"Check the map again, Shikamaru," Ino said while stopping on a branch with rough bark. "If we keep going this way, we are going to run straight into the swamp in the north quadrant. I do not want to end up covered in mud to my knees before the first night is over."
Shikamaru let out a long sigh, the kind that suggested the mere act of existing was an exhausting task. He unfolded the cartographic scroll on his knee and held it with one hand while scratching the back of his neck with the other.
"The shortest path to the tower is a straight line, Ino. It is pure logic. If we detour to avoid the mud, we lose time and energy. And considering that Choji has already finished half of his emergency rations, we are in no position to take scenic tours through the forest."
"Hey! I have a fast metabolism!" Choji protested, although he spoke with his mouth half full of a cereal bar. "Besides, stress consumes a lot of calories. This place exhausts me just by looking at it."
Ino rolled her eyes and approached Shikamaru, pointing to a specific spot on the map. There was a small mark, an almost imperceptible symbol that she, Hinata, and Tenten had previously agreed to use to coordinate.
"It is not about gaining time, genius," Ino replied, lowering her voice a bit. "If we move through the eastern rocks, we reduce the possibility of a team ambushing us from behind. The swamp is open terrain for anyone who knows how to use water jutsus. The instructors do not want the genin to die before reaching the tower, but they are not going to make the path easy for us either. Avoiding unnecessary confrontation is the smartest thing we can do right now."
Shikamaru looked at her with squinted eyes, evaluating his partner's attitude. Something had changed in her, a new determination that did not quite fit the image he had of his friend.
It is strange that you care so much about blind spots, Ino. Shikamaru thought. Normally you just want to finish fast to look for Sasuke or to check your equipment. Since when do you care so much about topography?
"It is called strategy," she responded with a quick smile. "Besides, the high ground of the rocks will give us a better view of whoever is coming behind us. I do not want unpleasant surprises. Let's go. Choji, put that wrapper away now. The trail of crumbs will attract insects or, worse, some team that has trackers capable of following physical footprints."
"Alright, alright," Choji said, swallowing the last of his bar. "But I hope we find clean water soon. The salt in these bars is making my throat dry."
Ino did not wait any longer and led the jump to the next branch. She could feel the pulse of the Leader Link on her neck. It was a constant signal, a physical vibration under her skin that told her exactly where Naruto was. He was a few kilometers to the west. It was a chakra compass installed directly into her nervous system.
"Ino? You are going too fast," Shikamaru called from behind. "What is wrong with you today? It seems like you are in a hurry to reach a specific point."
"I just want to win, Shikamaru. That is why we are here."
Ten minutes into the walk, Ino suddenly raised her hand and crouched on a thick branch. "Stop. There is movement. Ahead, at eleven o'clock."
Shikamaru and Choji immediately got into position. The forest fell into a tense silence, only broken by the rustle of distant leaves. Suddenly, three ninjas from the Hidden Rain Village came out from behind some thorny bushes. They wore their protectors fogged by humidity and metal breathing masks. They did not waste time with introductions. They launched a rain of senbon directly toward the center of Team 10.
"Choji, rotation!" Ino shouted.
Choji did not need to be told twice. He tucked himself in, pulling his head and limbs into his torso, and began to spin with violent force. The metal needles bounced off his hardened body mass with a constant metallic clinking sound. Shikamaru was already on the ground, looking for a position for his shadow to extend across the uneven floor, but the Rain ninjas were experienced. They kept jumping between the high branches, avoiding the shadow zones projected by the large trees.
"Ino, they are too far. If they do not come down to the ground, my shadow will not arrive in time to catch all three," Shikamaru muttered, frustrated by the lack of direct light in that area of the forest.
"I will handle it. Stay covering Choji," Ino said.
She knew that using the Shintenshin was dangerous here. Losing control of her body in the middle of a forest full of predators and enemies was a fatal mistake if she missed the shot. Instead, she took advantage of the speed provided by her Falna. She ran up the trunk of a tree vertically, defying gravity with an ease that surprised her companions, and jumped toward the nearest ninja.
The enemy tried to form signs for a water jutsu, but Ino was much faster than he expected. In the air, she spun on her own axis and delivered a sharp kick to the pit of his stomach. The impact sent him directly against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and dry leaves. Before the second ninja could react, Ino pulled a steel wire from her tool bag. She threw it with precision, tangling it around the man's neck, and used the weight of the first ninja who was still falling to pull him down.
"Give me the scroll!" Ino ordered, landing with a knee on the chest of the leader of the enemy team while he tried to catch his breath.
The ninja, with his windpipe under pressure and seeing his companions dazed or trapped, understood that he had no chance of winning. He put his trembling hand into his bag and took out an Earth scroll. Ino took it with a quick movement and tucked it into her vest.
"Shikamaru, let's go! Let's not waste time with these guys," she shouted, jumping back to the safety of the high branches. "They have had enough for today."
"Wow, Ino... that was very direct. You did not even use your clan jutsu," Choji commented, impressed by the physical strength his friend had just shown in combat.
"It was not necessary," she responded, checking that the scroll was well secured. "We have a schedule to keep and I do not want them to find us here when night falls. Let's keep going toward the rocks."
Shikamaru followed her, but he did not stop watching her. You are becoming very efficient, Ino. It is a bit scary to see how you move now.
"I am just tired of being the one who always stays behind, Shikamaru."
Ino knew that Naruto would pass through that quadrant sooner or later. It was the logical intersection point for someone coming from Gate 44 and looking for the most direct route to the tower. She just had to keep moving and keep the connection active.
In another part of the forest, where the trees were taller and the light filtered in golden beams, Tenten was standing on a pile of fallen logs. Neji was at her side, with the veins around his eyes swollen and his Byakugan active.
"There is a team from the Hidden Grass moving toward our position," Neji reported in his usual tone. "They are four hundred meters away. They move in a delta formation and carry the Heaven scroll. I can see it inside the backpack of the one in the rear."
"That is the one we are missing to complete the pair," Tenten said, adjusting her gloves. "Neji, do not exhaust yourself using the Kaiten if it is not necessary. The exam has just started and we do not know what enemies will be further ahead. Leave the initial attack to me. I want to test one of the techniques I have been practicing."
"Weapons?" Lee asked, adjusting the weights on his ankles while jumping in place to keep his heart rate high. "Youth demands hand to hand combat! We should face them head on to show our determination!"
"Lee, if I can end the fight in ten seconds without any of us receiving a scratch, I will do it," Tenten said calmly. "I suggest that after this we move toward the central hill. It is the route most clear of ground traps, according to the map data."
"It is an exposed route, Tenten," Neji observed, without deactivating his vision. "Any team in a one kilometer radius will be able to see us easily."
"That is the idea," Tenten explained with a smile of confidence. "Nobody expects a team to move along the obvious path in broad daylight. They will think it is a trap or that we are a distraction team. Besides, from the hill we have a range advantage for my attacks."
Neji nodded slowly, processing his partner's logic. "You are right. It is a solid landmark and gives us control of the surrounding terrain. We will use your way."
Tenten smiled. It was the second control point they had agreed upon. If Naruto or the others were close, they would know exactly where to find them.
The Grass ninjas appeared shortly after. They were bulky men, dressed in worn green cloaks that helped their camouflage. One of them, seeing the team, began to form signs for a earth jutsu, probably trying to alter the ground under their feet.
Tenten extended her right hand to one side and her left to the other. The air seemed to vibrate, a slight distortion that Neji noticed immediately. Her Falna allowed her to access her weapon storage space almost instantaneously. She no longer needed the ceremony of opening paper scrolls and applying chakra to summon each tool.
"Crossfire," Tenten said in a low voice.
Out of nowhere, eight iron spears appeared in the air, suspended for an instant before shooting out with the force of mechanical projectiles. The ninjas from the Grass barely had time to react. Two of the spears slammed into the ground right in front of them, blocking their advance, while another four passed grazing their bodies with precision, breaking their leather protectors and leaving superficial cuts.
"What the hell was that?! She did not use signs!" one of the enemies shouted, backing away from the impact.
Tenten did not stop. In a blink, a dozen short sabers appeared floating around her. With a fluid movement of her hands, she directed the blades in a wide arc. They cut the straps of the enemies' equipment bags and forced them to move back to avoid injuries. The Heaven scroll fell to the ground, rolling toward some nearby bushes.
"Lee, pick it up," Tenten ordered.
Lee moved at an incredible speed. In less than a second, he took the scroll, made a victory pose, and returned to Tenten's side. The Grass ninjas, seeing that they were surrounded by weapons that appeared out of nowhere and that they faced a speed they could not match, decided to retreat. They turned around and fled into the undergrowth without looking back.
"Tenten, that technique... it is very different from what you usually use," Neji said, deactivating his Byakugan and looking at his partner with curiosity. "There was no summoning smoke. It is as if the weapons were waiting for your call in a different plane."
"I have been optimizing my sealing system, Neji. Less paraphernalia and more response speed," Tenten responded shortly, not wanting to go into details about the Falna in front of possible hidden ears. "It is faster and less tiring. Now, let's go to that tower. I want to arrive before the light drops further. Night visibility in this forest is very poor."
"I agree! Darkness hinders visual training!" Lee exclaimed, already starting to run toward the hill.
Meanwhile, in a damper area of the forest, Hinata walked softly, avoiding stepping on dry branches that could give away her position. Kiba and Akamaru went in front; the dog analyzed the air every few meters while Kiba kept a hand on the handle of his kunai. Shino walked behind them, with his hands hidden in his pockets, while his insects patrolled the perimeter.
"Do you see that, Akamaru?" Kiba asked, stopping in his tracks upon seeing burn marks on the trunks.
The small white dog let out a low growl and nodded, pointing with his snout toward some remains of ash.
"There are combustion remains. Someone has used fire jutsus nearby," Kiba said, analyzing the terrain.
"It is a fight," Hinata confirmed. Her veins marked around her eyes while her Byakugan swept the area in a full radius. "Two kilometers from here, toward the northwest quadrant. It is Naruto's team. They just finished a confrontation. I see chakra residues in the air and a couple of enemies retreating from the place."
"How are you so sure it is Naruto?" Shino asked, adjusting his dark glasses. "At this distance, chakra signatures are usually difficult to distinguish between the interference of the fruit trees and the vegetation around here."
"I recognize his flow perfectly," Hinata said with absolute certainty. "Kiba, we should head toward the stream that passes through sector 15. It is running water, which means the physical trail of large predators is easier to avoid and we will be able to clean any trail we have left ourselves."
"That sounds boring, Hinata. I want a fight," Kiba answered, hitting his palm with his fist. "If Naruto is already fighting, we cannot stay behind. Akamaru is anxious to get into action."
"We are not here to fight for fun, Kiba," Hinata said with a firmness that made Kiba stop and look at her surprised. "We are here to get the scroll we are missing and reach the tower as soon as possible. Sector 15 is the safest path and the one with the best visibility. If we run into someone, it will be in open terrain where your speed and my eyes have the advantage. I am not going to risk the team in an ambush in the thick undergrowth."
Kiba blinked a couple of times, taking in his partner's tone of authority. "Well... if you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. But if we see someone on the way, do not ask me to walk past. Let's go, Akamaru!"
Team 8 moved quickly toward the stream. However, before reaching the bank, the water began to move unnaturally. Three ninjas with blue uniforms jumped from the riverbed, brandishing kunais that glowed with a violet tint from poison.
"Hinata, watch out!" Kiba shouted, preparing to attack.
Hinata waited for the three enemies to be exactly in her range of action.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm."
Hinata launched a blast of compressed air with a sharp movement of her palms. The force of the impact was so great that the three ninjas flew backward. They hit the trees on the opposite bank with a dry thud and were knocked unconscious instantly.
"Wow," Shino said, approaching one of the bodies to verify its state. "That long range technique is new in your repertoire."
"I have been practicing a lot," Hinata said, breathing calmly while picking up an Earth scroll that one of the ninjas had dropped. "We already have both scrolls. There is no reason to stay here. Let's move before the trail of the fight attracts something larger."
Kiba looked at Akamaru and then at Hinata. "Okay, you are officially a bit scary when you put yourself in charge. But I like it. Let's go to that tower."
The sun began to go down, dyeing the forest a deep orange that projected long shadows. At the rock control point, Team 10 took a break.
"How much longer, Shikamaru?" Choji asked, sitting on a flat stone.
"At this rate, we will reach the tower tomorrow at dawn," Shikamaru replied, looking at the sky. "If we do not run into more Rain teams."
"We will not run into them," Ino said, looking toward the west. "If we maintain our position here for another hour, we will be covering the flank of the others without them having to stop."
"Since when do we work as tactical support for other teams?" Shikamaru asked with a lazy smile.
"Since we are a united group, Shikamaru. All of us," Ino replied firmly.
In the distance, the sound of birds indicated that activity in the Forest of Death was only increasing. The three teams were fulfilling their objectives, moving like coordinated pieces on a board.
"Fine," Shikamaru said, standing up and stretching his arms. "If we are going to do this, we will do it the best way. Ino, you set the pace. Choji, stop eating and get ready. The final stretch is always the most complicated of all."
"Got it!" Choji exclaimed, putting away his empty bag.
Ino nodded and looked one last time toward the direction where she felt Naruto. She knew he was fine. She could feel his determination through the link, and that gave her the energy needed to keep going. The Chunin Exam was the opportunity to show what they could really do working together.
"Let's go," Ino ordered. "The tower is waiting for us."
*******
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