Ambush

"Two jonin? And over a dozen chunin?" Upon hearing Yei's words, Daisei and Nami's faces changed, panic flickering in their eyes.

Jonin, regardless of which village they belonged to, were the backbone of the force—never too many in number. Only those who met the requirements in ninjutsu, taijutsu, chakra reserves, and mission history could be promoted to jonin! In other words, every jonin was an elite, a pillar of their village, far beyond what chunin like them could hope to contend with! And on top of that, there were over a dozen chunin as well!

Tsurubami Ii's face also shifted slightly, though he remained relatively composed. He quickly asked, "Do you know which village they're from?"

Yei swept his gaze over the area and spoke in a low voice, "They're not wearing forehead protectors or any other village markings... I can't tell."

"Damn it!" Tsurubami Ii cursed under his breath. At a time like this, any ninja not from Konoha could only be an enemy!

Tsurubami Ii took a deep breath, then looked at the three of them, his tone grave. "I'll draw their attention. You three take the chance to scatter and run..."

As a Konoha jonin and part of the elite, Tsurubami Ii had sharp situational judgment and decisive action. He formulated a plan immediately. Facing two jonin and over a dozen chunin, their small group stood no chance in a direct fight. Now, every one who could escape was a win! To give his three subordinates a chance to flee, Tsurubami Ii intended to stay behind as bait, drawing the enemy's focus...

Nami looked at Tsurubami Ii, her voice urgent. "But Captain, you..."

Daisei pressed his lips together. Was there really a chance to run?

Tsurubami Ii's tone was firm. "Just follow orders!"

In truth, as a jonin, Tsurubami Ii had the best chance of escaping this place. But fleeing alone wasn't his style. He chose to stay and create an opening for his subordinates!

"There's a sensory type among them. They've already locked onto our position and are encircling us from different angles, cutting off all escape routes." Yei remained relatively calm, his voice betraying little change, though his eyes narrowed slightly.

Hearing this, despair already crept onto Nami and Daisei's faces.

"Damn it, who are these people? How dare they make a move at such a critical moment? Are they trying to start another war?" Tsurubami Ii clenched his fist, his expression grim.

Yei's gaze grew deep as he said flatly, "There are always those blinded by hatred. In other villages, and in Konoha too... The only reason people like them are still alive is to take revenge."

The word "war" carried immense weight. Hatred didn't vanish just because a ceasefire was declared—it was passed down from generation to generation. No matter which village a ninja came from, there were those with extreme personalities. Their relatives and comrades had died at the hands of enemies, and that pain kept them trapped in vengeance. For revenge, such people would do anything!

"Get ready. They're closing in." Yei warned quietly, already preparing for battle himself, his right hand reaching for the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

Though Nami and Daisei's hearts were uneasy, they had been tempered by war. Their eyes instantly sharpened with focus!

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

As he spoke, he pulled a kunai from his pouch and gripped it tightly, his gaze piercing. Even without hope, he would fight with everything he had!

The three exchanged glances without a word, holding their breath and focusing. They hid behind different trees, suppressing their presence as much as possible—a basic skill for any ninja.

"Come out, you Konoha rats. You're surrounded!" A mocking voice rang out. A ninja bearing no markings from any other village stood atop a nearby tree crown, his eyes sweeping over the area where Yei and the others were hiding.

Clearly, they already knew exactly where Yei and the others were!

Yei and the others remained silent, not moving an inch.

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

As the jutsu was unleashed, the man's chest suddenly swelled. Then, several sharp wind blades shot from his mouth, sweeping toward Yei and the others' position! Where the wind blades passed, trees in their path were sliced cleanly in two, falling apart.

"Not good—it's Wind Release! Get out of the way!" Tsurubami Ii's face twisted in alarm as he shouted a warning, but he himself charged forward with his kunai raised!

He channeled Wind Release chakra into the kunai in both hands. As the chakra flowed in, sharp chakra blades formed on the surface of the weapons! Moving both arms simultaneously, he slashed at one of the incoming wind blades!

The chakra blade-coated kunai clashed with the wind blade, producing a piercing screech!

Though he shattered the wind blade, Tsurubami Ii was sent flying backward by the force carried in the attack. He twisted midair, barely landing on a branch, and immediately looked toward Yei and the other two.

Yei had sensed the attack even before Tsurubami Ii, but he didn't act rashly. Only after Tsurubami Ii's warning did he lightly push off from his spot and dodge.

Daisei and Nami, alerted by Tsurubami Ii, reacted quickly as well, leaping aside to evade the strike.

'Shrrr, shrrr...'

Where the wind blades passed, the trees were cut through, splitting apart and crashing down!

Seeing that all three were safe, Tsurubami Ii let out a breath and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of them. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but that was close. I almost died." Nami exhaled. If not for Tsurubami Ii's warning, she would have been struck by the wind blade and turned into a corpse by now...

"I'm fine too." Daisei's face was grim.

"Everyone stay alert. They're closing in..." Yei spread his perception. In his Byakugan's field of vision, every single person was exposed, with nowhere to hide.

His mind raced, searching for a way to escape this deadly predicament!

Seeing the four Leaf ninja appear, the others also surrounded them, looking at them like prey.

"Looks like we hooked a big fish—there's even a Byakugan bloodline from Konoha... but if they're showing up here, they're probably just branch family members. A bit of a shame. Mitsu Chika, that Leaf Jonin is yours. I'll handle these three!" The other Jonin turned his gaze to Yei and the others, his tone just as mocking.

"Even if they're only three Chunin, one of them's from the Hyuga Clan. Don't trip up, Nakagawa." Mitsu Chika twisted his arm and said with a sneer, but his eyes weren't on Yei's trio—they were fixed on Tsurubami Ii. That guy wasn't weak; he'd actually blocked his jutsu.

Nakagawa snorted coldly and said dismissively, "Relax, they're just a few brats. It's not like they're geniuses like Kakashi Hatake. They won't make any waves!"

With that, he grinned viciously at Yei and the others. "I'll give you a proper 'welcome,' you Leaf brats!"

"Enough talk. Let's move. Even if we're far from Konoha's camp, delays breed trouble!" Mitsu Chika said, then charged at Tsurubami Ii.

"Be careful. I'll find a way to create an opening for you." Tsurubami Ii said quietly, his face grim as he rushed forward.

The two sides clashed in an instant. As they shifted and dodged, kunai struck kunai, ringing out with sharp clangs...