The explosion behind them rang out clearly even at the front of the group. The cries of his teammates reached Kisame's ears. But what concerned him most wasn't their safety—it was why they had run into Konoha Ninja just after crossing out of the Land of Water.
"Suikazan Fuguki personally planned our route. We should have avoided the areas Konoha guards most heavily."
"And we only crossed the border a little while ago. Even if Konoha had noticed us, they couldn't have moved this fast!"
"There's a mole!"
"They're targeting us!"
Kisame was perceptive and immediately figured out what might be happening. He swept his gaze over the people beside and behind him, hoping their expressions might reveal something.
But to his disappointment, the few survivors all looked terrified. He couldn't tell anything from their faces.
"Mr. Kisame, they've found our trail."
"What do we do now?"
The young woman running alongside Kisame glanced back in fear at the explosion, then asked him what they should do. She was the infiltration team's leader, but her superiors had told her to follow Kisame's orders during the mission. Besides, she belonged to the Cipher Division and wasn't suited to combat.
This was all unfamiliar territory for her.
"You go on ahead. I'll cover your retreat!"
Kisame's expression shifted, and he bared his teeth as he spoke. Just then, the Konoha Ninja hidden in the shadows attacked again. Countless kunai flew toward the group from the darkness. A middle-aged man in the team was too fat to dodge in time. A kunai struck him in the back, and he lost his balance and fell.
"Go!" Kisame barked, stopping in his tracks.
The young woman knew she had to act decisively. Without another word, she gave Kisame a long look, then hurried off with