"Hey, Hinata, Kujyo... you're finally back!" As boisterous as ever, Kiba Inuzuka came over and sniffed hard. "Weird. Why do you smell like... snow and trees?"
Hinata blushed slightly and instinctively glanced at Toru Kujyo.
Shino Aburame, who had remained silent all this time, pushed up his sunglasses and spoke in his distinctive, emotionless tone.
"Something's wrong."
His voice was quiet, but it silenced everyone present.
"Why?" Shino slowly turned toward Toru Kujyo and Hinata. "I can't sense even the slightest trace of a ninja from either of you."
His words were perfectly calm, yet they pierced the illusion of harmony like a needle.
"During this time, Team 7 has been tracking the Akatsuki, carrying out difficult missions all over the world. Team 10 has been handling the village's internal defenses, barely taking a single day off. Even Team Guy has just returned from an A-Rank escort mission."
There was no jealousy or complaint in Shino's tone, only a straightforward statement of facts and genuine confusion.
"But our Team 8's mission record has been virtually stagnant since the Chunin Ninja Exams. Kiba has been patrolling with the Konoha Military Police Force, I've been assisting with classes at the Ninja Academy, and you, Hinata... you and Toru Kujyo have become... tourists, completely detached from the ninja system."
"You show none of the wear and tear left by missions, none of the killing intent that comes from battle. Even your most basic vigilance has grown lax."
Behind his sunglasses, Shino's gaze seemed to see through everything.
"To put it bluntly, neither of you looks anything like a ninja right now."
Shino Aburame's words were like a cold scalpel, precisely slicing through Team 8's seemingly harmonious facade to expose the stagnation beneath.
The smile froze on Kiba Inuzuka's face. He looked at Shino,