"Stay sharp! In this second round of the exam, the rules are simple steal scrolls from other teams. For all we know, someone could already be tracking us," Chie Inada warned her two teammates, her tone tense and deliberate.
"Inada, you're wound way too tight. We only just stepped into the Forest of Death. There's no way we'd bump into another squad this fast." Hiroshi Moriya folded his arms behind his head as if they were a pillow and walked lazily forward, his face full of careless confidence.
The Forest of Death was strange that way. It wasn't exactly enormous, but it wasn't small either. The dense foliage twisted in every direction, making it easy to feel isolated yet never safe. Still, Moriya couldn't imagine running into enemies so quickly.
What he didn't realize was that black insects were quietly crawling across his back, multiplying in number with every passing second.
Within moments, his vision blurred. His eyelids grew unbearably heavy, as if weights had been tied to them. Before he could even curse, his legs buckled. With a dull thud, he collapsed to the dirt. His two teammates fell alongside him, each overcome by the same unnatural drowsiness until the forest floor was littered with three unconscious bodies.
"It looks like we didn't even need to lift a finger," Shane Mountain muttered with a mix of relief and resignation. He had been prepared to fight, eager even, but their opponent hadn't stood a chance. Zhiwei's insects had handled everything in silence just one wave of his "sleeping swarm" and the enemy team was out cold.
"Relax," Zhiwei replied calmly, though pride glimmered beneath his even tone. "In this exam, only two squads pose any real threat to us: Nara Shikaku's team with Yamanaka Inoichi, and the squad with Tsume Inuzuka. Everyone else… well, they're just here to make up the numbers."
Minato Namikaze nodded firmly. "Good. Then let's grab their scroll and make for the central tower. The faster we finish this, the better."
The four of them darted through the forest, their shadows slicing through the trees with practiced speed. By dusk, they reached the tower at the heart of the forest completely empty.
They were the first to arrive.
"Two and a half days until the final stage," Shane remarked, settling down. "Let's rest well. One bad showing in the last round and we can kiss the rank of chunin goodbye."
The second exam had been over almost laughably fast. Half a day, and their scroll was secured without even breaking a sweat.
"I'm stocking up on snacks," Dingza Akimichi declared with his mouth already full, stuffing chips into his cheeks like a squirrel preparing for winter. "If I lose to Inoichi, he'll never let me live it down. Better to fight on a full stomach."
While Dingza ate, Shane unsealed a scroll of sealing techniques and returned to studying the Four Symbols Seal, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Across from him, Minato unrolled his own notes, focusing intently on a different art Flying Thunder God. Though not a forbidden jutsu, it was notoriously difficult to learn. Through Shane's subtle prodding, Minato had convinced Lady Mito Uzumaki to grant him the method of study. Shane himself had tried, only to realize he lacked the right affinity for it, and so he had handed the technique off to his friend without hesitation.
And Minato had taken to it instantly. Even after just a week of practice, he could already etch his own Flying Thunder God markings. It was the beginning of a bond between man and technique that would one day reshape the entire shinobi world.
For Shane, however, that was only one of the realities he lived.
Because far away, in another world entirely… disaster had begun.
"Shane, something's wrong outside."
Julian Drake set down his chopsticks, his brows knit in confusion. The two of them had spent the day in the lab, and now were sharing hotpot in Shane's home. Shane had insisted months ago that they avoid tap water, switching entirely to purified water for cooking and bathing. It was a strange precaution, costly even, but Julian had trusted his friend's instincts.
Now, through the window, the sound of shouting drifted in. On the street below, a man lunged forward and sank his teeth into another's neck. Blood sprayed the pavement. The victim's scream cut through the night.
Julian blinked. "What the hell? Are they filming Resident Evil or something?" He gave a nervous laugh.
Shane's face hardened. "No. The outbreak has started." He put his chopsticks down and stood. "Julian, with me. To the underground lab. This world won't be safe anymore, not from this moment on."
"What are you talking about?" Julian stood frozen in place. "What outbreak? What do you mean?"
"There's no time to explain! Just know this the era of the God Gene begins now."
They rushed down the stairs into Shane's laboratory, the reinforced doors locking behind them. As they moved, Shane pulled out his phone and dialed Noah Blaze.
Ring.
Ring.
After several tones, Noah finally picked up. His familiar, playful voice came through the speaker. "Yo, Shane? What's up? Didn't think you'd call this late."
Shane's reply was sharp and serious. "Noah, listen carefully. From this moment on, don't drink tap water. At all. Grab your girlfriend, pack your essentials, and get to my lab immediately. Don't waste time. If you're late, you won't make it."
The gravity in Shane's voice killed any trace of Noah's humor. He turned toward the kitchen where Xiaowei, his girlfriend, was cooking dinner. "Babe! Drop everything. We're heading to Shane's place now!"
Ever since learning he and Shane were cousins, Noah had kept close contact with him. On Shane's advice, he and Xiaowei had moved in together months ago. Though they still slept in separate rooms, at least they were together. That, as it turned out, might save their lives.
"What's going on?" Xiaowei asked, brow furrowed.
"I don't know," Noah admitted, shoving clothes into a bag. "But Shane's a genius. If he's this serious, it's not a joke."
As they hurried downstairs, the sight froze them in place. People were staggering down the street, their eyes glassy, skin pale. Some had already turned ravenous creatures lunging at the nearest living being, tearing into flesh with animalistic hunger. Blood splattered storefronts. Screams filled the night.
Noah and Xiaowei bolted, weaving between cars and shadows until, by sheer luck, they reached Shane's villa unharmed.
Inside the underground lab, Noah slammed the door shut behind them and panted hard. "What the hell is happening out there?"
Shane didn't look up, his attention fixed on the glowing data streaming across his computer screens. "As you saw, the city's already collapsing. The water supply was tainted. This is the beginning of the infection. H-City is lost."
He and Julian had already been working nonstop, isolating samples of the tainted water and breaking it down into its chemical components. Shane knew enough biology to assist, but it was Julian who truly led the research. He had always been the scientist; Shane was the strategist.
Noah glanced between them, his chest tight. "You two… what exactly are you doing here?"
Shane didn't hesitate. "Studying the virus. Tracing its origin. Finding a way to break it down and create a serum."
The words made Noah stiffen. For a heartbeat, terror flashed in his eyes. Had his cousin been the one to unleash this? Was this all part of some experiment gone wrong?
But Shane's tone was steady, almost casual. "The serum is just one step. If there's a cure, we'll find it. We won't just sit and wait for this world to burn."
Relief washed over Noah, though unease lingered. At least Shane wasn't behind the outbreak. At least he and Julian were working to stop it.
"Fine," Noah said, forcing a grin. "Then you two work. I'll grab some food for Xiaowei and me. We didn't even get dinner before running out the door."
And as chaos consumed the city above, Shane, Julian, and Noah Blaze descended into the heart of the storm, their lives now forever bound to the virus that had just reshaped the world.
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