Anko lays out the brutal second phase of the Chūnin Exams inside the Forest of Death, a survival trial built to cut the field in half as teams hunt one another for the scrolls they need to advance.
Anko walks the candidates through the rules of the exam's second stage, a contest designed so that no fewer than half the teams will wash out. Each squad receives one of two scrolls, a heaven or an earth, before entering the forest, and to move on they must seize the opposite scroll from a rival team. Only those who reach the tower at the forest's heart carrying both scrolls will qualify for the next round. Anko distributes the scrolls and throws open the gates.

We ranked the six most popular women of Naruto from worst to first, and our number one is going to start a fight. The official poll got it wrong....

The transformation everyone knows, the follow-up question nobody would touch. Why we made a smooth R&B track about the golden glow Dragon Ball never talks about....
The Chunin Exam Stage 2 is a survival trial held in the Forest of Death where each team holds a heaven or an earth scroll and must steal the opposite scroll from a rival team to reach the tower and advance, a test built to eliminate at least half the competitors.
In this episode, Anko explains the rules of the exam's second stage inside the Forest of Death, then Team 8 uses the Byakugan to trap an Amegakure squad and steal their scroll while Team 7 comes under attack from a disguised Ame shinobi.
Each team starts with either a heaven or an earth scroll and must capture the opposite scroll from another team, then reach the tower at the forest's center with both scrolls to qualify for the next round.
Team 8 uses the Byakugan to search out a target and springs a trap that lets them steal a scroll from an Amegakure squad soon after the exam begins.
The episode adapts chapters 45 and 46 of the manga and marks the start of the Forest of Death setting within the Chunin Exams arc.
Looking for more on The Chūnin Exam Stage 2: The Forest of Death? The Naruto Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
Official resources:
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.