2 p.m.
Training Ground No. 43 — later known as the Forest of Death.
The sun stood high, but the thick canopy of trees almost completely hid its light. Shadows lay on the ground like a dense blanket, and the air was as humid as in a jungle.
— "Hmph… so this is Training Ground Forty-Three?" muttered Genma, looking around. "No wonder they call it the Forest of Death. You could die here even without the exam."
— "Ha! Youth knows no fear!" Gai exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing his hand up toward the sky.
— "Keep it down," I tried to defuse the tension a little. "If you shout like that, we'll be eaten before we even start."
We stood by a massive fence — a towering metal mesh at least three meters high. Beyond it stretched a dense forest, where you could occasionally spot movement — whether it was an animal or… something worse.
Around fifty teams had already gathered in the clearing. The noise was considerable — some were discussing strategy, others joking around, while a few stood silently, eyes fixed on the gates. Everyone understood that what came next wouldn't be easy.
A few minutes later, a man in uniform appeared. Black hair, a forehead protector with the Leaf symbol, and a scar crossing his nose. He looked tired, but confident. Several chunin stood beside him.
— "Alright, attention!" he called out loudly. "My name is Morina Sato, and I'm the supervisor for the second stage of the Chunin Exams. Before you lies Training Ground Forty-Three. Also known as the Training Forest — or the test of your endurance, wits, and teamwork."
Sato smiled slightly — a smile more like a warning prick than a friendly gesture:
— "But to speed things up this time, we'll do it like this: each team will face another team right from the start. Matchups were assigned randomly — or maybe not. Take it as you will."
Some hissed, others clapped — the tension thickened like fog. Sato noticed and continued, his voice turning colder:
— "If you lose both scrolls — you're out. Killing intentionally inside the forest is forbidden; special personnel will be stationed there to judge such cases."
A heavy silence hung in the air.
— "For the record," he added with a cold smile, "the forest isn't home only to wild beasts. Some of them prefer human flesh. So… good luck."
Someone swallowed nervously. Someone clenched their fists.
As for me — I felt an odd calm. After the war and the bijuu, honestly, a forest with a few traps didn't seem that scary anymore.
— "Team Twelve, step forward!" one of the chunin shouted.
Teams began approaching the table to register and receive their scrolls.
When our names were called, I stepped forward with Gai and Genma.
— "Hagane Kotetsu, Maito Gai, Shiranui Genma. Your scroll — 'Heaven.' Don't lose it."
I nodded, took the scroll, and tucked it into the pouch on my belt.
— "Gate Four," the chunin said. "You'll start twenty minutes after Team 7."
Seems fate won't let Gai and Kakashi go, I thought, glancing at the crowd gathering near the forest entrance.
I smirked quietly, watching Gai, full of energy, trying to start a conversation with Kakashi — who stood motionless, hands in his pockets, indifferent expression hidden under his mask. Their contrast was almost comical: one blazing with passion, the other cold as ice.
While I pondered their eternal rivalry, my gaze accidentally caught someone familiar. Red eyes. Deep, wary.
— "So there you are," I murmured under my breath. "Then Asuma must be nearby…"
I scanned the area and soon spotted him — standing a bit away, leaning against a tree, wearing that same calm confidence that would later become his trademark. Though now he looked almost like an ordinary guy: clean-shaven, hair slightly tousled — you'd hardly guess he was the Hokage's son.
— "Hmph, unassuming," I noted.
The crowd grew quieter — apparently everyone was waiting for the signal to begin. But time passed, and our team was still held back. The chunin decided to wait until 3 p.m., and only then, if he didn't show up, start without him.
— "Someone overslept, as usual," Genma grumbled, rolling his ever-present senbon between his teeth.
"How can anyone get lost or be late here, seriously?" I thought irritably — it had already been twenty minutes.
— "Let's go," Gai muttered under his breath — and at that exact moment, the signal rang out. The gates slowly creaked open.
"I was just about to complain…" I chuckled, stepping inside.
"Well, this is unexpected," said Gai, walking into the clearing and seeing before us Team Seven in their prime — Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.