In a sterile, sparsely furnished room, a platform stood at its center. Draped in clean white cloth, it bore the corpse of a middle-aged man.
Four individuals surrounded the body. Standing slightly apart from the others was an elderly man, dark-skinned and slightly stooped. A wide-brimmed hat adorned his head, the kanji for "Fire" (火) prominently displayed on the front—marking him unmistakably as the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The other three, all wearing Leaf headbands, were gathered around the corpse. Closest to the body stood two men: one tall and broad-shouldered, with a serious demeanor and neatly trimmed facial hair; the other thinner, pale, and slightly nervous-looking, with black-rimmed glasses. These two were Oyama Yusuke, squad leader of the ANBU Corpse Processing Unit's third division, and Chiba Gen, a medical-nin from Konoha's emergency medical corps—both summoned here by the Third Hokage.
The last person in the room was Kotetsu Hagane, diligently taking notes on a clipboard as he listened to Oyama's observations.
"Deceased is male, approximately 25 to 30 years old," Oyama reported clinically, gloved hands inspecting the corpse. "Weight: around 110 pounds. Height: roughly 175 centimeters."
Chiba Gen stepped closer to examine the man's face. He lifted an eyelid and frowned, then gently opened the mouth, peering inside. "The sclera are bloodshot. Mouth appears dry and inflamed. Likely exposure to a mild irritant gas."
"Smoke bomb residue," Hiruzen said calmly from where he stood, observing the process in silence.
Chiba Gen gave a slight nod and continued his examination. Kotetsu noted down every word, recording the autopsy carefully.
"Multiple claw wounds, heavy bleeding. Extensive soft tissue damage," Oyama added, focusing on the lacerations caused by Kiba Inuzuka's attacks. "Residual traces of insects as well—looks like kikaichū."
"I'll need to open the chest to examine the internal organs," Oyama said, glancing to the Hokage for permission.
"Preserve the brain," Hiruzen instructed firmly.
The brain would be needed intact for the Intelligence Division to later extract memories using specialized Yamanaka techniques—something that could only be done back at HQ, not here at the tower.
"Understood."
With practiced hands, Oyama formed a quick series of hand seals. A faint blue glow gathered around his right palm, shaping into a Chakra Scalpel. With surgical precision, he sliced open the clothing on the corpse without so much as grazing the skin beneath—showcasing masterful chakra control.
After exposing the torso, Oyama gently pressed against the abdominal cavity and then, slowly and deliberately, ran the chakra scalpel along the midline. The stomach opened with a wet, organic sound, revealing the internal organs.
No one flinched—except Kotetsu, whose expression betrayed slight discomfort. The rest were seasoned professionals, unfazed by the dissection.
"Cause of death: ruptured liver. Massive internal bleeding," Oyama muttered, noting the internal trauma.
Numerous small bite marks dotted the organs—a side effect of the kikaichū from Shino Aburame's clan. Having been briefed by the Hokage earlier, Oyama wasn't alarmed and continued the examination.
At the same time, Chiba Gen unrolled a small white cloth marked with dense sealing runes and placed it over the left side of the corpse's chest. Seeing this, Oyama nodded to indicate readiness.
Chiba Gen formed hand seals and activated a second chakra scalpel. Oyama, in turn, began infusing a steady stream of green healing chakra into the corpse's torso, stimulating the organs.
Chiba Gen then pressed his glowing scalpel onto the cloth, slicing into the heart. As blood spilled onto the sealing fabric, a formation of complex ink runes emerged. He quickly placed a narrow strip of paper at the center of the seal, and just as Oyama sent a final surge of chakra, the corpse's heart gave a faint, unnatural twitch.
The sealing tag split apart, dissolving into fragments.
"Wind and Earth chakra natures," Chiba Gen said at last, letting out a breath. "No kekkei genkai."
"Strong chakra flow. He's definitely at least Chūnin-level. Possibly Tokubetsu Jōnin. Maybe even a full Jōnin," Oyama added, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Hiruzen nodded. The two men began using ninjutsu to seal and restore the body.
"I'll assign two ANBU squads to escort you both," the Third Hokage said. "Make sure this body reaches Yamanaka Inoichi in the Intelligence Division—intact and unharmed. Understood?"
The implication was clear: if this corpse truly belonged to a subordinate of Orochimaru, then it could contain invaluable intel.
"Yes, sir!" the two men responded in unison.
Meanwhile…
The next few days passed in quiet rest. The members of Team 8 and Team 10 were confined to limited sections of the Central Tower, not permitted to roam freely.
By now, more genin teams had arrived, completing the second phase of the Chūnin Exams. To prevent unnecessary confrontations, sabotage, or information leaks, Konoha enforced strict separation among groups.
Though it was dull, the controlled environment was a welcome break from the life-threatening tension of the Forest of Death. Shikamaru and the rest of Team 10 had no complaints.
Finally, on the scheduled day that the second stage was set to end, a Konoha Chūnin Shikamaru didn't recognize arrived and escorted Team 10 toward the examination arena.
They passed through a corridor, emerging into a spacious chamber—the staging area for the third phase of the exam.
Opposite them stood the Third Hokage, flanked by a row of jōnin. Among them were six instructors: Maki from Sunagakure, and five from Konoha—Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and a slim, bespectacled man Shikamaru didn't recognize.
The unknown jōnin, sensing Shikamaru's glance, met his eyes briefly with mild interest before looking back toward the other approaching genin.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji turned to observe the newly arrived participants.
In total, six teams—eighteen genin—had passed the second stage. One was a Suna team, the rest all from Konoha.
Among the successful candidates were:
Neji Hyūga
Rock Lee
Tenten
Shikamaru Nara
Chōji Akimichi
Ino Yamanaka
Naruto Uzumaki
Sasuke Uchiha
Sakura Haruno
Kiba Inuzuka
Shino Aburame
Hinata Hyūga
Kabuto Yakushi
Misumi Tsurugi
Yoroi Akadō
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction. These genin were the future of Konoha. The fact that all three of the Leaf's rookie teams had advanced this far came as a pleasant surprise, even to him.
Beside the Hokage stood the proctors of the earlier phases, including Anko Mitarashi, who had overseen the Forest of Death, and Ibiki Morino, the proctor of the first written exam.
Anko, scanning the line of survivors, raised an eyebrow. She had expected far fewer to make it through. Her original goal was to leave only single-digit candidates—elite among elites—who could represent their villages in the final stage before the daimyō and international guests.
Instead, there were eighteen.
"First off, congratulations on passing the second exam!" Anko's voice rang out, addressing the gathered genin, now standing in formation.
The jōnin and exam proctors behind her offered small smiles—genuine admiration for these young ninja who had survived and succeeded where many others had failed.
"Now, the Hokage will explain the rules and objectives of the third and final stage of the Chūnin Exams," she said, bowing slightly toward Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama, if you would."
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