"Were they here to ambush us?"
Sarutobi Hiri hid in the shadows and watched the group of Sunagakure ninja. They were heading straight toward where his team was hiding. How had their hiding place been discovered? He scrutinized the people around him.
He suspected there was a traitor among them. Sarutobi Hiri was not the only one with that thought; the others beside him eyed one another warily as well. The mission was top secret, so there should have been no risk of it leaking through other channels.
Setting aside the least likely suspects, Uchiha Yū and Hatake Sakumo, Sarutobi Hiri drew a kunai and looked at the others. "Everyone, I hope there isn't a traitor in our team."
Yet what happened next dispelled his doubts. Once the Sunagakure ninja reached the forested mountains, they began splitting up rather than moving to surround them.
With the possibility of a traitor ruled out, another possibility surfaced in Sarutobi Hiri's mind.
"There isn't a traitor among us."
"The Sunagakure ninja must have come to this area while searching for something..."
It could only be called a coincidence. Their arrival made it impossible to carry out the plan. The surrounding ninja gathered together, clearing up one another's suspicions. One of them said anxiously, "Mr. Yū didn't give us much time, and now a group of Sunagakure ninja has appeared..."
"We can't expose the plan."
Knowing how much the plan would affect the arrangements to come, Sarutobi Hiri took a deep breath and continued, "Prepare to kill them all here. Also, notify Mr. Yū and have him make preparations. The plan has changed."
One ninja stepped out from the group and immediately went back to inform Uchiha Yū that enemies were approaching.
The remaining ninja took Sarutobi Hiri as their captain and followed his