All characters and story belong to Kohei Horikoshi and Masashi Kishimoto
We are set a few minutes before Kin captured Ino and Choji, from the perspective of Asuma's genies from Team 10.
—Ino, we must act now! Or else Lee, Sasuke, and Sakura will die! —Shikamaru exclaimed. He watched with concern as his companion stood petrified. —React!—
"I, I..." Ino said, as she was about to act she heard a very familiar voice.
—SPICY-HAIRED BASTARD! —Bakugo shouted from atop a branch.—THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GOING TO DIE HERE IS YOU! AND YOUR TEAMMATES WILL ALSO GET THEIR DAMN THING IF THEY TOUCH MY BALLS!—He then jumped off the branch and landed in front of Sakura, sticking the large Kubikiribōchō into the ground.
The last thing he said they couldn't hear because he whispered it and they were too far away.
"Bakugo!" Ino exclaimed, relieved.
"I wouldn't be so relieved, Ino. Those guys are strong, I don't know if Bakugo can stand up to them," Shikamaru whispered, worried.
"We must leave before they discover us!" insisted a very scared Choji.
"No!" Ino reacted, now calm and ready to fight if necessary. "We're staying here. We have to be prepared in case Bakugo and Sakura need our help."
"I'm glad you've changed your attitude, Ino," Shikamaru said with a smile. "It'll be a pain to fight, but it would be worse to abandon them without having done anything to help them."
"I hope you're right about Bakugo's abilities, and that he can take care of those sound guys," Choji said, biting his nails. He was the only one who didn't like having to fight.
"Mmmm." Ino didn't hear what her classmates were saying; she was more focused on trying to figure out what Bakugo was whispering to Sakura. "What's he whispering to her?" Ino wondered, somewhat annoyed by the proximity of the pink-haired girl and the ash-blond boy.
"Perhaps an escape plan?" Choji said, since that was what he would do in his situation.
"It's a pain, we can't hear anything from this position. But if we get any closer, they're sure to spot us," Shikamaru added.
A few seconds later they heard Zaku's scream.
"I'M TIRED OF WAITING!" Zaku shouted, running towards Bakugo.
Team 10 watched in amazement as a huge explosion shot out of his left arm, aimed at Zaku, who barely managed to dodge it with a side flip.
—NANI?! (A/N: It means WHAT, in Japanese)—Choji said. —Did you guys know that Bakugo could use ninjutsu?—
"No. It's been a while since I saw him last, but I'm still surprised he can do something like that when just six months ago he didn't even know how to make a copy of himself," Shikamaru mused aloud.
Ino was in shock, her eyes wide. She sensed that the blond boy was special, but realizing she was right didn't lessen the level of surprise she felt at that moment.
—Bakugo ...—Ino thought, with admiration.
Then, they saw Sakura carry Sasuke and Lee and run out of the place.
—WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, PINKIE?! —they heard Kin shout, jumping from tree to tree to stop her. But another explosion from Bakugo made her stop and look terrified at the cause of the explosion.
"What's Sakura doing?" Choji asked.
"I hope that macro front doesn't decide to leave Bakugo there alone against danger!" Ino said, clenching her fist in annoyance.
"This must be a consequence of what Bakugo whispered to him," Shikamaru reasoned. "Now that I know Bakugo is really strong, it seems like a good idea."
"And why is that a good idea, Shikamaru?" Ino asked irritably. She still didn't like the idea of her partner abandoning the ash-blond.
"If Sakura had stayed, she would only cause problems for Bakugo. Lee, Sasuke, and Sakura are either injured or unconscious, and she would be of no use to them," Shikamaru reasoned. "From what I've seen, those sound guys play dirty. It would be more trouble for Bakugo to deal with them while also making sure they don't harm Sakura, Sasuke, and Lee. That way, he can focus all his energy on defeating them."
"I hadn't thought of it that way," Ino said, her irritation with the pinkette replacing it with pride. She understood that it hadn't been easy for Sakura to leave Bakugo here.
"So what do we do now?" Choj asked. "Shall we go with Sakura or stay here?"
"We're staying here," Ino said, without a hint of hesitation. "If Bakugo falls here, they'll come after Sakura, Lee, and Sasuke. We have to watch and help Bakugo if necessary."
"Yes. I think it's also smart to stay here," Shikamaru said, agreeing with his companion.
Afterward, they watched the fight unfold. The sound trio attacked him simultaneously, but the blond, using his sword and explosions, stopped their attacks. Dosu was the first to receive a blow to the jaw from Bakugo, sending him flying. Zaku then fell to the ground and was pinned by Bakugo's foot on his neck.
"He's going to win!" Choji said happily. "Great! We won't have to fight!"
"Ha. I told you, you shouldn't have underestimated Bakugo," Ino said haughtily.
"And you shouldn't have underestimated Sakura. That girl has proven, unlike us, to have a lot of guts," Shikamaru said, looking at her inquisitively.
"It's true that Sakura surprised me. But I would have been so brave too! I was about to go help, but Bakugo appeared just then!" he defended himself.
"Shhh," Choji ordered. "I can't hear what you're talking about."
"Damn, I want to hear what they're talking about too," Ino said. "Judging by Bakugo's face, it seems pretty serious."
"I'm going to come closer so I can hear them," Choji announced.
"Huh?" Ino said, puzzled. "Weren't you the one who just wanted to get away from here a few minutes ago?"
"History has changed. Bakugo has won, so even if they find out, it won't be a problem. And I'm dying of curiosity about what they're talking about," Choji said, crouching forward without making a sound.
"Wait, I'll come with you!" Ino whispered, imitating her companion.
Shikamaru was so focused on analyzing the gestures of the sound trio and Bakugo that he didn't notice Choji and Ino coming out of the bush. He noticed that Kin's face had changed completely. She had been dejected before, and now she was smiling.
"What's changed to make him smile like that?" Shikamaru thought, uncomprehendingly. Then he saw her approach Dosu to whisper something. The two sound genins fixed their gaze on something other than Bakugo. Shikamaru followed the trajectory of where they were looking and realized they had discovered the whereabouts of Choji and Ino, who were a few meters ahead of him. "Those idiots!"
A second later, a lasso-like thread wrapped around Choji and Ino and pulled them to Kin and Dosu's position. Shikamaru watched helplessly as they threatened to cut their throats.
"What do I do now?" Bakugo and Shikamaru thought at the same time.
Ino and Choji looked with glassy eyes at Bakugo, who remained frowning, upset by this change of events.
"I told you, the tables have turned. And it's all thanks to Kin, who brought these rats out of hiding," Dosu said.
"I'm sorry..." Ino whispered, embarrassed for having let her curiosity get the better of her.
"Silence, little girl!" Kin threatened, pressing the edge of his kunai against the blonde's neck, drawing a trickle of blood.
"Damn, time to put on a poker face and bluff," Bakugo thought, unfazed by what was happening.
"Ha. Have you become an idiot?" Bakugo said, baring his teeth and pulling a kunai from his kunai holder. Then he grabbed Zaku by the hair and pointed the sharp weapon at his shoulder blade. "The tables have turned! What do I care if you kill those extras? You'd be doing me a favor by eliminating the competition, moron!"
"Huh? No way, this isn't the Bakugo I know." Ino thought, unable to hold back her tears.
On the other hand, Choji nearly peed himself at this statement, and Kin was starting to get worried again. The only one who wasn't fooled was Dosu. (A/N: Shikamaru was too far away to hear anything.)
"Your words say one thing and your actions another, blondie," Dosu said, smiling beneath his bandages. "You saved Sasuke before, the pink-haired girl, and the big-browed one... I can't believe you're a cold, calculating ninja now."
"In case you forgot, if I let you kill them, I wouldn't pass this exam. Those were my classmates, you stupid mummy. I don't give a shit about that bitch and that fatso," Bakugo lied.
Choji was too scared to get angry, and Ino was too disappointed to react. For a moment, Dosu hesitated, but quickly recovered.
"You people from Konoha like to play at being heroes. First the big-browed one, then the pink-haired one, and now you. I'm sure you won't let your fellow villagers die," Dosu said, convinced.
"I'm sick of this stupid conversation. You have two options. Option A: You free the bitch and the fatso. They tie you up. I snatch the scroll and leave you near a river so you don't die of thirst. And when the exam is over, the examiners free you and you go home," Bakugo explained. And before he started explaining Option B, he put on his most terrifying face. "Option B is bloodier. You kill those two idiots, and then I kill you three in a very painful way and snatch the scroll from your corpses. I win either way. If I were you, I'd choose Option A, you mummy bastard."
Kin's pulse trembled after the alternatives the ash-blond had given.
"We should free them and get out of here as soon as possible. This kid is a demon, he gives me the creeps," Kin said, very scared.
"I choose option C," Dosu said, amused by the situation.
"There's no option C, moron," Bakugo said, frowning. He didn't like Dosu's attitude one bit.
—Ohhh. Of course there is. Option C is you release Zaku, obey my every command, and in return…—Dosu said, pointing the kunai at Ino and Choji. —These two kids from your village get out of here alive.—
"Have you gone mad, Dosu? Why are you making him angry? He's going to tear us apart!" Kin said indignantly.
"Listen to your partner, you bastard mummy. Choose wisely," Bakugo said, baring his teeth.
—Kin, if this brat doesn't release Zaku within 10 seconds, kill the blonde. —Dosu said.
—But...—Kin said, hesitating.
—Listen to Dosu, Kin!—Zaku shouted, still held by the hair with Bakugo's strong grip. —I can hear his heartbeat! It's beating too fast! He's worried...!—He couldn't finish his sentence as Bakugo slammed his face into the ground, breaking his nose.
"That's because I have a terrible desire to kill you and I'm controlling myself from doing it!" Bakugo shouted, but Kin noticed how his voice trembled for a moment and regained confidence in the plan.
—Heh. You're a very good actor, brat. —Kin pressed the kunai even harder, tearing Ino's skin and causing blood to flow from it.
"Ah." Ino groaned in pain.
"Have you all gone crazy? You don't value your lives!" Bakugo shouted, losing his composure. "You don't know me! How can you bet your lives so easily?"
"You said so yourself. It's a bet. And I'm betting you won't let us kill them. In fact, I get the feeling you've never killed anyone before," Dosu said. "It's been a while. Kill her, Kin."
"Noooo!" Ino screamed, closing her eyes in anticipation of death.
"Stop!" Bakugo shouted, letting go of Zaku and losing in that peculiar bet. "Stop, damn it!"
"I knew it. As the saying goes, a barking dog seldom bites," Dosu said. Kin smiled complacently and didn't dwell on the wound.
"Bakugo..." Ino whispered, unable to hold back her tears.
"So your name's Bakugo, huh?" Dosu said. "Okay, now, Bakugo... you're going to obey everything I command. The first thing you're going to do is throw that kunai you're holding on the ground."
Bakugo glared at him, his face twisted with rage and helplessness, but he obeyed the order.
Zaku got up from the ground and repositioned the nasal septum that Bakugo had broken, making a gruesome sound as the bone reset.
"Ow! That hurt!" Zaku said, wiping the blood from his nose with his hand. He bent down for a moment to pick up the kunai Bakugo had thrown and approached Bakugo with a sinister smile. "But I'd rather have a broken nose than this."
For the first time since Orochimaru's attack, Bakugo felt pain somewhere other than his right shoulder. It was his stomach, which had been pierced by his own kunai, wielded by Zaku.