After they'd finished feeling each other up, Shinmoku signed the consent form and exchanged it for a Heaven Scroll.
Then, led by the examiner, they arrived at Entrance 18.
As the exam was about to begin, the examiner unlocked the door. The moment time was called, everyone charged inside at once.
Shinmoku pressed two fingers together and expanded his sensory range to its maximum.
After running for a while, he still sensed nothing. He raised a hand, and the three of them stopped on a tree trunk in a triangular formation.
"What is it?" Shinna asked.
"The Forest of Death has a radius of ten kilometers. If they're all traveling in straight lines, Teams 17 and 19 should have reached my sensory range by now... Is anyone on those teams?"
"No one on Team 19. Team 17 is three Konoha ninja I don't know."
"What about Team 16?"
"Hinata and the others."
Since they'd provided answers, Shinna remembered them quite clearly.
"Then those two teams are likely to run into each other..."
"Ah—"
Before he could finish, a scream came from the direction of Team 17, startling a flock of birds.
"Well, they've already been taken out."
Hinata's team had Inuzuka Kiba, Shino Aburame, and a sensory ninja. They were too far away to catch up unless Shinmoku activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Team 17 seemed to have deliberately avoided them. If nothing unexpected happened, the weaker teams would avoid them too.
Looks like they could only head toward the Central Tower.
There was no rush, though. If they went now, they'd probably run into speedrunners. Gaara and the others would be a real pain.
They'd take their time. Saving chakra was important when fighting outdoors. Besides, he wanted to see if any confident opponents would come looking for them.
"Sniff, sniff—woof!"
"Are there enemies in that direction, Akamaru?"
"Woof!"
"Great! Let's go!"
"I don't think that's a wise choice," Shino Aburame said calmly. "We've already collected the scrolls, so there's no need to take unnecessary risks."
"The rules don't say we can't steal extra scrolls. If we take out another enemy now, there'll be less pressure in the next rounds," Inuzuka Kiba shouted confidently. "Hurry up!"
"Kiba..." Hinata's voice was soft and sweet, but he didn't hear her at all.
"That's why I hate kids," Shino muttered, but he still released his Kikaichū and followed.
"Hinata, can you see in that direction?" Inuzuka Kiba pointed ahead.
Hinata formed Hand Seals. "Byakugan!"
Her vision pierced through the layers of obstruction and picked out the three figures in the distance.
"It's Uchiha Shinmoku and the others."
"My bugs sense danger."
"What should we do?" Hinata asked.
Perhaps she'd blinked. The moment she finished speaking, only two people remained in her field of vision, and cold sweat ran down her forehead.
"Where is he?" She poured all her chakra into her eyes and finally spotted Shinmoku.
He was racing toward them, moving so fast he seemed to be flying just above the ground.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
Super Vibration Lightning Blade!
"Kiba!" Hinata shouted. "Watch out!"
A brilliant blue blade flashed upward, straight for his face.
"Secret Technique: Insect Wall!"
A mass of Kikaichū swarmed out of Shino Aburame's sleeve. The next moment, they were cleaved in two—but they saved Kiba.
Before anyone could say a word, a shadow appeared above them. It was Shinmoku's other teammate.
His cloak snapped in the wind, and he had already finished forming Hand Seals.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique.
A ten-meter-wide fireball lit up the shadows in the forest, and a scorching wave of heat washed over them.
"Secret Technique: Insect Wall!"
The Insect Wall changed shape, resembling Insect Kaiten.
"Get out of here! I can't hold it much longer!" Shino Aburame shouted.
"Go!"
The Insect Wall opened a gap. Shouting, Inuzuka Kiba pulled out a Kunai and leaped from the branch, charging at Shinmoku.
Shinmoku knocked the Kunai aside with his blade, struck Kiba's arm with the back of the blade to throw him off balance, then kicked him away.
"Gentle Fist!"
"Beast Mimicry Ninja Art!"
Hinata charged in with her guard raised. Kiba dropped to all fours, and Akamaru crouched on his back. Chakra began to rise from them, their forms showing signs of changing.
"..."
Shinmoku slid his blade back into its sheath, then seized Hinata's forearm and bent it diagonally downward. At the same time, he hooked Akamaru up with his foot.
Hinata's arm was pinned behind her back, while Shinmoku's right arm passed over her shoulder blade. His right hand gripped Akamaru by the throat, leaving the dog's fate in his hands.
Then, with his left hand, he flicked a scroll out of her leg pouch.
Summoning Technique!
Ropes shot out. With a flourish, Shinmoku bound Shino Aburame, who was being held down by a clone, Kiba, who was lying on the ground, and Hinata and Akamaru, whom he held in his grasp. Then he hoisted them up into a tree.
The whole thing took about ten seconds.
The three ninja and the dog hung their heads, filled with regret.
"You've already fought once, haven't you? Was the scroll the wrong one, or...?"
"We have both."
At a time like this, Hinata became the spokesperson.
"Oh~"
Shinmoku sat down against a large tree. Now it was his turn to be troubled. They were from the same village, after all, and there was an Anbu watching from afar.
"Do you have an extra Earth Scroll?"
"Just one," Hinata said softly.
"...In that case, how about we make a deal?"
"What?"
"Lots of people are avoiding us, and we aren't good at sensing things from a distance, so... Help me find people. Once I get an Earth Scroll, we can head to the Central Tower together."
"You're not taking our scroll?" Inuzuka Kiba asked.
"Can't help it. I copied Hinata's answers during the first exam, so I owe her one."
"Hm? Did you?"
"Yes," Shinna answered.
"What do you think of my offer?" Shinmoku interrupted them. "Will you accept? Let the one in charge tell me."
"Accepted!" Inuzuka Kiba shouted.
"...I was mainly asking Shino Aburame."
"Me?"
"One's an idiot, and the other can't make up his mind. You're the only one I can ask."
"Good judgment," Shino Aburame said. "We accept."
"OK!"
Shinmoku flung a Shuriken, cutting through the ropes.
"Thank you," Hinata said.
"No need to thank me. We have a deal. If I can't get an Earth Scroll before time runs out, I'll have to use yours. I hope you understand."
"Got it!" Kiba still felt a little resentful about what Shinmoku had just said, but the situation left him no choice. "Akamaru, find some enemies."
"Woof!"
Shino released his Kikaichū, and Hinata activated her Byakugan.
"Woof, woof!"
"This way."
Inuzuka Kiba took the lead.
"Woof!"
"What is it?"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"Danger," Kiba told the others.
"It's that group from Sunagakure with the gourd on their back," Hinata added quickly.
"..."
Could you at least find me someone easy to beat?
Shinmoku shouted inwardly.
"We can't take them. Retreat!"