"How can you be so sure?" Neji asked, puzzled. If it had been him, he would definitely have used a diversion to be safe.
"Because there's no need! Konoha is an empty shell right now. Someone as arrogant as Sasuke thinks no one can stop him!"
"You all saw him at the Chunin Ninja Exams. Do I really need to tell you how terrifyingly strong he is?"
Shikamaru gazed into the dense forest ahead, his eyes deep. "Even against an ordinary Jonin, Sasuke is confident he can kill them, so he wouldn't stoop to little tricks like that."
"Besides, Orochimaru must have sent people to meet him. With numbers on his side, he has even less to worry about."
"So they must have chosen the shortest route, aiming to get out of the Land of Fire as fast as possible!"
"And at the end of this straight line is the border!"
Shikamaru glanced back at everyone. "Plus, Shino's bugs are pointing this way too. With both checks in place, we can't be wrong!"
After hearing that tightly reasoned analysis, Neji froze for a moment. He had to admit that this guy really did have a good head on his shoulders.
"Push a little harder, everyone! I know a few trails up ahead that only hunters know about. We can take a shortcut!"
As he spoke, Shikamaru abruptly changed direction at an inconspicuous fork and plunged into the bushes on the right!
Sasuke might have been fast, but he certainly didn't know the terrain as well as Shikamaru did. A straight line on a map often meant difficult going in a forest.
Sasuke had most likely taken the level main road, while Shikamaru chose a rougher but shorter trail.
Besides, Sasuke was cautious by nature. He would definitely conserve his strength