By evening, Kiba finally brought back the first solid piece of news.
When he slid down from the hollow by the dead woods, his face was covered in dust, and a layer of fine dirt coated Akamaru's nose.
"Caught their scent." Kiba dropped onto the ground and gulped some water first. "Not scattered individuals. A whole team stopped there. In the hollow north of the broken valley. They didn't stay long, but someone ate there, and someone treated their weapons with medicinal oil."
Chisen immediately looked up.
"How many?"
"At least six," Kiba said. "Could be more, but the wind tore some of the scents apart. Two or three from the Land of Lightning, two from Sunagakure, one from the Land of Earth. Couldn't sort out the rest."
Shikamaru's brow twitched.
"A team of at least six Jonin-that's enough for a serious fight."
Tenzo also returned from the other direction, tiny grass seeds clinging to his hem.
"There's a temporary stopping point by the rock fissures. Someone smoothed out the inside with Earth Release. The ground's very clean. Even the loose stones were pushed to the edges. That's not something ordinary scouts would do."
Chisen asked, "How long ago?"
"Recently," Tenzo said. "A whole day in the sun hasn't weathered the traces away."
"They're still nearby," Shikamaru said quietly.
After those words, none of them spoke again.
Wind passed between them, lifting a corner of the map spread across the rock. The sky had already begun to yellow. Before long, darkness would fall over the mountains faster than over the woods. If the Allied Forces' Jonin team really intended to keep advancing tonight, this would be about the time they left their hiding place and regrouped.
Chisen spoke first.
"We can't just keep watching."
Shikamaru slowly raised his eyes. "Where