Akihiro and Hiroshi moved quickly. Using movement jutsus, they managed to create a rge gap between themselves and their pursuers.

  Akihiro stopped, took out a scroll, and swiftly created a Fuinjutsu formation. Hiroshi, understanding what he was doing, took out a rge number of explosive tags and pced them in specific locations, maintaining a clear distance between them.

  —The formation is complete —he said simply.

  Hiroshi nodded and formed a hand seal before continuing toward the exit. Akihiro followed close behind, swiftly leaving the area.

  Their pursuers arrived a few minutes ter, rapidly closing the gap between them. However, as they advanced recklessly, one of them accidentally stepped into the formation’s range.

  One of the shinobi, more perceptive than the others, shouted:

  —TRAP!

  But before they could react, the formation activated.

  The trees twisted unnaturally, trapping the shinobi within their grasp. It happened so quickly that they couldn’t even use a movement jutsu to escape, let alone a substitution technique.

  —Damn it! —one of them cursed before his body was swallowed by the tree. Moments ter, he broke through the bark and emerged.

  The others followed suit, quickly destroying the formation.

  —Let’s go —their leader ordered. Although the trap wasn’t lethal, it had bought their targets valuable time. If they didn’t move fast, they would escape. Everyone nodded and hurried forward.

  Meanwhile, Aiko was moving underground like a fish in water, skillfully evading patrols and pursuit. Her senses were far sharper than those of an average person, or even a conventional shinobi, allowing her to detect and avoid enemies with ease. Of course, this was only possible as long as she remained undetected. If they found her, she would be caught in an instant.

  For that reason, she never let her guard down and stayed constantly alert as she approached the exit.

  "The st part is the hardest," she thought as she spotted the exit.

  There were many shinobi patrolling the gates, making it difficult to escape. The only relief was that the guards were of a lower level, meaning they would be easier to deceive.

  She waited patiently for the right moment. Then, as one of the guards turned his head, sensing something, she immediately emerged from the ground and used the Body Flicker jutsu, instantly propelling herself toward the gate.

  She had used more chakra than usual to increase the distance, but the energy cost was immense. However, in exchange, she had managed to escape the forest.

  —What…? —one of the guards muttered, startled to see a genin suddenly appear beside him.

  —Congratutions on making it out and completing the test —said the leader of the group as he noticed the scroll in her hands.

  They led Aiko to a separate area where she would wait for her teammates. If they failed to escape, Aiko would automatically fail the test as well.

  Fortunately, thanks to the time they had bought earlier and a bit of skill, her teammates managed to evade the gate guards and pass the exam immediately.