After everyone signed the 'agreement form,' each team received a scroll.
"Alright, now that everyone has their scrolls, proceed into the Forest of Death," Orochimaru announced.
Upon hearing this, the participants wasted no time and entered the forest in an orderly manner.
Inside the forest, Nawaki observed his surroundings with curiosity.
"Chiba, do you think someone will try to steal our scroll?"
Chiba sighed at the obvious question. Since each team had only one scroll, their team, having only two members, would undoubtedly be targeted first.
He glanced at their scroll and saw the kanji "天" (Heaven) written on it. This meant their team needed to obtain an Earth Scroll.
However, instead of waiting for an ambush, Chiba had a better idea.
"Nawaki, what do you think about heading straight to the final destination?"
Nawaki was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that, given Chiba's strength, no other team in the Forest of Death would be a match for him. Instead of wandering around searching for another scroll, waiting at the finish line seemed like a more strategic move.
"Chiba, you're a genius! That's a great plan! Should we leave now?"
"Of course. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest," Chiba replied.
"Alright!" Nawaki agreed but then hesitated. "Chiba, should we bring Shikaku and the others along? They helped us a lot during the first exam."
Chiba thought about it. Naoki was right. If not for Nara Shikaku and the others, they might have failed the first exam.
"Alright, let's find Shikaku and the others first, then head to the finish line together."
Meanwhile, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Haiichi, and Akimichi Choza ran into trouble shortly after entering the forest.
Two teams from Iwagakure blocked their path.
"I advise you to hand over your scroll," said the tallest among the six from Iwagakure. "Otherwise, we can't guarantee you'll leave here in one piece."
"That's right! Listen to our captain and surrender your scroll, and we'll let you go," another added.
Yamanaka Haiichi and Akimichi Choza exchanged glances before turning to Nara Shikaku, waiting for his decision.
"Shikaku, what do we do? There are six of them—we don't stand a chance," Choza asked in a low voice.
Shikaku hadn't expected such bad luck, encountering Iwagakure shinobi so soon. If it had been one team, a three-on-three fight wouldn't have been an issue. But facing six opponents was a different story.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to take a gamble. If they surrendered the scroll, the Iwagakure shinobi might let them go, considering them no longer a threat.
"Alright, we'll hand over the scroll—but only if you let my teammates go first."
The Iwagakure shinobi conferred among themselves before one of them, likely a captain, responded, "Fine. But we need to confirm that you actually have the scroll first."
"Shikaku..." Yamanaka Haiichi hesitated.
Shikaku reassured him, "Don't worry about me. Stay close by and be ready to retrieve me once I hand over the scroll."
"Got it," Choza nodded.
Shikaku waited until his teammates retreated a safe distance, then threw the scroll toward the Iwagakure shinobi. He didn't care how they divided it amongst themselves—it was no longer his concern.
The six Iwagakure shinobi ignored Shikaku, their eyes fixated on the falling scroll.
Just as it was about to hit the ground, a gust of wind swept it away, and in its place appeared a figure emanating a blue steam-like aura.
Hearing the sudden movement, Shikaku turned slightly, catching a glimpse of the familiar figure behind him.
"Chiba? What are you doing here?" Shikaku asked in surprise.
Haiichi and Choza quickly joined him upon realizing it was Chiba.
"Shikaku, what now?" Haiichi asked.
"Let's see what Chiba has in mind first," Shikaku replied. Then, noticing Nawaki was missing, he asked, "Where's Nawaki ?"
Meanwhile, the Iwagakure shinobi glared at Chiba. "Brat, you dare interfere with our business? Are you looking for trouble?"
Chiba smirked. Did these guys not notice the blue steam surrounding him? Even an idiot would recognize he wasn't someone to mess with. Were they even dumber than idiots?
Ignoring them, Chiba inspected the scroll in his hand. It turned out to be a Heaven Scroll, the same one he and Naoki already had.
Tossing the scroll back to Shikaku, he asked, "Shikaku, do you know what type of scroll they have?"
"No idea. But they likely have an Earth Scroll, otherwise, they wouldn't need to steal ours."
Chiba nodded, then turned his attention back to the Iwagakure shinobi. "Hand over your Earth Scroll, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I can't guarantee you'll be leaving this forest."
The Iwagakure shinobi stiffened. Why did that line sound so familiar?