Chapter 15: The Appearance of the Little Peanut Statue

Just as everyone was shocked by the introduction of the Little Peanut Statue on the light screen, the screen changed once again.

This time, however, what appeared was a live, real-time video feed.

In the footage, three young ninja were seen moving slowly through a dense forest.

The moment he recognized the scene in the video, the Third immediately stood up.

"The Forest of Death!"

It turned out that the location shown in the video was the Forest of Death, where the Chunin Exams were currently taking place.

Watching the three youths appearing on the screen, the Third frowned tightly, trying to recall their names from memory.

Then, the view shifted to show the three individuals' faces clearly.

Upon seeing their faces, the Third's hanging heart instantly settled; fortunately, they were not ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village.

However, a ninja standing beside the Third could no longer remain seated.

This was because the three people appearing in the footage were none other than Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari, three genin from the Hidden Rain Village.

Seeing his own village's ninja appear in the video, that jonin involuntarily clenched his fists, his eyes repeatedly darting toward the Third.

Naturally, the Hidden Rain ninja knew exactly what would happen to those illuminated by this light screen after it appeared.

Moreover, the Hidden Rain Village itself was small, and all those who had come to participate in the Chunin Exams were their village's elite talents.

How could they afford to lose their lives over this matter?

Whether or not they could become chunin was unimportant; what mattered was that they all survived.

The Hidden Rain jonin kept looking toward the Third, hoping he would send someone to the Forest of Death to check, or at least confirm their safety.

But judging by the Third's leisurely posture as he sat on his stool, it seemed he had no intention of saving the three from the Hidden Rain Village.

Looking at the Third, the Hidden Rain jonin shook his head helplessly.

Afterward, he could only watch the light screen nervously, praying in his heart that the three from his village would meet someone kind, just like Naruto and his companions had.

At this moment, within the actual location.

The three from the Hidden Rain Village were walking slowly, discussing along the way whose scroll they should attempt to seize.

Just then, all three detected a faint scent of blood.

Exchanging glances, the trio halted their steps, assumed combat stances, and moved slowly toward the source of the bloody smell.

After turning a corner, they stopped dead in their tracks, staring dumbfounded at the scene before them.

And upon witnessing this sight, everyone outside the light screen could no longer remain seated.

Before the three lay nine corpses scattered haphazardly, every single one having died from a broken neck, their deaths extremely gruesome.

Standing in front of these nine bodies was a bizarre stone statue, staring straight in their direction.

It looked incredibly terrifying and eerie.

Upon seeing this scene, the three ninja behind the Third cried out in shock.

These three shouting ninja were jonin from the Hidden Sand Village, the Hidden Grass Village, and the Hidden Leaf Village respectively.

The nine people lying dead on the ground were nine genin from those same three villages.

Hearing that personnel from both the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand Villages had perished, the Third immediately turned his head to look at a ninja behind him.

"Quick! Send Anko Mitarashi and the others to this location to eliminate this stone statue!"

Upon hearing the Third's command, the jonin immediately headed outward.

Hearing that the Hidden Leaf Village was dispatching people, the Hidden Rain jonin slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, at the actual site.

Gazing at the statue before them, with one arm hanging vertically downward and blood dripping continuously with a *drip, drip, drip* sound.

Oboro and the other two felt an inexplicable, eerie sensation wash over them.

At this moment, the entire ninja world had erupted into an uproar.

"Is this the Forest of Death? Aren't the Chunin Exams being held here? How could this appear here!"

"Damn it! Participants in the Chunin Exams have actually died? How is the Hidden Leaf managing things!"

"Kid, be careful! Whatever you do, don't look away!"

"Wait, why haven't the Hidden Leaf's jonin arrived yet? Do they intend to watch until every participant is dead?"

Within the Hidden Rain Village.

Pain watched the three Hidden Rain genin appearing on the screen, his brow furrowed tightly.

When the video first appeared in the Hidden Leaf Village, Pain had felt quite pleased.

But upon seeing his own village's juniors appear in the footage.

And furthermore, seeing this Little Peanut Statue.

Pain's mood became deeply gloomy.

Oboro, Mubi, and Kagari were all elites of their village; sending them to the Hidden Leaf this time was meant to broaden their horizons.

Yet who could have anticipated they would encounter such monsters.

Now, Pain could only pray in his heart that this Little Peanut Statue would not kill the three of them.

He prayed that people from the Hidden Leaf Village would arrive quickly.

But who could have expected them to encounter these monsters?

Now, Pain prayed in his heart that this little peanut sculpture would not kill the three of them.

He prayed that the people of Konoha would arrive here quickly.