By six in the evening the air had turned chilly, foot traffic on the road was thinning, yet the town itself was still bustling. Nightlife in the shinobi world wasn't as colorful as in his past life, but people always found ways to pass the long nights.
With the plan set, Uenome and Hyuga Keita slipped back into town. Zhao Yi Qianming and Hoshinohara stayed behind, ready to provide support.
As soon as Uenome left, Zhao Yi Qianming flickered into the trees. He pulled steel wire, Explosive Tags, and Shuriken from his pouch and began laying traps.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Hoshinohara dropped beside him, curious.
"Setting traps," Zhao Yi Qianming replied.
Hoshinohara blinked. "Didn't Ueno-sensei say we don't need to fight the enemy? What are the traps for?"
"Better safe than sorry," Zhao Yi Qianming said evenly.
"Then… you do you. I'm going to rest a bit." Hoshinohara curled his lip—clearly unimpressed by Qianming's caution.
This was a reconnaissance job: confirm why the Sand shinobi were here. If they needed to be eliminated, Konoha would dispatch Anbu; Zhao Yi Qianming's squad wouldn't be the ones to do it. As long as they moved carefully, there was no need to clash. And even if they were exposed, the priority on a scouting mission was to run, not to fight to the death.
Qianming, however, was very attached to his life. Dying namelessly on a mission—killed by a bunch of background extras—would waste years of hard work. The odds of a fight might be low, but he'd prepare for the worst.
Waiting was torture. Perched in a tree, Zhao Yi Qianming finally understood why Sasori hated waiting—without the right mindset, it was brutal. Fortunately, the Academy had courses for this; and he wasn't idle. He sharpened his awareness of the surroundings while drilling speed and fluency of Hand Seals, not wasting a second.
"Someone's coming this way." Near eleven, he felt it—a faint prickle—then warned Hoshinohara in a whisper.
After nearly five hours, the town finally stirred.
Hoshinohara had years of genin experience. He hadn't noticed anything off yet, but he tensed immediately at Qianming's warning.
Moments later, Zhao Yi Qianming saw two figures—Uenome and Hyuga Keita—but it was dark and they were far off; he couldn't be sure they weren't enemies using Transformation to mimic them.
"It's Ueno-sensei and Keita," Hoshinohara breathed.
Even so, he stayed hidden and didn't show himself—something that pleased Zhao Yi Qianming. At least his teammate wasn't a hotheaded fool. If it were Obito Uchiha or Naruto Uzumaki, they'd probably charge out to meet them already.
"Someone's chasing them," Hoshinohara whispered.
"Looks like they were exposed. Seven enemies—should be my mark," Zhao Yi Qianming said.
"What do we do?" Hoshinohara asked, anxious.
"Wait for Ueno-sensei to get here. I've finished the traps. If we can take one or two with them, we've got a fighting chance. You trigger the traps," Zhao Yi Qianming murmured as he slid down the trunk and sank into the earth with Earth Release.
Seven opponents, unknown strength. This would be rough.
When Uenome drew near Qianming's position—close enough for Qianming to read his signals—the jōnin flicked his right hand in a subtle retreat sign.
So he didn't plan to stand and fight. Sensible enough; three more Sand shinobi were still unaccounted for in the town. A straight-up brawl wasn't wise.
Hoshinohara withdrew at once. Zhao Yi Qianming was about to fall back too when the seven Sand shinobi closed on Uenome and Hyuga Keita. They hadn't cut them off yet, but if left unchecked, the two could be forced into a corner.
Tactically, retreat now was the best choice—Uenome had given the order. But nothing was more despised in the shinobi world than cowardice, and Konoha's teachings prized comrades above all. If Zhao Yi Qianming fled while his teammates fought for their lives, his name would be mud even if he made it back. If Hiruzen Sarutobi heard he'd abandoned his comrades, any hopes of special cultivation would evaporate.
If he saved Uenome here, though, he'd have the standing to ask the jōnin for tutelage later—and after this, Uenome would be hard-pressed to refuse.
Then again, seven on two was nearly unwinnable. If the Sand finished Uenome and Keita and then tracked him, he doubted he could shake them.
'Looks like I have to gamble.' He steeled himself. If things went south, he'd bolt—even if it meant leaving teammates behind. But if there was a chance, he'd cut the enemy down.
Closer…
[Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu]
As the Sand shinobi crossed his kill zone, Zhao Yi Qianming struck—targeting a twelve- or thirteen-year-old. At that age, without prior caution, the odds of a successful ambush were high.
Squelch.
He dragged the careless Sand-nin under and slit his throat cleanly.
"Ambush!" another Sand shinobi spotted him and shouted a warning.
Revealing himself, Zhao Yi Qianming instantly whipped six Kunai at the nearest Sand-nin—angles wicked enough to force a scramble. The man dodged, but failed to notice one Kunai slicing through a taut wire.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From the darkness, countless Shuriken and Kunai screamed in from every side. Several Kunai trailed Explosive Tags, blasting the ground until it shuddered.