The Forest of Death

The next day bright and early the team that passed the first exam met in front of a fenced-out entrance for the training ground 44.

Each team kept a safe distance from one another until a familiar face showed up and everyone gathered up to listen to the instructions for the second exam.

"Welcome everyone, I, Yugao Uzuki will be the proctor for the 2nd test.

"This here is Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death, and you'll soon find out why?"

'Anko…'

'Yes, I gave her my line to practice, hehe'.

Naruto scoffs, about to make fun of Yugao but I steal the opening before he can open his mouth.

"Are you sure? 4 for death twice is a sign of good luck, and I going to get lucky inside?"

Yugao laughs before unsheathing her short Katana, happy with my provocation.

I likewise grab the handle of the katana I have strapped at my waist and as Yugao charges I unsheate my katana and block her swing.

The sound of metal colliding is heard as Yugao gets behind me.

"You're getting rusty Yami, thank you for the meal."

Yugao says as a small cut shows up on my neck.

Yugao licks my necks savouring every drop as her body shivers.

By now most of the participants have established both Yugao's strength in kenjutsu and her craziness having publicly licked my blood.

This is why Yugao thanked me, for both helping her assert her position and letting her have some of her favorite blood secretly by holding back.

Though I wasn't lying about getting lucky in this forest.

That's the main goal of several of our plans.

"Getting back to the rules.

"There are 44 entrances to this training round, each team will start at a separate entrance, at the same distance from the tower in the center of the forest.

"Each team will be given one of two scrolls, either the Earth Scroll or the Heaven Scrolls, the objective is to obtain the matching scroll and bring them to the tower in the middle."

"So at least half the teams will be eliminated." Shikamaru asks.

"Correct, you have 5 days, exactly 120 hours to get to the tower with both scrolls.

"A team is also eliminated if a member is incapacitated... 

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Lastly, do not look at the content of the scrolls before reaching the tower"

"What happens if we look at it halfway through?" Naruto asks.

"Stupid question, if a ninja is given secret information to deliver would you also do the same?"

"Eh eh… no?"

"Exactly. That will be all for the explanation, I just need you guys to sign these forms clearing me of any responsibility for your deaths"

"Me too?"

"Yes Yami, if you die I will personally look for your body afterward and bring it back to your teacher."

"So kind."

"Now you have 30 minutes, sign the form, trade it for a scroll and entrance number with my assistants and head to your respective before the test begins."

I wave goodbye to Yugao and we head to entrance 12, a southwestern entrance, we got assigned to.

We stand waiting next to the locked gate as the exam assistant waits for the right time to unlock the door for us.

'How are we? Hinata?'

By now Hinata's Byakugan can detect anyone 1.5km away. The forest of death is a 10 km radius circle so we are able to check on a couple of teams surrounding us in the western and southern directions.

While Ino's telepathy network is also only a 1km radius my telepathy can reach much further away than that.

'Good, no important teams around us, two from sand one from the waterfall and another from Konoha'

'Kurenai?'

'Naruto team is to the southeast while the snake and the mile are further east'

'Anko?'

'Gaara's team is either north or northeast, Team Guy is to the west with Ino's to the northwest, I didn't find the other targets'

'Thank's Anko, please keep Yugao safe.'

'How are you Ino?'

'All good, we are in gate 2 to the northwest'

'Be careful of Gaara to the north or east and try to steer further west, you might find team Guy around there'

'Understood…'

"Final chance to choose our plans Sakura, Hinata"

Over half the plans we have readied involve this second phase of the exam, this is the best chance to act out secretly and try to steal some pieces.

"R-1." Hinata says

"Hmm, I also think it has good chances but be careful, Sakura?"

"I'll just go for plan D…"

"Have fun, I'll make sure plan O-1 goes right before going for plan K-1, I'll keep in contact every hour or so. We'll have to keep a look out for chances for plan M after."

One big advantage we have over other teams is we've looked at every information and map available for this training ground.

Not only are we aware of the dangerous region and precautions required, we also know the position of relevant landmarks and can easily find each other using my telepathy, and of course our Byakugan to locate threats that are far away and navigate around other teams.

We are also properly supplied for several days in the forest and we each have our own rations and water supply.

"Exam Start!"

Our doors open and we start running inside.

With my Byakugan I can see only the two closest teams to ours but unlike every other team, we immediately split up.

Hinata goes in the northwest direction, I head east while I give instructions to Sakura and point her to the closest team to us belonging to the sand village.

Half an hour later Sakura acquired an Earth Scroll, the same type we already had and I pointed her to where Hinata found another team.

Left behind were 3 fainted Sunagakure ninjas and 6 broken puppets, each taken out with a single fist.