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"We'll begin searching according to the plan."
At Ren's signal, the three members of Team Minato placed a stone marker at their current location. Using it as the center of their search area, they spread outward and began sweeping through the surrounding forest in a methodical pattern.
Ren activated his sensory technique. Invisible tendrils of chakra extended from his body, weaving between the towering trees and probing several hundred meters into the dense woodland.
Beside him, Obito's two-tomoe Sharingan spun slowly as he examined every broken branch, disturbed patch of soil, and faint footprint that might have been overlooked by ordinary eyes. Rin relied on her sharp observational skills, studying the ground and tree trunks for scratches, displaced moss, or signs that someone had passed through recently.
To improve their efficiency, each of them created one or two clones. Water Clones moved through the wetter areas, while Shadow Clones searched the higher ground and denser sections of the forest.
Even so, the Forest of Death seemed determined to swallow every trace they might have found.
More than two and a half hours passed.
The sun had already begun drifting westward, and the thick canopy overhead cast longer shadows across the forest floor. Visibility steadily worsened as the spaces between the trees filled with darkness.
Obito finally dismissed one of his clones and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Hey, Ren… are you sure this method is actually going to work? What if we were wrong from the beginning? Maybe there isn't any examiner base in this area."
Ren did not answer immediately.
He was beginning to feel discouraged as well.
His judgment should have been correct. Based on the structure of the exam and the suspicious gaps in the instructions, there was almost certainly a hidden objective somewhere inside the forest.
The problem was the sheer size of their assigned region.
Even after dividing the Forest of Death into four sectors, each search area still stretched nearly ten kilometers across. Worse, it was not open terrain. The forest was packed with enormous trees, tangled roots, marshes, ravines, and thick vegetation that made ordinary reconnaissance painfully slow.
Without a professional sensor-nin, their search efficiency was simply too low.
Ren clicked his tongue softly.
If he had brought Shiro with him, or borrowed a ninken from the Inuzuka clan, the search might have been much easier. A trained ninja hound could have followed even the faintest scent trail through the forest.
He was just considering whether he should attempt to summon Shiro when a familiar translucent message appeared before his eyes.
[Summoning Jutsu: Yawn… Stop wandering around like headless chickens. Watching you search like this is exhausting. Let me handle it.]
Ren's expression froze.
What was that supposed to mean?
[Summoning Jutsu: Idiot. Didn't you notice anything the last time you used me? The chains around my hands and feet can detect biological information in the surrounding area. How else do you think I managed to drag those targets toward you? Just form the hand seals and try it.]
Ren narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
In theory, Summoning Jutsu was indeed closely connected to sensory abilities. A summoning technique transferred a target from one set of spatial coordinates to another, usually bringing the summoned creature directly to the caster's position.
That process required the technique to recognize both locations.
The summoning contract acted like a permanent spatial connection between the caster and the contracted creature. Once the contract was signed, it was almost as if an invisible chakra pathway had been constructed between them.
Even reverse summoning and certain applications of the Flying Thunder God relied on similar spatial principles.
If Ren's unusual Summoning Jutsu could seize a random living creature from several kilometers away, then logically, the technique had to be capable of locating living beings throughout that range.
The question was whether Ren himself could access that ability.
Although he remained skeptical, he formed the hand seals and slowly pressed his palm against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A small puff of smoke appeared.
"Ribbit."
A completely ordinary frog sat in front of him.
It looked left, then right, apparently just as confused as everyone else. After croaking twice, it turned around and casually hopped into the bushes.
Obito stared after it. "That's it?"
Ren ignored him.
A second message appeared almost immediately.
[Summoning Jutsu: Hmm… Found something. At roughly the nine o'clock direction, approximately thirteen hundred to fourteen hundred meters away, there are several large living beings around your size. They seem to be trapped underground. There's also something much larger inside the nearby wetland. Be careful when you approach.]
Ren's eyelid twitched.
He had not sensed anything.
He was the caster. He had supplied the chakra, performed the hand seals, and activated the technique, yet the Summoning Jutsu itself had detected living beings more than a kilometer away while he remained completely unaware.
Was that even reasonable?
Could Summoning Jutsu, much like his Healing Technique, possess a degree of independent intelligence? Was it capable of analyzing information and operating separately from its supposed master?
If so, this discovery was far more valuable than simply locating the examiners' base.
Ren had accidentally uncovered a way to use Summoning Jutsu as a long-range sensory technique.
His greatest weakness at the moment was his sensory ability. Unlike ninjutsu, taijutsu, or chakra control, perception depended heavily on natural talent. Ren could improve through training, but he would struggle to reach the instinctive level of someone like Minato Namikaze or Tobirama Senju.
However, if Summoning Jutsu could compensate for that weakness, then one of the greatest obstacles standing between him and the Flying Thunder God would disappear.
Ren pushed the thought aside for now.
He could investigate it properly after the exam.
"I know where we need to look," he said, turning toward the others. "This way."
Obito and Rin exchanged a puzzled glance, but neither questioned him. They immediately followed as Ren accelerated through the forest.
Far away from the Forest of Death, inside the Mountains' Graveyard near the Valley of the End, an ancient figure watched them from the darkness.
Uchiha Madara sat motionless within the cavern, his withered body connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path by thick tubes. Through White Zetsu's technique, an image of Obito and his teammates was projected before him.
In a sense, Madara was watching his own private version of "Obito TV."
Ever since Obito had awakened the Sharingan, his importance in Madara's plans had risen dramatically. Among the younger members of the Uchiha clan, Obito had become the one Madara watched most closely.
The elderly Uchiha had little else to occupy his time. Confined to the cavern and dependent on the statue to remain alive, observing Obito's daily actions through White Zetsu had gradually become one of his few sources of entertainment.
At that moment, the projection showed Ren leading Obito and Rin toward the wetland.
Madara's gaze remained fixed on the image, but his attention shifted toward a dark corner of the cavern. "Black Zetsu. What did you discover about that white-haired brat?"
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Black Zetsu's strange half-black, half-white face carried a respectful expression as he lowered his head. "Lord Madara, the White Zetsu have completed a preliminary investigation."
"Speak."
"Ren was born in Konoha's thirty-eighth year. His father was formerly a Konoha chūnin but retired six months ago after suffering a leg injury. He now operates a beverage business inside the village. His mother is a civilian who works as an administrator at the Konoha Library."
Black Zetsu continued in an even voice. "The family has an ordinary background. No well-known shinobi have appeared within at least three generations. Ren himself, however, possesses exceptional talent. He graduated at the top of his Ninja Academy class and has repeatedly modified basic techniques, including the Substitution Jutsu and the Great Fireball Jutsu."
"He has also recently begun investigating Sunagakure's Scorch Release. Aside from his sensei, Minato Namikaze, he appears to have established relationships with Tsunade and Orochimaru."
Black Zetsu's intelligence-gathering ability was nearly unmatched.
After only one serious investigation, he had uncovered most of Ren's publicly available history, along with several details that even Konoha's upper leadership might not have known.
Madara, however, focused on only one point.
"He modifies ninjutsu?"
His old eyes narrowed.
"Did any of his ancestors marry into the Senju clan?"
Black Zetsu paused briefly. "There is no such record within the last four generations. Anything further back would reach the Warring States Period. Civilian records from that era are incomplete, so it is impossible to confirm whether a distant connection existed."
He tilted his head slightly. "Why do you ask, Lord Madara?"
Madara did not answer.
He stared at Ren's white hair in the projected image.
White hair.
A fondness for blades.
A talent for modifying ninjutsu.
Possible aptitude for space-time techniques.
Acceptable sensory abilities.
And some proficiency with Water Release.
When those traits were combined, Madara could not help thinking of one particular man.
Tobirama Senju.
The naturally wicked, white-haired ghost who had killed Izuna.
Because of his brother's death, Madara had developed an almost instinctive hostility toward white-haired shinobi. The sight of Jiraiya had already irritated him, and the fact that Jiraiya later trained a disciple capable of using the Flying Thunder God only made matters worse.
Now another white-haired brat had appeared, one whose talents resembled Tobirama's to an absurd degree.
Fortunately, Ren primarily specialized in Fire Release rather than Water Release. Otherwise, Madara might genuinely have suspected that Tobirama had somehow crawled back from the Pure Land.
Black Zetsu considered the matter. "The possibility of distant Senju ancestry cannot be completely dismissed. During the Warring States Period, the Senju were less strict about bloodline marriages than the Uchiha. Although they frequently married members of the Uzumaki clan, some branches of their bloodline may have spread among civilians."
"However, the White Zetsu observed Ren's chakra at close range. There were no obvious traces of a special bloodline. He is most likely an ordinary civilian genius, similar to Jiraiya or Minato Namikaze."
"Is that so?"
A cold light flashed through Madara's eyes.
That would be best.
If Ren truly carried Tobirama's blood, Madara might have been forced to intervene personally. He could kill the boy in front of Obito, blame Konoha for the tragedy, and use Ren's death to push Obito toward hatred.
Grief could shatter a person far more effectively than any genjutsu.
And a broken Obito would be much easier to guide.
"Continue investigating," Madara ordered. "Find out whether Tobirama left any descendants or collateral bloodlines outside the Senju clan."
"Yes, Lord Madara."
Madara shifted his attention back to the projection. "What about the arrangements inside the Forest of Death?"
"Everything is prepared."
Black Zetsu nodded. "Konoha lacks the ability to maintain complete surveillance throughout the forest. The examiner squad has not yet begun its operation, either. The White Zetsu have already started guiding several teams toward Ren's location."
A thin smile appeared on his face.
"The creature inside the wetland can also be provoked whenever necessary."
"Very good."
Madara leaned slightly forward, his ancient eyes fixed on the white-haired boy beside Obito.
"Let me see how capable this Ren truly is."
Back in the southeastern region of the Forest of Death, Ren followed the direction provided by Summoning Jutsu and soon reached the edge of a vast wetland.
The air there was heavy with moisture. Muddy water stretched between clusters of reeds, while insects buzzed beneath the thick canopy. Every step caused the saturated ground to shift faintly underfoot.
After searching the area, Rin noticed a patch of earth whose color differed slightly from the surrounding soil.
The three knelt and began scraping away the surface layer. Beneath it, they discovered an irregular section of hardened clay that bulged slightly from the ground.
Rin wrapped part of her sleeve around her fist and tapped the surface using carefully controlled chakra-enhanced strength.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound was hollow.
Her eyes brightened. "There's an empty space underneath."
She studied the disguised entrance with growing suspicion. "But why would something like this be hidden here? Could it really be the examiner base?"
Ren examined the hardened clay and the vegetation arranged over it. "It could be an old training facility or a wartime shelter. The examiners may have discovered an abandoned underground structure and converted it into a temporary base."
He reached for his equipment pouch. "Either way, we should confirm it. If we're wrong, we continue searching."
"Then let's dig it up!" Obito declared.
He immediately pulled out a kunai and started cutting through the packed soil. Rin joined him, while Ren produced a compact entrenching shovel he had prepared before entering the forest.
Working together, they cleared the vegetation and removed the camouflaged layer of earth.
Gradually, a square entrance emerged.
It measured roughly one meter across and extended downward beneath a heavy stone slab. The slab had been deliberately concealed and fitted tightly into the ground.
"Found it," Obito whispered excitedly.
He grabbed the edge and pulled.
The stone did not move.
Obito's face reddened as he tried again. "Why is this thing so heavy?"
Ren crouched beside him and studied the slab. After noticing a small chakra mechanism hidden near one corner, he placed his palm against it and carefully injected chakra.
Click.
A concealed lock released.
The stone slab slid slowly to the side, revealing a pitch-black opening beneath them.
A wave of cold, damp air rose from below, carrying the smell of mold, wet stone, and something faintly rotten.
The excitement on Obito's face immediately faded.
Ren took out a glow stick, snapped it, and tossed it into the darkness.
It fell nearly five meters before striking a stone step. Pale light spread through the tunnel, revealing a narrow staircase descending underground.
The steps were ancient. Moss covered their edges, and moisture glistened along the walls, but the structure remained intact.
"I'll go first," Ren said. "Rin stays in the middle. Obito, guard the rear. We don't know what's waiting down there, so remain alert."
He placed one foot near the entrance.
Then his body suddenly stiffened.
"Who's there?"
Ren spun toward the trees.
Obito reacted instantly. His Sharingan flared to life, two tomoe rotating in each scarlet eye. Rin drew a kunai and shifted into a defensive stance beside him.
For several seconds, nothing moved.
Then the bushes dozens of meters away began to shake.
Rustle.
Rustle.
A low, unpleasant laugh drifted through the forest.
"Well, well. We searched everywhere, only to have our prize reveal itself."
Three figures emerged from behind the trees.
All of them wore Kusagakure forehead protectors.
The leader was a tall, thin man with narrow eyes and a pale, almost sickly face. To his left stood a short, heavyset shinobi whose cheeks sagged around a greedy smile. The final member was a young man of average build, his expression gloomy and his hand resting close to his weapon pouch.
The tall Grass shinobi licked his lips as his gaze swept across Team Minato and then settled on the open tunnel.
"I didn't expect you Konoha brats to save us the trouble of searching," he said. "Thank you for leading us directly to the entrance."
Obito stared at the man for a moment before glancing down at his feet. "You said you searched everywhere, but you're wearing metal-soled sandals. Wouldn't that make searching harder?"
Silence fell.
Rin slowly turned toward Obito.
Ren closed his eyes for half a second and released a quiet sigh.
At times like this, a lack of education truly could be terrifying.
The tall Grass shinobi's smile twitched.
Ren stepped forward before Obito could say anything worse. His body positioned itself naturally between the enemy team and his companions.
"So it's Kusagakure," Ren said calmly. "I've heard your village is famous for changing sides whenever the wind shifts, stealing whatever isn't nailed down, and appearing the moment someone else discovers something valuable."
His eyes sharpened.
"It seems your reputation is well deserved."
The smiles on the three Grass shinobi vanished.
Chakra began gathering around them.
Behind Team Minato, the darkness inside the underground passage seemed to deepen. At the same time, somewhere beneath the nearby wetland, something enormous shifted in the mud.
The ground trembled once.
Then again.
None of the young shinobi noticed the bubbles beginning to rise from the black water behind them.
Far away, Madara watched through White Zetsu's projection as the corners of his mouth lifted.
The real examination was about to begin.