Swish!
Shikamaru's body spun with precise control, the steel wire in his hands slicing silently through the air. The Shadow Blade, tethered at the end, traced a sharp arc through the sky. Harnessing his momentum, Shikamaru launched it with even more force than before, the weapon cutting through the air with a chilling whistle as it homed in on Kawasemi Zaiman.
The attack was swift and seamless, the timing expertly executed. But Kawasemi—no ordinary opponent—was an experienced jōnin. Against someone like him, a thrown weapon, no matter how well-aimed, was rarely a true threat. Kawasemi was already preparing to sidestep, but just as he made to move, something caught his eye.
A threadlike black line trailed beneath the Shadow Blade, stretching from the weapon all the way back to Shikamaru's feet. It was so fine it could have been mistaken for a shadow cast by the steel wire itself.
Kawasemi's pupils contracted.
"That's no wire shadow... It's the Shadow Possession Technique!"
In that flash of realization, he abandoned his initial evasive maneuver and instead launched himself far out of the Shadow Blade's arc, avoiding the strike altogether.
"Running, huh?" Shikamaru muttered.
Sure enough, the Shadow Blade slammed into a tree trunk with a dull thunk, embedding itself deeply. But Shikamaru didn't reel it in immediately. Instead, he crouched, rapidly forming hand seals.
Poof!
The black shadow trailing from the blade surged unnaturally, elongating and writhing like a living serpent. It shot forward, undeterred by obstacles, guided by Shikamaru's chakra.
"Shadow Possession Jutsu — Extended Binding!"
It wasn't just a trick. While Shikamaru had been swinging the Shadow Blade, he had also secretly woven hand signs behind his back, converting the shadow cast by the tether into a full-scale assault. That kind of multitasking took extreme chakra control and mental fortitude — not common among genin.
Kawasemi now found himself retreating between trees, twisting midair, using the dense cover to stay out of reach from the chasing shadow.
"Rōdan Rolling Thunder!"
A familiar shout rang out. Kawasemi's eyes flicked toward the source just in time to see Chōji, fully transformed into a massive human boulder, hurtling down like a meteor. He'd recovered quickly from his earlier usage of the technique — too quickly.
Meanwhile, Shino took the opportunity. With Kawasemi distracted, he dashed from cover and leapt toward Kiba and Hinata, who were still recovering.
Shino's fingers twitched as he gestured to his insects, and black swarms buzzed around him in a silent cloud. With a practiced hand, he landed beside the wounded.
"Hinata, how bad is it?" he asked, immediately kneeling and beginning to unwind the chain around Kiba's legs.
"I-I'm fine, Shino… really…" Hinata's voice trembled. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow.
Kiba, still catching his breath, scowled. "That guy's a monster. We were totally outclassed."
He didn't need to say more — the damage spoke for itself. And for all their skills, none of them had expected a full-blown jōnin to be hunting them in the Forest of Death.
Shino nodded grimly. "He's not an average genin. Stay here. I'll take over."
He turned to Kiba. "Where's the other girl? The one from Grass."
Kiba sniffed the air, then frowned. "She's… she didn't run. She's still nearby, hiding."
He pointed toward a large patch of underbrush beneath a tree.
Without hesitation, Shino pulled out a kunai and hurled it with deadly accuracy.
Thunk!
It embedded in the tree trunk just above the grass.
Startled, Karin leapt out of the bushes, holding a kunai in reverse grip, eyes darting between Shino and Kiba.
She looked ready to flee, but Shino simply raised a hand, motioning her forward.
Understanding the gesture — and knowing she'd find no better allies in this forest — Karin hesitated for only a second before vaulting from branch to branch and landing beside the two Leaf genin.
"You're not going to try anything stupid," Shino said calmly, pushing up his glasses. "I want you to stay here and look after Hinata. Get her to safety."
"What?!" Kiba's eyes flared. "You're seriously trusting her to take care of Hinata? What if she betrays us?!"
"I'll be fine," Hinata said softly, though her voice was faint.
Shino remained stoic. "She's a sensory type. That means she can keep us informed of enemy chakra. She's not much use in direct combat right now. You know it. But she can still help."
Kiba gritted his teeth, wanting to argue — but he knew Shino was right.
Karin, for her part, didn't argue. She knelt beside Hinata, helping her up gently.
"I owe you people. Don't think I've forgotten," she muttered.
With Hinata secured and Karin assisting, Shino turned toward the sound of crashing trees and thunderous impact.
Chōji had just smashed into the forest floor, sending dirt and bark flying. His target dodged again — but barely.
And Shikamaru?
He was still crouched, calculating, observing, waiting.
The net was tightening.
But would it be enough to capture a jōnin?