"Where is that explosion coming from?" Chao Tsuenai jumped down from the tree, landing beside Uenome, and asked with a frown.
"Over there!" Ueno pointed in the direction of the blast, speaking solemnly: "It must be someone signaling us with an explosive tag. Chao, I'll head there to assess the situation. You return to the camp and regroup with Keita Hyuga and Hoshinohara. Remember, no matter what happens, the three of you must stay together."
"Got it!"
After rushing back to the camp, Chao found Keita Hyuga and Hoshinohara waiting for him. He quickly relayed the orders, "Ueno-sensei has gone ahead. I'm here to get you. We'll head there together."
"Alright! Let's move!" Keita nodded, forming the hand seal for the Byakugan, activating his enhanced vision. "Byakugan!"
Keita's eyes narrowed as he focused on the distance. "It's Sand Shinobi... around twelve of them," he reported.
"Twelve?!" Hoshinohara exclaimed, startled.
The three were shocked that so many Sand Shinobi had infiltrated the Land of Fire without being detected by Konoha. It was baffling. Could Konoha's intelligence have missed such an important detail?
"Let's go!" Keita led the way, running toward the explosion site.
The location was a small valley nestled among the mountains. The dense foliage and rugged terrain made it an ideal hiding spot for enemy shinobi, but also a trap—once discovered, there would be no easy escape.
By the time they arrived, the battle was already in full swing. Konoha was outnumbered, with two dead bodies lying on the ground. The Sand forces seemed elite—three of them were puppet masters, making them even more dangerous.
"This is bad," Chao muttered. "Even though we have more numbers, Sand's shinobi are way stronger. They're not just random genin; they're likely high-level chūnin or jōnin. And puppet masters? This won't be easy."
"We should help," Hoshinohara suggested urgently.
"No!" Keita responded calmly. "If we jump in now, we'll only get in the way."
"What?" Hoshinohara protested, looking at Chao. "What do you think?"
"My opinion is the same as Keita's. We're too weak. Charging in would be suicide, and we'd only burden the others. Don't worry, the patrol units will get here soon. We still have a chance to turn this around," Chao said, his voice low and serious.
"We're just supposed to stand here and watch?" Hoshinohara said, clearly frustrated.
"Ahh!" A scream echoed from the battlefield. Another Konoha shinobi had fallen.
The current situation was grim. Although Konoha had more than twenty shinobi, only two were of jōnin rank. In contrast, the Sand shinobi, though fewer in number, were all elite. Even with reinforcements, Chao doubted they could defeat the Sand team.
And strangely, the Sand ninja didn't seem intent on retreating, even though they were deep in enemy territory. It was as if they knew something the Konoha forces didn't. Why weren't they running?
"What should we do?" Hoshinohara asked, his voice anxious.
"I have an idea," Chao said after a pause. "Keita, Hoshinohara, set traps in the nearby area. I'll try to draw one or two of them out. As long as we don't face a puppet master or a jōnin, the three of us can take them down."
"Alright!" Keita agreed immediately, trusting Chao's plan.
It would be disgraceful to return to the village without doing anything. They had to act.
Using earth-style jutsu, Chao approached one of the Sand shinobi. When he was close enough, he reached out, grabbed the unsuspecting ninja, and pulled him underground.
[Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu! (Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu)]
Chao felt a moment of satisfaction, about to strike the enemy with his kunai, but suddenly, an unpleasant sense of danger flared in his mind.
Without hesitation, he used the [Kawarimi no Jutsu] (Substitution Jutsu). A loud explosion rang out as the Sand shinobi Chao had dragged underground detonated, destroying the log Chao had swapped in his place.
That was close!
Chao wiped the cold sweat from his brow. That Sand ninja had anticipated the attack and used a clone with an explosive tag attached. If Chao hadn't been alert, he'd be lying dead on the ground.
"Impressive, kid," a voice called out mockingly. A seasoned Sand shinobi, likely in his twenties, stepped forward, smirking at Chao like he'd found a new plaything.
This one was no ordinary opponent. He was dangerous.
Luckily, one of Konoha's chūnin was engaging him, giving Chao some breathing room for the moment.
"Tch!" Chao didn't waste time. He pulled out two kunai from his pouch and hurled them at the Sand ninja. The earlier skirmish hadn't harmed the enemy, but it had at least made him cautious.
Ninjas always worked in teams. The fact that Chao had revealed himself meant there were likely others hiding nearby. The Sand shinobi became more careful, his movements slowed as he feared another ambush.
The tide began to turn slightly in Konoha's favor. The combined attacks from Chao and the other Konoha chūnin forced the enemy into a defensive stance. But Chao knew it wouldn't be enough unless something drastic happened.
"Watch out!" the Konoha chūnin shouted.
But Chao didn't need the warning. He swiftly performed [Kawarimi no Jutsu] again, dodging an ambush from another Sand shinobi.
Boom!
As Chao vanished, he threw a smoke bomb to cover his movements. Under the shroud of smoke, he quickly transformed into the appearance of the Sand shinobi he had just seen.
"Nanmu, are you okay?" the other Sand shinobi asked, unaware that Chao had taken his comrade's form.
"I'm fine, thanks," Chao responded, smirking as he plunged a kunai into the unsuspecting shinobi's heart.
Boom!
The transformation faded as the enemy collapsed. The Sand shinobi opened his mouth to speak but died before he could say a word.