Konoha: Who Says the Shinobi World Can't Play Hunter?

Chapter 35: Survival Exercise (Part 4)

Kazama crouched beneath a large tree, his body concealed in the shadows, with an earpiece fitted over his ear.

"Don't make any unnecessary movements. Just blend in as normal animals. If you get discovered, just one word—run. If escape is impossible, use the summoning contract to contact me, and I'll summon you back with the summoning jutsu."

His earpiece was immediately filled with the howls and cries of his summoned beasts.

---

Meanwhile, Hayate Gekkō sat perched on a tree branch, rubbing his temple. He had just endured another wave of Kazama's well-placed traps, and it was beginning to wear on him.

With his level of sensory perception, he could tell that there was no human presence nearby. And yet, these traps kept triggering in a disturbingly precise manner. Every time they activated, it was a full-scale, no-holds-barred barrage of attacks. As a Wind Release specialist, he wasn't built for defense, which made dealing with these continuous ambushes even more exhausting.

He trusted his sensory abilities—years of experience as a shinobi had honed them to near perfection. If he were wrong, he wouldn't have survived this long.

So, if no humans had triggered the traps…

Then who had?

The realization struck him like a cold splash of water.

Could it be… animals?

He immediately adjusted his perception, no longer searching for humans but for living creatures in general.

Sure enough, his senses picked up multiple small life forms scattered throughout the forest.

He wasn't sure which one—or how many—were responsible.

But it didn't matter.

They were just animals. He could deal with them effortlessly.

I wonder how Kazama will feel when he realizes his carefully trained summons have been wiped out so easily?

He moved instantly, using Body Flicker to dart through the trees. Soon, he spotted a lone wolf wearing a tactical vest.

"Found you."

He lunged forward.

But just as he reached it—

Poof!

The wolf vanished.

---

Elsewhere

Kazama slammed his palm onto the ground.

With a puff of smoke, the very same wolf—Sand Wolf Shatarō—appeared in front of him, looking dazed and confused.

"Don't give me that face," Kazama muttered, patting the wolf's head. "You were discovered, so I had to summon you back. No need to act surprised."

As he petted the wolf, he noticed how much coarser its fur had become.

"The bigger you get, the harder it is to pet you," he mused before pressing his earpiece again.

"Report. Where is Hayate-sensei now? And where is everyone else?"

"Chirp chirp!"

"Howl howl!"

"Buzz buzz!"

"Roar!"

A chaotic mix of animal cries filled the earpiece.

Kazama sighed.

"Fine. Stick to the plan. We should still have enough traps left for a few more full-scale bombardments. Keep tracking him, and if he disappears from your sight, report immediately."

Silence followed, and then—static.

The channel was clear.

Kazama stood up. "Alright, let's go rescue our teammates."

---

After circling around carefully, Kazama used Earth Release to bypass the steel wire traps set around the perimeter. He maneuvered through Training Ground Seven to re-enter Training Ground Six from the side.

Under the shade of a tree, Nobuko and Ichirō sat tied up, eyes closed as they rested.

"How's the nap?" Kazama teased.

"Ah, Kazama! You're finally here!" Nobuko's eyes lit up in joy. Even though she had been confident that Kazama would return, she hadn't expected him to succeed so easily—especially with Hayate watching over them.

"Enough talk. Let's get you both untied."

After freeing them, Kazama handed each of them an earpiece.

"The solo act is over. Now, we move as a team."

"Got it," the two replied in unison, raising their hands in acknowledgment.

---

Yesterday, during their strategy meeting:

Their plan had been simple—

1. Ichirō and Nobuko would launch the initial attack, showcasing their abilities.

2. Kazama would retreat into the forest, setting up traps while avoiding direct combat.

3. Once Hayate was lured into the forest, Kazama would stall him with his traps and maneuver back to rescue the other two.

4. From there, they would shift to a group battle.

5. Ichirō and Nobuko would serve as the front line, engaging Hayate head-on while Kazama remained hidden, waiting for an opening to launch a decisive attack.

Their bet was simple—Hayate, as a jōnin, wouldn't be able to eliminate all three of them at once.

As long as they kept re-engaging, they would continuously create trouble for him.

Their biggest advantage? Kazama was the key to their strategy.

As long as Kazama remained mobile and out of sight, their team would not fall.

---

Back in the forest

Hayate emerged from the woods, looking disheveled after enduring yet another carpet-bombing of traps.

He had realized that continuing to charge into the forest was pointless. All he was doing was triggering more and more traps.

His goal wasn't to test the strength of these traps—it was to assess Kazama.

More importantly, if Kazama were in his position, he wouldn't have wasted time running into the forest.

Kazama would've gone to rescue his teammates.

Which meant—

Kazama had never needed to enter the forest at all.

He had simply waited for Hayate to get distracted before doubling back to Training Ground Six to free his teammates.

When Hayate returned to the open field, sure enough—

It was empty.

He had been outmaneuvered.

Hayate sighed.

"Damn it. I played right into his hands."

He knew now that Kazama wasn't just some lazy slacker.

Kazama was a strategist—someone who manipulated the battlefield to his advantage.

Hayate decided not to chase them.

There's no point. They'll just keep leading me into another trap.

Instead, he chose to stand his ground.

Come to me instead.

---

Inside the forest, Kazama was already aware of this. His summons had reported that Hayate had stopped moving.

"What now, Kazama? Sensei isn't taking the bait anymore," Nobuko whispered through the earpiece.

"That's fine," Kazama replied. "If he won't move, we will. We still have the last batch of traps under the field, right? Time to put some pressure on him."

He handed Ichirō an Ingram Longbow.

"Ichirō, let's test your aim. Nobuko, you'll help him line up the shot."

Ichirō pulled back the bowstring effortlessly.

"Nock an arrow."

He did as instructed, drawing the bowstring to its full draw with ease.

"Good. Move in closer until you're in range. Nobuko, you handle targeting. Ichirō, you handle the shooting."

Once the plan was in motion, Kazama disappeared underground using Earth Release.

Digging tunnels was a simple technique—even Naruto had used it before. For someone who actually specialized in Earth Release, this was effortless.

He had two reasons for going underground—

1. To leave no trace of movement, avoiding detection.

2. To ensure that even Nobuko and Ichirō wouldn't know his exact location.

That way, if Hayate tried interrogating them, they wouldn't be able to give anything away.

The battlefield was set.

Kazama was ready.

Now, it was time to spring the final stage of the trap.

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You can read advance chapters ahead on patreon.com/fishkiss69, I will upload 1 extra chapter every day there.

THANK YOU

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