Naruto: Reborn with the Template System

The Forest of Death — a deadly terrain stretching 20 kilometers in diameter, its perimeter riddled with over ten entrances.

By early morning, under direct orders from the higher-ups, the Jōnin instructors led their respective three-man squads to designated entrances, preparing to begin the second Chūnin Exam.

And once again, Uchiha Obito was late.

He was supposed to arrive by ten. He didn't show until twenty past. At the forest's edge, Kakashi, Rin, and their instructor, Namikaze Minato, stood waiting.

At ten-thirty sharp, Obito finally came into view, holding a bean-shaped candy and looking sheepish.

"What the hell is wrong with you! Do you know how long we've been waiting? If Rin fails the exam because of you—"

Kakashi's scolding voice cut through the quiet forest as soon as Obito approached.

Obito, still chewing the candy his grandmother had given him, knew he was in the wrong.

He turned his face away, pretending not to hear, letting Kakashi's words pass through one ear and out the other.

Rin stepped in quickly, trying to diffuse the tension.

"That's enough, Kakashi. Obito's here now. Let's just focus on the exam."

Minato gave a soft chuckle, though his smile was tired.

Ever since this team formed, scenes like this had become routine.

Still, thanks to Minato's status, they were granted some leniency. If not, their team would've been disqualified more than once by now.

Finally, with the gate opened, Minato's squad stepped into the dense, dark forest.

At another entrance, deep within the forest—

The Tsunade Class was already on the move.

Orochimaru hadn't bothered setting a time limit for this test.

Instead, he gave a cold rule: only the first four teams to reach the Central Tower would pass. Everyone else? Rejected on the spot.

Guts, flanked by Shizune and Kurenai, led the way as they weaved through the shadowy woods.

Poisonous plants, venomous insects, and the constant threat of enemy teams hung heavy in the air.

Shizune looked toward Guts and asked,

"Do you have a strategy in mind?"

For this team, Guts was the unspoken leader whenever Tsunade wasn't around. Two years of teamwork had built a silent trust.

"We head straight for the center. If anyone enters my detection range, we deal with them as needed," Guts replied curtly.

Shizune gave a small nod. She assumed he meant they'd eliminate weak teams as they went.

Kurenai, on the other hand, knew better.

Guts wasn't bloodthirsty like Gaara. He wouldn't waste time on weaklings. If he moved, it was because the target was worth the effort.

Ten kilometers to the tower. A distance any Genin could cover in under an hour in open terrain. But here, it would take longer.

Even so, a full day should be enough—assuming they could avoid ambushes.

After finalizing their plan, the trio resumed their advance.

Half an hour later, Guts halted mid-step. His eyes narrowed with a red light flashing in them.

Kurenai immediately noticed the change.

"Did you sense something?"

"Three of them. Two o'clock direction. About a kilometer out."

Shizune chimed in, "Do we engage?"

The enemy hadn't released any Chakra, making it impossible for even Guts to judge their strength at this distance. But at this range, they'd likely cross paths soon.

After a pause, Guts gave a subtle nod.

The team split into formation. Kurenai veered left, Shizune to the right.

Guts crouched low, then burst upward, leaping high into the air.

In a blur, he delivered a powerful spinning kick to the base of a massive tree—a monstrous trunk that would take ten men to wrap their arms around.

CRACK! SNAP!

The ancient tree groaned as its massive trunk split apart. Guts twisted in the air and caught a chunk the size of a small boulder.

"Hmph... too bad this world doesn't have cannons," he muttered, grinning.

Then, with monstrous strength, he hurled the trunk like a missile toward the enemy's location.

"Here's a gift!!!"

—

Roughly 200 meters ahead—

Asuma, Izumo, and Kotetsu were making steady progress.

Suddenly, Izumo's brows furrowed.

"Did you guys hear that?"

Kotetsu scoffed.

"You're just jumpy. There's nothing out he—"

"Dodge!!"

Asuma's voice rang out, eyes wide in alarm.

The trio turned—and their faces paled.

A colossal tree trunk was hurtling toward them like an artillery shell.

Even Asuma couldn't form a hand seal in time. Their only chance was to leap with everything they had.

WHOOOSH—

The tree smashed into the ground behind them as they barely cleared the impact zone. Dirt and debris exploded into the air.

Before they could recover—

Two shadows burst out from the sides.

Kurenai and Shizune appeared like blurs.

Before Izumo or Kotetsu could react, twin kicks sent them crashing into the forest floor with a loud BOOM, clouds of dust erupting from the impact.

"What the—!?"

Asuma turned, stunned.

A voice purred behind him. "Yo~"

He barely had time to register Guts' face—grinning, eyes sharp—as a brutal uppercut crashed into his jaw.

CRACK!

Asuma's world spun, consciousness slipping.

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