Ambush

"Two Jonin? And more than a dozen Chunin?" Upon hearing Yei's words, Daisei and Nami's expressions changed, panic appearing on their faces.

No matter which ninja village they belonged to, Jonin were considered core forces, and their numbers were never large.

Only those who met the requirements in ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Chakra reserves, and mission records could be promoted to Jonin!

It could be said that every Jonin was an elite and a pillar of their respective ninja villages, far beyond what Chunin like them could contend with!

Not to mention there were more than a dozen Chunin as well!

Tsurubami Ii's expression changed slightly too, though he remained fairly composed. He hurriedly asked, "Do you know which ninja village they're from?"

Yei swept his gaze around and said quietly, "They aren't wearing forehead protectors, and they have no other identifying features from any ninja village. I can't tell..."

"Damn it!" Tsurubami Ii cursed under his breath. At a time like this, any ninja who did not belong to Konoha could only be enemies!

After taking a deep breath, Tsurubami Ii looked toward the three of them, his tone grave. "I'll draw their attention later. The three of you should use the chance to scatter and run..."

As a Konoha Jonin and one of its elites, Tsurubami Ii had an excellent grasp of the situation and acted decisively, formulating a plan at once.

Facing two Jonin and more than a dozen Chunin, their group had absolutely no way of resisting.

For now, saving even one person was better than saving none!

To give his three subordinates a chance to escape, Tsurubami Ii intended to stay behind as bait and draw the enemies' attention...

Nami looked at Tsurubami Ii anxiously. "But, Captain..."

Daisei merely pressed his lips together. Was there really a chance for them to escape?

Tsurubami Ii's tone was resolute. "You only need to carry out your orders!"

In truth, as a Jonin, Tsurubami Ii had the best chance of escaping this place. But fleeing alone was not his style. He had still chosen to remain behind and create an opportunity for his subordinates!

"There's a Sensory Type ninja among them. They've already locked onto our position and are closing in from different directions, cutting off every route of retreat." Yei remained fairly calm, his tone not changing much, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

Upon hearing this, despair appeared on Nami and Daisei's faces.

"Damn it, who are these people? They actually dared to attack at such a critical time. Are they trying to start a war?" Tsurubami Ii clenched his fists, his expression extremely grim.

Yei's gaze deepened as he said blandly, "There are always people blinded by hatred. Other ninja villages have them, and Konoha has them too... The only reason these people are still alive is to take revenge."

The word war carried immense weight.

It was not as though hatred vanished once a truce was declared. Instead, it was passed down from generation to generation.

No matter which ninja village they came from, there would always be extremists. Their relatives and comrades had died at the hands of enemies, and that pain kept them trapped in hatred. For revenge, such people were capable of anything!

"Get ready. They're closing in!" Yei gave a quiet warning as he prepared for battle himself, his right hand reaching for the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

Though Nami and Daisei were uneasy, they had both been tempered by war. Their gazes instantly sharpened!

Tsurubami Ii said gravely, "If you find an opening, run immediately. I'll hold them back!"

As he spoke, he drew a kunai from his waist and gripped it in his hand, his gaze razor-sharp.

Even if there was no hope, he had to fight for it!

The three exchanged glances without speaking, holding their breath as they hid behind separate trees and concealed their presence as much as possible. This was a basic quality for any ninja.

"Come out, Konoha rats! You've already been surrounded by us!" A mocking voice rang out. A ninja without any identifying marks from another village stood atop a nearby treetop, his gaze sweeping toward Yei's group.

Obviously, they already knew where Yei and the others were!

Yei and the others said nothing and remained motionless.

"Hmph!" Hearing no movement at all, the man snorted and rapidly formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

As the ninjutsu was unleashed, the man's chest suddenly swelled. Then, he spat several sharp wind blades from his mouth, sweeping them toward Yei and the others!

Every tree in the wind blades' path was sliced through like it had been cut by a sharp blade, breaking into two at the middle.

"Not good, it's Wind Release! Get out of the way!" Tsurubami Ii's expression changed drastically. He shouted a warning, then charged out with his kunai raised!

Wind Release Chakra flowed into the kunai in both his hands, forming sharp Chakra Blades along their surfaces!

Both hands moved at once, slashing toward one of the incoming wind blades!

The kunai covered in Chakra Blades collided with the wind blade, letting out a piercing hum!

Though he shattered the wind blade, Tsurubami Ii was also sent flying by the force it carried. He flipped in midair and barely landed on a tree branch, immediately looking toward Yei and the other two.

Yei had noticed the attack even before Tsurubami Ii, but he had not acted rashly. Only after Tsurubami Ii shouted his warning did he push off the ground and leave his original position.

Warned by Tsurubami Ii, Daisei and Nami also reacted quickly, dodging to the side and avoiding the attack.

Hiss, hiss, hiss...

The trees in the wind blades' path were sliced apart at their middles and crashed down!

Seeing that the three were unharmed, Tsurubami Ii breathed a sigh of relief and used the Body Flicker Technique to arrive before them. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but that was close. I almost died." Nami let out a breath. If Tsurubami Ii had not warned her, she would probably have been struck by the wind blades and turned into a corpse...

"I'm fine too." Daisei's expression was equally grave.

"Be careful. They've surrounded us..." Yei spread out his perception. No one within the Byakugan's field of vision could hide from him.

His mind raced as he considered how they could escape this danger!

Once the four Konoha ninja appeared, the others completed their encirclement, watching them like prey.

"We really hooked a big fish. There's actually someone with the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan bloodline... But someone appearing here should only be a branch family member. What a pity. Mitsu Chika, leave that Konoha Jonin to you. I'll deal with these three myself!" Another Jonin looked toward Yei's group, his tone just as mocking.

"Even if they're only three Chunin, one of them is from the Hyuga Clan. Don't embarrass yourself, Nakagawa." Mitsu Chika rolled his shoulders and said dismissively. However, his attention was not on Yei's group, but on Tsurubami Ii. This man was not weak; he had actually blocked his ninjutsu.

Nakagawa snorted disdainfully. "Relax. They're just a few brats. It's not like they're geniuses such as Kakashi Hatake. They can't make any waves!"

As he spoke, he grinned viciously at Yei and the other two. "I'll give you Konoha brats a proper 'welcome'!"

"Enough nonsense. Hurry up and do it. We're far from Konoha's encampment, but delays could bring trouble!" Mitsu Chika said before charging toward Tsurubami Ii.

"Be careful. I'll find a way to create an opportunity for you." Tsurubami Ii spoke quietly, then charged forward with a grave expression.

The two sides collided in an instant. As their bodies shifted and darted about, kunai struck kunai, producing a series of clangs...