Forest of Death Blind-Spot Counter-Encirclement

"They didn't continue along the original route."

Hinata turned her gaze, the veins at the corners of her eyes standing out clearly. Deep in the forest, four chakra signatures had split into two lines, circling toward the flank behind the dry riverbed.

"Neji is in front. Kiba and Rock Lee have fallen behind a little. Tenten is nowhere to be seen."

Naruto gripped the scrap of green cloth tucked into his collar, already stepping onto the riverbank.

"Since they've split up, let's rush over and take Neji down first!"

Chiba caught his shoulder and pulled him back behind the rock.

"If you rush out, the first thing you'll run into will be Tenten's ninja tools."

"Hinata can't even see her. How would we run into her?"

"The fact that she can't see her means she's already hidden herself."

Shikamaru dragged a branch across the riverbed. Using the directions Hinata had given, he connected Neji's group's route again.

"Kiba can track by scent, and Neji can see chakra. If they're still taking a detour, they can only be trying to force us away from the flag."

Naruto crouched beside the map.

"Then we'll stay here. If they come over, they'll still get beaten up."

"Tenten hasn't shown herself."

Chiba ground out half of Naruto's footprint left by the riverbank.

"She'll seal off the exits with steel wire first, then have Kiba and Rock Lee drive us out from the front while Neji waits at the side for us to run into him ourselves."

Hinata shifted her gaze toward the upper end of the riverbed. Sure enough, several thin wires clung to the tree bark between the rocky slopes, their direction hidden by branches and leaves.

"Tenten is up high. She hasn't come close. She's only setting up ninja tools."

Naruto searched overhead for a long time, but all he saw were overlapping canopies.

"If the Byakugan can see each other, why did Neji go so far around?"

"The Byakugan has a blind spot."

After saying that, Hinata pressed a finger against the white cloth at her waist.

"The branch family and main family have blind spots in the same location. Brother Neji knows I'll first watch the front and above. He's moving along a gap in my field of vision."

Chiba looked toward the spot slightly below the back of her neck.

"Can you correct it?"

"I'd have to keep turning my body so the blind spot changes with me, but Brother Neji can see my movements too."

"Then don't let him see you."

Chiba took out the green flag from his backpack, then pulled its pole from the cliff wall.

Shikamaru raised his eyelids.

"Once the flag is fixed, it can't be moved. Are you planning to send the whole group out?"

"The flag is still in its original spot."

Thin roots inserted into the mud supported the flagpole. A layer of wood grew into its original shape, while moss from beside the river covered more than half of the green cloth.

What Chiba held in his hand was merely spare fabric he had stuffed into his backpack earlier.

"When did you prepare a fake flag?"

Naruto reached out to touch it, but Chiba pushed his hand away with the flagpole.

"Before we entered."

"You already knew someone would chase the flag?"

"Even an idiot knows to chase someone running with the real flag."

Chiba folded the fake flag and stuffed it back into Naruto's collar.

"From now on, you're that idiot."

Naruto pulled out the green cloth. The pride that had just appeared on his face immediately vanished.

"Why are you the one giving orders? I can think of tactics too!"

"If you want to win, listen to me. If you want to lose, do whatever you want."

Chiba released the flagpole and turned toward the flank Hinata had indicated.

Naruto opened his mouth. His words circled in his throat before he finally tucked the cloth back in tightly.

"Of course I want to win, but at least tell me where to run."

Shikamaru rose from where he leaned against the rock and tossed the branch into the riverbed.

"He's right. Trouble is trouble, but following someone smart does save effort."

Naruto turned to glare at him.

"You just said guarding the flag made it easiest to get surrounded."

"That's why I'm staying here, waiting for them to think no one is guarding the flag."

Shikamaru stretched out his shadow, testing the darkness cast by the cliff wall.

"You'll make them believe everyone left with the fake flag."

Hinata looked at Chiba.

"Am I going with Naruto?"

"You're coming with me."

Chiba pointed toward the low slope outside the riverbed.

"Neji is watching your chakra. As long as you stay here, he'll know we didn't take the bait."

"After we leave, who will tell Shikamaru where the enemies are?"

"Akamaru will tell him."

Two short barks came from the other side of the riverbank. Kiba had already approached the footprints Naruto had left behind.

After listening, Shikamaru tilted his head toward the upper reaches.

"Kiba had Akamaru confirm the scent. They're preparing to enter the riverbed from both sides."

Chiba grabbed mud from the ground and smeared it over Naruto's soles, then wrapped several thin vines belonging to himself around Naruto's calves.

"Run north. Show the green cloth every so often, and don't shake off Akamaru."

Naruto looked down at the thin vines.

"Will this thing burrow into my skin?"

"If you don't mess with it, it'll only leave my scent behind."

"What do I do after I lead them far away?"

"Shadow Clone Technique."

More than half the dissatisfaction vanished from Naruto's face.

"The academy hasn't taught the Shadow Clone Technique yet. I only know the Clone Technique."

"When you secretly watched the upperclassmen practicing last time, did you memorize the hand seal sequence?"

"Was that really spying? I was studying beside them."

Naruto crossed his hands, and two crooked-featured clones appeared beside him. One of them could not even keep its legs steady.

Shikamaru watched for a moment, then raised a hand to rub the back of his neck.

"Can something like that fool the Byakugan?"

"It can't fool Neji, but it can fool Kiba."

Chiba snapped off one of the thin vines wrapped around Naruto's leg and attached it to the hem of a clone's clothes.

"No matter how bad their chakra shapes are, they still have my scent."

Naruto formed the hand seals again. Several clones crowded into the riverbed, knocking two of each other over as they landed.

"Is that enough?"

"More."

"You just said my clones were bad."

"If they're bad, make up for it with numbers."

Naruto gritted his teeth and produced another group of crooked figures, then rushed upstream with them.

"Just wait and see! I'll make Kiba unable to smell which one is me!"

The barking quickly shifted direction, and the sound of breaking branches chased after Naruto as he left the riverbed.

Hinata kept her Byakugan active, watching Kiba and Rock Lee change course.

"Kiba chased after him. Rock Lee is still standing there. He's waiting for Brother Neji's order."

Chiba stepped into the bushes at the edge of the riverbed.

"Keep watching Neji."

"His chakra is moving to the right."

Hinata followed two steps behind, keeping her body against a tree trunk as she turned halfway around it.

"He entered my blind spot."

"Deactivate the Byakugan."

Hinata did not obey at once.

"If I turn it off, I won't even know where he is."

"He's waiting for you to correct your vision."

Chiba snapped a low-hanging branch and used its leaves to cover the veins emerging at the corners of her eyes.

"As long as Neji sees your gaze following him, he'll change routes again. He's draining your chakra."

Hinata closed her eyes, and the Byakugan deactivated.

"How do we find him now?"

"Make him come find you."

Chiba led her around beneath the low slope. Fine roots spread through the soil around their feet, sensing only weight without surfacing.

Metal clanged behind them. The steel wires Tenten had set up had already dropped into the riverbed, enclosing the rock where Shikamaru stood at the center.

Shikamaru did not shout. He merely kicked a pebble into the ditch.

The pebble struck two rock walls in succession before finally landing near the fine roots Chiba had just left behind.

"The steel wires have closed."

Chiba stopped behind the low slope.

Hinata opened her eyes again but did not activate the Byakugan.

"Will Shikamaru get surrounded?"

"Tenten hasn't attacked, which means she can't see him."

"What about Brother Neji?"

"He'll be here soon."

The roots in the soil sent back faint pressure. The approaching person had not stepped on a single dead branch, every step landing between tree roots.

Chiba raised a hand, signaling Hinata to press herself against the slope wall.

"When he passes, activate the Byakugan."

"He'll notice me too."

"Take one look, then run north."

Hinata gripped her sleeve, her toes already turned toward the direction Naruto had gone.

"You're not coming with me?"

"He wants to catch you through the blind spot. I'll leave the blind spot for him."

Leaves rustled softly to the side. A corner of white clothing swept past the top of the slope. Neji did not stop, cutting straight toward the rear of the riverbed.

Hinata activated the Byakugan and looked for only a brief moment before sprinting north according to Chiba's instructions.

"Brother Neji saw me! He turned around!"

"Keep running."

Chiba remained where he was, pulling the fine roots into his sleeve and severing even the chakra attached to the mud.

Neji crossed the top of the slope. He first saw Hinata's retreating back, then noticed several footprints belonging to Chiba behind her.

"Using Hinata to lure me away from the position? You think I'll chase?"

Neji did not step onto that route. He turned in the opposite direction and extended his palm toward the tree behind which Chiba hid.

Gentle Fist chakra pierced through the bark, but behind it was only a block of wood smeared with shoeprints.

As Neji withdrew his palm, Chiba was already standing in the blind spot behind him.