Straightforward Approach

Morning light pierced through the dense foliage, scattering dim rays into the Forest of Death, quieting the incessant chorus of nocturnal creatures to make way for the cacophony of birds and cicadas.

After a frantic escape, Team 10 from the Leaf, believing they were safe from the dangerous Neji Hyuga, gasped for breath hidden behind a thicket.

"It's ironic, really. Not sure if it's luck or misfortune that we got away just because we're weak!"

Shikamaru Nara slumped on the ground, his usual laziness evident on his face.

"Who knows what trouble we'll run into next!"

Gasping for air, Choji Akimichi tore open a bag of snacks, shoving handfuls into his mouth to calm his nerves.

"Shikamaru, let's just wait it out here until we're disqualified after five days. Chances are we won't find a weaker team than us anyway."

The hope of passing was slim to begin with; rather than dropping out, which wasn't allowed, they might as well take a passive stand.

Shikamaru folded his arms across his chest and pondered for a moment:

"There's still hope. Take Naruto's team, for example. They're not that great; we might have a chance against them."

Ino Yamanaka countered:

"Naruto and Sakura might not be strong, but they have Sasuke, who's really tough. It's questionable whether you two could beat him."

Ino had always resented the fact that Sasuke was placed on the same team as Naruto and Sakura, feeling it was a waste of his talents.

Having recovered from yesterday's ordeal, Ino was not one to forget Sasuke's handsome features even amidst chaos:

"Do you guys smell that? I don't know what beautiful flower it is, but it smells wonderful..."

Being from a family that ran a flower shop, Ino was familiar with a wide array of flora, yet this was a fragrance she had never encountered before.

"A smell?"

Shikamaru sniffed the air and suddenly his face went pale.

"Not good, retreat!"

Before he could finish his sentence, a gust of wind carrying fine blades of air sliced through the shrubbery in front of them, blowing the three Leaf genin backward and against a nearby tree. The sharp wind blades lacerated their arms, which they raised instinctively to protect their faces.

Daimaru, who had landed his attack, emerged slowly, with the puppeteer Temari perched on his shoulder, folding her fan back.

Flanking him were Yome and Chiyo, looking down at the disheveled Team 10.

"I overheard an interesting conversation just now! You were generously let go by your fellow villagers? Lucky you!

But we Sand ninja aren't so compassionate. We don't feel bad about defeating the weak and taking their scrolls, even if it means ambushing those stronger than us. We're ruthless, and for that... we're truly sorry..."

"Hey, Daimaru, the way you say it, it's like we're some sort of unforgivable villains. It's so embarrassing!"

Yome was a good kid with aspirations; he couldn't accept being branded with such infamy.

"Don't worry, you can blame me for everything later!"

Daimaru shrugged nonchalantly; after all, a few more lice wouldn't itch, and a little more debt wouldn't matter.

As the opponents closed in, Choji and Shikamaru hastily stood up, drawing their kunai for defense and shielding Ino behind them.

"Why are you always after us? Can't you leave us alone?"

Ino asked, her voice trembling with the memory of being trapped in Chiyo's mind the day before.

"It's not our fault, you know. Yesterday, you were the one who attacked first, trying to steal our answers. If you're not as skilled, who's to blame? As for today, it's just bad luck on your part to be close to us and get caught."

"It sounds like it's all our fault, but isn't it just to take our scrolls?"

Shikamaru, while covertly signaling his teammates, stalled for time:

"Are you so sure you can beat us?"

Caught off guard in the first exam, the renowned "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio from the Leaf wouldn't go down easily.

"You're mistaken there."

Daimaru sneered, casually displaying a pair of Heaven and Earth Scrolls,

"We've already collected our scrolls. We're here purely to warm up and gauge the strength of Leaf ninja. Of course, if you lose, we'll naturally take your scrolls as spoils of war."

"Warming up? That's bold!"

Shikamaru's pupils contracted, and even Choji and Ino, feeling underestimated, were filled with rage.

"Then come and try!"

"Good, looks like you've got some fighting spirit!"

Daimaru chuckled, his hands forming seals,

"Earth Style: Sand Dance!"

The ground rippled like waves on a calm lake, as layers of sand surged toward the three Leaf genin.

Knowing they couldn't overpower the attack, Shikamaru directed his team to scatter and dodge.

The wave of sand barreled across the clearing between the two teams, snapping invisible wire traps and scattering numerous explosive tags and traps.

"Such primitive traps won't work on me. If you're relying on these petty tricks, I'll be disappointed."

"Tch, is that so?"

Shikamaru spat in disdain,

"Ino, Choji, don't stray too far from me!"

If they were picked off one by one, it was all over.

Daimaru, eyeing Shikamaru, signaled Yome and Chiyo to make their move,

"Chiyo, the female ninja is yours, don't be careless; Yome, you take on the big guy, be careful, he's strong. Don't act rashly."

As for the brains of the team, Daimaru was eager to handle him personally.

"I've been wanting to flatten that smug face of yours, thinking you're smarter than everyone else. It's so irritating!"

In a battle with Shikamaru, it was best not to engage in a battle of wits or get entangled in his area of expertise.

Daimaru's choice, of course, was to go in straightforwardly.

"Eat my iron fist!"

With that, Daimaru tossed several smoke bombs at Team 10, shrouding the area in a thick cloud.

"Your iron fist is just smoke? You liar!"

Choking on the thick smoke, Shikamaru coughed violently while Choji and Ino, trying to regroup, were cut off by the enemy. Isolated, Shikamaru was hit by a wave of sand and thrown back, tumbling to the ground after a forced roll.

"Even in this situation, he doesn't come in close but uses ninjutsu to wear down my stamina and chakra. It seems he's not as reckless and thoughtless as he acts."

Hopes of using the Shadow Possession Jutsu amidst the smoke vanished as the rising sun thinned the shadows around them.