"So, should we make a move during the second exam to capture her?" Motoi asked eagerly, unable to hide his anticipation.
But his idea was immediately rejected by Killer Bee. "No. This is still Konoha. For now, our mission is to gather intelligence."
"However, once the exam begins, we can make contact. It'll give us a chance to see what's so special about her that the village would go to such great lengths for this mission."
Killer Bee was born shortly after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the fall of the Uzumaki Clan. So he knew very little about the Uzumaki people.
"That works perfectly. I noticed that the red-haired girl is on the same team as that old guy from earlier. During the exam, don't interfere—I want to teach that old guy a lesson personally."
The "old guy" Motoi referred to was none other than Aoshi. This time, Killer Bee didn't refuse Motoi's request.
He and Motoi had been friends since childhood, so Bee was well aware of his capabilities.
Though not as strong as Killer Bee himself, Motoi could easily hold his own against an average chunin. A mere overaged genin from Konoha was no match for him—of that, Bee was certain.
"Alright, I'm starving. Let's get something to eat." At that moment, Hiko spoke up and began walking out of the academy.
She was the only female ninja on Killer Bee's team, but her strength was nothing to scoff at—otherwise, she wouldn't have been chosen to be on his squad.
After lunch, Aoshi and the others returned to the academy just in time to see the posted exam results. Unsurprisingly, they had all passed and would advance to the second round.
"Awesome! I didn't get to show much during the first exam, but the second one—this time, I'll really shine!" Kushina's fighting spirit was blazing.
When it came to combat, she had never backed down from anyone. Back in school, every boy who bullied her ended up getting beaten so badly that they ran off crying.
That's how she earned her nickname: the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero."
"Alright, you'll get your chance to shine—but for now, we need to head to Training Ground 1, inside the Forest of Death."
According to the notice beneath the posted results, that would be the site of the second exam. All participants had to arrive before 2:00 PM or be considered disqualified.
Time passed quickly, and by 2 PM, all examinees who passed the first round had gathered at the site.
"Not bad," the proctor said. "A total of 30 teams and 89 participants made it to the second exam. I expected only around 60. Looks like I underestimated you all."
The number was 89 because Aoshi and Kushina formed a two-person team—one member short of the standard three-man squad.
"But your luck ends here. In the second exam, at least half of you will be eliminated."
The moment those words were spoken, the examinees who had barely scraped through the first round tensed up.
"But before we begin the second exam, you're all required to sign a waiver—because…"
"In this exam, people can die!"
"If anyone is afraid or unwilling to continue, now is your chance to withdraw."
This proctor was clearly skilled at manipulating the crowd. With just a few words, he had most of them on edge.
Only a few, like Aoshi—those confident in their strength—remained unaffected. But in the end, no one actually backed out. After all, they were ninja.
"Very good. Looks like you've all got guts. Let's see how many of you are still standing by the end of this exam."
"Now, everyone sign your waivers, and then I'll explain the rules."
Once the waivers were signed, the examinees finally learned the rules of the second exam.
Each ninja team would be given either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll. Within five days, they would need to obtain the opposite scroll and reach the tower at the center of the Forest of Death.
Failure to collect both scrolls or arrive within five days would result in elimination. The rules clearly encouraged battles—even deadly ones—between genin teams.
The scrolls were distributed randomly inside a tent, ensuring no other team could know which scroll another team had received.
Aoshi and Kushina received the Heaven Scroll, which Aoshi kept in his possession.
Once all teams had their scrolls, the examinees were escorted to separate entrances around the forest. When the timer began, they would all enter the Forest of Death simultaneously.
"Kushina, let's head straight for the central tower. If we encounter an Earth Scroll along the way, we'll take it. If not, we'll lie in wait outside the tower and ambush another team."
Upon entering the forest, Aoshi immediately shared his strategy. Kushina didn't object.
With their combined strength, they had full confidence in their ability to defeat any other team.
ROAR! Suddenly, a massive bear lunged at them, but both easily dodged the attack.
The Forest of Death earned its name for a reason—it was home to countless ferocious beasts and was extremely dangerous.
This particular bear was one of the dominant predators in the area, easily over ten meters tall and strong enough to make the ground tremble as it walked.
A normal person would have no chance against such a monster. Unfortunately for the bear, it wasn't facing ordinary people—it was facing two shinobi.
Aoshi didn't even need to act. Kushina delivered a single punch to the beast's gut, sending it tumbling. It scrambled up and fled in a panic.
"Old guy, you really are useless—couldn't even handle a dumb beast. Had to let a girl do all the work." A mocking voice echoed through the forest.
Aoshi and Kushina turned toward the source to find three cloud shinobi perched atop a tree, looking down on them.
It was none other than Killer Bee's team—the same trio Aoshi had encountered earlier. The speaker was Motoi.
The moment they entered the Forest of Death, Killer Bee's team began searching for Aoshi and Kushina. The commotion caused by the bear attack had drawn their attention straight to them.
And now, they had made their move.
"Old guy, I told you—if we ever met again, I, Motoi, would personally defeat you." As he spoke, Motoi and his teammates leapt down from the tree and landed in front of Aoshi and Kushina.
The entire scene was captured by surveillance cameras spread throughout the Forest of Death.
"These two are pretty unlucky—running into Killer Bee's team this early on." The speaker, a regular jonin from the Hidden Cloud Village, watched the monitor and commented with a smirk.
He was unaware that Killer Bee's true mission in Konoha was to abduct Kushina Uzumaki. That was top secret. To him, it just seemed like bad luck on Aoshi and Kushina's part.
"Indeed. They really are unlucky. If they were smart, they'd just hand over the scroll and spare themselves a beating." Another Cloud jonin chimed in.
In their minds, Killer Bee was undoubtedly the strongest contender in this exam.