Sneak Attack

Early the next morning, the members of Team 7 gathered at Konoha's east gate.

Naruto carried a ninja-tool pouch even more bulging than usual, stuffed full of the "secret weapons" he considered necessary.

Sakura looked a little nervous, smoothing the bangs over her forehead from time to time, though her gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward Sasuke, who stood silently to the side.

Sasuke still wore that cold expression. His short black hair stirred slightly in the morning breeze, his arms were folded across his chest, and his sharp gaze swept the surroundings as if watching for any potential threat.

After his conversation with Izumi the night before, there seemed to be a subtle shift in his state of mind, but it did not show on his face. Only the icy aura that kept others at a distance had drawn in slightly.

Duanmu had arrived at the meeting point ten minutes early. He carefully checked the items in his ninja-tool pouch: kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, a medical kit, and some spare rations and water.

Seeing Naruto practically itching to get moving, he shook his head helplessly, walked over, and patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Naruto, don't get too excited. Stay alert. A C-rank mission isn't that much harder than a D-rank, but the situation in the Land of Waves is special. We can't afford to be careless."

"I know, I know!" Naruto waved him off impatiently, but he still subconsciously reined in some of his outward excitement. "I'm the man who's going to become Hokage. How could I make a low-level mistake like that?"

Just then, Kakashi's leisurely figure appeared at the end of the street. As always, he arrived right on the dot, his steps lazy, as if he were heading to the park for a stroll rather than going out on a mission.

"Yo, looks like everyone's here." He yawned, his gaze sweeping over the four of them. "You all seem in good spirits. That's good."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto immediately crowded over, his face full of anticipation. "When are we leaving? And where's that Mr. Tazuna?"

Kakashi pointed to a middle-aged man not far behind him. The man wore plain work clothes, his skin was dark, his hands were covered in calluses, and his face was etched with the marks of weather and hardship. He was looking at them somewhat awkwardly.

"That's Mr. Tazuna."

Hearing Kakashi's introduction, Tazuna hurried forward and bowed deeply to the four young members of Team 7, his voice hoarse and earnest. "Ninja of Konoha, thank you for your hard work! My name is Tazuna. This time, I'll be counting on you to escort me back to the Land of Waves!" He bent very low at the waist, his tone filled with gratitude, even carrying a trace of tension that was hard to notice.

Naruto looked at the ordinary middle-aged man in front of him, scratched his head, and asked in some confusion, "Escorting a bridge builder? This is a C-rank mission? It doesn't sound like that big a deal."

Sakura also felt a little puzzled. In her impression, C-rank missions usually involved conflicts with bandits or low-level rogue ninja. A simple escort seemed a bit too easy.

Duanmu, however, keenly noticed the flicker of worry in Tazuna's eyes, as well as the way those callused hands were trembling slightly.

He observed Tazuna without changing expression, thinking to himself, Sure enough, just like in the original, this Tazuna must be hiding something. The Land of Waves mission definitely won't be as simple as it looks on the surface.

It was just that he remembered Tazuna seeming rather arrogant in the original.

Kakashi walked to Tazuna's side, patted his shoulder, and said in an even tone, "Mr. Tazuna, you understand the conditions on the road better than we do. We'll need your guidance for the trip ahead. Let's move out."

"Yes, yes!" Tazuna quickly replied, turning to lead the way out of the village.

The four members of Team 7 followed closely behind. Naruto walked at the very front, glancing back from time to time, looking excited and a little impatient. Sakura and Sasuke walked side by side in the middle. Sakura would occasionally ask Sasuke something in a low voice, but most of the time Sasuke only gave a cold "Mm," and only rarely responded with a few extra words.

Duanmu walked at the rear, paying attention to the conditions of Tazuna and his companions ahead while keeping a wary eye on the surrounding environment.

When they passed a puddle, Duanmu knew this was the first key point of conflict in the plot.

His steps paused slightly, and his gaze fell on the muddy puddle. The surface reflected the morning sky and the hurried figures of the group, calm and rippleless, yet it seemed to foreshadow the undercurrents about to surge.

Sure enough, not long after Team 7 and Tazuna had passed the puddle, the hand Kakashi had originally kept in his pocket suddenly moved. He did not turn around. He only spoke in an extremely calm tone that nevertheless carried an unquestionable command. "Stop."

Naruto and Sakura were both stunned, stopping in confusion.

Sasuke's body instantly went taut, his gaze sharp as a blade as he warily swept the surroundings. He could sense a faint killing intent coming from behind them, cold and dangerous.

Duanmu understood at once. He did not enter battle mode as immediately as Sasuke did, but quietly placed his hand on the ninja-tool pouch at his waist while using the corner of his eye to observe Tazuna's reaction. Sure enough, Tazuna's body clearly stiffened, his steps subconsciously quickened, and a trace of panic flashed across his face before he quickly forced himself to stay calm.

"What is it, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked in confusion. He had not sensed anything unusual yet.

Kakashi did not answer Naruto's question. He slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the area they had just passed. Aside from an ordinary country road and the dense woods on both sides, there did not seem to be anything special there.

"Come out," Kakashi said, his voice not loud, yet clearly carrying to every corner around them. "Since you're already here, there's no need to keep hiding."

As soon as he finished speaking, several figures emerged from the puddles all around them. Their movements were swift, muddy water dripping from their black night clothes. They held katana that flashed with cold light, and vicious masks covered their faces as they surrounded Team 7 and Tazuna.

Their auras were steady and murderous. They were clearly not ordinary bandits or thugs.

"Looks like our 'simple' escort mission just got interesting." Kakashi's voice still carried that lazy drawl, but his eyes had already turned sharp as a hawk's, locked tightly onto the masked man in the lead.

Naruto was startled by the sudden turn of events, but what followed immediately was excitement. "So they're finally here! Are they enemies?" He yanked off his forehead protector and tied it around his forehead, taking a fighting stance.

Sakura's face went pale, and she instinctively stepped back, hiding between Sasuke and Duanmu. Though she had plenty of theoretical knowledge, she had almost no practical combat experience. Faced with a situation like this, it was inevitable that she would feel afraid.

Sasuke's eyes were icy. His hands rapidly formed seals, and his body leaned slightly forward, ready to attack at any moment. He could feel that these enemies were far stronger than ordinary genin, and might even have reached chunin level.

Duanmu's gaze fell on the masked men's feet—they had emerged from the puddles, yet had left no clear footprints on the dry ground. Clearly, they had some skill in chakra control.

He said quietly to Sakura beside him, "Sakura, stay behind me. Don't run around. Focus on protecting Mr. Tazuna."

"Mm... okay." Sakura nodded hard, trying to calm herself down.

By now, Tazuna's face had completely lost its color, and his body was shaking like a sieve. He shrank his neck down, not daring to look at the masked men, and murmured, "They're here... They still found me..."

The masked man in the lead took a step forward, pointing the katana in his hand at Kakashi. "Ninja of Konoha? I advise you not to meddle. Hand over that bridge builder, and we can spare your lives."

Filtered through the mask, his voice sounded muffled and hoarse.

The corner of Kakashi's mouth curved into a mocking smile. "Oh? Spare our lives? I'd like to see who's sparing whom." He slowly raised his right hand, his index finger pointing at the masked men. "Leave now, and you still have time."

"Courting death!" the leading masked man shouted angrily, then suddenly waved his hand. "Attack!"

In an instant, several masked men launched their attack at the same time. Their figures moved like lightning, and the katana in their hands cut through the air with sharp whistles as they slashed at Kakashi and the three genin of Team 7 separately, intending to end the fight quickly.

"Naruto, Sasuke, protect yourselves and Sakura!" As Kakashi's voice rang out, his figure had already vanished from where he stood.