The first exam was not hard, the plan went off without any issues at all. Ino was able to use the data that Shikamaru had or that Kaza had on questions and transmit it to Choji, and Ace and also Sakura had the test down perfectly already too. It was a rather easy test and even the bit at the end with the last question wasn't that challenging as they were not going to walk away from the challenge because of some minor threat. The two teams worked perfectly well together though the challenge seeing it to an end as they let the time run out done with the test a good bit before the final moments to take it.

Anko Mitarashi's entrance was nothing short of dramatic, appearing in a whirl of energy that caught everyone's attention. Her confidence and presence filled the room as she surveyed the assembled genin.

"Congratulations on passing the first exam," she began, her voice carrying a blend of enthusiasm and intensity. "But don't get too comfortable. The second exam is where things really get interesting."

Kaza couldn't help but be impressed by Anko's commanding presence. He leaned over to whisper to Ace, "She's incredible. This is going to be intense."

Ace nodded, his usual grin widening. "Yeah, this is what we've been training for."

Anko continued, explaining the rules and objectives of the second exam. "This next phase will take place in the Forest of Death. Each team will receive a scroll, and your goal is to obtain the opposite scroll from another team. You'll need both scrolls to advance, you then need to get to the central tower in the forest. But be warned, the forest is filled with dangers, and not just from your fellow competitors."

The room buzzed with nervous excitement. Ino glanced at Kaza, who gave her a reassuring nod. They had prepared for this, and now it was time to put their skills to the test.

"Remember," Anko added with a mischievous smile, "survival is key. You have five days to get to the tower once it starts. Gather your supplies, strategize with your teammates, and be ready for anything. Dismissed."

As the teams began to disperse, Ace clapped a hand on Kaza's shoulder. "We've got this, little brother. Let's show them what we're made of."

Kaza nodded, his determination mirrored in the eyes of his teammates. "Yeah, let's do this."

Sakura, standing with them, gave a confident smile. "We'll stick together and make it through this. Just like we planned."

"It is a good thing we already brought our supplies. We can find something to eat and then plan out what we are going to do," Kaza reasoned as he looked at the other two. The idea of an outdoor test was not a surprise for any of them. In fact it was something they were gambling on, as it made sense to have such a test. It also went along well with the test that they had up to that point too.

The three of them managed to snag some ramen before waiting at the gate, they had a hour or so before the start of the next round as they sat looking out at the forest. From a bit away as the other teams were planning close to the forest.

"So the plan is for little brother to track the paths of the other teams, find places and use traps on them, basically do something the old man would do right?" Ace reasoned as he looked at Sakura and then over at Kaza.

"Yeah, that is the plan, Sakura keeps an eye out for non-poisonous berries and food sources should we need it, the forest of death is pretty big. However I hope to get to the end quickly that way we don't have to worry about falling asleep in the middle of the forest, hit take what we need and go," Kaza replied to the other two, before giving Ace a smile, "Brother, please don't burn down the forest while in the exam," he teased.

"Yeah we got this, I have your back and I can handle any genjutsu issues we run into," she said confident in her growing abilities in that area. "Aoba has us all completely prepared for this section."

"Yeah I think that you're right, Aoba made sure to push us to be ready for this day, we must be ready for anything. Kaza you're communicating with Ino right now correct?" Ace double checked with him.

"Yeah, I told them that if she needed my help or they needed my help to call me. I think that she is going to move rather close to us in the same area so we can support one another," Kaza said firmly as he wanted to help Team Asuma out if he could. "I plan to make sure they know where our traps are placed so they know to avoid them and would not want to harm our friends."

After a moment Naruto walked up looking at the group, "Hey Sakura how are you doing," Naruto said with a warm and affectionate smile as he looked at Sakura giving her a slap on her back.

Sakura turned to Naruto, returning his smile. "I'm doing well, Naruto. We're just going over our plan for the next exam. How about you?"

Naruto gave them a happy smile as he looked at them. "I am so excited for this, I can't wait to show off just how much we have improved to everyone. I know that Sasuke has some tricks ready, and Shizuka is really good, she has some scary tricks that will work perfectly in these woods. Yeah, we are ready for anything and everything."

Ace nodded his head taking in what Naruto was saying as it gave him a bit of a clue about Shizuka who was a mystery to him. "That's good to hear. Just remember, this forest can be pretty dangerous, so stay sharp."

"Naruto, if we run into each other and you need help out there, we will do our best to help," Kaza commented as he looked at the blonde. "We are competing against each other, but that doesn't mean we aren't friends."

Naruto gave a thumbs-up. "You got it! And hey, if we come across each other, let's work together to get through this, okay?"

Sakura smiled, feeling reassured by Naruto's confidence. "Sounds like a plan. Good luck, Naruto."

With a final wave, Naruto rejoined his team, leaving the three to finalize their preparations.

Ace turned back to his brother and Sakura. "Alright, we've got our plan. Kaza, keep us updated on any movements you sense. Sakura, keep an eye out for safe food sources. I'll handle any immediate threats."

"Right," Kaza and Sakura replied in unison, their expressions determined.

As they finished their ramen and gathered their supplies, the announcement came over the loudspeaker. "All teams, please proceed to the starting gates. The second exam will begin shortly."

The three of them stood up, their resolve firm. They headed towards the gate, joining the throng of other teams. The air was thick with anticipation and tension, each group eyeing the others warily.

Anko stood at the entrance, her sharp gaze assessing the assembled genin. "Listen up! The Forest of Death is no joke. Stay on your toes, trust your instincts, and remember, only those with both scrolls will pass. Now, on my signal, the exam begins."

She raised her hand, and the gates creaked open. "Go!"

The teams stood gathered and moved quickly into the forest. Ace, and Sakura followed close behind Kaza who had figured out his path. He was going to use what he knew of tracking and the natural density of trees and paths to take them down the best route possible. He figured he would worry about the location of others more later as now they were too dense and close together to worry about individual teams and their placements.

However he could use the tracks he saw, the natural ones, the movement of various animals to figure out paths and he took one that he saw, and headed towards the tower quickly as he wanted to find a quick place to be able to place a trap and to have the best chance of catching one of these other teams complete unprepared.

As they moved, they could sense the dense forest around them and the various fallen trees and places that were ideal for striking from. There were many good locations for ambushes and places they had to be careful in as well to make sure that they didn't end up ambushed by someone else as they moved.

"Stay close," Ace whispered, his senses on high alert. "Remember, we move as a unit."

Sakura and Kaza both nodded their heads as they moved forward, they both were on high alert for trouble already. Kaza paused after a moment coming to a complete stop. He looked at the other two as he then focused on Sakura. Here the area comes to a step combine and I think there is a team behind us. We have about 10 minutes is all we have to get this trap down and prepared.

Sakura nodded, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "I'll keep an eye out while you two set up."

"Good, I've got the trap set. Ace, prepare for the ambush," Kaza instructed as he quickly went to work. He used a pitfall trap his father had shown him—a simple yet effective trap—and added a smoke trap to disorient any team that triggered it.

Moments later, a team from Kusagakure slipped into the trap. The sound of the ground giving way and the smoke filling the air created the perfect distraction. Ace and Kaza launched their attack quickly, striking before the opposing team realized what had happened. They took down the team swiftly and efficiently, not giving them a chance to react. It wasn't a fair fight, but it wasn't supposed to be. Winning meant stacking the odds in your favor whenever possible.

"Okay, let's move on and try something else," Ace said, looking at Kaza. "Do you know where the nearest team is?"

Kaza nodded. "Yes, there are four teams near us. Ino is dealing with a team over in that direction," he pointed southwest. "She communicated that they're fine and don't need our help. The third and fourth teams are to our northeast and northwest."

"Northwest," Sakura said calmly. "That puts us closer to the tower."

They moved quickly in that direction, employing tricks they had learned during D-rank missions like hunting truffles. They stayed close to the treeline to remain out of sight from the other team.

Sakura was the first to spot the team resting against the trees. She also noticed they had set up a weak genjutsu to avoid detection. "Any traps, Kaza? They've used a weak genjutsu. I can dispel it if you can handle any traps. Ace, you go in and strike them quickly like before, but this one will be more challenging."

Kaza nodded and began scanning the area for traps. "Give me a moment," he said, carefully examining the surroundings. After a brief pause, he pointed to a few locations. "There are wire traps and explosive tags. I can disarm them."

Sakura took a deep breath before dispelling the genjutsu designed to disorient anyone that would come into the area the other team was resting in. At the same time, Kaza quickly went to work, disarming the traps with precise movements. Ace watched, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Once the traps were cleared, Ace gave a nod. "Ready when you are."

"Now," Sakura whispered.

Ace moved swiftly, closing the distance to the resting team in an instant. The team barely had time to react before Ace was upon them, delivering swift, decisive strikes. Kaza and Sakura followed, providing backup and ensuring the team was subdued.

The fight was over quickly. The element of surprise and their coordinated efforts left the other team with no chance to mount a defense.

"Good job, everyone," Sakura said, catching her breath. "Let's secure their scrolls and keep moving. The tower isn't far away now."

"You're right, we're doing good. Let's push on. If we keep this pace, we can reach the tower before evening," Ace said, giving Kaza and Sakura a warm smile. "You two have done amazing work."

"Thanks, Ace," Kaza replied, returning the smile.

Sakura nodded, then turned to Kaza with a knowing look. "Kaza, any update on Ino and her team? We know you're not going too long without checking in."

Kaza blushed slightly but nodded, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. After a brief pause, he opened them again. "Ino and her team are fine. They just finished dealing with a team from Amegakure. No major injuries on their side."

"Good to hear," Sakura said. "Let's stay sharp and keep moving. The sooner we get to the tower, the better."

The three of them continued through the forest, maintaining a steady pace. They navigated around potential threats and avoided unnecessary confrontations, keeping their focus on the objective. As they moved, they communicated quietly, ensuring they were all on the same page and ready for any surprises.

After a few hours, the tower came into view. "There it is," Ace said, pointing ahead. "We made it."

"Let's stay alert until we're inside," Kaza cautioned. "No telling what might happen at the last minute."

They quickly moved through the forest using their experience, mostly Ace and Kaza's experience from their childhood to them traveling through the woods outside of the old Togusa Shrine. They were not that different then the woods they were moving through now just without the scary name. The group moved quickly and saw the tower ahead of them and quickly made it there. They could feel a sense of accomplishment that they had finished not only the first but also the second part of the exam.

"We did it," Sakura said, smiling at her teammates. "Second part down."

"Yeah, but let's not get too comfortable. We still have more to go," Ace reminded them, though he couldn't hide his own smile.

"Right," Kaza agreed. "But for now, we can take a moment to rest and prepare for whatever comes next."

The two teams walked up to the area where they had to follow the instructions to summon a ninja. With anticipation and excitement, they executed the necessary hand signs. A moment later, Aoba appeared before them, a proud grin on his lips as he looked at his team from behind his red shades.

"Good work," Aoba said, his voice full of pride. "I knew you would pass. Never doubted it for a second."

Ace, Kaza, and Sakura stood tall, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as they basked in their sensei's praise.

"Thanks, Aoba-sensei," Ace replied, a confident smile on his face. "We worked hard and stuck to the plan."

Kaza nodded, adding, "It wasn't easy, but we knew we could do it with everything you taught us."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Your training prepared us well. We couldn't have done it without your guidance."

"That is correct, Sakura, the next exam is going to be even harder, as it is a test of your individual skills and not just how well you work as a team. However, I believe in each of you, and I know you can do this," Aoba said with a proud grin still on his lips as he trusted in the abilities of his students.