CHAPTER 39
Trap
"Ugh... I'm so sleepy. Do we really have to leave this early?"
Obito groaned, yawning uncontrollably. He looked like he could sleep for days.
"You idiot. This isn't your first mission, and you're still playing around like a kid the night before."
Kakashi, already geared up, shot him a cold glance. He couldn't stand how lightly Obito treated their responsibilities. As far as he was concerned, Obito didn't deserve to be called a shinobi.
"Alright, that's enough, both of you," Rin said, stepping between them with a sigh. "It's too early in the morning for this nonsense. We're heading out soon."
She rubbed her temples. Kakashi and Obito's constant bickering was exhausting, and it didn't help the team dynamic.
"Obito, try not to hold us back. I'd rather not have to come save you again," Bai Ye chimed in lazily. With no sign of Hizashi or Minato yet, he was bored—and teasing Obito was a good distraction.
"You too, Bai Ye?! You're as annoying as Kakashi!" Obito snapped. "Fine then. Let's settle this with a duel!"
His indignation only deepened when Minato suddenly appeared behind him and calmly held him by the collar.
"Save that energy for the mission, Obito. We're moving out."
Obito hung there in mild despair. Why is it always me? I'm the victim here! Why does it always feel like everything's my fault?!
Not long after, Hizashi returned and addressed the team with a serious tone.
"Listen carefully. Under normal conditions, a round trip should take only one day. If either team fails to return to the inn by nightfall, assume something has gone wrong. Be ready to assist depending on the situation."
Their orders were clear. If either team ran into a major enemy force, they were to escape and request backup if needed. If both sides got pinned down, the ninja stationed in Qianyu Town would relay a distress message to Konoha for reinforcements.
Minato and Hizashi had scouted the area yesterday, met with local allies, and finalized the operational plan. Truthfully, the likelihood of encountering enemy interference was low. These routine intelligence exchanges happened monthly and rarely saw trouble. But they couldn't afford complacency—not during wartime.
After all, Hiruzen wouldn't have entrusted this mission to them otherwise. It was partly a test to hone their skills.
---
Later, as the groups split and moved through the trees, Bai Ye couldn't shake a creeping unease.
"Something wrong?" Yuyan asked, glancing over. She hadn't activated her Byakugan yet—conserving chakra for the mission.
Bai Ye hesitated. Hizashi had been scanning with his Byakugan the whole way, and if something had been off, he would've said something. Still...
"It's probably nothing—just nerves," he replied, brushing off the tension.
Hizashi had decades of field experience and a reputation built on dozens of successful missions. Compared to that, Bai Ye felt like a rookie. This was just a C-rank mission; he couldn't afford to screw it up.
Lately, he hadn't made much progress with his Zanpakutō either. With all the travel, there hadn't been much time to train. Part of him almost wished an enemy would show up—something to break the monotony.
---
"Stop."
Hizashi suddenly raised his hand, halting the team.
Bai Ye frowned. Did I jinx it...?
The team immediately fanned out in a defensive formation, but for a moment, nothing happened. Bai Ye looked at Hizashi in confusion.
Then—
Swoosh.
Hizashi flicked a shuriken at a tree trunk up ahead.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the forest as the shuriken triggered a buried explosive tag. The entire tree—thick enough that two people couldn't wrap their arms around it—was obliterated in an instant.
It was a trap. Multiple detection-triggered explosive tags had been planted, and Hizashi's Byakugan had picked them up just in time. But whoever laid them was outside of his visual range.
Smart, Bai Ye thought grimly. They knew how to avoid Byakugan detection.
Since it was impossible to gauge how many enemies were lying in wait, Hizashi ordered the team to hold position. They'd rest briefly to recover stamina from the journey and wait to see if the enemy revealed themselves after the detonation.
They were close to the mission's target location. If no one showed up to investigate the explosion, it could mean that their contact had already been compromised—or killed.
"If we're forced to break through, move to the left. If we get separated, fall back to Qianyu Town. Do not attempt rescue operations."
Even after Hizashi's deliberate trigger, the enemy still didn't respond. That was a bad sign.
Bai Ye, Yuyan, and Yue nodded silently. They trusted Hizashi's judgment. Debriefing could wait—if they all made it back alive.
---
After about a kilometer of cautious advance, Hizashi suddenly halted again, frowning.
"They've set traps using the Byakugan's blind spots. They know exactly how we operate."
He gave no further explanation and motioned for the team to stay tight on him.
He began navigating the area slowly, adjusting their path every time he sensed another trap. The forest was dense with explosives and chakra tripwires.
Five minutes passed, and they were still in the same general area. Hizashi hadn't attempted to break out of the trap ring. The implication was clear:
The entire perimeter is rigged.
There was no way out that didn't involve triggering an ambush. Whoever these enemies were, they were extremely well-prepared—and they had spent a lot on explosive tags.
"This isn't just about some low-priority intel drop," Bai Ye muttered. "They wouldn't go to this extent for a routine mission. Their real target must be..."
His eyes narrowed.
"Yuyan."
Even if this was a monthly handoff, the really critical intel would've been sent through encrypted scrolls via high-speed couriers, not rookie Genin teams.
The only thing valuable enough to warrant this level of planning was a dojutsu user—Yuyan's Byakugan.
Still, one thing didn't sit right with him.
Yuyan had never removed her forehead protector during the entire trip, not even in the bathhouse. Bai Ye had warned her not to.
So how did they find out...?
His stomach turned.
Could we have been betrayed…?