Chapter 32: The Forest of Death
As for Kiyosuke and the others, the moment they stepped into the Forest of Death and lost sight of Yūhi Shinku behind them, Kiyosuke said,
"Since Shinku-sensei mentioned we're being tailed, that means we probably won't get much time to rest. In that case, let's throw them off. We'll use Shadow Clones and split up into three teams."
Kurenai replied,
"You're trying to confuse the tracker, but don't forget—they can use Shadow Clones too."
"That's why we'll just disappear all at once," Kiyosuke said with a cryptic smile. "Let's start with the clones."
The three of them followed his lead and each created two Shadow Clones. The clones formed separate teams and scattered in different directions. Kiyosuke took his own team and led them deeper into the forest.
As they weaved through the trees, he explained,
"The pursuer will track us by following our footprints and any signs we leave behind. So aside from footprints, we'll need to mask our scent too."
"How do we do that?" Asuma asked.
"Simple. Just find something with a strong smell and rub it on yourself," Kiyosuke said with a sly grin.
"This isn't anything too difficult—it's just basic counter-tracking. So be mindful as we move and try not to leave any prints."
"Easier said than done. Not leaving footprints is a lot harder than it sounds," Asuma said. "Kurenai might manage since she's lighter, but for us two, that's going to be tricky."
"Not really," Kiyosuke smiled mysteriously. "Just don't use your feet."
"You running a fever? Don't use our feet? What are we supposed to walk with then, our tongues?"
Kiyosuke pulled out a small coil of wire and said,
"We'll use this. Swing through the trees and land in spots that are hard to notice. Also, keep an eye out for large predators. Once we find one, Kurenai can control it with genjutsu. Boom—free transportation."
After listening to him, Kurenai couldn't help but mutter,
"Kiyosuke, weren't you the one who never paid attention in class? How do you know so much…? And some of this, I'm pretty sure the teachers never even taught us."
"They didn't?"
"No?"
They exchanged a look—slightly awkward. But Kiyosuke kept staring at Kurenai, which made her blush and quickly turn her head.
Asuma grumbled,
"Staring at Kurenai like that isn't exactly polite, you know."
"Hmph! What do you know? If I'm not embarrassed, then it's someone else who'll be." Kiyosuke patted Asuma on the shoulder.
"Watch closely and learn. Come on, we've got field training to do—no standing around."
Kiyosuke wrapped the wire around a kunai and found a sturdy, moss-covered tree. He threw the kunai up—embedding it in a high branch—then leapt and swung across to the opposite tree using momentum. Once across, he tied the wire to another kunai and threw it again.
Kurenai caught it and swung over smoothly. Asuma followed after. Then he repeated the process, and Kiyosuke retrieved the previous kunai. They continued moving like this, taking turns with the wire to make their way forward.
About an hour later, Kurenai pointed to a massive bear, easily four to five meters tall, rubbing its back against the trunk of a tree.
"That bear could carry us."
"Alright, Kurenai. We'll leave it to you."
Kurenai slid down the wire and approached the bear. With ease, she cast a genjutsu and subdued it.
The bear dropped to the ground, and Asuma and Kiyosuke climbed onto its back.
"Let's go!" Kurenai smiled and had the bear start walking. Their previous footprints were now completely overridden by the bear's tracks.
They made their way smoothly into the depths of the Forest of Death and stopped to rest beside a river. Asuma and Kiyosuke caught a few fish to serve as dinner.
To avoid revealing their location, they ate sashimi. Thankfully, the fish were wild and uncontaminated—clean and sturdy enough to eat raw.
That night, they took turns standing watch to ensure everyone got proper rest.
...
Elsewhere in the darkness, Yūhi Shinku was still tracking them. At first, the trail of Shadow Clone footprints didn't fool him at all—what, like he didn't know how to make clones too?
But the deeper he followed... he realized he'd lost them.
He, a full-fledged Konoha jōnin, had actually lost track of three genin. If word got out, he'd be laughed out of the village!
Unacceptable!
He carefully examined the surroundings and noticed faint markings where kunai had struck the trees. The realization hit him—these kids were moving in a way that avoided obvious signs. He sniffed the air. All he could smell was the dense, wild scent of the primeval forest.
They had even erased their scent. Not bad.
Since he didn't need to worry about leaving tracks himself, Shinku followed the kunai marks deeper in. But in the end, he really did lose them. He had no clue where they had gone.
"Are they really just genin?" Shinku couldn't help but wonder.
Their counter-tracking skills were top-notch—better than many jōnin, honestly. Being hunted by a jōnin and still managing to leave no obvious traces was no small feat.
"Impressive work. But the Forest of Death… is no ordinary forest."
...
Night had fully descended. Asuma remained alert, eyes scanning the darkness. Kiyosuke was resting on a tree branch, while Kurenai leaned against the trunk.
The sound of chirping insects filled the air. The forest at night was far more terrifying than during the day. With the cover of darkness, predators emerged to hunt. Asuma could hear the cries of beasts, the sound of fangs tearing through flesh, and the crunch of bones being gnawed on.
It was as if the forest had come alive.
Luckily, Kurenai and Kiyosuke were both there. Wait... where was Kiyosuke?
Just moments ago, he had been lying in the tree. Now he was gone. Alarmed, Asuma quickly shook Kurenai awake.
"Kiyosuke's missing!"
"You didn't notice?" Kurenai asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.
"No. I just looked away for a second."
"Damn it! You stupid snake! You really tried to eat me? Sick of living, huh?!" Kiyosuke's angry voice suddenly rang out, followed by the screech of a wild beast and the sound of a blade slicing through flesh.
A moment later, Kiyosuke dragged a giant snake out of the bushes.
"Almost got swallowed."
Apparently, the snake had silently coiled around him and tried to drag him off to eat. But it picked the wrong target—and got killed for its trouble.
"Thank goodness you're okay." Kurenai patted her chest in relief. Asuma laughed,
"Wow, you sleep like a rock. Didn't even notice a snake dragging someone off."
Kiyosuke shot him a glare.
"Oh please—you were supposed to be on watch. How do you not notice me getting dragged away? Some lookout you are."
"Awoooo~"
A wolf's howl pierced the air. From the darkness, numerous pairs of glowing green eyes lit up—cold and hungry.
"Wolves. Get to the trees!"
The three of them leapt into the trees. These wolves were huge—at least one and a half meters tall at the shoulder—but they couldn't climb. All they could do was stare hungrily from below.
"ROAR!"
A new danger appeared. From the trees ahead, a black panther suddenly leapt at them.
Asuma hurled a shuriken, striking it down midair.
The first night... was certainly thrilling.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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