Hinata's Scheming and the Cloud Village Brutes' Thirty-Seven-Minute Tower Rush (Double chapter)

"Kiba, Shino, this way."

Hinata's voice was gentle, but carried unquestionable certainty. She stepped lightly across the leaf-covered ground, a slight motion of her fingers allowing her to avoid a tripwire hidden in the grass.

Inuzuka Kiba followed close behind, with Akamaru perched on his shoulder, sniffing the air warily. "Woof!"

Aburame Shino brought up the rear.

Beneath his cuffs, swarms of insects quietly crawled over the footprints they left behind, smoothing the soil until it looked untouched.

Along the way, they had already avoided seven visible sentry posts and nine hidden traps. With Hinata's perception, they had even pinpointed three treasure chests concealed deep within the vines.

Seriously, with her Tenseigan, Hinata's vision and perception were like having the entire map revealed. They never even came face-to-face with anyone else.

When the wooden boxes were carefully pried open,

The kunai, soldier pills, and faintly glowing Score Tags inside lay neatly arranged, with no sign of any traps being triggered.

"Man, with Boss Hinata here, it's like we're cheating!" Kiba clicked his tongue in admiration and reached over to rub Akamaru's head.

"Look at all these supplies. They should be enough to last us to the end, right? We've collected plenty of Score Tags, too. We don't have to fight those guys to the death. Securing a spot shouldn't be hard."

"Don't let your guard down." Shino adjusted his sunglasses, his voice calm and level. "Things going smoothly now doesn't mean it's over. There are too many variables in the Chunin Ninja Exams."

Hinata said nothing. She focused on sensing the flow of chakra around them, only leading the two beneath a giant tree after confirming that no one was moving within a kilometer.

Its trunk was so thick that it would take four or five people to encircle it,