A sharp cry from a hawk echoed through the forest canopy, shattering the silence that blanketed the trees.
"What was that?" Kiba Inuzuka sprang off a branch, flipping mid-air before landing steadily on a thicker trunk. He squinted at the bird circling high above the trio's heads, its piercing cry ringing clear. The sun hung like a burning disc behind it, making it hard to identify what kind of bird it was.
"A sparrowhawk?" Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses, which had slipped slightly from the constant leaping, then looked skyward. After a moment's observation, he commented uncertainly, "It's not too common, but it should be one of the local species. It might have mistaken Akamaru for prey, but it's probably wary of the three of us, so it's holding off."
Meanwhile, not far away—
"Someone's coming?" Shikamaru Nara, who was crouched and working on setting traps, straightened and wiped the light sweat off his brow. Tilting his head, he listened carefully, then murmured with some suspicion.
Because it was too troublesome to constantly have Ino use her Mind-Body Switch Technique, and in an emergency, she might not have time to return the hawk she was possessing, Shikamaru had devised a signaling system: depending on how many times the hawk cried and the intervals between them, he could determine specific meanings.
"What should we do, Shikamaru?" Choji Akimichi asked from the side.
"It's only one team," Shikamaru replied calmly, noting that the hawk had gone quiet again. "Ino's keeping watch on them, so there's no need to worry. Since they're headed our way, we may as well ambush them."
With the traps already laid and Choji by his side, Shikamaru wasn't afraid of any genin team—even if Ino couldn't fight. The two boys quickly erased the signs of their recent activity, then Shikamaru slipped into the hollowed-out tree and sealed the camouflaged bark, leaving only a narrow slit for observing the outside.
Choji, however, stayed hidden in a thick bush nearby. In an ambush scenario, both defenders clumping in one place would be unwise. Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique worked best when the enemy was unaware of it, while Choji's clan's Body Expansion Techniques were better suited for direct impact. Separating their positions allowed them to maximize their respective skills.
Choji was covered in a special odor-masking solution given to him by Shikamaru. His job was to strike the enemy the moment they triggered the trap—drawing attention and giving Shikamaru the opening he needed to immobilize them with his shadow.
"They're here!"
Two sharp hawk cries rang out across the sky—exactly as per the code Shikamaru and Ino had agreed upon. Both Shikamaru and Choji tensed. Shikamaru focused his senses—yes, faint rustling could now be heard in the trees.
But then, oddly, the sounds vanished.
"They've stopped?" Shikamaru frowned. That meant the approaching team had halted just outside the trap's range. And immediately, too—whoever they were, they'd identified the danger near-instantly.
That level of awareness was unsettling.
Elsewhere in the forest...
Indeed, the three figures who had just stopped in the trees were none other than Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga—Team 8. Between Kiba's tracking hound Akamaru and Hinata's Byakugan, any trap Shikamaru had set was practically useless.
"These traps are really intricate…" Hinata muttered quietly, veins bulging around her eyes from activating her Byakugan. Her usually gentle face looked slightly grim as she scanned the surrounding area, immediately discerning every wire and pitfall with terrifying clarity.
"This definitely feels like Shikamaru's handiwork," Kiba snorted. "But why are they still hiding out here instead of moving?"
"Did they spot us ahead of time?" Shino wondered aloud. "They managed to lay traps and go into hiding before we arrived—maybe they anticipated we'd come."
"Ino is lying down in the hollow of a tree with Shikamaru. Her chakra signature looks strange… I think she's unconscious," Hinata added softly, puzzled.
"They were attacked?" Kiba asked, clearly surprised.
"Should we ambush them while we have the advantage?" Shino asked calmly.
Kiba glanced at him, then smirked.
"My target is every genin who isn't from the Leaf Village," he said with pride. "I want to fight Shikamaru fair and square—but we may not get another chance like this. This exam favors our abilities. The rules, the terrain—it's all in our favor."
With that, Kiba cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a loud, sharp whistle that echoed through the forest, deliberately revealing their position.
"Shikamaru! Come on out! We've already spotted your traps and hiding place!" he shouted, voice filled with satisfaction. "I've got a pretty good plan in mind. Want to talk about a little cooperation?"
"So it was them… no wonder they saw through everything so fast," Shikamaru sighed, the mystery now solved. He had guessed that Kiba might use the scent left on a discarded shuriken from earlier to track them, but he hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.
He peeled back the bark and stepped out from the tree hollow, calmly walking to a clearing. Sure enough, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata stood together on a tree branch nearby, watching him.
Despite seeming exposed, the clearing around Shikamaru was still laced with traps. Even someone with the Byakugan would need time to clear a safe path—giving Shikamaru ample room to retreat or counterattack.
A shuriken landed at Shikamaru's feet.
"You really need to be more careful, Shikamaru," Kiba grinned smugly. "How could you leave a ninja tool behind with your scent all over it—out in the open, no less? Total rookie move."
"Aren't you here to talk about teaming up?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Why bring that up?"
"Cooperation?" The three from Team 8 were stunned. How did he know their plan?
"What are you talking about?" Kiba frowned.
"This exam plays right into your strengths," Shikamaru said flatly. "Anyone who's up against your tracking trio doesn't stand a chance of escape. And since this is only the second round, it's safe to assume there will be more trials ahead. If you want to eliminate the strongest competitors, now's the time."
Kiba gave a subtle nod. Shikamaru wasn't wrong—they'd reached the same conclusion earlier.
"But the teams that passed the written exam are no pushovers," Shikamaru continued. "They're skilled and mentally tough. This survival match is draining by nature. The longer it goes, the higher the risk of slipping up. That's why you're looking for allies—people you trust."
He picked up the shuriken at his feet, brushed off the dirt, and tucked it back into his pouch.
"I left that shuriken behind on purpose," he added, glancing up at them with narrowed eyes. "I wanted you to find me. I figured your tracking would help me take out some of the competition too."
"Wait… he lured us here on purpose!?" Kiba's face darkened. The thought that he had walked right into Shikamaru's calculated scheme made his earlier pride feel foolish—and the realization stung. This was exactly the kind of thing he hated about Shikamaru: he never had to fight for control—he simply manipulated others into giving it to him.