"How's the situation?"
Kiba Inuzuka gently scratched Akamaru's chin, then turned back to ask Hinata Hyuga.
"There are six of them. The fight has already started," Hinata replied quietly as she deactivated her Byakugan. The bulging veins around her temples slowly faded, revealing her delicate features once more. She let out a soft breath and turned to her teammates.
Kiba looked toward Shino Aburame, who gave a slight shake of the head and spoke in a low voice, "Neither of the two teams carries any of my female kikaichū. They're both holding Heaven Scrolls."
Team 8—Kiba, Shino, and Hinata—was now cooperating with Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka. They had tracked their way here by following the scent trail of the Taki-nin (Hidden Waterfall ninja) that Shikamaru had previously identified.
"Damn it." Kiba swore under his breath and rose to his feet, his expression dark.
While knocking out enemy teams from other villages was certainly part of his goal, it would still be more reassuring to secure a complete scroll pair early. So far, including the already-scouted Taki-nin, the Konoha team they'd intercepted, and now the team from Amegakure (Hidden Rain), they'd all possessed Heaven Scrolls. At this rate, Team 8's luck really wasn't looking good.
"What now, Kiba?" Hinata hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice. "Should we still ambush them?"
"Of course we should!" Kiba scowled as he swept his gaze across both teams. "They're both carrying Heaven Scrolls. If we take them out, we eliminate two teams. Why wouldn't we?!"
"We'll take the Rain-nin," he added, turning toward Shikamaru. "You guys handle the Taki-nin. Sound good?"
"…Then what's the point of working together?" Shikamaru, who'd been silent until now, scoffed. "The whole advantage of our alliance is that we know how to work as a team. They may have six people too, but they're fighting each other. If we split up, we waste that advantage."
"…" Kiba wanted to argue, but he knew Shikamaru was right. He grit his teeth and asked, "Then what's your plan?"
This was the difference between genin and chūnin.
If it were just Team 8, Kiba could formulate a strategy based on their long-standing coordination. But with three additional members—Team 10—it was clear his experience wasn't enough to lead such a combined unit effectively.
"Choji opens with his clan's secret body-enhancement technique," Shikamaru said immediately, stepping into the role of tactician. "Once the fight reaches a stalemate, he'll crash in with his Human Bullet Tank. Ideally, he'll take one or two out. If not, he should at least cause enough chaos to disrupt their coordination and scatter their formation."
As genin, most of them had limited chakra and few advanced jutsu. In close combat, the need to form hand seals made ninjutsu difficult, so taijutsu remained the most reliable and practical option.
Flashy, chakra-intensive jutsu were rare even among jōnin, and this was a battle of attrition. Everyone understood the need to conserve strength. Choji's high-impact opening would tilt the field in their favor.
"Kiba and I will follow with a second wave," Shikamaru continued, turning to him. "While the enemy is thrown off by Choji's sudden assault, we'll each pick a target and go in for a swift takedown."
"Ino will support me," he added, turning to his own teammate. "Once I trap someone with Shadow Possession, you jump in with Mind Body Switch and control them. Stay hidden and wait for your opportunity."
"Shino, you handle the third wave," Shikamaru looked toward the quiet boy in dark glasses. "After the enemy regains their footing, coordinate with Ino to launch a second disruptive strike. Scatter their focus again."
"Hinata, you'll be on standby," he said last. "Keep watch on the perimeter. If anyone tries to escape, intercept immediately. We can't let even one of them get away."
Shikamaru had intentionally placed Hinata in a low-risk role. Given her shy and hesitant personality, this was the best way for her to contribute while avoiding direct confrontation.
"…Understood." Hinata blushed, fidgeting with her fingers and avoiding his gaze as she gave a soft, stammered response.
Shikamaru sighed inwardly. He could now understand why Hiashi Hyuga seemed disappointed in her. Compared to Neji, he had no idea how she measured up in combat—but based on what he'd seen so far, Hinata was far too timid.
Shing!
Hah!
The hiss of blades and sharp grunts echoed across the clearing. A cold gleam of steel arced through the air, flashing silver as it slashed toward an opponent.
Shuriken, kunai, senbon, swords, ninja umbrellas—tools of the trade, extensions of taijutsu, all created for one purpose: to kill.
In a forest clearing surrounded by towering trees, three ninja from Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall) clashed with three from Amegakure (Hidden Rain). The Rain-nin team was led by a cloaked man in a straw hat, clearly older than his genin rank suggested, flanked by two teenage comrades.
But the battle wasn't going well for them.
The Rain-nin leader was heavily injured, blood pouring from his shoulder, his movements sluggish. They had walked into a Taki-nin ambush, and the outcome had been brutal. Though his experience had spared him from death, the team had lost the advantage. The three Rain-nin were now cornered, barely holding on.
They'd tried to surrender. They'd even offered their scroll in exchange for mercy.
But this exam allowed no retreat. With five full days locked inside the Forest of Death, surrender meant nothing. Unless your team had overwhelming power, letting your enemy go was a mistake—you risked a deadly ambush once they recovered.
The Taki-nin didn't intend to take that risk. Now that they had the upper hand, they were pushing for total annihilation.
Close-quarters taijutsu was brutal.
Genin rarely had access to high-level jutsu. And even if they did, forming hand seals in the midst of melee was nearly impossible—your opponent wouldn't wait for you to finish. So hand-to-hand combat remained their most reliable tool.
It might lack the flashy destruction of advanced ninjutsu, but a blade to the flesh was just as deadly.
Now, with all six genin exhausted, the clearing was filled with heavy breathing and sweat. Their movements were sluggish, their energy drained.
"They're almost done for!" shouted the Taki-nin leader, gripping a curved blade. After slicing into a Rain-nin's shoulder, he raised his voice to rally his team.
But he hadn't realized—someone else, hidden in the forest, was whispering the same words.
"They're almost done for," Shikamaru muttered with calm certainty, eyes narrowed in observation. "Everyone, get ready."
Choji nodded, forming a hand seal—but he didn't activate his technique just yet. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Shikamaru's raised hand, waiting for the signal.
Kiba, Shino, Ino, and Hinata all followed suit, watching Shikamaru closely, preparing to launch a swift and devastating surprise attack. Their goal was clear: end this in one clean sweep before it turned into another prolonged skirmish.
Shikamaru's expression was sharp, unnervingly mature for someone his age. Ino glanced sideways at him, a strange ripple flashing through her eyes.
Hinata, noticing her stare, suddenly turned away, her cheeks tinged with red.
"Go!" Shikamaru's eyes flashed as the moment came. With a flick of his wrist, he gave the signal.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Choji was the first to move. He may have been clumsy at times, but when it came to Shikamaru's orders, he never hesitated.
Chakra surged from his fat reserves as his body expanded, inflating like a balloon.
"Human Bullet Tank!"
Tucking his limbs and head into his body like a turtle retreating into its shell, Choji began to spin at high speed. Using the elasticity of his flesh as momentum, he launched himself forward like a cannonball.
A massive, whirling sphere burst from the forest, whistling through the air as it plummeted into the middle of the fight like a meteor.
The roar of wind and crashing branches was deafening. The Taki and Rain ninja barely had time to react. They instinctively looked up—eyes widening in horror—as the massive sphere descended on them like a falling star.