After a few minutes, the sharp blare of a siren sliced through the air. The sound echoed across the forest, signaling the start of the second stage.
It's time.
No one said a word, but our eyes met. And together, we crossed the gate into the Forest of Death.
The vegetation swallowed us almost instantly, the sounds around us muffled by the thick canopy and the heavy scent of damp earth. Everything felt too alive—like even the wind was watching.
I scanned the surroundings on instinct, looking for any signs of movement. Broken branches, trampled leaves, unfamiliar smells... but the forest held its breath.
"Natsu!" I called quietly, careful not to draw attention. "Check if anyone's nearby."
She nodded and closed her eyes for a second. Her Byakugan activated silently, the veins around her eyes rising with subtle intensity. Nothing but the rustling of leaves.
"All clear!" She murmured, deactivating her Byakugan. "No one within a hundred meters."
I pulled the scroll from my pocket. It looked far too harmless for the weight it carried.
Without thinking twice, I tossed it toward Jimei. He caught it quickly, but gave me a confused look, one brow raised.
"What the—?! Why are you throwing this at me all of a sudden?" he asked, clutching it with both hands like it was a lit kunai.
"Because everyone saw us grab that scroll. And they saw it in my hands. At this point, they've probably burned that image into their brains." I explained, arms crossed.
"And…?"
Seriously? This guy was slow.
"That's a good thing. It means the teams coming after us are the ones carrying the scroll we need. But it'd be stupid to leave it with the person they saw holding it." I said as plainly as possible.
Jimei looked down at the scroll like it was a trap about to go off. "So… you want me to carry it now?"
"Exactly. Just until we need to use it. Nobody's gonna suspect you. You've got more of a 'nothing to see here' face than I do."
"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" he muttered, but tucked the scroll into his vest without further protest.
"So now what?" Natsu asked, straightening up. "Do we set a trap and wait?"
I shook my head. "No. Waiting here's a waste of time. Standing still in a forest full of dangerous people only attracts the worst kind of company."
"So what do we do then?" Jimei asked, scratching the back of his neck. "Go hunt down a team and take their scroll?"
"That'd be stupid!" I said flatly. "If we're thinking that, then other teams definitely are too. And besides, aside from Natsu's Byakugan, we don't have solid tools to track enemies."
They both looked at me in silence, so I continued.
"We keep moving. Fast. Straight toward the tower. If we come across a team with the scroll we need, great—we take it. If someone tries to attack us, we deal with them. And if we reach the tower without finding anyone…"
"…we wait there and snatch it from the first idiot who shows up." Natsu finished, her eyes glinting with cold understanding.
"Exactly."
"Simple!" Jimei muttered, staring at me like I was crazy. "Simple and… dangerous."
I gave a half-smile. "Everything here is dangerous. But at least this way, the danger's in our hands too."
Jimei adjusted his shirt, still a little hesitant.
"Okay… but what if we run into a really strong team on the way?"
"Then we fight."
He looked at me for a moment. And for the first time, he didn't seem nervous. Just… ready.
"Alright. Then let's get this over with quick." He said firmly. "The sooner we reach the tower, the less likely we are to become snake food."
"Did you have to bring that up now?" Natsu muttered, raising an eyebrow.
We started moving again, this time at full speed. Leaping from low branches, weaving through the trees in a zigzag, every sense on high alert.
Every sound could signal an ambush. Every shadow could hide an enemy.
We'd been moving for a few minutes. So far, nothing. Not even one of the infamous beasts said to live in this forest. Honestly, it felt more like the three of us were just out for a walk.
But luck never lasts long.
"There's someone—" Natsu whispered suddenly, halting on a thicker branch. Her Byakugan was active again. "Three targets. A full team. They're coming from the left, following the river."
Jimei crouched instantly, pure instinct. I stepped forward on the branch, parting the leaves to get a look.
The water reflected the soft light of late afternoon. Between the trees, I saw them—three figures moving carefully, but not hurriedly. They wore forehead protectors with the symbol of Amegakure. One of them had an umbrella strapped to his back.
Apparently, that was a standard object over there. Classic.
"Behind those rocks by the river—that'd be the perfect spot for an ambush." I said quietly, nodding toward the stones near the bank. "If they had any brains, they'd already be waiting there. But they're strolling around like tourists. Either they're idiots… or just overconfident."
"Or both." Natsu murmured with a smirk.
"We'll cut them off before they reach the bank. Fast, clean, silent." I locked eyes with my teammates.
We dropped down without a sound. My heartbeat sped up—not from fear, but from the thrill. The good kind of tension.
We reached them before they even sensed a thing.
The first didn't even see the hit coming.
I activated my Phantom Step and blinked in front of him.
"Konoha: Tenshō Chagi (Leaf Rising Heaven Kick)!"
The sole of my foot connected hard with his chin. I heard something crack faintly under the force of the blow.
He flew backwards like a ragdoll, crumpling to the ground without a sound.
The second one turned just in time to scream.
"Wha—!"
But before he could finish, Natsu was already behind him. Two fingers struck his neck with pinpoint precision. He dropped to his knees, eyes rolling back.
Jimei came in right after. His uppercut was a little clumsy—but it did the job.
Only one was left. The one with the umbrella.
He tossed it into the air.
"Kasa no—!"
No sir, you don't.
I rushed forward before he could finish the seal. The umbrella was already floating, spinning in the air, ready to unleash the hidden needles.
But he never got the chance.
"Kōha Danzetsu Geri (Shatterstrike Kick)!"
I slid sideways, lowered my center of gravity, and spun on my left foot. The kick landed clean, sharp — right behind his knee. A loud crack.
He collapsed hard, flat on his back, while the umbrella kept rising, aimlessly.
"Gekiryuu Gekido Geri (Raging Torrent Kick)!"
I jumped. Short and vertical. For a moment, the world slowed. Then I dropped the heel straight into his chest like a wild torrent crashing down a mountain.
The ground shook beneath him. His eyes widened behind that weird mask… and then he passed out from the impact.
Silence. Just the sound of breathing for a few seconds.
"That was fast!" Jimei muttered, scratching his head.
"Too fast." I replied, eyes scanning the area. "Check if any of them have the scroll."
We spread out, moving light over the crackling leaves. The tension of battle still hung in the air.
Soon, Natsu held something up with a bright smile.
"Found it!"
The Earth Scroll's symbol shimmered in her hand and… Exactly what we needed.
Jimei gave a crooked grin, relieved. "With ours, that makes the pair. If we keep this pace…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but we all felt it. We were closer to the next phase.
Natsu's fingers trembled slightly as she stored the scroll in her side pouch. Then her eyes widened.
"Wait… someone's coming."
I turned to her. "How many?"
"Three. Coming fast… from the west." She frowned. "And they don't seem friendly."
We had both scrolls. The test had just started. Fighting now would be a waste.
"Not worth it. We don't need this fight." I crossed my arms, analyzing quickly. "It's just a waste of chakra."
Truth is, I don't see the point in fighting genin that clearly are one or two steps behind us. Except for Darui's team, no one else seemed like a real threat.
"Better avoid it." I turned to leave.
"Agreed!" Natsu spun east. But then stopped, eyes wide, breath caught. "Another three. From the east. Fast too."
Jimei groaned, throwing his head back. "Seriously?! Is the whole forest after us today?"
I took a deep breath, slow through my nose. So that's how it is.
"No way to avoid it now."
I looked at them both. Jimei tried to look confident. Natsu was already in stance, focused.
"You ready?" I asked quietly.
"Of course!" Jimei forced a crooked smile. Nervous, but ready.
"Let's do this!" said Natsu, eyes steady.
I smiled. If we couldn't avoid the fight… then we'd handle it our way.
"Hope these next ones are more interesting."
Just as I finished, the sound of footsteps echoed through the trees. One team emerged, their headbands gleaming in the filtered light.
Sunagakure.
"Hand over the scroll!" The boy in front tried to act tough.
Before we could reply, another group appeared from the west. Kusagakure. These ones didn't say a word.
They made hand signs and then water bullets came flying toward us.
So that's how it was gonna be? Fine.
Looks like we're gonna need to waste a little time.