Trap

The northwestern part of the Land of Rain was mainly Stone shinobi territory, and Stone shinobi often clashed with Rain shinobi there.

The Rain shinobi mostly sought to drive them out, so casualties on both sides remained low. Even Hanzō, for all his nerve, would not be the first to start an all-out war while facing three great nations that had yet to commit their full strength.

After all, Hanzō was only called a demigod. He was not one.

"Hyuga Ning, Aburame Nozawa," Fugaku Uchiha said. "At first, we'll focus on finding Rain shinobi. Fighting them will help the team learn to work together and give our new member time to adjust."

"Captain, I've already adjusted to fighting as a ninja," Yamamoto Isuke said. "Please don't hold back the whole team because of me."

Fugaku glanced at Yamamoto Isuke's youthful face. His resolve as a ninja was sound, but his thinking was a little simple.

"You're underestimating the Rain shinobi," Fugaku said. "Under Hanzō's leadership, Amegakure's fighting strength has steadily approached that of the Five Great Nations. If the Land of Rain weren't so small, there would be six great nations by now.

"Besides, we're seeking out Rain shinobi to build your teamwork. Their aim is still to drive intruders away, so they won't necessarily fight to the death the moment we meet. If we go straight after Stone shinobi squads, we could lose people before we've learned to work together.

"As captain, I have to make sure we complete the mission, but I'm also responsible for your lives. Some people see ninja as tools for killing and seizing power. To me, every one of you is a living person. I won't stand by and watch a teammate die."

Fugaku's words left the team silent. Warmth spread through them. From the moment they became ninja, they had been prepared to die in battle, but no one had ever said anything like that to them.

"I was wrong, Captain," Yamamoto Isuke said. "I'll work hard to adjust to fighting on the battlefield. I won't hold the team back."

Fugaku nodded and said no more. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the light rain turned into a thundershower, then a downpour.

It rained year-round in the Land of Rain, but downpours like this were uncommon.

Even in raincoats, the others were soaked through. Visibility had fallen sharply; everywhere they looked, rain struck the ground and threw up mist.

"Find somewhere to shelter," Fugaku Uchiha said. "We can't travel in this weather. It would only add to the danger."

Hyuga Ning nodded. In the torrential rain, Aburame Nozawa's Kikaichū were of little use; they could barely fly. Inuzuka Maru's sense of smell was almost useless too, blocked by the rain.

Hyuga Ning suddenly raised a hand. "There's a trap ahead, but I don't see any ninja lying in ambush nearby."

Hyuga Ning hurled a Kunai toward one spot. Several huge stone spikes shot out. Fugaku activated his Sharingan and scanned the area. The rain had washed over many traces that ordinary eyes would never have spotted.

"Fall back for now," Fugaku said. "This could be a chain of traps. It won't be that simple. Hyuga Ning, check beneath our feet."

Hyuga Ning nodded and looked down. Through the layers of soil, he saw Explosive Tags buried at intervals, stretching all the way beneath them.

"There are Explosive Tags right under us!" Hyuga Ning shouted.

"Shinji, use Earth Moving Core to raise the ground," Fugaku Uchiha said. "Everyone else, gather around me. We'll get above the blast."

Ahead of them, the stone spikes hurtled through the air and slammed into a rocky hill. Even in the pouring rain, the scraping stone struck a spark.

Boom!

The explosion came from the rocky hill nearby. It raced toward them, reaching the group in the blink of an eye.

Yamada Shinji formed hand signs and slammed his hands against the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Moving Core!"

The ground shook beneath them. Cracks opened into a square trench, and the block of earth within it rose, carrying everyone clear of the Explosive Tags.

"Release the Ninjutsu," Fugaku said, looking at the ground now that the explosions had stopped. "Those blasts were much louder than the rain. They may draw a lot of enemies. We'll retreat for now, change direction, and keep moving."

He had been careless. If they had walked into the trap, the sudden attack from the stone spikes would have scattered them. Once the Explosive Tags beneath them went off, the whole squad could have suffered heavy losses.

The mission had not even begun. If someone on the squad died already, certain people would be only too happy to spread ugly rumors.

The team quickly changed course and left the area. Hyuga Ning kept his Byakugan active, while Fugaku Uchiha kept his Three-Tomoe Sharingan active.

Their fields of vision complemented each other, leaving no corner unchecked as they guarded against another trap.

"Fugaku, there's a gorge ahead," Hyuga Ning said. "There's a cave inside it. We can shelter there."

A great river ran along the bottom of the gorge. Fugaku guessed it flowed straight to the sea. The Land of Rain must have several such rivers; otherwise, the constant rain would have flooded the entire country long ago.

An opening high on the gorge wall led into the cave. Several Kikaichū flew from Aburame Nozawa's hand and entered it.

"There's no one inside. It's safe to go in," Nozawa said after receiving word from his Kikaichū.

The twelve filed in. The cave was vast, like a cavern, with stone columns connecting the floor and ceiling in many places.

One side of the cave led toward ground level, while the other opened onto the gorge wall. Fugaku took off his outer raincoat and spread it over a rock.

From the side nearest the gorge wall, he could see the rushing river below and the rain pouring down.

The team members found places to sit and recover their strength.

Fugaku gazed at the river below, lost in thought.

"As a newly promoted Chunin," Hyuga Ning said, "you need to be more cautious than the rest of us if you want to survive this war. There'll be plenty of brutal fights ahead."

"Thank you for the advice," Yamamoto Isuke said. "I'll be more careful. Today's trap taught me a lesson: danger is everywhere."

Inuzuka Maru sat on a rock, stroking his ninja dog. Now and then, he took out a piece of dried meat and fed it to him.

Fugaku looked at Inuzuka Maru's dog. "What's his name? He's beautiful."

The dog really was beautiful. His coat was white except for a patch of blue on his back. He was large-boned, with powerful legs, and clearly strong enough to carry someone at a run.

Inuzuka Maru smiled at Fugaku Uchiha's praise. "His name is Lanmaru, after the blue fur on his back. He's my closest companion, someone I'd trust with my life."

Fugaku nodded. He understood. That bond was the foundation of the Inuzuka clan. They ate and played with their ninja dogs from childhood, building a bond before going into battle together as ninja.