"...X3"
The three of them looked at their captain speechlessly. He made a patrol mission so serious that they almost thought he wanted them to raid the Sunagakure Konoha Camp at night.
"Alright, let's go. First, we'll head to the Konoha Camp entrance and hand over to the night patrol team."
Shinnosuke seemed not to notice their expressions, turned, and walked out. The three could only follow.
On the way, Ren pulled out a few antidotes from his person and handed one to each of them. Ren explained as he distributed them.
"Antidotes, just in case. Take them."
A few of them nodded, took the antidotes, and put them into their Ninja tool pouches at their waists. Soon after, they arrived at the Konoha Camp entrance.
To their surprise, Inuzuka Gaku's team was also there, though they looked a bit weary.
"Shinnosuke, your team is here to take over the patrol, right?"
Inuzuka Gaku wasn't too surprised to see them. He yawned and began the handover.
"Understood. You all can go back and rest."
"Alright, we'll leave it to you. We're heading out."
After giving the instructions, Inuzuka Gaku led his yawning and chatting team back to rest. Even his dog looked drowsy.
"Let's go, time to act."
"Yes! X3"
A few of them began patrolling outwards from the Konoha Camp. There were seven or eight other teams like them, each responsible for a specific area. Ren's team was responsible for the direction closer to Sunagakure. They perked up and began patrolling through the forest.
By late morning, after completing a round of patrol, a few of them regrouped.
"All clear."
Ryufeng leaned on a tree branch and reported to Shinnosuke.
"Mine too."
Hayama nodded to Shinnosuke, indicating everything was normal. Then Shinnosuke turned his gaze to Ren.
"Everything's normal on my end too."
After listening to the reports from the three, Shinnosuke nodded. He looked around and said in a deep voice.
"After one more round of patrol, we can go back. The morning mission will be over then."
A few of them nodded and began their second patrol. They didn't spread out too much but rather formed a fan shape, staying close to each other. This not only expanded their patrol range but also allowed them to quickly call for support from their comrades if they encountered enemies.
"Hmm?"
Ren was crouching on a tree branch, surveying the surroundings. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly sensed two biological entities entering his sensory range, approaching his location. Ren dared not be negligent and quickly went to Shinnosuke's side. Within a few breaths, everyone had gathered around Ren.
Shinnosuke asked in a low voice.
"What's the situation?"
"Two people have entered my sensory range from the Sunagakure direction, and they are continuously approaching this way."
"How far are they from us?"
"900 meters. They aren't moving very fast, so they should be here in about five minutes."
Shinnosuke was silent for a moment, then looked up and said.
"Prepare for battle. We'll set up an ambush here. If we can capture them alive, that would be best, but don't force it."
A few of them nodded and quickly ambushed themselves on both sides. Time was short, so there was no time to set traps. Ren and Hayama formed one group, and Shinnosuke and Ryufeng formed another. The four of them held their breath, hiding in the jungle and waiting.
Soon, two figures appeared in their field of vision, but what surprised them was that these two people seemed... a bit weak...
"Brother Shinji, can we go back now? Aren't we too deep into enemy territory?"
"What's the use of going back now? When we kill two Leaf Ninja and bring them back, Lord Ebizo will definitely take us as his disciples. Don't you want to become Lord Ebizo's disciple, you idiot?"
Suzuki Shinji looked at Haraki Gen next to him, speaking with a frustrated tone. As two of the few talented young Ninja in Sunagakure, they not only came from prominent families but also became Special Jonin at a young age. Yesterday, at the Konoha Camp, they met Ebizo, who encouraged them with a few smiling words and even suggested that if they fought bravely, he might consider taking them as his disciples.
This statement immediately thrilled them to no end. They believed their strength was exceptional, and even if they couldn't win, escaping shouldn't be a problem. That very night, they discussed and decided to infiltrate the vicinity of the Konoha Camp the next day to kill two Leaf Ninja and bring them back as a "discipleship gift."
Who knew these two had good luck? Taking advantage of the Konoha patrol shift change, they successfully evaded the first wave of searches and reached the second defensive line. Further in lies the Konoha Camp.
"Alright, we should encounter enemies soon. Be careful and stay alert."
Although Suzuki Shinji was impulsive, he still exercised caution when venturing so close to the enemy's main base. The two concealed their presence and moved forward.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred!
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet! X2"
The expressions of the two Ninjas, who were in stealth, changed drastically. Their gazes shot towards the nearby bushes. Two water dragons, without any warning, charged towards them. It was too late to dodge.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall! X2"
The two quickly formed hand seals, slamming their hands onto the ground. Two earth walls rose in front of them, colliding with the water dragons that had already lunged close.
"Boom!"
After a loud bang, the earth walls collapsed, scattering dirt and stones. However, the water dragons also lost their momentum and shattered in mid-air.
"Retreat!"
Suzuki Shinji shouted to Haraki Gen as he flashed backwards. They had originally intended to assassinate two Leaf Ninja, but now that the battle had begun, nearby patrol teams would surely be attracted. If they didn't retreat, they would be surrounded.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Technique!"
Shinnosuke and Ryufeng, who were nearby, also activated their Ninjutsu. Ryufeng spewed several flames from his mouth, forming a fiery dragon head in the sky that attacked Haraki Gen. A giant earthen dragon made of mud and stone charged towards Suzuki Shinji. Both attacks were aimed directly at the two, who were still in mid-air with no leverage.
"Not good!"
Suzuki Shinji no longer cared about his teammate at this point. As he was about to land, he quickly formed hand seals. The earth dragon also charged close, meeting him head-on!
The massive impact of the earth dragon knocked down three large trees before finally coming to a halt.
"Huff, huff."
From the collapsed earth dragon, Suzuki Shinji struggled to crawl out of the dirt. He glanced at the tattered remains of the shell beneath him, then, ignoring Haraki Gen, he turned and rushed towards the perimeter.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
"Eh?!"
Suzuki Shinji's eyes widened! The two-square-meter area around his body was submerged in water. He instinctively opened his mouth, quickly choked on a mouthful of water, and as soon as he closed his mouth, a faint sense of suffocation washed over him. His limbs moved weakly, and he completely lost the ability to resist.
"Ah!"
Suzuki Shinji's gaze shifted left. His companion's limbs had been disabled by several vacuum sword strikes, and he was being held down by a Ninja who had stuffed his mouth with cloth to prevent him from biting his tongue and committing suicide.
A look of despair appeared on Suzuki Shinji's face. This time, it was truly over.