-Before the exam begins, I have something to give you. - Anko stepped forward again, pulling some papers from her coat. - It's a consent letter.
-Before the test, you'll all have to read this letter and sign it. - she concluded.
-Why? - Naruto asked.
-Some of you might not return from this test, so I need your consent to take that risk. Otherwise, it would be my responsibility. - Anko smiled even brighter, ending with a happy laugh, but it still seemed fake to Jugo, he'd seen her actually laugh yesterday while teasing him.
-Now, I'll explain how this test will be. - she continued, before handing the letters to Naruto. - Here and pass them on.
The group continued passing the letters, until Dosu took them and handed them to him, then he handed them to Kin, and so on. He glanced at them, not caring.
Just kidding, he was somewhere between a guinea pig and a tool for Orochimaru, his life always hanging in the balance.
This letter didn't scare him in the slightest, but he imagined it was very useful for Konoha, because his plans would make this exam a bit too bloody.
-First, I'll give you a description of the test grounds.- Anko opened a scroll with a map of the Forest of Death. -The 44th battle training zone has 44 closed access gates, rivers, and a forest within.
-In the center, there's a closed tower, located 10 kilometers from each gate. - She continued to look around disinterestedly. - It's in this confined area that you'll take the survival test.
Finally, she gave a truly happy smile. - The test consists of a no-holds-barred battle to obtain these scrolls. - She produced two scrolls, one yellowish-white and the other deep blue.
-Two scrolls? - Kabuto asked.
-Yes - Anko agreed. - You will fight for both, the Sky Scroll and the Earth Scroll.
-All 50 teams will participate in this test together, so half the teams will go after the Sky Scroll and the other half the Earth Scroll. I will give each team a scroll and that's why you will fight. - she concluded.
-So, how do we pass the test? - Sasuke asked.
-The whole team must bring both scrolls to the tower. - Anko replied.
-That means half the teams will fail. - Sakura concluded. - Or all the teams, if we don't get the scrolls.
-No one said it would be easy. - Anko smiled again. -One more thing, the test has a time limit, you must finish it in 5 days.
Jugo smiled, those 5 days would be fun.
-5 days inside? - Ino looked shocked.
-And how are we going to eat?! - Choji was shocked.
-Look around, the forest is full of things to eat. - Anko said simply. -There's enough to feed everyone.
-Yeah... but that's not all the forest has, right? - Kabuto said. - Man-eating beasts and poisonous plants are also present.
-Oh no... - Choji looked the most unhappy.
Ino turned to him and said. - Relax, that's why they call it survival.
-That means there's no way half the teams will make it through. - Neji commented.
-With longer days and shorter nights, we'll have less time to sleep and recover. - Rock Lee said, sounding excited. - It's quite a challenge.
-Totally surrounded by enemies. - Sasuke pointed out. - There will be no rest, we have to be vigilant.
-Yes, this test will also test your resilience against enemies, it will be a grueling one. - Anko spoke more seriously now. - I know some of you won't make it.
Shikamaru raised his hand and asked. -Hey, can we give up in the middle of the test?
Anko frowned and said - Of course not. In the middle of a real battle, you can't say 'I give up.'
Then she smiled and said. - Well, you can, but it might cost you your life.
-Really... - Shikamaru didn't seem surprised, but still unhappy. - This is going to be a pain.
-There are other ways to be disqualified. The first is quite simple: if all three team members don't reach the tower with both scrolls after five days. - She held up a finger as she said this, then immediately raised a second as she explained the second point. - Second, if a team loses a member or they become incapacitated and cannot continue.
Finally, she crossed her arms and said. - Most importantly, none of you, absolutely no one, can look at the contents of the scrolls before reaching the tower.
-What happens if we accidentally open them and read them? - Naruto asked, receiving a few speechless looks.
Accidentally open them and read them?
-I'll be more direct with you, young man, you won't want to read them. - she explained with a smile. - There are times when a ninja is asked to carry a secret document, the scrolls will prove the ninja's integrity.
Anko looked around for a moment, then finally said. - Okay, that's all. Each team takes their consent letters and exchanges them for the scrolls over there. - She pointed to a group of examiners sitting in front of a covered wooden table.
-Then each team chooses a gate. - She put her hands in her pockets as she spoke.
-Wait, you said there were 44 gates. - Sakura said. - But there are 50 teams here.
-Yes, blame Ibiki for that. - She winked, smiling at Jugo, then looked at them again and said. - Another 6 gates were created temporarily for that, don't worry.
Sakura nodded, and Anko continued. - Lastly, I have one more piece of advice for you. Don't die!
Jugo rolled his eyes at this advice.
But in the end, he wasn't a talkative guy, so he didn't say anything.
Jugo signed without reading it. He didn't care anyway, he would have to wait a while longer to receive the scrolls.
Dosu and Kin didn't care either. In terms of irreverence towards death, the Sound Village might be a cut above the current villages.
People die every day there, no piece of paper will stop them from surviving.
Jugo saw Anko approaching, her hands in her pockets.
-Hey, kid, don't die in there. - Anko winked at him.
-Yeah, you said that before. - Jugo rolled his eyes at her.
-Yeah? But with you, I'd actually be a little sad if I died. - Anko winked at him, before leaving without looking back.
Jugo just watched her leave with a raised eyebrow. Not quite understanding Anko, he shrugged and looked away.
Jugo felt Orochimaru's gaze and shivered slightly, feeling as if an old father were eyeing his daughter's boyfriend.
Of course, Jugo didn't dare look, he just pretended not to notice.
Kin still stared at Anko and Dosu pretended to look at the clouds.
Finally, the scrolls began to be delivered.
Jugo might have been able to figure out who had each scroll, but since he expected to attack multiple teams, he didn't bother.
They received an earth scroll and were eventually assigned to different entrances.
The radius of the circular terrain is ten kilometers, so the perimeter is 62.8 kilometers.
Even for a ninja, it still took a while for each team to reach their gates.
Jugo doesn't know if it was luck, but they were already in front of the gate they were supposed to be at.
So he just had to wait there.
Anko didn't leave, but approached again. -I feel like you're being a little heavy-handed in your pursuit. - She smiled at him.
-Lucky. - Jugo smiled at her.
Anko rolled her eyes and winked at him before leaving, leaving only one examiner to remain to open the gate at the right time.
Jugo smiled slightly and stood with Dosu and Kin.
-Jugo-sama, where should we go? - Dosu asked softly.
Jugo smiled and looked up. A white pigeon was watching him from above, its wings fluttering slightly.
On the other side, in most of the teams, several pigeons were looking at each team. No one paid attention to these guys, so they easily spotted them.
Jugo was prepared from the start. Pigeons are the most common animals, appearing anywhere. He also hadn't forgotten Jugo's ability to talk to animals.
So, ever since he arrived in Konoha, he's been "recruiting" these guys as surveillance networks for this very day.
He looked at Dosu, smiling happily, his madness threatening to escape. -Follow the pigeons.
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+10 chapters of Jugo - Father of Devils on P_treon.
+18 chapters of The Legendary Mechanic - Triple Six on P_treon.
P_treon: March_Rain