One Dead, Three Captured

Cold wind howled through the mountain forest at night, and the firewood crackled as it burned. Firelight cast the hollow in shifting patches of light and shadow. The camp looked peaceful, but a trap had already been laid.

Asuma and Kurenai hid in the trees on either side, holding their breath and blending into the darkness. Tsukimi lay on his side beside the campfire, relaxed and breathing evenly, as though fast asleep.

Unseen, Tsukimi had already locked onto four approaching figures through the Shadowkhan spread throughout the forest.

The four kept avoiding obstacles and moving with barely a sound. They leaked almost no Chakra the entire way, which only deepened Tsukimi's suspicions.

That practiced approach did not belong to ordinary wandering Ninja.

Rogue Ninja?

Within a minute, the four figures passed through the trees and reached the edge of the camp.

They wore dark, close-fitting clothes and no forehead protectors. Without a moment's hesitation, they ignored Tsukimi, who appeared to be asleep right in front of them. Their target was clear: Kawata Genji, behind the campfire.

Chakra flared from all four, and Tsukimi gauged their strength.

One Chunin and three Genin.

The surge of Chakra woke Kawata Genji as well. Ever since entering the Land of Rivers, he had grown increasingly anxious and hardly dared sleep at night. At the sight of four figures charging toward him, terror seized him. He scrambled backward, clutching his chest, and his desperate cry rang through the forest.

"Help! Lords Ninja, save me!"

Tsukimi opened his eyes and watched Kawata Genji flee. A cold gleam crossed his gaze. The old man had concealed plenty, but he was still their client. He could not die here.

"Now!"

At Tsukimi's command, Asuma and Kurenai struck from the trees on either side.

Clang!

Wind Release Chakra sheathed Asuma's Flying Swallow as he lunged at the Genin on the right. On the other side, Kurenai formed hand seals. Her Genjutsu took hold silently, enveloping the Genin on the left in invisible mental force.

The remaining two faced Tsukimi as he rose, advancing instead of retreating. The Chunin swung his long blade at Tsukimi from the left, wind howling around its Wind Release Chakra. The Genin beside him rushed in, fingers flashing as he threw several Shuriken to cut off Tsukimi's escape and complete the pincer attack from the right.

Tsukimi remained calm. Shadows churned beneath his feet, and more than a dozen Shadowkhan swiftly took shape and sprang at the pair.

Tsukimi thrust out his right hand. Shadows gathered again, and cold glints flashed on every side as countless Shuriken shot toward them.

Surprise flickered in the Chunin's eyes. He had never seen Ninjutsu like this, but he did not panic. His long blade cut through the Shadowkhan, scattering them wherever its edge fell. Their forms burst apart like water.

The Chunin's eyes lit up, and he attacked even more fiercely. A moment later, his expression hardened. The scattered Shadowkhan had reformed and were charging him again.

Worse, the shadow Shuriken were already upon him. As he blocked them, he realized something was wrong. The ones that touched his blade liquefied at once and raced along the steel onto his body.

His pupils contracted. The icy touch filled him with dread. He twisted aside, dodging desperately rather than risk touching another Shuriken. He tried to scrape the shadows off with his left hand, but they merely transferred from his right arm to his left.

The shadows on his body kept gathering and tightening. An endless stream of Shadowkhan closed off every path of retreat. At that, he became completely calm.

He ignored both the shadows binding him and the Shadowkhan around him. His long blade slowly lowered to his side, and he looked at Tsukimi by the campfire with cold, lifeless eyes.

Something's wrong!

Tsukimi narrowed his eyes. Sensing the danger, he immediately formed hand seals. Shadows surged up from beneath the Chunin's feet and joined those already on his body, binding him completely in an instant.

The Chunin's expression did not change. Without a trace of hesitation, he bit down hard.

Crack!

A faint sound rang out. He neither struggled nor cried out. His standing body went limp, the life fading rapidly from his eyes, and he toppled straight to the ground.

He had bitten into poison and killed himself!

Tsukimi froze for an instant. Then he had the Shadowkhan seize the remaining Genin, clamping his teeth and jaw shut so he could not do the same.

Tsukimi had not expected that. A mere C-Rank Mission had drawn a Chunin Death Soldier.

Konoha's C-Rank Missions were just like Konoha's Genin: trouble waiting to happen!

At the same time, the fighting on both sides ended.

With Flying Swallow in hand and his sharp close-combat skills, Asuma subdued his opponent after a hard fight. His chest rose and fell, and his breathing was slightly ragged.

The enemy might only have been a Genin, but he had clearly killed before. Every move carried the viciousness of a fight to the death. Asuma lacked that same ruthless edge. If not for his solid training, he would have paid dearly for it.

Kurenai had a much easier time. With the advantage of striking first with Genjutsu, she took down her opponent with almost no effort. She pinned him to the ground, a blade pressed to his throat.

Of the four attackers, one Chunin had killed himself, and all three Genin had been captured. The forest fell quiet again. Only the campfire continued to burn.

Tsukimi waved his right hand. Several Shadowkhan stepped out of the darkness and took over from Asuma and Kurenai, bringing the two Genin to him.

"Tsukimi, did you kill that Chunin?"

Asuma and Kurenai came over. Seeing the body on the ground, they asked in confusion.

"He killed himself," Tsukimi said with a wave of his hand. "There's more to this group than meets the eye. The way they infiltrated alone proves they aren't ordinary wandering Ninja."

Asuma's expression grew grave. "Could they be rogue Ninja?"

"I don't think so," Kurenai said, offering her own view.

"Tsukimi, your fight with him lasted less than a minute, didn't it? He decided that quickly that he couldn't win, then killed himself without hesitation. That's not how a rogue Ninja acts."

"Death Soldiers!" Asuma realized, the words coming slowly. Then he frowned. "What does our client have that would draw Death Soldiers here?"

Kawata Genji had returned to the campfire, but he was trembling all over, his face pale. Tsukimi's knowing glance made him even more uneasy.

Tsukimi did not confront him yet. They still had a lead, and the priority was getting the three prisoners to talk.

Tsukimi gave a soft laugh and turned to Kurenai Yuhi. "No rush. We'll take them one at a time. Kurenai, use Genjutsu to interrogate them."

"Got it!"