Ambush on the Road

"A squad of twelve Konoha shinobi won't be easy to attack. Killing just the Sunset Family's Clan Head would cause some confusion, but it wouldn't make too much of a stir.

"But if the Konoha shinobi tie us down, the three of us could easily be exposed. We'd be better off striking along the road from the Sunset Family to the Daimyo Palace," Uchiha Fujimoto said.

The other two nodded, and all three quietly withdrew.

Out on the street, they activated their Sharingan and surveyed their surroundings.

"At this intersection, we'll plant Explosive Tags," Fujimoto said. "Once the Sunset Family's Clan Head passes through, we'll detonate them and create chaos.

"We'll kill him in the confusion, then blend into the fleeing crowds and leave the Capital."

"Good."

A stack of Explosive Tags appeared in Fujimoto's hand. The three had prepared thoroughly for this mission outside the village.

Fujimoto buried the Explosive Tags on both sides of the street and concealed them with a simple Sealing Jutsu. Footsteps alone would not set them off; it would take a violent shock or a direct hit from a ninja.

The night passed. The next morning, the three disguised themselves as ordinary civilians and walked along the road from the Sunset Family to the Daimyo Palace.

As time went by, the streets grew steadily busier.

The three separated among the crowd, each taking up a position at a street corner as they waited.

A sedan chair carried by four people appeared in the distance. A ninja wearing a Konoha forehead protector walked beside it, with eight samurai following behind.

Takigawa studied the Konoha Jonin escorting the chair. Tanakamaru was proficient in Fire Release and Earth Release, but his strength was merely average for a Konoha Jonin.

Even without his Sharingan, Takigawa could kill him