"I'm pretty sure it's a genjutsu," you yelled nervously, sure that you could detect Kurenai-sensei's chakra signature nearby. It seemed as though she wasn't making an effort to conceal it, leading you to think that she probably wanted her team to sense her presence. At least, that was what you hoped.

"It is," Shino agreed.

"How do you know?" Kiba asked, sounding annoyed that be was being left out.

"My insects," he replied, stretching out his arms to reveal the hundreds of beetles crawling on his sleeves. "Kurenai-sensei is highly proficient in genjutsu casting."

"She is?" you replied, somewhat confused. You felt like you probably should know, yet it kept escaping your mind. And Shino's bugs being able to sense genjutsu, you had a nagging feeling that you should've known about it…

"Y-yes, he's definitely not real," Hinata confirmed, glancing at what appeared to be a kunai lodged in her heart with a mix of revulsion and relief.

"Good, that was close," said Kiba, while Akamaru gave a joyous bark. "Let's keep going, then."

You agreed, as did Shino and Hinata. Leaving the floating Kumogakure man still hovering in the same spot with his kunai driven into Hinata's tree, your team continued to climb.

Go to Chapter 33.