Chapter 0047: Enemy Attack!
The crackling of the firewood echoed clearly in the quiet night. Ishigaki Tomoki sat on a rock, holding a piece of dry rations, his single eye slightly squinting as if deep in thought. His contemplation was quickly interrupted by a teammate walking toward him.
"Captain Ishigaki."
"Oh, Naoya, what's up?" Ishigaki Tomoki looked up at the approaching man.
"It's nothing major, just something I've been wondering about." The middle-aged ninja named Naoya shook his head. "Why would Lady Tsunade send her students to the battlefield? They're still so young. Isn't it too dangerous for them?"
"Young hawks need to experience the storm before they can soar." Ishigaki Tomoki stroked his stubbly chin, replying calmly. "The battlefield is dangerous, but it's also full of opportunities. And don't underestimate these kids. If Lady Tsunade has her eye on them, they're no ordinary students. Especially that boy." As he spoke, his gaze became more complex, focusing on me.
Ishigaki had been watching me for the entire journey, and I could feel his eyes on me even when I wasn't looking his way. He hadn't yet realized that it wasn't just a joke when I called myself Tsunade's "toy." He's probably been racking his brain, wondering if Lady Tsunade, who's respected by so many, actually has an unusual taste for young boys. But he doesn't know who I really am.
"I understand your point," Naoya said, casting a quick glance in my direction. "But I still think they're too young. Kids like them should be safe in the village, protected. They're the future of the village. Especially the girls—those two will grow into real beauties someday."
Ishigaki's face twitched. "So, you're just a lolicon, huh? Your son's almost fifteen, and you're still dreaming like this?"
"I'm not a lolicon," Naoya calmly protested. "I just find cute little girls irresistible."
"Right, that's exactly what a lolicon would say. And not just any kind—you're a hopeless one," Ishigaki said seriously, his one eye narrowing at Naoya.
Naoya opened his mouth, about to argue again, when suddenly, a scream echoed from the west side of the camp. The entire camp erupted in chaos.
"What's going on?"
"That scream—it came from the west!"
"Could it be an enemy attack?!"
"Stay calm!" Ishigaki's voice boomed, steady and authoritative. "All guards, prepare for battle! Naoya, come with me. We're checking it out." The two of them moved swiftly toward the source of the scream.
"That was Junta, wasn't it?" Naoya muttered as we reached a straw pile not far away, where a ninja lay slumped.
"What happened? Was it an ambush?" Ishigaki Tomoki knelt down and flipped the body over, revealing Junta's face.
But just as he did, Junta's eyes shot open, and he slapped a talisman onto Ishigaki's chest. Ishigaki's reflexes were sharp—he immediately threw a punch, landing it on Junta's face.
Thud.
With a dull sound, Junta flew backward, rolling a few times on the ground before spitting up blood.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Naoya shouted, his eyes wide with anger.
"What am I doing? Finishing our plan, of course." A voice responded, but it wasn't Junta speaking. Behind the straw pile, more figures began to emerge.
Sand Shinobi?!
As the hidden Sand ninjas revealed themselves, both Ishigaki Tomoki and Naoya's expressions darkened.
"Damn it! Junta, you traitor! You've betrayed Konoha!"
"Betrayal? Nah." One of the Sand ninjas, a man with a cloth covering half his face, smiled. "He was always one of ours from the start. Now, enough chit-chat." He waved his hand, signaling the others.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Three Sand ninjas sprang into action, surrounding Ishigaki and Naoya in a triangular formation. Oddly, though, instead of attacking directly, they began forming strange hand signs.
"This isn't good! That's…" Ishigaki's eye widened in alarm. He tried to move, but it was too late.
"Barrier Jutsu: Wind Demon's Grasp!" The three Sand ninjas shouted in unison, and a semi-transparent barrier surged up, enveloping both Ishigaki and Naoya in a shimmering dome.
Damn it!
Ishigaki's face twisted in rage, his single eye burning with fury.
The barrier was strong, not meant to kill but to restrain, locking them in place and making them helpless. Junta's earlier talisman had been the trigger, and the Sand ninjas' plan had gone off without a hitch.
While Ishigaki fumed, the cloth-masked Sand ninja smirked, his voice calm and mocking. "Now, why don't you just sit back and watch as we put on a little show—a massacre for you to enjoy."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
More Sand ninjas emerged from the surrounding trees and bushes, weapons in hand, like wolves ready to descend on prey. They set their eyes on the camp, advancing swiftly toward the Konoha ninjas.
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