Blame Your Own People

"Lord Ri, there's a post station up ahead. Let's go rest for a while."

A Shimura jōnin leading the horses pointed to a small post station on the right side of the road ahead. A little flag bearing the character for "post" hung from the eaves, fluttering in the breeze.

Satoshi Ri looked up, nodded, and waved to the group. "Everyone, let's take a break at the post station."

Soon, twenty jōnin from the two clans, along with two servants disguised as merchants, were seated inside the post station.

Domoto Sarutobi called out, "Boss, bring us some water and something to eat."

In the Warring States era, nothing like the compressed-ration biscuits that would later be developed into soldier pills existed. Shinobi on missions generally carried their own provisions, which didn't taste very good.

"Certainly. Just a moment."

An elderly voice came from the post station's back door.

Soon, the back door opened, and a stooped old man with gray hair and plain clothes emerged, carrying a tray of plain tea and dango.

"Lord Ri, if we succeed in taking down the Uchiha and Hagoromo, how much territory will we get?"

A Shimura jōnin picked up a dango and popped it into his mouth, asking with great excitement.

Satoshi Ri glared at him. "Watch your tongue!"

How could they discuss something like that in a public place?

The Shimura jōnin who'd been glared at wanted to say, "We're in the middle of nowhere. Who's going to overhear us?" But when he saw the murderous look in Satoshi Ri's eyes, he sheepishly fell silent.

However, neither clan noticed the old man, who had turned back to prepare more dango. As he listened to their conversation, a blood-red gleam of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"Here you are. More dango and tea."

The old man brought over another tray of tea and dango.

"Thank you."

Domoto Sarutobi reached out to take it.

Just as both his hands touched the tray, the old man suddenly flipped it upward, sending it spinning into the air. The hands he'd been hiding beneath it were gripping kunai!

"Wha—?!"

Domoto Sarutobi's face changed. Years of battle experience made his body move before his mind could even react, and he leaped back.

But the old man lunged forward, slashing two deep cuts into his shoulders with the kunai in his hands.

"Attack!"

Masashige Hagoromo, hiding nearby, gave a low command.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Dozens of dark figures burst from the woods and charged toward the post station.

Satoshi Ri and the jōnin from both clans reacted instantly, reaching into their weapon pouches. "We're under attack!"

In an instant, shuriken and kunai filled the air, clashing against one another.

Sparks flew as metal rang against metal, and both sides immediately entered a standoff.

"Masashige Hagoromo!"

When Satoshi Ri saw the enemy leader, his face filled with shock.

Why was he here?

"Satoshi Ri, the second most influential figure in the Shimura Clan after its leader, Keizou Shimura."

As he spoke, he glanced at Domoto Sarutobi, who'd just been caught off guard. "And Domoto Sarutobi, a senior figure in the Sarutobi Clan..."

Masashige Hagoromo gripped his katana and licked his lips bloodthirstily. "The Sarutobi and Shimura clans have really gone all out. You've sent no fewer than twenty jōnin, with senior leaders from both clans at the helm. It seems you're determined to take us down."

"But it's a pity you'll all die here today. Even the Sarutobi and Shimura clans won't be able to withstand the loss of twenty jōnin at once! Hahahahaha!"

Masashige Hagoromo couldn't help laughing as he finished speaking.

This time, their clan leader had personally come out, and nearly every jōnin in the clan had been mobilized.

Satoshi Ri was sweating profusely. After all, their opponent was a clan leader.

"Damn it, has our intelligence been leaked? How could this..."

A Shimura jōnin stood back-to-back with Satoshi Ri, keeping an eye on the Hagoromo Clan members surrounding them. "Lord Ri, what do we do? There are far more enemies than us."

Satoshi Ri's mind raced. Two seconds later, he said, "Everyone, prepare to retreat. We have to get this news back to the clan leaders."

"Do you think you can get away?!"

Masashige Hagoromo roared and formed hand seals himself. "Earth Style: Earth Flow River!"

A tremendous surge of chakra erupted. The ground rose abruptly, turning to mud halfway up, then swept toward Satoshi Ri and the others like a tsunami.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

Satoshi Ri formed hand seals and counterattacked. Wind blades burst from his mouth and sliced the mud into several sections in one sweep. He leaped into the air, passing through the gaps.

"Everyone, engage the enemy! Look for a chance to retreat!"

Masashige Hagoromo leaped up as well, and with a clang, their swords clashed, scattering sparks.

Satoshi Ri's arms went slightly numb. They landed at the same time, and Masashige Hagoromo sneered as he raised his sword, pointing its tip at Satoshi Ri. "Not one of you is getting away. I won't say it a third time: every one of you is going to die here today."

"Hagoromo Style Ninja Blade Technique: Heavenly Blade!"

"Wind Release: February Wind!"

At the same moment, Satoshi Ri formed a hand seal with one hand and exhaled Wind Release chakra, coating his blade with it.

They both became blurs too fast for the eye to follow, clashing swords several times in midair.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Hagoromo Clan, twice as numerous as their opponents, clashed with the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.

Both sides were made up of jōnin, and the battle was exceptionally fierce.

But after a short time, the disadvantages became apparent.

The Sarutobi and Shimura side was in dire straits!

They were outnumbered, had been ambushed, and their morale was lower than their opponents'.

Meanwhile, the Hagoromo Clan was led by its clan leader, which greatly boosted its morale.

Their enemies were also the ones who'd tried to form an alliance with the Four Clans and ambush them.

Their eyes reddened with bloodlust. All they wanted was to kill their opponents.

Although Domoto Sarutobi had been ambushed earlier by a Hagoromo shinobi disguised as an old man using the Transformation Technique, the wounds weren't deep. He was now fighting Naoyasu Hagoromo, the Hagoromo Clan's second most influential figure.

"How did you find out we'd allied with the Four Clans? And how did you know our route?"

Amid the flashes of blades, Domoto Sarutobi couldn't help asking Naoyasu Hagoromo.

This was all top-secret information. Even he had only learned about it three days ago.

Even if the Hagoromo had managed to investigate it, how could they have found out so quickly?

Unless they had the ability to see a thousand miles...

"Blame your own people!"

Naoyasu Hagoromo sneered.

What did you expect, when someone in your clan was plotting a coup?

The Hagoromo had confirmed that Kite was an opponent of Furukawa Sarutobi and Keizou Shimura. He'd joined forces with the Hagoromo so he could stage a coup and seize power within his clan.

Their own people?

Domoto Sarutobi's heart tightened.

Could there be a traitor within their clan?

But who could it be?

Only jōnin and those of higher rank within the clan knew about this.

Bang!

Their swords clashed again. Domoto Sarutobi was knocked back more than ten meters. With his back to Satoshi Ri, he lowered his voice. "We'll cover you with everything we've got. Find a way to escape and get help from the Four Clans. They're closer."