As Obito frantically searched the list, sweat pouring down his face...
Motomu, looking down from above, had already spotted both his and Obito's names in the first and second positions.
Obito's memory was actually quite good.
The answers he copied were only three points different from Motomu's.
Motomu watched Obito scratching his head in frustration while still searching the bottom of the list and felt momentarily speechless.
"Motomu, did you use Genjutsu to help him?"
Kakashi's voice sounded from beside him. Motomu nodded helplessly in admission.
"What? What do you mean?"
Hearing Kakashi's cryptic remark, Obito was confused.
He followed their gaze.
There, at the very top of the list, was his own name: Uchiha Obito.
"Am I actually a genius?"
The questions he answered in his 'dream' turned out to be correct.
Rubbing his eyes, a realization dawned on Obito as he fell into deep thought.
Just as the Genin below were cheering at the results...
Whoosh.
A scarred, fierce-looking Konoha Jonin flickered onto the wooden scoreboard.
"Alright, the list has been posted."
"Candidates who passed, follow me to the next testing ground."
Those who couldn't find their names stayed behind despondently.
Meanwhile, the successful candidates followed with a mix of excitement and nerves.
Motomu and the others arrived at the entrance to the Forest of Death.
A towering chain-link fence stood before them.
Familiar, ancient trees peeked over the fence, their branches blocking the sun and casting green shadows.
To Motomu, the Forest of Death was no different than coming home.
"The completion criteria for the second stage are simple."
The scarred ninja pulled out two scrolls, one labeled 'Heaven' and the other 'Earth,' for everyone to see.
"Each team will receive one scroll before entering the Forest of Death."
"Your task is to collect both the Heaven and Earth scrolls and reach the center to submit the mission."
"You can steal them, or you can trade for them."
"If you're in the mood, you can also kill your opponents."
As soon as the scarred ninja finished speaking, gasps erupted from the crowd of Genin.
"What!"
"Killing? That's too cruel."
The Genin who were clearly taking the exam for the first time stood in stark contrast to the veterans who were licking their lips in excitement.
In Motomu's team, Kakashi and Obito—who had already seen blood—were only momentarily stunned before quickly regaining their composure.
It was soon Motomu's team's turn to collect their scroll.
Serving as the temporary captain, Kakashi took the Heaven Scroll and led Motomu and Obito into the forest, disappearing past the steel gates in a few leaps.
"The rules are quite brutal."
"Under these circumstances, ninjas from the same village will naturally band together."
"Motomu, Obito, how do you want to move?"
Landing on a tree branch as their surroundings blurred past, Motomu thought for a moment.
"With our team's strength, the combat portion of the mission is easy."
"The real issue is finding our opponents."
"Yeah, my brother is right. Finding the enemy in a place this big is the key."
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded in agreement.
The three stopped.
He bit his thumb and wove hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A pug with a Konoha headband, a tan body, and a black snout appeared on the branch.
It had been scratching its neck with its hind leg, but it immediately stood up.
"Hey, Kakashi."
"What do you need?"
"Pakkun, I need you to help track down ninjas from other villages."
The pug named Pakkun didn't have the world-weary voice from the original story yet.
As the leader of Kakashi's Eight Ninja Hounds, he was just about to sniff for scents...
Suddenly, Obito, wearing his goggles and looking curious, squatted down and pressed his face close to the dog's wrinkled snout.
"Kakashi, why can your dog talk?!"
"He's our comrade, Obito. Watch your tone."
"Oh, oh, oh!"
Obito scratched his head, looking even more excited.
"Kakashi, why can our comrade talk?!"
Thud!
The scabbard of a long sword tapped against the top of Obito's head.
Obito: Behaving now.
"Kakashi, there's the scent of human blood two kilometers to the west."
"Suspected casualties from an enemy engagement."
Taking the chance to sniff, Pakkun looked away from Obito and turned toward the west.
Motomu looked in that direction but saw only layers of tree shadows.
'A dog's nose really is something else.'
No wonder Kakashi would carve dog heads onto his Mud Walls in the future.
Pakkun was proving to be quite useful.
"Can you lead the way, Pakkun?"
"Of course."
As soon as Pakkun spoke, he darted forward.
Motomu's team followed closely, weaving through the dense forest.
Clang!
Before long, the sound of kunai clashing drifted from ahead.
Three dark-skinned figures were currently besieging a Konoha ninja.
Behind the Konoha Genin lay his two teammates, their status unknown.
As Motomu's team and their hound closed the distance...
The struggling Konoha ninja felt a glimmer of hope.
But in the moment he was distracted by Motomu's arrival, a Cloud Ninja's blade swung in an arc toward his wide-open right side.
It was all over!
"Heh heh, it's over!"
The cruel voice of the older Cloud veteran synchronized with the Konoha ninja's inner monologue.
The forest went silent for a heartbeat.
Boom!
It sounded like a clap of thunder.
White electrical arcs flickered across Kakashi's arms and legs.
By the time Motomu saw him again, Kakashi's blade—partially drawn from its sheath—was lightly resting against the Cloud Ninja's longsword.
The blood-stained Cloud blade had already cut the Konoha ninja's skin, a fraction away from slicing an artery.
Now, it couldn't advance an inch further.
"What speed!"
"This kid!"
"No, switch to defensive formation!"
The three Cloud ninjas retreated several meters. Led by their captain, they fixed their heavy gazes on Kakashi.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Motomu and Obito arrived behind Kakashi simultaneously.
The bearded Cloud ninja leading the team repeatedly tightened and loosened his grip on his sword.
He scanned the three of them, and it was clear he realized something was wrong.
'Such strength at such a young age!'
'Dammit!'
'Are these Konoha's prodigies?!'
'And two from the Uchiha clan.'
'Looks like I'll have to let those two useless brats behind me stall for time.'
He began calculating an escape.
But just as his nervous thoughts took root, he relaxed at the new development before him.
"I've finally found you!"
Hozuki Mangetsu and his team flickered into view from the path Motomu's group had taken.
It appeared they had been tracking them for a long time.
Obito's lips curled into a grin as he pushed up his orange goggles with one hand. When he opened his eyes again, his black pupils had turned blood-red.
"Now this is getting exciting!"
"Kakashi, you and Motomu handle those three."
"As for this guy... he got away last time, but I'm going to crush him today!"
Before he even finished speaking, Obito completed six seals in less than two seconds and held up two fingers.
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth!
Rolling heat waves ignited the dried leaves on the ground, bathing the surrounding forest in a crimson glow.
Hozuki Mangetsu's lips curled upward, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth as he completed his own seals with both hands.
"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"