"Snap."
Shikamaru's shoe accidentally crushed a fallen leaf, producing a crisp sound in the silent forest. The smell of humus was laced with the stench of blood. He raised his gaze to count the fresh claw marks on the tree trunk—three of them, five inches apart, left deliberately as a provocation by that red-haired woman.
Just moments ago, those flashing claws had grazed past his cheek, missing his eyes by a mere two fingers' width. Had he not used his shadow in the nick of time to rein in her movements, his eyes would likely have been blinded by now.
Chapter 235