So, Was Choji a Pig?

The thick canopy overhead broke the light in the forest into fragments. Only a few shafts of sunlight slanted across moss-covered tree trunks.

Shikamaru strolled along, hands in his pockets, taking his time as he stepped through the thick blanket of fallen leaves.

Dry leaves crunched softly beneath his feet.

Shikamaru yawned, his eyelids drooping.

There were plenty of troublesome people in this exercise.

Hinata's Byakugan was practically cheating in terrain like this. She could see the flow of other people's chakra as clearly as day through tree trunks hundreds of meters away.

Shino was no less troublesome. Bugs were everywhere in this forest, and any one of them lurking beneath a leaf could be one of his spies.

But Shikamaru knew full well that none of them was the biggest threat.

The biggest headache was Sasuke, who had suddenly turned into a monster.

"Shikamaru, hurry up." Ino turned around up ahead and urged him on, hands on her hips.

Choji walked beside Ino, leisurely munching on a bag of potato chips.

Shikamaru sighed and kicked a dead branch out of his way.

The three of them passed through a patch of bushes and reached a relatively open clearing.

Shikamaru stopped.

He pulled his hands from his pockets and scanned the ground ahead.

The fallen leaves had been swept aside over a wide area, exposing the dark brown soil beneath.

Shikamaru walked over and crouched down.

He ran a finger along a long drag mark in the ground. The soil was still damp, and the leaves along its edge had been pressed firmly into it.

"There was a fight here just now." Shikamaru stood and walked over to a nearby oak.

About half a meter above the ground, a deep claw mark gouged the trunk. A whole slab of bark had been ripped away, exposing the pale wood underneath.

Shikamaru followed the direction of the gouge with his eyes. Two clear, paw-shaped prints marked the ground.

They were far apart and had sunk deep into the earth.

"Three people were ambushed here." Shikamaru stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands.

Ino came over and looked at the marks on the ground. "How can you tell there were three?"

"There are three different patterns of shoeprints, and they're all scattered. They were clearly left by people retreating in a panic." Shikamaru pointed to the bushes on the right.

"One trail leads straight into those bushes. That person was knocked flying into them."

He looked up at the gouge in the tree trunk.

"The attack came from above and the side. The claw marks were left by an animal, and their spacing and depth match a canine."

Shikamaru pointed to the pawprints.

"Judging by their size and the angle of the stride, those belong to Sasuke's two Ninja Dogs. From the signs of struggle on the ground, the three were probably knocked down or dragged by the dogs and lost their ability to fight."

Ino walked over and stared at the marks on the ground, swallowing nervously.

"That fast? The exercise started less than twenty minutes ago."

Choji stopped chewing and tightened his grip on the chip bag.

Ino glanced at the silent woods around them and instinctively gripped the kunai in her ninja pouch.

Shikamaru put his hands back in his pockets and tilted his head up to look at the sky through the leaves. He let out a long breath.

"What a pain."

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, his voice full of complaint.

"It's all because of how Sasuke's changed lately. Now everyone in class is acting like they're pumped full of energy."

He looked at Ino and Choji.

"Especially you two. You drag me into some kind of training every day after school. You've ruined all my time for lounging around and watching the clouds."

Ino planted her hands on her hips and glared at Shikamaru.

"Quit complaining! Look at how hard Sasuke-kun trains you every day. Do you really think you can complain about this little bit of training?"

Ino walked over and poked Shikamaru in the shoulder.

"Besides, Sakura's been training like crazy lately. If I don't work harder, she'll steal all the attention!"

Choji shoved a handful of chips into his mouth and mumbled in agreement. "Shikamaru, it's actually good to get moving more. Barbecue tastes even better after a workout."

Shikamaru pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"Choji, why have you turned into this too? Work hard, then rest. Work hard, then rest."

"Fine, fine. Since we've run into him, let's try to take him down."

Shikamaru lowered his hand, and some of the laziness left his eyes.

Shikamaru sighed and nodded his chin toward the ten o'clock direction.

"The footprints and broken branches are all leading that way. They're moving slowly, so they can't be far ahead."

Shikamaru turned to them, his expression growing serious.

"Choji, Ino, listen up."

They immediately dropped their relaxed poses and gathered around Shikamaru.

"Sasuke's biggest advantage right now is those two dogs. They're strong, so we can't fight them head-on."

Shikamaru drew a simple diagram in the dirt.

"Choji, you'll go in front. If those two dogs charge, you'll have to hold them off. Buy us as much time as you can."

Choji nodded, carefully folded the half-finished bag of chips, and tucked it into his ninja pouch.

"Ino, stay behind Choji, off to one side. Watch our surroundings and be ready to help at any moment."

"If Sasuke leaves himself open, you can try the Mind Transfer Jutsu, but don't force it. Your main job is to keep watch."

Ino gripped the kunai in her hand. "Got it."

"As for Sasuke himself..." Shikamaru glanced at the diagram in the dirt, then scuffed it away with his shoe.

"I'll handle him. If Choji can hold those two dogs off for three seconds, my shadow can catch Sasuke."

"Beating Sasuke is probably impossible, but all we have to do is take off the tag to win."

Shikamaru dusted his hands and stood up straight.

"Let's go. Keep your footsteps light."

The three formed an inverted triangle, with Choji in front and Shikamaru and Ino behind him, slowly approaching the bushes in the ten o'clock direction.

The forest was quiet, broken only by the occasional birdcall.

Shikamaru watched the shadows ahead, calculating the angle of the sunlight and the length of the shadows.

Beyond the bushes was a relatively open clearing. Sunlight poured through gaps in the canopy, forming bright patches on the ground.

Shikamaru stopped and raised his right hand, making a fist.

Choji and Ino stopped immediately.

Shikamaru lowered his voice, staring at the shadow stretching from behind a sturdy oak ahead.

"Ino-Shika-Cho, get ready to move."

Choji formed hand seals, and chakra began to gather.

Ino crouched, her right hand gripping a kunai.

Shikamaru formed the Rat seal with both hands. The shadow beneath his feet began to creep forward like a living thing.

A faint rustling came from the bushes ahead.

A hand pushed the branches aside.

Sasuke stepped out of the shadows.

He wore a dark blue, short-sleeved, high-collared shirt, his arms hanging naturally at his sides. A black dog and a white dog quietly followed at his feet.

Sasuke stopped and looked over the three of them.

His gaze lingered on Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino in turn before finally settling on Choji's round belly.

"Ino-Shika-Cho..." Sasuke said, his voice calm and thoughtful.

Looking at the three of them, he asked a question based on their builds and the literal meaning of their names.

"Ino-Shika-Cho..."

"Nara is the deer? Yamanaka is the butterfly?"

His gaze shifted to Choji at the front.

"So, is Akimichi the pig?"

The air in the forest seemed to freeze.

Ino shuddered and turned to Choji in horror.

Shikamaru closed his eyes without changing his hand seal. He released it with his right hand and covered his face.

"Sasuke, you've really stepped on a land mine." Shikamaru sighed through his fingers.

"Choji's not going to be happy. You'd better watch out."

Choji's usually gentle face turned bright red. His cheeks quivered with anger.

He jerked his head up and glared at Sasuke, a fire burning in his eyes.

"You just..." Choji's voice rumbled like a beast on the verge of going berserk.

"Who are you calling a pig?!!!"