Ambush

Naoki and his group followed the Hyuga branch family ninja through the dense forest, arriving at a concealed high ground overlooking the riverbank.

"That's the spot." The Hyuga branch family ninja pointed toward the winding river below. "According to intelligence, the Kirigakure transport fleet will pass through this stretch of water tonight. Over there..." He pointed to a bend in the river. "The channel narrows and the current speeds up there. The ships must slow down to pass, making it the best point for an ambush."

Naoki crouched down, carefully observing the terrain below.

The riverbank was steep, with a small shoal at the bottom. Beyond that lay the main channel, where the river surged at the bend, crashing against the reefs in the riverbed and emitting a dull, rhythmic roar.

"What do you think?" Naoki looked back at his companions.

Uchiha Setsuna narrowed his eyes, studying the area for a moment before saying slowly, "The river channel is restricted at the bend; the fleet will inevitably slow down as they enter it. If we can create chaos before they enter or while they are turning, we can trap them in the bend, leaving them unable to advance or retreat."

"Well said, Senior." Naoki nodded, then looked at the Hyuga branch family ninja. "Roughly how many guards are with the Kirigakure fleet?"

"About forty or fifty. At least eight are Jonin, and the rest are mostly Chunin." The branch family ninja paused, then added, "However, these supplies are extremely important to them, so we cannot rule out the possibility of hidden experts on board."

Naoki pondered for a moment, then turned to the others.

"We need to split into two teams. One team will set traps ahead of the bend to force the fleet to slow down. The other team will lie in ambush at the bend; once the first team succeeds, they will use explosive tags and ninjutsu as the main force to quickly sink the transport ships."

Uchiha Setsuna said, "I will take charge of the main assault."

Naoki nodded.

"Then leave the distraction to me, Zongxin, and Itachi." Uchiha Zongye volunteered.

"No." Naoki shook his head. "The number of people for the distraction shouldn't be too high, but they must be agile—able to fight and run... I'll go. Zongye, you coordinate with Senior Setsuna, Shi, and Shin to lead the main assault!"

"I'm going too." Hyuga Hiroshi suddenly spoke up.

Naoki frowned as he looked at the boy wearing goggles.

"You?" Uchiha Zongxin looked him up and down. "Do you have any combat experience?"

Hyuga Hiroshi lifted his chin slightly and said, "How long have you been on the Southern Border Battlefield? I've seen more combat here than you've had hot meals!"

"You bastard!" Uchiha Zongxin, annoyed, raised his fist to strike.

Seeing the two boys about to start a brawl, Naoki and Uchiha Zongye each stepped in to pull them apart.

After glancing at the branch family ninja and seeing he had nothing to add, Naoki spoke.

"Enough. Hiroshi, go with Senior Setsuna and the others to attack the transport fleet. I will take Zongxin and Itachi to draw out the Kirigakure ninjas."

Looking around at everyone, Naoki asked, "That's the plan. Any problems?"

"No..."

Everyone shook their heads.

The sky gradually darkened, and a thin mist rose from the river.

Naoki led Uchiha Zongxin and Itachi to hide in the bushes upstream. Their bodies were covered in camouflage foliage, making them almost indistinguishable from their surroundings.

"Will the Kirigakure people really pass through here?" Uchiha Zongxin asked in a low voice, his tone laced with skepticism.

"How would I know? My Sharingan doesn't have the ability to see thousands of meters away." Naoki's gaze remained fixed on the bend in the river.

Uchiha Zongxin curled his lip and said nothing more.

Itachi lay quietly beside Naoki, his dark eyes fixed intently on the river surface, displaying a composure far beyond his young age.

Time ticked by, and aside from the occasional bird or insect flying past, there was no movement on the river.

Just as Uchiha Zongxin was about to doze off, Naoki suddenly saw several deep-draft transport ships emerging from the mist, moving slowly. The sides of the ships were lined with Kirigakure ninjas holding weapons, scanning both banks with vigilance.

"Three, four, five... twelve!" Naoki counted silently. "There are far more than expected."

Uchiha Zongxin gripped the kunai in his hand tightly.

The fleet gradually approached the bend. On the deck of the lead ship, a Jonin dressed in black, wearing a mask that revealed only his eyes, was scanning the surroundings warily.

Naoki held his breath, pressing his palm gently against Uchiha Zongxin's arm to signal him to stay quiet.

Twelve transport ships—if they were all loaded with supplies, this cargo would be enough to sustain the Kirigakure frontline army for at least three months of operations.

If they could complete the mission, just as Hyuga Akira had said, the Kirigakure army would likely not be able to hold out for long, and the war would end before autumn arrived.

However... Naoki couldn't help but look at the transport ships moving slowly across the water again.

It was clear that the intelligence provided by Hyuga Akira and the local branch family ninja, Hyuga Ryosuke, was flawed. Looking at the scene before him, there were certainly more than forty or fifty men—likely twenty more—and it was hard to say whether there were any hidden experts among the transport crew.

Naoki's side, including Hyuga Ryosuke and the others already stationed here, numbered only thirteen. Facing an enemy several times their size, even he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear.

But the fear lasted only a moment before he suppressed it.

Since they had already reached the enemy's rear, they had to see it through. If they dragged their feet, who knew what the consequences would be.

Thinking this, Naoki slowly stood up, crouching as he said to Uchiha Zongxin and Itachi beside him, "Get ready. Once I detonate the explosive tags on both sides of the river, you two use Fire Style to launch a long-range attack!"

"If there's movement from Senior Setsuna's side, don't worry about me—all of you head there to regroup."

Uchiha Zongxin raised an eyebrow.

"What about you? Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll adapt as the situation demands."

Uchiha Zongxin wanted to say something more, but was held back by Itachi at his side.

"Let's just listen to Naoki."

Twelve transport ships moved slowly through the mist, their hulls riding low in the water, clearly fully loaded with supplies.

"Now."

Naoki took a deep breath and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Dozens of fist-sized fireballs shot out from the bushes, trailing bright flames as they tore through the night sky, precisely striking the explosive tags pre-planted on both sides of the riverbank.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

As the first explosive tag was triggered, a chain reaction of explosions erupted along both sides of the river.

The violent blasts shattered the silence of the night, sending flames soaring into the sky as the rocks on the riverbanks were pulverized, sending debris flying like rain.

"Enemy attack!"

After the initial moment of chaos, the well-trained ninjas of the fleet quickly reacted and entered combat mode.

Immediately following this, Uchiha Setsuna, Zongye, and the others lying in ambush on both banks simultaneously unleashed the "Dragon Fire Technique," instantly turning the fleet into a long dragon of fire!