18 - When the Bait Becomes the Prey

---Ryouma's POV---

Our large team was slowly making its way along a narrow path winding through a dense forest, like a vast green ocean.

The escorting ninjas had a cautious and vigilant look about them. After all, the supply line was the lifeline of the front line, and no one could predict if enemies might be lying in ambush ahead.

The clatter of horse hooves and the rolling of cart wheels shattered the forest's original tranquility. Birds were startled, flapping their wings as they fled into the distance.

The big trees lining both sides of the road tangled their branches and leaves together, forming a natural barrier. A light breeze blew through, making the leaves rustle softly.

It had to be said that the Land of Fire's reforestation efforts were impressive.

This escort mission was part of a large-scale war operation. The ninja team responsible for the escort wasn't limited to just one small squad.

It included sensory teams, combat teams, and command units, along with several medical-nin.

Given the massive quantity of supplies being transported, the village would not tolerate any mishaps.

My team and I were positioned at the front of the escort group, a location convenient for our captain, Inoichi, to scout and relay intelligence to the command unit as quickly as possible.

At this moment, he was briefing Shiori and me, as we were undertaking our first mission outside the village, on the mission details.

"Our squad has two primary objectives for this escort mission," he said, keeping his voice low. "The first is to use sensory skills to detect any ambushes. The second, if enemies are detected, is to coordinate with the combat unit to counterattack."

"What's our engagement protocol, captain?" I asked. "Full neutralization or delay tactics?"

Inoichi gave me an approving nod. "Good question. Primary objective is delay and containment. We're not looking for body counts; we need these supplies to reach their destination."

"What's our communication chain if we detect hostiles outside standard range?" Heiji asked.

"Direct to me, then I relay to command. No independent actions without orders," Inoichi answered firmly.

Shiori fidgeted with a kunai, her eyes scanning the forest. "When do we actually get to fight? I didn't leave the Academy to play lookout."

"When I give the order, not before," Inoichi said sternly. "This isn't a training exercise, Shiori."

While listening to the briefing, I had already scanned the area within several dozen kilometers with my sensory abilities and hadn't detected any enemies. However, I still maintained a vigilant posture, at least outwardly.

Inoichi nodded approvingly.

I could tell he was genuinely satisfied with me. Perhaps despite graduating as the top student, I didn't exhibit the quirks of certain prodigies.

Shiori, on the other hand, seemed to be my polar opposite. Though she was a Uchiha and her abilities were reliable, her understanding of war remained somewhat superficial.

Perhaps her perspective was more typical for someone her age, whereas I appeared overly mature. I just hoped she would quickly adapt to the battlefield mentality.

"Is there something wrong, captain?" I asked.

"No, nothing."

I noticed Inoichi sigh.

---

Huh?

The first hint came as whispers against my consciousness—faint chakra signatures moving with purpose, not the random patterns of wildlife.

My keen perception detected a group of Suna ninjas slowly approaching the escort team. There were twenty of them, split into two ten-man squads attempting to flank from both sides.

It was clearly an ambush.

Suna, definitely. The chakra had that distinctive... desert quality?Condensed and efficient, evolved for an environment where wasting energy meant death.

Remaining calm, I glanced at Inoichi to gauge the range of my sensei's sensory abilities. I could've immediately alerted him, but I wanted to gauge his own detection range.

In battle, knowing your allies' capabilities was as crucial as understanding your enemies'.

When the Suna ninjas reached within 4 kilometers of the convoy, Inoichi's posture subtly shifted—shoulders tensing minutely, eyes focusing on nothing as his consciousness extended outward.

A second later, he raised his hand in the pre-arranged signal.

Alert. We have twenty enemies. Twelve are at our ten o'clock, and four each at our three and nine o'clock positions. They appear to be preparing a pincer attack.

The sensory abilities of the Yamanaka clan were truly formidable, allowing them to transmit intelligence telepathically without any verbal communication.

It occurred to me that this ability could also be amusingly effective for taunting enemies during combat.

The command unit leader processed the intelligence with impressive speed. Within seconds, hand signals rippled through the convoy—combat squads adjusting positions, supply carts tightening formation, medics moving to protected positions.

"We've been assigned the right flank. Four jonin-level opponents. Our objective is containment until reinforcements arrive from the left flank operation," Inoichi relayed to us.

"Heiji, you'll take point with your Byakugan. Ryouma, left flank. Shiori, right. I'll coordinate from the center."

"Move out!"

At his command, our entire team advanced toward the right side of the convoy.

My sensory abilities revealed the chakra signatures of the four enemies on the right, all undeniably jonin-level like Inoichi said.

The same was true for the four on the left.

Meanwhile, the main force of enemies directly ahead also appeared formidable. The Suna ninjas seemed determined to strike hard this time.

I wasn't overly worried. The combat unit within the escort team consisted of elite ninjas from the village, and their leader was from the Sarutobi clan.

I only needed to focus on the enemies directly in front of me.

"Don't forget. Our objective is to stall the enemies and wait for reinforcements. Neutralizing them is not the primary goal. I will handle two of the enemies on the right. Heiji!"

"Here."

"You will engage one. Ryouma and Shiori, you're responsible for the last one."

"Understood."

"No problem."

I assessed the terrain between us and the Suna position—roughly 200 meters of dense forest, multiple lines of sight, scattered clearings that would make perfect kill zones. If we waited for them to realize they'd been detected, we'd lose the initiative.

On the other side, the Suna ninjas were still awaiting orders from their main force, likely unaware that our side's sensory techniques had long since detected them.

The Suna team waited in the dense undergrowth, camouflage sheets making them nearly invisible against the forest floor.

Their captain, a veteran with deep creases around his eyes and a prominent scar across his jaw, watched the distant convoy through a specialized scope.

"Captain, we're already this close. If we don't attack soon, they might strike first!" a tall Suna ninja with face paint grumbled, his brow furrowed.

"Patience, Kuroshi. Our role isn't direct engagement," the Suna ninja captain replied calmly.

"Then what's the point of positioning jonin here?" Kuroshi asked, frustrated.

"Don't be rash. Our squad's purpose is to lure part of Konoha's escort force," the Suna ninja captain replied. "We're the bait. Once Konoha commits forces to engage us, we'll signal the main force."

"Then why didn't they tell us this from the start?"

The Suna captain regretted explaining anything to this fool. Suddenly, his expression changed.

"You idiot! Stop talking. The enemy is here."

Catching Inoichi's eye, I received a subtle nod of approval.

As soon as the Suna ninjas stepped into the jutsu's range, I launched my attack.

With a swift wave of my arm, a kunai streaked out of my hand, flying like a shooting star toward the hiding spot of the four Suna ninjas at incredible speed.

In the next instant, I formed a one-handed seal. The single kunai, mid-flight, multiplied into a dense swarm of kunai, filling the space with what seemed like countless blades.

This wasn't the standard Shuriken Shadow Clone I used during training sessions with Rin. Instead, it was enhanced with wind chakra.

Each kunai acted like a floating turret, displaying the destructive power of modern weaponry in the guise of traditional tools.

The dense forest proved no match for this overwhelming force. Trees toppled one after another, and the ground was riddled with craters of varying depths and sizes.

The scene resembled the aftermath of a massive bombardment.

Looking at the destruction I'd caused, I couldn't help but reflect that if this had happened in my previous, environmentally-conscious life, I'd probably be jailed for life just for this act alone.

---Third POV---

The Suna squad scattered.

Their captain slammed his palms into the ground, raising an earth barrier that shattered under the kunai barrage but bought crucial seconds.

Kuroshi unleashed a wind technique that deflected a dozen projectiles.

Another member performed the Body Flicker, quickly avoiding a kunai that would have pierced his throat.

The Suna ninjas, as members of one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, were naturally no pushovers. Despite the suddenness of the shuriken barrage, they managed to avoid being caught entirely off guard.

The squad's captain, Midori, quickly fired a red flare into the sky.

"That jutsu just now—it was yours, wasn't it? Quite a show, Konoha brat," he said, his expression wary as he addressed Ryouma.

Midori was a seasoned warrior, having fought in multiple battles during the Third Great Ninja War. He had his own survival principles.

On the battlefield, the last people you wanted to provoke were ninjas with Kage-level strength.

Equally important, you should tread carefully around the prodigies of any village—especially Konoha's. These geniuses were often terrifyingly strong, defying common sense.

From his analysis, the blond opponent was clearly strong but predictable.

Avoiding close combat with a member of the Yamanaka clan was manageable. The young girl didn't worry him either; female powerhouses were statistically rare in the ninja world.

It's the boy who deserves the most attention, Midori thought.

The Suna squad qucikly regrouped, forming a diamond pattern that maximized their coverage while minimizing exposed flanks.

Charging toward Inoichi, Midori shouted, "I'll handle the captain with Kuroshi. Seito, take out the kid with the shuriken!"

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