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The possibility that the second stage had been designed specifically with Team Minato in mind was not far-fetched.
With Ren's current strength, combined with Obito's awakened Sharingan and Rin's rapidly improving medical and combat abilities, their team was already far beyond what anyone would normally expect from three genin. Among the dozens of teams participating in this Chūnin Exam, there were practically none capable of posing a genuine threat to them.
Under ordinary circumstances, the exam would be little more than a formality.
They would enter, complete whatever objective had been prepared, and leave without ever being pushed to reveal their true limits. That would defeat one of the primary purposes of the Chūnin Exams: determining whether a shinobi possessed the strength, judgment, and leadership necessary to advance.
If the examiners truly wanted to measure Team Minato, ordinary candidates would never be enough.
The examiners themselves would have to enter the field.
The roster of the pursuit squad had not yet been announced, but Ren could already guess at least two of its members.
Shinku Yuhi was practically guaranteed. He had openly hinted during their previous dinner that he intended to exchange a few moves with Ren during the exam. Kakashi was also highly likely to participate, especially since he had already been assigned to the examiner group.
One jōnin, one shinobi whose combat ability was approaching the jōnin level, and perhaps one or two experienced chūnin to complete the squad.
That lineup would be terrifying for the average genin team.
Most candidates would probably collapse within minutes of encountering them. Even escaping would be difficult, let alone protecting a hostage at the same time.
Team Minato, however, was different.
If Ren, Rin, and Obito encountered that pursuit squad, the result would not be so easy to predict.
A faint smile appeared on Ren's face.
"This might actually be interesting."
He lowered his gaze, concealing the anticipation gathering in his eyes.
A short while later, the surviving candidates were led away from the examination building by several chūnin examiners. The group moved through Konoha until the village buildings gradually gave way to training fields and thick woodland.
Eventually, an enormous wall of trees rose before them.
The Forest of Death.
As one of Konoha's largest and most dangerous training grounds, the forest was surrounded by towering wire fences designed to prevent both shinobi and wild creatures from casually entering or leaving. Beyond the barrier stood ancient trees dozens of meters high, their branches weaving together into a dense canopy.
Even beneath the morning sun, the interior remained dark.
From outside, it looked less like a training ground and more like the open mouth of some slumbering beast.
The examiners brought the candidates to one of the forest's guarded entrances. Because only a limited number of gates were available, allowing every team to enter at the same time would create immediate chaos.
To prevent that, each team had been assigned a numbered badge.
The candidates would enter according to their numbers, with short intervals between each group.
Team Minato had received Number Twenty-Two.
Unfortunately, that placed them near the back of the line.
Obito stood with his arms folded, watching one team after another disappear through the gate. His foot tapped impatiently against the ground.
"We're Twenty-Two? How long are they planning to make us stand here?"
Ren glanced at him.
"Instead of worrying about the waiting time, you should be thinking about how we're going to locate the hostages."
Obito's foot stopped.
"Right."
His expression changed almost immediately.
"How are we going to find them?"
For a mission like this, sensory-nin held an enormous advantage. A skilled sensor could bypass most unnecessary battles, locate hidden chakra signatures, identify enemy positions, and guide the team directly toward the target.
Ren remembered another Chūnin Exam from the future.
During that exam, Kurenai's team had possessed an exceptional combination of tracking abilities. Hinata Hyūga had the Byakugan, Kiba Inuzuka had his enhanced sense of smell, and Shino Aburame could use his insects to search vast areas.
They had collected both required scrolls even faster than Gaara's team.
Had Kiba not foolishly decided to provoke Gaara, they might have been the first team to reach the tower.
Team Minato did not possess such convenient talents.
Rin had no sensory ability, and although Obito's Sharingan was excellent at reading movement, detecting genjutsu, and noticing visual clues, it could not simply locate a distant hostage through several kilometers of dense forest.
Ren had been practicing chakra perception, but his natural talent in that area was merely average. He could sense movement and chakra within his immediate surroundings, yet his effective range remained limited.
They could not rely on supernatural detection.
They would have to rely on logic.
Ren reached into his ninja-tool pouch and removed a carefully folded sheet of parchment.
"The purpose of an examination is to assess the candidates," he said as he unfolded it. "It isn't supposed to make us search for a needle in a haystack."
Obito and Rin leaned closer.
A detailed hand-drawn map of the Forest of Death appeared before them.
The major rivers, hills, swamps, and clearings had all been marked. Even the central tower and several old trails were shown with precise lines.
Ren pointed toward their current location near the outer fence.
"The strongholds might be camouflaged, but they still need to be placed somewhere the candidates can reasonably locate them. If the examiners hid them in completely isolated corners of the forest, most teams would spend the entire exam wandering around without ever finding anything."
Rin studied the map carefully.
"So they should be hidden, but not impossible to discover."
"Exactly."
Ren moved his finger toward the tower at the center of the forest.
"If we use the central tower as our reference point, we can divide the forest into four irregular search sectors. Since the exam has four strongholds, the most efficient arrangement would be to place one inside each sector."
He traced one vertical line and one horizontal line across the map.
"The strongholds probably won't be directly in the center of each region, but that gives us a starting point. We head toward the central area of one sector, then search outward in a widening spiral."
Obito stared at the map.
Ren continued before he could interrupt.
"We prioritize elevated ground, locations near water sources, old paths, and any area showing signs of human activity. Building and maintaining a stronghold requires supplies. Even if the examiners concealed their tracks afterward, something should remain."
"Cut branches," Rin said thoughtfully. "Trampled vegetation, recently disturbed soil, smoke, discarded food, or footprints."
Ren nodded approvingly.
"Exactly. Once we locate one artificial trace, Obito's Sharingan should help us follow the rest."
For several seconds, Obito said nothing.
Then his eyes widened.
"Wait."
He looked from Ren to the parchment, then back again.
"How did you know the second stage would take place in the Forest of Death?"
His voice grew louder with every word.
"You already prepared a detailed map before they announced the location. Don't tell me you somehow found out the exam contents in advance!"
Several nearby candidates turned toward them.
Ren remained perfectly calm.
"I didn't know."
Obito pointed at the map.
"Then explain that!"
"There are only a few training grounds in Konoha large enough to support an examination involving this many teams."
Ren began folding the map along its previous creases.
"The Forest of Death was the most likely choice, but Training Ground Eighteen and Training Ground Fifty-Nine were also possible. I prepared maps for all of them."
Obito's mouth slowly fell open.
"All of them?"
Ren returned the map to his pouch.
"Don't underestimate my intelligence network."
Rin looked at him with open admiration.
"You prepared several maps just in case? Ren, that's amazing."
"It wasn't difficult."
"That map showed the rivers, swamps, hills, and old trails," Rin said. "Ninja-tool shops don't sell anything that detailed. You must have explored the training grounds yourself."
Ren did not deny it.
Before the Chūnin Exams, he had sent shadow clones to investigate every likely location. One clone had focused on rivers and water sources, another on terrain, and several others on possible ambush routes.
If the maps were sold publicly, exploration teams, merchants, and even other shinobi villages would probably pay a considerable amount for them.
That, however, would be an excellent way to receive an unpleasant invitation from Konoha's Intelligence Division.
Obito opened his mouth, clearly intending to argue.
Then he looked at Ren's pouch, remembered the impossibly detailed map, and slowly closed it again.
"Fine," he muttered. "You win."
Ren glanced at him.
"This wasn't a competition."
"That somehow makes it worse."
Rin covered her mouth, hiding a small laugh.
The line continued moving.
As the earlier teams entered, the atmosphere around the gate became increasingly tense. Loud conversations faded into whispers. Candidates checked their weapons, adjusted their forehead protectors, and studied the forest as though they expected it to attack them before the exam even began.
Some teams discussed their strategy openly.
Others moved away from the crowd to prevent anyone from overhearing.
Ren noticed one Kusagakure team observing everyone with narrowed eyes. An Amegakure genin repeatedly checked a collection of poison-coated senbon hidden beneath his sleeves. Two Takigakure shinobi appeared calm, but the third could not stop swallowing nervously.
These people might not be able to defeat Team Minato directly.
That did not make them harmless.
A weaker enemy with enough preparation could still create trouble, especially inside terrain filled with traps, poisonous plants, giant insects, and wild predators.
"Number Twenty!"
An examiner opened the gate.
A team from Kusagakure rushed inside.
Several minutes later, Number Twenty-One was called. The Amegakure team entered without exchanging a word.
Finally, the chūnin standing beside the gate checked his list.
"Number Twenty-Two. Team Minato, prepare to enter."
Obito immediately straightened.
Rin tightened her grip on her kunai pouch.
Ren took one final look at the bright sky outside the fence.
"Let's go."
The gate opened.
A cold draft flowed out from between the trees, carrying the smell of wet earth and rotting vegetation.
Ren stepped forward first.
Obito and Rin followed without hesitation.
The three of them crossed the boundary and disappeared into the Forest of Death.
The change was immediate.
Only a few steps beyond the gate, the sunlight weakened dramatically. The branches overhead were so thick that only scattered beams reached the ground, illuminating patches of moss and damp leaves.
The air felt heavier inside.
It carried the scent of mud, decaying wood, old water, and wild animals. Somewhere in the distance, something large moved through the undergrowth before falling silent again.
The forest was not truly quiet.
Leaves rustled high above them. Insects clicked from hidden places. Water dripped from branches even though it had not rained that morning.
Yet those small sounds only made the surrounding silence feel more oppressive.
Ren crouched briefly and placed one hand against the soil.
He checked the direction of the gate, compared it with the position of the sun, and reconstructed their location from memory.
"Our position is confirmed," he whispered. "We'll follow the original plan and head toward the center of Search Sector Three."
Sector Three referred to the southeastern portion of the forest, the area closest to their entrance.
Rin nodded immediately.
"Understood."
Obito pulled his goggles higher.
"Lead the way."
Neither of them questioned Ren's authority.
Although Minato was officially their team leader, the three genin had already developed their own natural formation during missions. Ren was the most experienced at planning and adapting to unpredictable situations, so he took the front.
Obito activated his Sharingan.
The dark pupils of his eyes turned scarlet as two tomoe rotated around each iris. In the dim forest, they resembled ghostly red flames.
He scanned the ground, the nearby branches, and every suspicious shadow for traps or chakra traces.
Rin followed slightly behind Ren, her kunai held in a reverse grip. She watched the rear and occasionally glanced upward, making certain that no one was hiding in the canopy.
Ren noticed the tension in their movements.
"You don't need to be that nervous yet."
Obito did not deactivate his Sharingan.
"This place is literally called the Forest of Death."
"The name is dramatic."
"You say that as if giant snakes don't live here."
"They do."
"That doesn't make me feel better!"
Ren stepped over a thick root without slowing down.
"At this stage, most teams will still be running around without a plan. They're unlikely to begin fighting immediately unless they happen to collide near the entrance."
Rin's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"So speed is more important right now."
"Yes. Our greatest advantage is that we already know where to search. We should use that lead before the other teams organize themselves."
The vegetation quickly became denser.
Thorn-covered vines hung between the trees. Ferns rose almost to their waists, while enormous roots twisted across the ground like sleeping serpents.
Traveling in a straight line was nearly impossible.
Ren chose the clearest path available without drifting too far from their intended route. When the ground became impassable, the team climbed into the branches and continued above it.
Their movement remained fast but controlled.
Ren did not want to announce their position by recklessly crashing through the forest.
After several minutes, he raised one hand.
Obito and Rin stopped immediately.
A patch of ferns ahead had been crushed. Several branches at shoulder height had also been snapped recently, their inner wood still pale and wet.
Obito crouched near the tracks.
"Another team passed through here."
His Sharingan moved across the ground.
"Three people. They were moving quickly."
Rin pointed toward the broken branches.
"They went northeast."
Ren examined the marks briefly.
"They're heading away from our route."
Obito looked in the direction of the tracks.
"Should we follow them? They might know where one of the strongholds is."
"Or they might be as lost as everyone else."
Ren stood.
"Following them would mean abandoning our plan based on a guess. We continue toward Sector Three."
Obito nodded.
Team Minato moved on.
During the next half hour, they encountered several more signs of activity: a kunai embedded in a tree, faint footprints near a stream, and a thin wire trap stretched across a narrow path.
None of them led toward their intended destination.
The wire trap was simple enough to notice, but the paper bombs concealed beneath the leaves would have injured any careless candidate.
Obito stared at them.
"Someone is already setting traps?"
"They probably placed it to slow down anyone entering behind them," Rin said.
Ren disabled the explosive tags before stepping over the wire.
"It also tells us that at least one team in this area is thinking ahead."
The deeper they traveled, the darker the forest became.
Eventually, Ren sensed a faint disturbance in the air ahead.
He slowed.
The dense vegetation gradually opened, revealing a broad clearing surrounded by enormous trees. Each trunk was so wide that several adults joining hands would still struggle to encircle it.
According to the map, they had reached the central area of Search Sector Three.
Ren raised a fist.
Obito and Rin stopped behind him.
At first glance, the clearing appeared empty.
No buildings.
No visible guards.
No hostages.
Only damp grass, scattered stones, and shafts of pale light falling through the canopy.
Obito frowned.
"There's nothing here."
Ren did not answer.
His gaze traveled slowly across the clearing.
The grass near the center bent in several different directions, as though something heavy had recently passed over it. One section of soil was slightly darker than the rest, and the surrounding trees were suspiciously free of moss at shoulder height.
Human hands had touched them.
Someone had tried to erase the evidence.
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"We found the right place."
Rin looked toward the seemingly empty clearing.
"The stronghold is hidden?"
"Most likely."
Obito's Sharingan spun faster as he searched for genjutsu, chakra threads, or concealed mechanisms.
Then his expression changed.
"Ren."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"There's chakra beneath us."
At that exact moment, the earth under their feet trembled.
A deep mechanical sound echoed from below the clearing, followed by the sharp click of multiple traps activating at once.
Ren's head snapped upward.
Dozens of concealed metal panels opened among the surrounding trees.
Kunai launchers emerged from the shadows, all aimed directly at Team Minato.
They had found the first enemy stronghold.
And the stronghold had been waiting for them.