Iwagakure's Trap

It all unfolded like a trap set long in advance—ambushers lying in wait for the signal to strike, coordinated to descend upon their prey.

And that prey… was Ishiki Kujo's team.

The realization hit Ishiki the moment the pieces aligned in his mind.

The mission was blown.

The intel operative had been compromised.

This rendezvous wasn't a covert pickup—it was an Iwagakure kill zone.

Only one conclusion followed: They were expected.

The enemy had anticipated a Hyūga would be among them. That meant they'd planned for Byakugan surveillance, masking their presence with strategic dispersal and careful distance. At the border, where patrols were routine, it wasn't suspicious to see squads moving through. The enemy exploited that camouflage, staying just far enough to avoid setting off alarms.

Too late to unravel it now.

They had only two options:

Break through the encirclement, or

Seize Kurotsuchi and Deidara as hostages to force an escape.

As Ishiki analyzed, Tokuma Hyūga spotted more incoming birds in the sky—erratically shaped at first, but rapidly forming into recognizable explosive clay constructs.

From their earlier skirmish, they already knew: these birds packed serious punch. Enough of them at once, and they could easily kill.

Inuzuka Zawa wasn't the indecisive type. Escape was unrealistic. That left only one path.

All four stopped simultaneously. Tokuma pointed toward the location of the two kids.

Aburame Muta had already unleashed his insects. Black clouds of kikaichū surged forward toward the targets.

Two children, no matter how gifted, couldn't have much chakra. That made them vulnerable—easily overwhelmed, if the team could intercept them before Iwa reinforcements arrived.

And thankfully, the kids had outrun their own escorts.

Whatever had compelled Deidara and Kurotsuchi to act ahead of schedule had caught everyone off guard—both Ishiki's squad and the Iwa guard team.

Now, those four Iwa shinobi were scrambling to respond, realizing the kids had triggered an unintended engagement. If they failed to contain the breach, they wouldn't just be reprimanded—the entire border operation could collapse.

One of the Iwa guards, a sensor-type, quickly read the situation. Ishiki's squad was going all-in—staking everything on capturing those two.

The guard team dropped their pursuit and raced toward the children instead, forming a defensive barrier.

Zawa understood this, too. Without hesitation, he shifted into Beast Human Clone mode, hitting all fours and sprinting like a feral blur toward the targets.

Right behind him—Ishiki Kujo.

His pace matched Zawa's, crimson cloak flaring behind him as Magician's Red erupted to his side.

A surge of flame exploded into the air—fiery crosses soaring skyward to intercept the descending clay birds.

Boom after boom tore through the night, lighting up the battlefield like a festival of war.

In the distance, Deidara's face lit up with manic glee. He laughed, watching the flaming detonations.

Beside him, Kurotsuchi was less amused. Her dark eyes narrowed.

"Deidara-nii, move! They've spotted us!"

Without waiting for a reply, she formed a rapid hand seal:

Earth Style: Dust Concealment Jutsu.

A surge of sand and grit spewed from her lips, cloaking the area in a dense, choking storm. Visibility vanished.

But she wasn't done. Another string of seals followed.

Meanwhile, Deidara just coughed—then grinned.

"Tch, don't run. Just blow 'em up harder!"

His hand dipped into a pouch at his waist, retrieving a ball of explosive clay.

From his palm-mouth, the clay vanished in a single bite—masticated furiously.

Moments later, white clay centipedes began pouring from his sleeves—stretching, growing, twisting along the ground as they rapidly inflated to monstrous size.

At the same time, Kurotsuchi launched her next jutsu.

Lava Style: Quicklime Congealing Technique.

She spat out viscous lime, then added a torrent of water, turning the battlefield into a field of sticky, gray death.

They were working in perfect sync.

Deidara launched offense; Kurotsuchi sealed the path.

But before they could speak, a massive gate fell from the sky.

Rashōmon!

The summoned demonic gate crushed the centipedes and flattened the lime field beneath its impossible weight.

Then—poof—it vanished.

But it left behind a perfectly smooth road, steam rising from the compressed lime.

Zawa seized the moment.

He leapt onto the hardened path, chakra bursting from his limbs, spinning like a drill.

Fang Over Fang!

He barreled straight into the children, aiming for separation—not harm.

They barely had time to throw up a guard before they were hurled apart, crashing into the waiting flames behind.

Flames that didn't burn.

Instead, they twisted into ropes—Magician's Red's flaming lasso—snaring both of them and dragging them backward toward Ishiki's Stand.

Just as the children were dragged off their feet, the four Iwa bodyguards arrived.

Two of them completed hand seals; the other two unsheathed swords.

They slashed at the flaming tethers.

Too late.

But close enough that Ishiki's squad would need every advantage just to survive what came next.