"The Kamizuru Clan!"
Seeing the attire of the three figures, Shino's heart skipped a beat.
The Kamizuru Clan was a family from Iwagakure that specialized in insect-based combat, much like Shino's own Aburame Clan.
"So, it's a kid from the Aburame Clan! No wonder you know who we are."
"We were tasked with destroying the Bikōchū to stop you Konoha brats from using it to track down the Nine-Tails kid. Didn't expect you to move so fast and find this place already."
"Since you're here, we'll just have to take out both you Konoha kids and the Bikōchū to tie up loose ends. Especially you, Aburame brat—we're gonna tear you to pieces to settle our grudge!"
During the Third Shinobi World War, the Kamizuru Clan was defeated by the Aburame Clan, leading to their exile from Iwagakure and near extinction. Naturally, they harbored a deep hatred for Shino's clan.
"If I were alone, I might've been in trouble. But with my comrade here, you're the ones who'll bite the dust, right, Kazama?"
Facing the trio's encirclement, Shino remained unfazed and calmly glanced at Kazama.
"Kazama? You mean that Kazama—Sanada Kazama, the monstrous genius?"
At Shino's words, the three Kamizuru members turned to Kazama in alarm.
"Shino!"
Hearing Kazama call his name, Shino nodded.
"I heard from Jiraiya-sama that when you call out a comrade's name, it means you're about to show off. I'll step back…"
"No, we're retreating now!"
"What?!"
Kazama's order to retreat before even fighting stunned not only Shino but also the three Kamizuru members, who exchanged bewildered looks.
Shino had been eager to see Kazama unleash his prowess, but now, watching Kazama already pulling back, he had no choice but to follow reluctantly.
"Haha! These Konoha brats sure love to act tough!"
"Yeah, claiming to be Sanada Kazama? If it was really him, we'd be dead already!"
"You fake Kazama and Aburame brat, you're both done for! Haha!"
The Kamizuru trio chased after the retreating Kazama and Shino.
"Kazama, pulling back like this really throws me off! This was my first chance to show off, and instead of the enemy slapping my face, my own comrade did!"
"Sorry, Shino!"
Seeing Shino's dejected expression, Kazama gave a helpless chuckle.
"Our main goal is to find the Bikōchū. We were already close to its location. If I fought those guys there, the Bikōchū could get caught in the crossfire, and our plan to find Naruto would fall apart!"
"But don't you have the Sharingan? Couldn't you just use genjutsu to control them?"
"With the Sharingan, it'd be easy, but those three are just clones. The real bodies wouldn't be affected!"
"What?!"
Shino was shocked, not only by the enemy's cunning but also by Kazama's ability to see through their clones in a single glance.
"So you pretended to be outmatched to lure them away?"
"Exactly! Shino, circle back to where we were and find the Bikōchū. I'll draw out both their clones and their real bodies!"
"Got it!"
Shino couldn't help but admire Kazama's ability to adapt and plan so meticulously on the fly.
"Brat, running won't save you!"
It didn't take long for the Kamizuru trio to surround Kazama completely.