In The Blood Summaries - Act 3: Forest
Chapter 15 - First Steps - (AO3 Link)
Inou and Karai set out for the chuunin exams, and Inou's team discusses their plan of action. Sasuke's team of genin manage to make it through the written exam, and Go'on nearly collapses with nervousness until he realizes that the next part of the exam takes place in the Forest of Death, which fills him with greater confidence--the outdoors are his specialty, and he offers to act as group leader for this portion. Benio playfully dismisses rumors of the Woman of the Woods, an urban legend that has blossomed in the wake of the Fourth War, before setting the students out into the Forest.
Chapter 16 - Second Opinions - (AO3 Link)
Sasuke, waiting in a lounge with the other teachers while the exam proceeds, has a conversation with a man named Akirame Masao. Masao is Karai's teacher, as well as a former student of Naruto's and a former classmate of Murasaki's. He apologizes for Murasaki's behavior before talking about Karai's progress. Sasuke's extremely high expectations of her and Inou disturb Masao, especially after Sasuke exhibits more lenience towards his own students with no guilt about the inequality. Before Masao can express further disagreement, a proctor bursts in with news that Sasuke's students have already cleared the Forest, setting a new record. Go'on, it is revealed, managed to apparently tame a bear and save a trio of Sand genin to get their second scroll, and guided his team through the many dangers of the Forest without mishap. Inou and Karai make it to the tower much later that day.
Chapter 17 - Third Times - (AO3 Link)
Because of the number of students that made it through the Forest, a preliminary tournament is held. Go'on, Shikake, Inou, and Karai all make it to the next round. Sasuke's students go home and are congratulated by their families, but Sasuke's children are not much praised. Ino tries to soften Sasuke's reaction with a celebration and a day off for the kids, which Sasuke tries to prevent but ultimately fails in. Inou is sullen the next day at lunch, and again avoids Nadeshiko when she volunteers to get groceries for their mother. Takeru and Sasuke both refuse to take part in the celebratory dinner Ino puts together that night.
Chapter 18 - Interlude: Six Tales - (AO3 Link)
A short story told in six parts about Kurunari, a boy from a Mist orphanage that is used as the six-tailed slug's vessel. Abandoned as a child by a white-haired man, Kurunari begins to suspect that he is Jiraiya's grandson after Naruto lends him a copy of The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja. Originally given to him because he has a gift for writing, Kurunari sees a photo of Jiraiya on the cover sleeve and notices a strong, but not exact, resemblance. His suspicions are further strengthened when he hears of Jiraiya's sexual promiscuity from Naruto. Other parts of the story have to do with the other jinchuuriki and Kurunari's relationships with them (and fear of women), Kurunari's mistreatment at the hands of Mist's government, and Kurunari's own stories, which stray into supernatural horror.
Inou and Karai set out for the chuunin exams, and Inou's team discusses their plan of action. Sasuke's team of genin manage to make it through the written exam, and Go'on nearly collapses with nervousness until he realizes that the next part of the exam takes place in the Forest of Death, which fills him with greater confidence--the outdoors are his specialty, and he offers to act as group leader for this portion. Benio playfully dismisses rumors of the Woman of the Woods, an urban legend that has blossomed in the wake of the Fourth War, before setting the students out into the Forest.
Chapter 16 - Second Opinions - (AO3 Link)
Sasuke, waiting in a lounge with the other teachers while the exam proceeds, has a conversation with a man named Akirame Masao. Masao is Karai's teacher, as well as a former student of Naruto's and a former classmate of Murasaki's. He apologizes for Murasaki's behavior before talking about Karai's progress. Sasuke's extremely high expectations of her and Inou disturb Masao, especially after Sasuke exhibits more lenience towards his own students with no guilt about the inequality. Before Masao can express further disagreement, a proctor bursts in with news that Sasuke's students have already cleared the Forest, setting a new record. Go'on, it is revealed, managed to apparently tame a bear and save a trio of Sand genin to get their second scroll, and guided his team through the many dangers of the Forest without mishap. Inou and Karai make it to the tower much later that day.
Chapter 17 - Third Times - (AO3 Link)
Because of the number of students that made it through the Forest, a preliminary tournament is held. Go'on, Shikake, Inou, and Karai all make it to the next round. Sasuke's students go home and are congratulated by their families, but Sasuke's children are not much praised. Ino tries to soften Sasuke's reaction with a celebration and a day off for the kids, which Sasuke tries to prevent but ultimately fails in. Inou is sullen the next day at lunch, and again avoids Nadeshiko when she volunteers to get groceries for their mother. Takeru and Sasuke both refuse to take part in the celebratory dinner Ino puts together that night.
Chapter 18 - Interlude: Six Tales - (AO3 Link)
A short story told in six parts about Kurunari, a boy from a Mist orphanage that is used as the six-tailed slug's vessel. Abandoned as a child by a white-haired man, Kurunari begins to suspect that he is Jiraiya's grandson after Naruto lends him a copy of The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja. Originally given to him because he has a gift for writing, Kurunari sees a photo of Jiraiya on the cover sleeve and notices a strong, but not exact, resemblance. His suspicions are further strengthened when he hears of Jiraiya's sexual promiscuity from Naruto. Other parts of the story have to do with the other jinchuuriki and Kurunari's relationships with them (and fear of women), Kurunari's mistreatment at the hands of Mist's government, and Kurunari's own stories, which stray into supernatural horror.