Before long, Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha were forced to come down from the tree.
A black-haired ninja appeared before them, his flak jacket soaked in blood and his head hanging too low for them to make out his face.
"We were attacked back there. Requesting support..."
Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha exchanged a glance, both thinking this was more trouble.
But the newcomer wore a Konoha Forehead Protector. As Konoha Ninja themselves, they couldn't simply ignore him.
They carried the injured black-haired ninja into the bushes to hide him. Zou Hyuga used Medical Ninjutsu to treat his wounds, while Oto Uchiha stood on a tree trunk, keeping watch over their surroundings.
A firm believer in caution, Zou Hyuga had studied Medical Ninjutsu and was reasonably skilled at it.
Back at the Ninja Academy, he had heard that medical ninja were protected by the other members of their squad, so he had made time to practice Medical Ninjutsu.
As for whether enemies would target a medical ninja first?
If he didn't announce it himself, how would the enemy know he was one?
A few minutes later, with the help of Medical Ninjutsu, the ninja coughed up some clotted blood, and his complexion improved considerably.
"Who are you?" the Konoha Ninja asked, looking at Zou Hyuga after coughing up the blood.
"We're Genin out on a mission!"
Zou Hyuga spoke before Oto could, stressing the word "Genin." He had already taken a risk to save this ninja and had no desire to get dragged into any more bizarre trouble.
"So you're only Genin?" The black-haired ninja sat up, then pulled a Sealing Scroll from inside his jacket.
"If you're Genin, you won't be able to withstand the next attack... so please deliver this intelligence to the old... Lord Third."
"Until then, I'll do everything I can to buy you time."
With that, the black-haired ninja stood, took out a pair of oddly shaped swords, and headed toward the enemy behind them.
Zou Hyuga stared blankly at the scroll he had just been handed.
What was going on?
Why had he suddenly been saddled with an intelligence delivery mission-and one involving at least several enemy ninja?
This was at least a B-rank mission. No, at least A-rank!
Could a Genin like him really complete it?
Despite his inward complaints, Zou Hyuga understood that he no longer had a choice.
As far as the enemy was concerned, he and Oto would both be considered companions of that black-haired ninja simply because they were here.
In other words, he had to see this mission through.
With that thought, Zou Hyuga called after the retreating black-haired ninja, "Don't worry. I'll get the intelligence back to Konoha. Just focus on buying us time."
The black-haired ninja glanced back at Zou Hyuga, looking reassured. Perhaps this was his moment to demonstrate his resolve.
Then he resolutely drew his twin swords, ready to stop the enemy's advance with his own body.
Just then, however, the pursuing enemies circled around behind them. A large group of bronze-skinned Cloud Ninja appeared before them, surrounding Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha.
Surveying the Kumogakure ninja around them, Oto Uchiha murmured to Zou Hyuga.
"We're deep in the Land of Fire. Where did all these Kumogakure ninja come from...?"
Zou Hyuga nodded, his gaze settling on the Cloud Ninja who appeared to be their captain. The burly man held an enormous sword and looked like serious trouble-at least a Chunin, if not a Jonin.
Then questions arose.
What were they here for?
Although the war between Kumogakure and Konoha had yet to end, the days of large-scale battles were long past.
What exactly was a Kumogakure force this size trying to accomplish by infiltrating deep into the Land of Fire?
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Zou Hyuga noticed that the lead Kumogakure ninja was staring at him-or, more precisely, at the sealed intelligence in his hand.
The other Cloud Ninja gradually turned their gazes toward him too, until every eye was on Zou Hyuga.
What kind of intelligence warranted mobilizing so many people?
Zou Hyuga had no idea, but the Cloud Ninja began moving, slowly closing in on him.
"Run! You mustn't let Kumogakure get that intelligence..."
The black-haired ninja returned, shouting as he brought his hands up to form Hand Seals.
Well, thanks a lot!
Zou Hyuga glanced at the black-haired ninja, grumbling inwardly. If not for all his shouting, he might have been able to slip away in the confusion and complete the intelligence delivery for him.
"Hand over the intelligence, and don't try anything..." the Cloud Ninja captain called out, worried that it might be damaged.
"If I hand it over, will you let us go?"
Zou Hyuga's question made the Cloud Ninja captain pause. Did Konoha really have spineless cowards like this?
"You can't hand it over!" the black-haired ninja said firmly, staring at Zou Hyuga in disbelief.
Ignoring him, Zou Hyuga continued speaking to the Cloud Ninja. "I'll hand over the intelligence, so could you let us go...?"
The Cloud Ninja captain rubbed his chin and considered it briefly, then noticed the pale green mark on Zou Hyuga's forehead.
It was the mark of Konoha's Hyuga Branch Family, proof that he could never betray Konoha.
"Hyuga Branch Family! You're stalling for time!" the Cloud Ninja captain roared.
"You guessed right..." Zou Hyuga nodded lightly, then called to the side, "Oto, is everything ready?"
"It's ready."
Oto Uchiha emerged from the tree trunk and landed beside Zou Hyuga.
"What preparations? Reinforcements? You've been playing us!"
The Cloud Ninja captain flushed with anger. His opponent had actually been stalling for time.
As though sensing what the captain was thinking, Zou Hyuga sighed and muttered, "If it weren't for the Caged Bird Seal, I'd have defected long ago. Doesn't the Land of Iron sound much better?"
The Land of Iron was a nation of samurai that strictly maintained its neutrality-the place Zou Hyuga dreamed of living.
There was no war there, and no ninja. It was the perfect place to survive until the finale.
As those thoughts passed through his mind, the Cloud Ninja sprang into action, vanishing from their positions with sharp swishes and lunging toward Zou Hyuga.
Their captain led the charge, his enormous sword seemingly wreathed in lightning.
He really was a tough one to deal with.
Zou Hyuga extended both hands and took a Gentle Fist stance, veins gradually bulging at the sides of his eyes.
His Gentle Fist skills were passable by Hyuga Clan standards. He had personally verified that not a single clan member under ten could beat him.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
Zou Hyuga roared and charged at the Kumogakure captain. Whatever could be said of his power, he certainly looked imposing.
Apparently wary of the Gentle Fist, the Cloud Ninja captain retreated a few steps. The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was renowned throughout the shinobi world. Better to be careful; letting Zou get close would spell trouble.
Just then, Zou Hyuga abruptly stopped. An Explosive Tag floated out of his sleeve and flew straight ahead.
"Eight Trigrams Explosive Vacuum Palm!"
With that shout, the Explosive Tag ignited in a violent explosion. Following the trajectory of the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, the flames engulfed the Cloud Ninja captain.
Boom!
The explosion was brief. Once the dust cleared, the Cloud Ninja captain stood with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes fixed on Zou Hyuga.
The Explosive Tag had seriously injured him. More importantly, the Hyuga ninja before him had tricked him into making the wrong judgment.
Remaining on guard, the Cloud Ninja captain stepped forward, preparing to close in-only to notice a sudden glow beneath his feet.
It was the telltale flash of an Explosive Tag about to detonate!
Boom!
The Cloud Ninja captain dodged, but the flames still engulfed his lower leg. He tried to land somewhere else, only to find more flashing Explosive Tags below, along with traps rigged with a dense web of fine steel wire.
The traps were triggered.
In an instant, an unbroken chain of explosions engulfed that stretch of forest.
The black-haired ninja stared at Zou Hyuga, dumbfounded. "That wasn't an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm just now. It was an Explosive Tag, wasn't it? And why did you use so many Explosive Tags?"
Zou Hyuga shook his head, refusing to admit it. "No. That was my original technique, the Eight Trigrams Explosive Vacuum Palm."
Before you continue