing that we would have to fight multiple enemies, I wouldn't miss out on the best part of the exams—fighting foreign Shinobi.

"I know that look…" Itachi said, his eyes narrowing slightly at me. "You're considering Shisui's words, aren't you?"

A smirk crossed my lips, revealing my unspoken contemplation. Itachi seemed to chuckle slightly.

"Wait… are you telling me that you're thinking what I'm thinking?" Shisui gasped, the grin on his face growing wider as he bounced on his heels in excitement. "Are we really going to go for it? Are we really considering taking on every team?!"

"Why not? Let's set a new record," I replied, a faint smile on my face. While it would've been nice to break the record for the fastest finishing time, the odds were never in our favor in this kind of thing, and even if they were, uncertainty wasn't my thing. But… that didn't mean we couldn't set another record—a new one.

"I find the proposition rather… immature, but I suppose it would serve as training," Itachi added, his typically calm eyes revealing a hint of playful determination. "And it's not like we can't handle the others, so I believe we can accomplish the task."

"Then it's settled," I replied, grinning at the idea. "We take the whole lot."

"I knew it," Shisui began, tears of joy streaming down his face as he gazed at the heavens with a beaming smile. "I knew that if I stuck with you guys long enough, you would do something fun eventually. The Gods have answered my prayers."

I… huh, I have no words.

"Alright then," Maki Tobu said, pointing to some booths. "Come forward when your team's name is called, and go to any of the booths you see around to receive your scroll. Once that's settled, head to the gate you're assigned to and wait."

That probably means we have a few minutes before the second phase really starts.

"How do you guys want to tackle this?" I asked, looking at my team.

"Well… if we really want to take everyone out, it would be best if each of us went by ourselves," Shisui replied, tilting his head. "That way we could cover more ground."

Not a bad idea. If we each went by ourselves, we could cover the entire forest in a triangle, each one taking a third of the field to eliminate as many teams as possible. Sure, this plan meant we would be more vulnerable, but… well, that was part of the fun, wasn't it?

"I like that plan. I agree," I replied, offering Shisui a nod.

"We should have a signal in case any of us needs help," Itachi added, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Perhaps a specific pattern of explosions in the sky?"

"Sounds good to me," I concurred. While I wanted to have fun, it didn't hurt to take some precautions in case we were overwhelmed.

"Not a bad idea, but what would be our signals?" Shisui questioned, scrunching his face in contemplation.

"We can use colored paper bombs," Itachi suggested, thoughtfully. "A series of three—one red, one yellow, and one blue—for a call for help; two—one yellow and one black—for signaling a meeting point; and one, pink, for alerting that an area is clear."

I nodded. That seemed easy enough. "In any case, you can always reach me by flaring your chakra, in case you want to keep a low profile."

"Hmm… in that case, we could use the same pattern, but with our chakra, in case we want to let Takeshi know something," Shisui added, an eager smile on his face. "Let's add one more pattern though—chakra only, four flares every time we take down a team. How about that?"

Oh, he wanted to make this a competition. "Sure, why not. But do keep in mind that I am not the only sensor, and you might end up alerting other teams of your actions."