Naruto raised his hand and slapped it down on the table vigorously. He declared passionately, "I won't run away! I chose to answer question 10. Even if I stay a Genin forever, I won't give up on my dream!"
Sure enough, after hearing Naruto's determined words, the worries of all the candidates in the room vanished.
Morino Ibiki looked slightly angry and helplessly stared at Naruto. He had crafted the 10th question for the psychological stress test, but he hadn't expected Naruto to solve it so easily.
Now, only three people had given up and left because of question 10.
After waiting for a while and seeing no one else leave, Morino Ibiki had no choice but to announce the end of the first exam. The candidates finally realized it.
Just then, something broke through the window, and Mitarashi Anko introduced herself as the chief examiner for the second round, surprising and leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"If you want to take the second exam, come with me!" she exclaimed.
Anko's words caused a moment of awkward silence.
She looked at Morino Ibiki with a complaint in her eyes. "Why are so many candidates still here after the first exam?"
Thanks to Naruto's indirect solution to the 10th question, there were 36 teams, or 108 candidates, left in the room.
...
Soon, the remaining candidates gathered outside the Forest of Death.
It was then that Naruto noticed Orochimaru, who had changed his appearance.
The man had barely been present during the first exam.
He's a terrifying and cunning individual.
Another person who caught Naruto's attention was a cute girl with red hair and glasses.
Naruto already had a plan in mind.
"This is where the second exam takes place, Training Field 44, also known as the [Forest of Death]!" Kabuto said coolly, pointing to Anko.
Many candidates gazed at the towering trees and the giant beasts occasionally appearing in the field, horror filling their faces, and their hearts stunned with dread.
[Forest of Death] is a circular training field surrounded by 44 entrances. It features rivers, forests, and a central tower. The distance from each gate to the central tower is ten kilometers.
Candidates like Naruto will need to survive and fight within the wilderness.
Each team will randomly select either a Heaven or Earth scroll.
They must hold both the Heaven and Earth scrolls within five days to enter the central tower, with their team still consisting of three members.
In other words, once inside the Forest of Death, every team will be surrounded by enemies.
Soon, the 36 teams signed life-and-death agreements. After each team received a scroll, they headed to different entrances. Upon receiving the signal, they rushed into the Forest of Death.
Naruto stood between Sasuke and Sakura, licked his lips, and dashed into the dark forest without hesitation.
The entire Forest of Death was within his perception, and he knew the positions and movements of every team.
This included Orochimaru, Karin, and an Anbu ninja who was secretly observing him.
The trio of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura leapt forward among the towering trees. As they passed a bush, Naruto vanished in an instant, and Shadow Clones continued rushing forward without hesitation.
None of them, including the Anbu Ninja, realized that Naruto had slipped away.
His body had already concealed its Chakra using [Kagura's Heart Eyes], and he reached a large tree where he had just left a mark using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Next, the Asura Field officially opens!"
After closing his eyes and sensing the enemies around him, Naruto opened them again with a sneer on his lips. He quickly formed hand signs, and twenty Shadow Clones appeared beside him, scattering in all directions.
His body continued to follow the three Shadow Clones, Sasuke, and Sakura in front.
...
After traveling for three more hours, Team 7 decided to take a short break.
Sasuke was about to fetch water, but was immediately stopped by Naruto's Shadow Clone, who grabbed the water bottle and said with a smile, "Let me handle this. I need to pee."
Sasuke, unaware of what was going on, nodded indifferently.
Naruto's Shadow Clone smiled mischievously and ran off in the direction of Karin.
At this time, Karin was still with the Hidden Sound Village, and two of her companions had been sent to Konoha for the Chūnin Exams. They wouldn't be taken by Orochimaru until later.
Having been separated from her teammates, Karin was cornered by a massive grizzly bear and left helpless.
Just as the bear opened its massive jaws to eat her, Naruto's Shadow Clone appeared at the perfect moment, delivering a series of swift, powerful kicks that knocked the bear unconscious.
A red heart appeared in Karin's eyes.
The hero who saves the beauty doesn't always win the hearts of all, but when that hero is both handsome and strong, he certainly wins the hearts of some.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked as he walked over to the fallen Karin, extending his right hand.
"Ah? I'm Karin," she replied, blushing and placing her small hand in his, allowing him to gently pull her up.
"It's too dangerous here. Hurry up and meet your teammates," Naruto said softly, leaving a Flying Thunder God mark on her palm.
...
After another three hours of travel, Team 7 was finally discovered by others.
A ninja from the Rain Shinobi Village, wearing a gas mask, launched a sneak attack on Naruto's Shadow Clone, Sasuke, and Sakura.
However, he didn't choose his target wisely, and Naruto's Shadow Clone used [Swift Movement Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu)] to appear behind him in the blink of an eye, slitting his throat.
As for the two companions in the distance, they were soon found as well. Naruto's body had located them, and their deaths were inevitable.
At this moment, in Naruto's perception, Orochimaru had spotted them from a distance and was approaching. Orochimaru's two subordinates were dealing with the Anbu ninja who had been watching Naruto.
Rather than approach Orochimaru, Naruto remained hidden in the shadows, watching with great interest as Orochimaru's two subordinates fought fiercely with the Anbu ninja.
This scene wasn't shown in the original story, but it certainly took place. After all, it would be impossible for Naruto to enter the Forest of Death without the supervision of an Anbu ninja.
It would also be impossible for Orochimaru to seal the Nine-Tails Chakra within Naruto without setting up this scenario.
There's only one explanation: Orochimaru's two subordinates must have eliminated the Anbu ninja.
They were all Jōnin selected by Orochimaru from the Hidden Sound Village, while the Anbu ninja was alone. Even if they were of the same rank, two Jōnin would overpower a single Anbu ninja.
Especially when facing the sound-based attacks from the Hidden Sound ninjas, the Anbu ninja, unprepared for them, quickly fell at a disadvantage and was severely injured.
Just when the two Hidden Sound ninjas were about to finish off the Anbu ninja, a red-haired masked woman—whom Naruto had transformed into—appeared.
Using [Swift Movement Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu)], she appeared in front of the two Hidden Sound ninjas. Two ninjas emerged from her hands, and with [Tying Fairy Rope], she swiftly entangled the two of them.
But since they were Jōnin, they quickly reacted and used the Body Replacement Technique to avoid the ropes.
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