One Night (6)

"Big Brother, it's bad! Konoha has arrived!" At this moment, Ye Yi appeared beside the two men, his tone hurried.

Kurama Yeqiong's expression shifted, and Kurama Yewu's face also turned incredibly grim. Although they had already made up their minds, the brothers were all too aware of what kind of existence Konoha truly was.

The foundation of a ninja village that had emerged victorious in three Great Ninja Wars was no joke. Even the other four of the Five Great Ninja Villages were filled with trepidation toward Konoha in this era.

Let alone a clan as weak as the Kurama. If Konoha were to mobilize even a fraction of its strength, it would be a devastating, annihilating blow to the Kurama clan.

Although Kurama Yeqiong had already prepared for the worst, he had hoped to avoid a direct confrontation with Konoha's reinforcements if possible. Now, that seemed like a tall order.

"Who has come?" Despite the fear in his heart, Kurama Yeqiong, as the head of the Kurama clan, was a man who had seen his share of storms and was quick to force himself to calm down.

"Big Brother, it's a team led by Yuhi Kurenai, followed by several Chunin. It seems Nara Shikaku of the Nara clan has come as well!" Ye Yi said with an urgent look. "Big Brother, what do we do now? Konoha has sent at least two Jonin and several Chunin. Plus, that Yuhi Kurenai is one of Konoha's only genjutsu masters; the Kurama clan's threat level against her is not high."

"Oh, and Big Brother, news also came from Wuheng's side—traces of several more ninjas have been discovered. It seems Konoha's reinforcements have arrived in at least two groups!"

Kurama Yeqiong's expression was volatile, his face cycling between pale and livid.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Ye Yi, take the rest of the clansmen and retreat to rendezvous with Liu Zi. Lead the clan to leave the Land of Fire immediately. Yewu and I will go to retrieve Yun'er. Wait for us at the border until tomorrow morning; if you don't see us return by then, don't worry about us—just take the clan and flee to safety!"

"Big Brother..." Ye Yi wore a look of shock. "This..."

Beside them, Kurama Yewu looked grave, but he offered no objection to his brother's words, merely bowing his head in silence.

Watching his brother's resolute expression, Ye Yi knew his mind was made up. A flash of panic crossed his eyes, followed by a look of desolation. After a deep sigh, he said nothing more.

He simply nodded silently and said, "This younger brother understands."

Kurama Yeqiong nodded with a sense of relief and patted Ye Yi on the shoulder. "Go. Don't worry; Yewu and I will certainly bring Yun'er back safely."

Yewu, standing to the side, added with a determined expression, "Ye Yi, the Big Brother and I will definitely return. The clan is in your hands!"

Ye Yi said nothing, only nodding fiercely. He gestured, and the remaining black-robed figures present, excluding the two brothers, rose one after another.

They followed Ye Yi as he left the western suburbs, heading straight toward the border of the Land of Fire.

Watching Ye Yi gradually fade into the distance, Kurama Yeqiong's expression grew increasingly somber.

"Yewu, let's go."

"Yes, Big Brother!"

Immediately, the two identified their direction and, following the marks left by the subordinates who had tracked Ueno Kei, gave chase at high speed.

On the other side, as Ueno Kei carried the girl away, he—just as Kurama Yeqiong had anticipated—began to wonder if the enemy had accomplices.

They would surely set an ambush on the road back to Konoha or come to intercept him.

Therefore, after a moment of hesitation, Ueno Kei decided to change his route. Turning back was certainly out of the question, and heading west was even worse; this was the western suburb, and the further west he went, the further he strayed from Konoha toward the national border—a foolish move.

Turning back was impossible, west was impossible, and the direct path to the village was blocked. Only one choice remained for Ueno Kei: to head northeast.

Having made his decision, Ueno Kei tucked his Lingyu Blade into his belt, held the girl tightly on his back, and headed straight toward the northeast.

However, what Ueno Kei did not know was that he had made a fatal error. What he could think of, the enemy could certainly think of as well. Most importantly, since he knew there were several enemies, they would surely split up to intercept him. Furthermore, that Anbu had mentioned that reinforcements were already on the way.

In truth, Ueno Kei's best choice at that moment would have been to ignore everything and charge headlong toward Konoha.

Before the enemy could catch up, it was highly likely that Ueno Kei would have encountered Konoha's reinforcements, at which point he would have been safe.

Just as Ueno Kei decided to divert toward the northeast, he happened to pass right by the Third Hokage. If Ueno Kei had known that at the time, he likely would have regretted it until his guts turned green.

But Ueno Kei, who remained cautious and suspicious, moving stealthily like a thief, would never know how he had missed such a golden opportunity.

As he moved, Ueno Kei dared not make a sound, nor did he dare walk on the main roads. He knew that with his current strength, dealing with a few Genin or even an ordinary Chunin might not be a problem.

But among the four black-robed men who had appeared earlier, the other three were fine—Ueno Kei felt he could handle them. However, the burly man... although the time had been extremely short, when Ueno Kei's eyes had met those hidden beneath the black hood, Ueno Kei had felt goosebumps erupt all over his body, and he had shivered uncontrollably.

That was the feeling of absolute suppression by superior strength. That aura, that pressure—he was definitely a Jonin! At the very least, he was an elite Chunin, an existence infinitely close to the Jonin level.

That was why Ueno Kei felt he was no match for him. He didn't need to guess the fate of that Anbu.

With a troubled mind, Ueno Kei walked slowly along the cold mountain path in the night.

The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the bright moonlight shone through the layers of clouds, illuminating the forest trail.

But Ueno Kei's expression was uncertain, because he realized the girl on his back...

She was awake!

When Ueno Kei felt the movement on his back, he turned his head and found the young girl staring at him with bright, expressionless eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

Ueno Kei cursed inwardly. Damn it, what kind of trash Anbu was that? Didn't they say they were prepared and wouldn't let the target wake up?

While feeling annoyed, Ueno Kei also realized that the girl he had been carrying was the very same one he had occasionally seen by the river over the past few years. He knew he couldn't keep carrying her like this, as her eyes clearly signaled, "Put me down."

He had no choice but to set her down silently.

Although he knew that wasting time here was highly unwise, a voice in the depths of his heart told him that he had better put the girl down, or something bad would happen.

In that moment, Ueno Kei trusted his intuition.

He looked up at the girl, whom he could consider an acquaintance. With her long brown hair, bright yet lifeless eyes, and a height of about one meter, she possessed a cold, aloof temperament—she was, perhaps, the most unique girl Ueno Kei had ever met.

Ueno Kei opened his mouth, as if trying to organize his words.

The girl opposite him grew cold.

"Uncle, Third Uncle, since you've come, why bother hiding?"

The girl's voice was as melodious as a silver bell, yet it was cold and desolate, sending a chill through anyone who heard it.

"Cough, Yun'er's perception is as sharp as ever."