Bait

Fugaku looked up. The rain was growing heavier again, and thick clouds pressed down on the world.

"Find somewhere to shelter as soon as possible," Fugaku said. "Everyone's wounds need attention."

Medical Ninjutsu was still scarce in the Shinobi World. Tsunade's Medical Reform did not yet exist even as a concept; it was only a vague idea. It would be several years before Medical Ninja appeared on the battlefield.

Kikaichū swarmed around Aburame Nozawa, carrying news from the surrounding area. Hyuga Ning kept his Byakugan active, searching for a suitable place to stop.

The twelve of them moved swiftly. Aburame Nozawa found a well-hidden refuge.

A flat-topped mountain stood amid a jumble of rocks. Half of it had collapsed, but the other half remained, making it an excellent hiding place.

The twelve entered the cave one after another and headed deeper inside. Half the cave lay open to the sky, allowing them to scout while looking out at the rain. The other half offered shelter and concealment.

Fugaku sat on a rock and quickly tended his wound. Red Rock had been caught in Genjutsu at the time, throwing off everything he saw, so the cut he had made was shallow.

Satomaru and Yamada Shinji were more seriously injured. Perhaps the Stone shinobi they had faced had simply been too strong. Neither could move strenuously for the time being.

Having a Medical Ninja on the team really is necessary.

Fugaku took out the mission scroll again. It clearly ordered them to operate in the northwest of the Land of Rain and kill every shinobi who did not belong to their village.

It was a straightforward mission to kill enemy forces and wear down the strength of the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Rain.

Fugaku had used up half his Kunai and Shuriken in today's battle. After one more fight, he would have to return to Forward Camp for supplies. Satomaru and Yamada Shinji also needed to go back to camp to recover.

For two days, all twelve stayed in the cave to recuperate. Fugaku's arm was no longer much of a problem.

"Nozawa, send out your Kikaichū and watch for movement around us," Fugaku said. "This time, we won't fight head-on. We'll set traps and ambush the enemy once they enter them. Yamada Shinji, Satomaru, you two will harass them."

Fugaku spread out the map, and everyone gathered around. Pointing to a jumble of rocks, he said, "We're here, at Half-Moon Mountain. The local civilians call it that because only half the flat-topped mountain remains.

"Three thousand meters south of Half-Moon Mountain is a main road. Civilians and shinobi from the Land of Rain both use it. This jumble of rocks is five hundred meters from the road, in an excellent position.

"We'll set traps here. Nozawa and I will draw the enemy in. The traps will hit them first, then we'll ambush them for a second strike.

"Qiuze Danye, after we set the traps, use your Sealing Jutsu as well. Don't let the enemy spot anything suspicious."

"Don't worry, Captain," Qiuze Danye said. "Konoha's Sealing Jutsu is the best among the Five Great Nations. They're far behind us. They won't notice a thing."

Fugaku nodded. On that point, he believed him. The Land of Whirlpools still existed, and its more advanced Sealing Jutsu had not yet spread beyond its borders. But that would change soon.

Within a few years, a major nation would grow dissatisfied with the Sealing Jutsu available to it and make a move against the Land of Whirlpools.

After two days without leaving the cave, Fugaku stepped out into the rain. The sky remained gloomy, but the open air lifted his spirits.

Fugaku checked the map to get their bearings, and the group set off.

The jumble of rocks was indeed a good place for traps. Ordinary mechanical traps were useless against agile shinobi. At most, they could draw attention or catch novices who had only just become shinobi.

The traps' real power would come from the Explosive Tags buried underground. A chain of Explosive Traps could inflict enormous damage.

"Find places to hide," Fugaku said. "Nozawa, come with me. Use your Kikaichū to locate nearby enemies."

The two set out through the Land of Rain. Ahead lay the main road marked on the map. People from the Land of Rain were not its only users; shinobi from other countries sometimes used it to get their bearings as they traveled alongside it.

Fugaku and Aburame Nozawa hid among some rocks that offered cover but would be easy to notice. The rocks concealed them completely, yet stood alone. Anyone passing by would inspect them carefully for an ambush.

The two relied on Kikaichū to watch for enemies. They kept their bodies hidden, only occasionally peeking out from the rocks to look around. They appeared to be complete novices.

Disguise was a skill every shinobi needed to learn. A convincing act could lower an enemy's guard.

"A squad of Stone shinobi is approaching from the north," Nozawa said. "Twelve in all."

Fugaku nodded and peered out. From a distance, their position was well concealed and not easily spotted.

There were indeed twelve of them, though they looked as if they had just come from a battle.

Faint voices carried across the distance, but Fugaku could not make out the words.

The rocks stood out too much to go unnoticed.

"Blue Rock, check those rocks ahead," someone among the Stone shinobi said. "See if anyone's hiding there."

The speaker was the squad's captain, Qing Modo, an Iwagakure Jonin. Blue Rock was a younger member of his clan. Under his careful training over the past few years, Blue Rock had improved rapidly.

He was one of the clan's rising talents.

"Yes, Captain."

Blue Rock had barely moved when two figures leaped from the rocks. Fugaku flicked both hands, sending several Shuriken at Blue Rock along strange, curving paths.

Luring an enemy required care. Otherwise, they might suspect an ambush and abandon the chase.

The Shuriken came from odd angles, but Blue Rock had earned his reputation. He drew the Short Sword from his back and knocked every one of them aside.

The Stone shinobi behind him had not expected a routine check to flush out two Konoha shinobi. More than ten of them hurled weapons at once.

Fugaku sensed the movement behind him and twisted in midair. His Sharingan tracked the incoming weapons, its keen perception laying every trajectory bare.

He swept his Kunai around himself, knocking the weapons away. For a moment, the dense clatter of colliding metal filled the air.

Seizing an opening, he pulled a small scroll from his Ninja Tool Pouch and tossed it to Aburame Nozawa. "Go! This is top-secret Iwagakure intelligence. Make sure it gets back safely."

They had planned this on the way here. If two shinobi simply appeared out of nowhere, the enemy would suspect they were bait for an ambush.

But now that the two seemed to have obtained important Iwagakure intelligence through considerable effort, the enemy would at least have to seize it and determine whether it was genuine.

Otherwise, their comrades might suspect them of colluding with spies. Across the Shinobi World, nations would rather kill an innocent person than let a spy go free. A single piece of intelligence from one spy could decide a war.