The Ambush

The Iwa Ninja Chunin was reduced to ashes in the burst of Fire Style.

Uchiha Kei's trio quickly set off as well, now with a much clearer objective.

However, Kei wasn't particularly happy as he looked at the other two. They were so clever that he was starting to find them unbearable.

Unfortunately, he needed their strength. There was no way he could handle this alone.

Kei suspected the guards were Genin, but who knew whether a Jonin had stayed behind instead of going to the front lines, perhaps to defend the rear?

Uchiha Kei's thinking was simple. Since he knew how things would unfold in the future, he was naturally willing to make a few small investments, as long as they didn't put him at risk.

As for rescuing people?

That was really just a way to complete the mission more effectively.

There was no need to guess what the captured Ninja had been through. They hated the Iwa Ninja, and some of them might even have been terrified of them.

But regardless, the fact that they were still alive meant they hadn't talked. Don't think that confessing would keep you alive. On the contrary, those who had lost their usefulness were often the first to be eliminated.

With two fronts at war, logistics, support, and security all took time to arrange. The Iwa Ninja wouldn't entrust any of that to Rogue Ninja they considered "useless."

Of course, these were just Uchiha Kei's assumptions, but he didn't think he was wrong. With things like Genjutsu around, there was no need to keep people alive just to cover up all that mess.

Those who were still alive had simply held out. The Genjutsu and torture hadn't broken their will enough to make them talk.

Uchiha Kei and the others had a simple goal: rescue these people and use their hatred of the Iwa Ninja to complete their mission.

It had to be said, this was a shameless tactic. Hatred could cloud a person's judgment, and even if the captives were weak, it wouldn't be difficult for them to cause chaos in Iwa's rear.

How many of them would survive was beyond Uchiha Kei and the others to know.

All they had to do was get the prisoners out and let them in on a little of their mission. Those people would probably find a way to get involved and help on their own.

Even if they refused to help, Uchiha Kei could "accidentally" let an Iwa Ninja escape and pass along some information.

That would probably draw the attention of all Iwa's rear, giving Minato Squad the opening they needed to complete their mission.

But they couldn't talk about any of this. If they did, it would cost them their lives.

Still, both Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta quickly understood Kei's plan. They were both willing to do almost anything to survive, and they were clever enough to make it work.

What puzzled Uchiha Kei was why people that smart hadn't even been given names in the Original work.

After thinking it over, Kei figured this mission had probably gotten them killed—or else they'd simply become Rogue Ninja.

The chances of surviving a mission like this were low. Whether Namikaze Minato and the others succeeded or failed, these "decoys" were bound to become cannon fodder.

If the mission failed, there was no question: the cannon fodder would have to continue carrying out Namikaze Minato's mission. That was an "unspoken rule."

And if the mission succeeded, things would be even worse. These "cannon fodder" would face the Iwa Ninja's most savage retaliation. Either way, they seemed doomed.

As for becoming Rogue Ninja?

That was simple enough. They could slash their Forehead Protectors, leave the battlefield, and escape the Five Great Nations' conflicts to hide in some remote corner.

They might never again make a name for themselves in this war-torn Ninja World, but at least they'd survive, wouldn't they?

In Uchiha Kei's eyes, staying alive mattered more than anything. If it came to that, he wouldn't mind doing the same.

If death was certain either way, it was worth taking a chance to survive. Besides, he hadn't forgotten that the Uchiha would be wiped out in the future.

The three moved forward cautiously for two days before they came across the group of Konoha Ninja being escorted back to Iwa's rear.

By then, they had technically entered enemy territory. They frequently encountered Iwa Ninja patrols in the area.

Hyuga Aya was still handling reconnaissance. Without her, they would probably have run into some Iwa Ninja by now.

"There are four guards, a full squad," Hyuga Aya said after activating her Byakugan to observe them. "There are six Konoha Ninja, but they're in pretty bad shape."

"That's to be expected." Uchiha Kei nodded, then asked, "How close is the nearest Support Point?"

"Three or four kilometers from here, and it's moving in the opposite direction. If we're quick enough, we should be able to rescue them." Hyuga Aya deactivated her Byakugan and looked back at Uchiha Kei.

"Captain, maybe we could circle around to their front," Imai Kenta said with a smile. "Set some traps, like Explosive Tags. They might do the trick."

Setting traps was a perfectly normal thing for Ninja to do, especially since the Detaining Prisoner Squad was moving so slowly.

They had plenty of time to figure out the squad's route and set some traps. It wouldn't be difficult for them.

Imai Kenta's suggestion also fit Uchiha Kei's thinking well. Explosive Tags would make a lot of noise and draw the enemy in.

But that was exactly what they needed. Otherwise, Hyuga Aya wouldn't have left out any mention of handling things "quietly."

"Too conspicuous," Uchiha Kei said after considering it. "Our mission is to rescue them, not draw in a large number of enemies."

He paused before continuing, "Set a few traps. Once they step into them, you two will attack from the flanks, while I use Fire Style to pressure them from the front. Understood?"

"Understood, Captain." It was easy talking to clever people. The two immediately understood Uchiha Kei's plan, nodded, and got to work.

Explosive Tags were useful, but a lot of things couldn't stand up to scrutiny. More conventional methods would work better.

It didn't take long for the three of them to set up a simple trap. Then they quietly hid in three different parts of the forest and waited for their prey to take the bait.