The second stage: The Forest of Death.
Because of Konoha's "hurry up and graduate" policy, basically every eligible Genin was present. Since the first stage had been relatively simple, a large number of candidates had passed.
There had been three separate testing halls for the first stage. Assuming the other two were as packed as Saiki's, there had been nearly three hundred participants.
Even with more than half disqualified, there were still over a hundred ninja gathered at the forest gates.
Showing the importance of this exam, the chief proctor for the second stage was another member of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Inoichi Yamanaka.
Despite the crowd, the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy. Even when Saiki spotted Kurenai and the others he knew, he merely offered a shallow nod.
In a setting like this, chatting with other teams was a strategic blunder. It exposed your intel and put your acquaintances in the crosshairs of enemies.
"Everyone, shut up!"
Inoichi Yamanaka's voice boomed. Once every eye was on him, he continued. "Before the second stage begins, you must all sign this waiver. This stage involves the very real possibility of death. If you are unwilling to sign, you may leave now."
At the mention of casualties, many faces turned pale with hesitation. Even Saiki felt a flicker of doubt.
Of the hundred-plus candidates, more than half were from Konoha. Many had been forced into the exam by their teachers and were mentally unprepared for a bloodbath.
Leaving was a matter of shame, so many lingered in indecision.
However, the first team soon turned and walked away. Following them, another dozen or so ninja surrendered.
Suddenly, the numbers of Konoha ninja and foreign ninja were roughly equal.
While the other villages had fewer people, those they sent were undoubtedly the elite of their Genin corps—some were likely Chunin hiding their true ranks. The Konoha Genin who remained were in for a massacre.
Watching the retreating teams, Saiki turned to Shizune and Genhai with a smile. "Ah, sounds dangerous! Should we just give up, too?"
"Boss, stop joking! We've come this far, there's no way we're quitting now!"
Genhai answered with surprising backbone, and Shizune shook her head with absolute resolve. Saiki's plan to hide in the Genin ranks forever was officially dead.
Staring into their determined eyes, Saiki narrowed his own and smirked. "Good. You've got spine. Let's see if you still have that courage in an hour."
Seeing that wicked, knowing grin for the first time, Shizune and Genhai felt their stomachs drop. They realized Inoichi Yamanaka wasn't exaggerating.
Soon, the "life and death" waivers were signed.
After organizing the paperwork, Inoichi looked at the remaining candidates. "Very well. One hundred and six of you remain, split across forty teams. Proceed to the tent to collect your scrolls. There are Heaven, Earth, and Man scrolls. You must collect a set of all three and reach the central tower to pass."
With one hundred and six people, there should have been at most thirty-six full teams. However, not every team had three members; some had lost teammates to the waiver or previous rounds, resulting in solo or duo squads.
Clearly, not everyone was as cautious as Saiki. The forest was filled with those fueled by dreams and the ambition to become Hokage.
Initially, Shizune and Genhai had been full of bravado. But the moment the proctors left and they stepped into the Forest of Death, they were hit by a wave of uncontrollable nerves.
The trees surrounding Konoha were unnaturally massive—whether due to Hashirama's Wood Style legacy or the planet's raw natural energy. Their gargantuan trunks and dense foliage blotted out the sun.
The forest was dim and eerily silent, save for the occasional hoot of an owl. It felt as though a thousand eyes were watching from the shadows, making the skin crawl.
Saiki led the way, while Shizune and Genhai followed nervously, their boots crunching loudly on the thick carpet of dead leaves.
Saiki glanced back. "You two..."
Because he had been silent since entering, the sudden sound of his voice made Shizune and Genhai jump. They both let out a small "Ah!" of fright.
Turning fully toward them, Saiki spoke with total exasperation. "Seriously, is all this tension necessary? I said stay alert, not act like terrified rabbits. Where's all that backbone from earlier?"
"We're... we're sorry!"
Under Saiki's judgmental stare, the two lowered their heads in shame.
"Fine. Don't be so tense. If there's actual danger, I'll tell you."
Shaking his head, Saiki continued deeper into the forest, with the other two scrambling to keep up.
After a moment of hesitation, Shizune whispered, "Saiki... every team needs a full set of three scrolls. Only one out of every three teams can possibly succeed, assuming there are no duplicates. Factoring in casualties, fewer than ten teams will actually pass. Should we actively hunt others, or head straight to the central tower and ambush someone who has the set?"
Hearing her question, Saiki finally stopped and looked at them.
"Oh? You finally decided to speak? I thought you were just going to follow me like shadows forever. We're a team; stop expecting me to make every single decision." Saiki let out a long sigh.
Faced with his "tough love" attitude, their faces flushed red again.
Saiki looked at Genhai. "Genhai, what's your take? And don't tell me you haven't thought about it, or we might as well forfeit right now. If you two can't think for yourselves, you'll just be slaughtered the moment you become Chunin."
Berated again, Genhai looked ashamed but didn't lower his head this time.
"Sorry, Boss."
Saiki cut him off. "Stop apologizing and talk."
Being Saiki's followers was a double-edged sword; because Saiki was so overwhelmingly powerful, they instinctively deferred to him.
"Right!" Genhai straightened his posture. "Like Shizune said, forty teams can only produce thirteen sets at most. With duplicates and damaged scrolls, ten passing teams is a dream. We have the 'Man' scroll. We need 'Heaven' and 'Earth.' If we wait at the tower, we'll face the strongest teams who already have all three. But if we hunt near Gates 10 and 12, we might catch a weaker team off guard."
Although their analysis didn't provide a concrete plan, Saiki decided on an aggressive hunting strategy. Kushina's secret mission for him was to protect Konoha ninja while crippling foreign ones to project the village's strength.
However, they needed to wait a moment; some "business" was coming to them.
The Forest of Death was a massive circle with a ten-kilometer radius. The closer you got to the tower, the higher the chance of an encounter.
Saiki expanded his perception. The entire forest was within his range; to him, the "hunt" was almost boringly simple.
As luck would have it, two teams from Gates 10 and 12 were converging on their position.
"Kurenai, are you sure we should go this way?"
"Yes. It'll be fine."
Kurenai was followed by two upperclassmen. Even though they were a year older, they deferred to Kurenai. She was a Genjutsu specialist with superior perception and strength.
Elsewhere, Saiki's team was resting on a massive branch. Saiki looked relaxed, while Shizune and Genhai were still on edge.
In a forest this size, with forty teams, the distance between squads was only a kilometer or two.
An encounter was inevitable.
"Heads up. They're here," Saiki warned. Shizune and Genhai looked toward Gate 10.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three ninja wearing Hidden Grass forehead protectors leaped from the brush.
They saw Saiki sitting casually on a branch, with Shizune and Genhai flanking him, kunai drawn and ready.
Seeing their posture, a cautious Grass ninja spoke grimly. "Hand over the scroll, and we might let you live."
"Oh?" Saiki replied. "Which scroll do you have? We have 'Man.' if you have the same one, there's no point in fighting."
Surprised by Saiki's nonchalance, the three Grass ninja traded looks.
From their reactions, Saiki knew they also had the "Man" scroll. A stroke of bad luck, but even knowing there was no prize, the Grass ninja showed no signs of retreating.
"Why must people make things difficult?" Saiki sighed. "Shizune, Genhai... prepare for combat."
The moment he finished speaking, a dozen shuriken and kunai whistled toward them.
Shizune and Genhai scrambled away, but the projectiles slammed directly into Saiki.
POOF!
A cloud of white smoke erupted, leaving only a shredded log where Saiki had been. He had used the Substitution Jutsu in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shizune and Genhai weren't worried about him. While in mid-air, Shizune rained down a suppressive volley of shuriken, while Genhai began weaving signs.
After years of training, it was finally time to show off. Focusing chakra in his throat, Genhai unleashed his jutsu the moment the Grass ninja dodged Shizune's fire.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
A massive sphere of high-pressure water erupted from Genhai's mouth. While it lacked the heat of a Fireball, the sheer kinetic impact was enough to crush internal organs.
"Look out!"
Two of the Grass ninja tried to dodge, but they were too slow.
Saiki's positioning had been bait. His relaxed posture drew their attention, and his use of Substitution made them paranoid about a sneak attack.
Shizune's barrage had further split their focus, leaving them wide open for Genhai's Water Style, which he had been practicing for a month.
After their emergency training session with the teachers, their teamwork had improved significantly.
BOOM!
The water orb slammed into the two Genin like a tidal wave. They coughed up blood as the impact sent them tumbling through the undergrowth, buried under the deluge.
Shocked by the flawless coordination, the remaining Grass ninja realized his team was crippled in a single exchange. He turned to flee without looking back.
"绝牛雷力热刀!" (Lariat!)
The moment the Grass ninja turned, a forearm slammed into his throat. It wasn't particularly thick or muscled, but it carried the weight of a freight train. Without even a chance to scream, the man was clotheslined into unconsciousness.
Of course, Saiki wasn't using the actual Hidden Cloud Taijutsu, but the result was the same: explosive speed and power designed to crush the neck.
In a matter of seconds, the Grass team was finished.
"Boss! Saiki!"
Dropping to the ground, flushed with the adrenaline of their first real fight, Shizune and Genhai looked to Saiki for praise.
They found only an expressionless, cold face.
Saiki tightened his grip on the Grass ninja's throat. With a sharp CRACK, he snapped the man's neck.
By now, many people had died to his joint-locks. The sound of breaking bone had become a background noise to him.
Seeing Saiki's ruthlessness and the dead stare of the Grass ninja, the joy of victory vanished from Shizune and Genhai. They were frozen in shock.
Saiki looked at the two remaining Grass ninja—crippled and coughing blood on the ground.
"Kill them," he said coldly.
Shizune and Genhai gasped.
Faced with Saiki's icy gaze and that absolute, final tone, they didn't know how to react. They had always done whatever Saiki told them to do.
But now, he was telling them to commit murder.
Even Shizune felt like she was looking at a stranger. She had never imagined the sunny, gentle boy she lived with could have such a terrifyingly cold side.
Seeing no movement, Saiki's voice dropped an octave. "I said: kill them!"
One of the Grass ninja, clutching his shattered chest, let out a weak plea. "P-please... don't kill us. You can have the scroll..."
Genhai latched onto the excuse. "Yeah! Boss, look! He's giving us the scroll! Maybe we don't have to..."
He was cut off by Saiki's freezing stare. "I'll say it one more time: kill them. Did you forget everything they taught you at the Academy?"
Saiki scanned them, his eyes piercing through their hesitation. "A ninja is a tool for killing. What the hell did you think you were signing up for?"
"Did you think this exam was just playing house?"
Seeing the two Grass ninja trying to crawl away, Saiki blurred behind them. Two kicks sent them flying back to land at Shizune and Genhai's feet. The children stumbled back in terror.
Saiki felt a mix of rage and pity.
"Look at you! Do you even look like ninja?"
"If you can't bring yourself to kill, you shouldn't be here."
"Why do you think I brought you to this exam? I brought you here to learn how to kill. If you can't pass this hurdle, you have no future in this world."
The timeline was too short, and they had been protected too well. Despite being children of a ninja world, they were still just nine-year-olds. This was beyond their limit.
They weren't like Itachi Uchiha, who was already a killer at age four.
Shizune was on the verge of tears, and Genhai was shaking so hard he was dripping with cold sweat.
Saiki reached down and hauled the two broken Grass ninja into a sitting position. Seeing them coughing blood and unable to resist, Shizune and Genhai recoiled further.
Saiki's voice turned mocking. "Genhai, weren't you going to prove your courage? Where is it? You want to be a great ninja with this pathetic amount of resolve?"
"B-boss... I'm not..." Genhai tried to explain, but his throat was tight with fear.
"And you, Shizune! Is your head filled with nothing but games?"
Meeting Saiki's cold eyes, Shizune felt a profound sense of fear toward the boy she loved. Tears finally began to spill down her cheeks.
Saiki sighed inwardly. They were too kind, too soft for this world. But in a world like this, kindness without power was just a slow death sentence.
"I'm sorry... forgive me," he apologized silently. Then, he cast a Genjutsu.
Saiki wasn't a master of illusions, but given their shattered mental states, he seized control of their bodies easily.
When Shizune and Genhai snapped back to their senses, they found their hands gripping kunai that were buried deep in the Grass ninja's hearts.
Shizune screamed and fainted instantly. Genhai collapsed into the dirt, his legs turning to jelly.
Saiki caught the falling Shizune and looked down at the catatonic Genhai. He shook his head slowly. He remembered his own first kill.
This was the price of growth.
As for the Grass ninja, Saiki felt nothing.
He had tried to be polite, and he wasn't naturally bloodthirsty. His mission didn't even require him to kill everyone he met.
But these guys had attacked children with lethal intent just for a "Man" scroll. In the ninja world, if you draw your blade, you accept the consequence of the counter-stroke.
The killer must be prepared to be killed.
They had come for Saiki's scroll; they had come for his life. This was the only possible ending.