"Shino, hurry up and recall your bugs!"
Kiba Inuzuka frowned as he glanced at the corpse sprawled across the ground. The Taki-nin that Shino had killed died with eyes wide open, his skin peeled and bloodstained, with traces of insects still crawling across his face. Compared to the Taki-nin Kiba had defeated with a direct hit, this one's death was far more gruesome.
Shino Aburame adjusted his round-lens sunglasses and replied, expressionless, his hands still tucked in his coat pockets.
"Kiba, if a shinobi can't even face the bodies of the enemies they've killed, it only proves their own mindset is flawed."
Though not one for outward emotion, Shino was clearly irked by Kiba's comment. His words, while calmly stated, carried a note of rebuke. Even so, after noticing the unsettled expressions on Ino and Hinata's faces, he silently opened his arms and called the kikaichū back into his body.
"You're such a pain. Don't forget—I'm the team leader!" Kiba snapped back, clearly irritated.
Their relationship wasn't as tight as Shikamaru and Choji's, but neither was it hostile. Occasional bickering was par for the course. In a profession where missions often involved life and death, bonds between comrades were essential.
Shikamaru smirked faintly, watching Kiba speak with a sidelong glance in his direction. It wasn't hard to tell that Kiba was subtly comparing himself—perhaps feeling a little envious of Shikamaru's leadership status within Team 10. After all, despite their maturity compared to most kids their age, Kiba and the rest of the so-called "Konoha Twelve" were still young. Their personalities, while strong, often bore the hallmark insecurities of youth. In contrast, Shikamaru always seemed a bit... out of place, far too composed.
With a grunt of irritation, Kiba nudged aside the corpse of the female Taki-nin. Not finding the scroll on her, he scratched his cheek, then begrudgingly knelt to search the male Taki-nin whom Shino had killed.
Shikamaru and Choji joined in the search. Ino and Hinata, both being girls—though kunoichi were by no means weaker—stood to the side. Despite the efficiency with which the battle had ended, and despite the strength of each individual, the true deciding factor had been the tactical coordination under Shikamaru's plan. For him, this was more than just a battle—it was a test run. A field drill before facing a truly dangerous enemy.
After thoroughly checking the bodies, they managed to retrieve two more Heaven Scrolls, one from each team. That meant, with the two squads eliminated, two more teams would fail the exam due to the imbalance in scroll distribution.
"Hey..."
Kiba tossed one of the Heaven Scrolls in his hand, an odd look on his face. "Since we've got so many of these, why not open one up and take a look? We got it as extra loot—it shouldn't count as breaking the rules, right?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't try it."
Shikamaru's tone was cold as he stared at Kiba.
"Disobeying orders—especially when it comes to snooping into intel you're not cleared for—is just a step below desertion. It's a red flag for betrayal. Do that, and forget becoming a Chūnin—they'll question whether you should even be a shinobi."
He continued, voice flat but sharp.
"Let me guess—you're thinking someone out there, realizing they won't have time to secure a second scroll, might try to forge a fake one?"
Kiba's expression stiffened.
"That's not only foolish, it proves they didn't understand the point of the first test back with Morino Ibiki. Misinformation, trickery, and deceit are weapons to use against enemies, not your own command structure. Forging a mission completion report, faking results, lying to superiors... during wartime, that's a capital offense. Even in peacetime, a client discovering your deception could have your shinobi license revoked on the spot."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.
"You think the scrolls don't have a way to check if they've been tampered with? You think the village won't know if someone tried to copy them? At the very least, I bet they're protected with some kind of sealing jutsu. Maybe even with an embedded exploding tag. You open it... and boom."
Kiba paled, glancing between the scroll and Shikamaru.
"...Of course," Shikamaru added with a smirk, "I doubt they'd go that far. After all, we're dealing with genin—killing one from another village over a scroll might spark diplomatic issues. But traps inside the scrolls? Yeah. Definitely possible."
"...Hinata," Kiba muttered, turning to his teammate. "Can you use your Byakugan to see what's inside this thing?"
Hinata looked at the scroll and gave a small nod.
"I'll try."
She brought her hands together in a seal. Her eyes closed for a moment—and when they opened, her veins bulged around the sides of her temples as her Byakugan activated.
After a long pause, she spoke softly.
"I... can't see the contents clearly. But I think there's definitely some kind of seal inside. I agree with Shikamaru-kun—we shouldn't open it."
Shikamaru smiled and glanced at Kiba.
"Well? Shall we keep moving and find a team with the Earth Scroll, so we can complete your set?"
"...Fine," Kiba grumbled, wiping his nose with a thumb. He turned to Shino. "Well, Shino? Can your bugs still track the female insects we left on the earlier teams?"
"Of course."
Still as stiff and composed as ever, Shino nodded and raised his hand.
"The scent of a female kikaichū is faint, but extremely persistent. And male bugs are specialized in tracking it down."
He pointed to a single, dark-colored bug crawling along his finger.
It lifted into the air and began tracing a pattern—one that only Shino could interpret.
"Not far. We should head that way."
Elsewhere—one kilometer away...
Deep in the forest, a tense standoff was underway.
Three genin—dressed in Kusagakure flak vests—stood across from a single figure.
"Yoshinomaru! What the hell do you think you're doing? Why are you following us!?"
The speaker was a large, muscular young man wearing a kimono-style outfit, his headband wrapped at his waist, displaying the Kusa (Grass) symbol.
The lone figure standing opposite him wore a full-face oni mask, his head shaved bald. His limbs were unusually long and thin, wrapped in paper-like armor, and a straw hat hung on his back. His forehead protector was also engraved with the Kusa emblem.
But something wasn't right.
"That's not Yoshinomaru!"
The girl in the Kusa trio adjusted her red-framed glasses, her short scarlet hair swaying as she shouted nervously to her teammates.
"He's an impostor!"
"...Hmph."
The masked shinobi chuckled darkly.
"Didn't expect a sensory-type in this group. Not only did you detect me—but you figured out I wasn't who I said I was?"
His gaze focused sharply on the red-haired girl.
She has chakra-sensing ability? Maybe she could help me find Uchiha Sasuke... If I complete the mission first, Lord Orochimaru will reward me.
Because the truth was:
He wasn't Yoshinomaru.
He was a spy from Otogakure (the Hidden Sound Village)—a jōnin-level shinobi disguised as a Kusagakure genin.
His real name was Kasen Kuwan, and his true allegiance was to Orochimaru.
"You... What did you do with the real Yoshinomaru!?" the tall Kusa genin demanded, tension rising.
"There were only six of us from Kusa entered in the exam. We all knew each other. You wouldn't be one of us unless you'd killed someone—!"
"I killed him, of course," Kasen replied with a cruel laugh. The mask only made his aura more menacing.
"He's powerful..." the red-haired girl—Karin—whispered to her teammates. "His chakra is overwhelming. Be careful!"
The burly genin didn't turn back. His voice was low, steady.
"Got it. Just stay behind me... Karin."