A Signal Flare Rose, a Sliver of Hope for the Sacrificial Pawns

Jin Uchiha's brows knotted together.

Four thousand ninja were bearing down on them like a tidal wave. Anyone facing that would have their heart in their throat. Who had time to hold anything back?

They were about to lose their lives.

His mind raced, and less than two seconds later, he gave his answer.

"Since you guys trust me, I'll be straight with you."

"Fire the Signal Flare."

As he finished, his gaze locked onto Shin Kudo.

Shin Kudo froze, sweat streaming down his forehead. His lips trembled as he squeezed out an explanation.

"They've got four thousand people. Wouldn't firing a Signal Flare be the same as telling them exactly where we're hiding?"

Kazama Nara hesitated.

But he still shifted closer to Jin Uchiha.

"We chose to trust Jin. That means we follow his orders, not debate them."

"Once the fighting starts, arguing gets people killed."

The words were blunt, but Shin Kudo knew they were right.

Yet the thought of the Signal Flare exposing their position made his back feel as though it had been plunged into ice water.

His knees went weak.

He clamped his mouth shut. Kazama Nara was about to try persuading him again, but Jin Uchiha raised a hand to stop him.

He stared at Shin Kudo and laid it out plainly.

"Let me walk you through it."

"First, the enemy has over four thousand men. We can't let the Hidden Mist tighten the noose without a fight, or we'll have even less chance of surviving."

"Once we fire the Signal Flare, the Front Lines camp will know it needs to act. They can tie down more of the enemy for us."

"The more Hidden Mist ninja the Front Lines hold up, the more breathing room we get. If the Front Lines collapse without taking a good chunk out of them, all four thousand will come straight at us."

"After we fire the Signal Flare, the three of us run like hell and find some out-of-the-way spot to hide."

"Then we fight a guerrilla war."

"We keep moving across the Land of Whirlpools and never use the same hiding spot twice."

"We avoid large forces and kill any small, isolated squads we run into."

"That's the only way we can buy more time."

"The village's intelligence network isn't just for show. Before long, word that something's wrong here will reach them."

"Our only chance is to hold out long enough for the village to react and send troops."

"That's the best plan I can come up with."

Kazama Nara was quick on the uptake.

Halfway through, he had already realized that this plan was the only lifeline they could grab right now.

Shin Kudo was no idiot either.

He nodded immediately, voicing his agreement over and over.

"I'm in!"

"Good. Then we're on the same page." Jin Uchiha tucked his chin, his tone growing firmer.

"You heard what Kazama said. Once the real fighting starts, I won't have time to explain things to you."

"So you need to take what happened today to heart, Captain."

"If you trust me, trust me all the way."

"Don't start second-guessing me in the middle of a fight. Even a moment's hesitation could get all three of us killed."

Shin Kudo nodded again and again.

This time, Shinichi truly took every single word to heart.

He hastily offered a string of assurances, then apologized for his earlier doubts.

Watching this, Kazama Nara finally felt some of the tension ease.

Not bad.

They were only a hastily assembled team of cannon fodder, with no bond forged through life-and-death struggles.

Fortunately, Jin Uchiha could keep things under control.

In barely a moment, he had brought them all together.

That raised their chances of getting home alive another notch.

As he considered this, his gaze drifted toward the Uchiha again, and another inward complaint surfaced.

How was this guy anything like an Uchiha?

He was practically a member of the Nara Household.

And just like that, the decision was made.

With a wave from Jin Uchiha, captain of the reorganized Team Seven, the Signal Flare was fired.

Whoosh!

A streak of light tore across the sky and burst into a dazzling flare.

The three had already agreed on their route. They turned and slipped silently into the depths of the woods to their left.

And Itsuki Ishikawa?

Who the hell was that?

Sorry.

Without a word, all three erased him completely from their minds.

About ten minutes later.

More than fifty Hidden Mist ninja arrived. Leading them was Jinin Akebino, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The Bluntsword Kabutowari on his back was a chilling sight.

They surrounded the entire grove in an airtight cordon.

"Lord Jonin."

"Our sensory ninja confirmed that the Signal Flare was fired from here."

"Hidden Mist Squad Twenty-Seven was wiped out here. Two were stabbed to death with Kunai, and the remaining one was covered in signs of torture."

"At this point, we can be fairly certain the Hidden Leaf knows our plan."

"There's a Hidden Leaf sentry post five hundred meters farther to the left."

Jinin Akebino's gaze darkened dangerously.

After hearing his subordinate's report, he wasted no words and issued an order.

"Search that Hidden Leaf shack. See if you can dig up anything useful."

The Hidden Mist ninja gave a muted acknowledgment.

They moved swiftly, arriving at Sentry Post Twenty-Seven before long.

Jinin Akebino casually raised a hand, and a Hidden Mist squad stormed inside.

Itsuki Ishikawa, still sleeping like the dead, was dragged from his bed and flung onto the ground like a dead dog.

Who am I?

Where is this?

What happened?

Itsuki Ishikawa's mind was a muddle as he struggled to pry his eyes open.

He looked.

The sight of some fifty Hidden Mist ninja nearly made him wet himself.

"You... I..."

It felt as though a wad of cotton had clogged his throat. He trembled for ages without managing a complete sentence.

That was the sort of man he was.

In front of Jin Uchiha and the others, he could throw his weight around more than anyone. He knew that no matter how unhappy they were, they would never dare actually kill him.

But things were different now.

These Hidden Mist ninja really could twist his head off.

One glance at him was enough to turn Jinin Akebino's stomach.

Ninja despised spineless cowards like this most of all.

Without a word, he stepped forward and slapped Itsuki Ishikawa so hard that bloody spittle sprayed from his mouth and two teeth flew out.

"If you know what's good for you, start talking."

"Who are your teammates, and which way did they run?"

"Spill every last scrap of information you know."

Itsuki Ishikawa's head rang.

He was utterly stunned.

Facing the ferocious Jinin Akebino and the surrounding gazes that looked ready to tear him apart alive, he crumbled.

All that swagger he had built up back in the Hidden Leaf was fucking worthless.

He immediately poured out everything he knew, holding nothing back.

It was only because the Hidden Mist didn't have time to spare.

Otherwise, he probably would have confessed to wetting the bed at three and climbing a wall at five to peep at a widow bathing.

After listening, Jinin Akebino casually waved a hand.

A ninja beside him stepped forward, clutching a Kunai.

Itsuki Ishikawa was scared out of his wits.

"I told you everything! Why are you still killing me?"

"Spare me!"

"..."