Counter-tracking is not an easy skill, especially when the four fugitives didn't have the time or energy to carefully erase the traces they left behind during their escape. This dense forest was rarely visited by people, so the traces the four left behind were quite noticeable.
Ninjas' speed is naturally not comparable to ordinary people's, especially since the four fugitives were ordinary people who hadn't carried any supplies and had been wandering in the deep mountains for several days. Although Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji still needed to find and identify the traces left by the fugitives, the distance between them was gradually shrinking.
The morning humidity gradually faded, and Shikamaru and the others had been tracking for a while. It was almost noon, and in the dense forest, the sunlight from the blazing sun was absorbed by the tall, thick trees, with only a little light shining through the gaps. Inside, without a timepiece, it was difficult to notice the passage of time.
Shikamaru crouched down, inspecting the pile of ash in the center of the clearing. It was the trace left behind after a campfire had extinguished. Although the fugitives had hastily tried to cover it up, it was still detectable. He reached into the ash to feel it—there was no warmth, but it was very dry. He then searched around the ashes and found no remnants of food, such as bones. Shikamaru sneered, clapped his hands, and stood up. He said to Ino and Choji, who had been tracking for the entire morning and looked a bit weary like he did, "Take a break, Ino, Choji. They're not far from us. We'll find them soon."
As he spoke, Shikamaru leaned against a tree, sat on the ground, and gestured for Ino and Choji to sit. The three of them sat in a triangular formation, backs to the tree trunks, facing each other. This was a basic ninja school technique—if anyone tried to ambush from behind, the others would notice.
"Did you find anything, Shikamaru?" Choji asked after sitting down, recalling what Shikamaru had said earlier.
"That pile of ash, although it's not warm, it's still dry, which is unusual in this damp forest where both morning and night are unusually humid. It shows that they didn't stay long," Shikamaru explained, pointing at the ashes. "And you see, there's no food residue, like bones, around the fire, and we haven't found much of that kind of trace at any of their previous stopovers. Most importantly, their stopping frequency is increasing, meaning they're running low on supplies and stamina."
This world wasn't like Shikamaru's previous life, where information was easily accessible. Ordinary people here couldn't easily find hunting or survival tips online. The four fugitives were carrying only a few knives, so they couldn't have hunted animals for food. From the way they didn't recklessly eat plants along the way, it seemed they still had some sense. Otherwise, they might have eaten poisonous plants, and Shikamaru and the others would have to intervene.
After a brief rest, Shikamaru stood up first, and Ino and Choji followed.
"Let's go!" Shikamaru exhaled, saying as he ran ahead, with Ino and Choji following.
Although they were running, they didn't go all out in speed, so they could still observe the traces around them. After running for a while, Shikamaru, who was in the lead, frowned and lightly muttered, "Eh?"
Ino, who had fallen behind a bit, heard and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Shikamaru?"
"Do you see anything missing on the ground? Any traces we passed through?" Shikamaru asked, pointing to the ground.
Tracking and counter-tracking weren't skills only Shikamaru had learned in ninja school. Since Shikamaru had been in charge of tracking earlier, Ino and Choji weren't paying as much attention. But now, with Shikamaru's prompt, they both carefully observed the surroundings and thought for a moment.
"Dried twigs!" Ino said excitedly, rubbing her chin and thinking hard.
"They're preparing to set up camp now?!" Choji reacted immediately but still had some doubts. He muttered to himself, "Even though collecting twigs and starting a fire in the wild should be done before nightfall, it's still only noon. It feels too early."
"It's food!" Shikamaru, who had been silent, finally spoke, "They must be close."