Kazamaki's roar crashed into hollow echoes against the canyon's stone walls. They fought bravely.
However, it was utterly meaningless.
Soon only corpses remained on the ground.
Suna's. Iwa's. The smell of blood mixed with dust permeated the narrow valley passage.
Namiashi Raidō flicked viscous blood droplets from his black blade. The blade's characteristic blue-black poison marks rapidly spread across corpse wounds.
Shiranui Genma had another senbon in his mouth. Yet his eyes sharply scanned the surrounding jagged shadows, confirming no lurking threats remained.
Tatami Iwashi breathed slightly heavily, vigilantly guarding the flank.
Anko's vipers slowly retracted into her sleeves. She curled her lip, kicking aside a stone fragment at her feet. Itachi silently wiped his kunai. Ink-colored pupils swept across every fallen enemy, expression calm and undisturbed.
Shuji stood in place, brow slightly furrowed.
The opponents truly fought bravely, even to the point of disregarding their lives. But this was precisely the greatest suspicious point.
Without reinforcements, these people's greatest reliance was only seal traps set in the encampment.
Battle? As Shuji advised, their odds were poor. Shuji's side's configuration was strong. Shiranui Genma and Namiashi Raidō were special jōnin, true, but they were recognized as having jōnin-level combat power, merely lacking in other aspects that made them special jōnin.
As for their side having one shinobi ranked genin—Uchiha Itachi simply hadn't taken the chūnin exam yet, not that his strength was insufficient.
In terms of actual combat power, this was three jōnin plus three chūnin against two jōnin plus four chūnin.
As long as the opposing two jōnin had no special techniques, they absolutely stood no chance against Konoha's six. But if they did, they wouldn't need to lure people into traps.
The question was, why?
Not why Sunagakure abandoned its alliance with Konoha, but why these people seemed to be seeking death.
These Suna shinobi could have pretended to capture Iwa shinobi and left. They could have left the Iwa shinobi to Konoha and turned away, then brought people back for revenge later... there were many methods.
Even if Shuji had suspicions, he would not strike against allies.
With neither reinforcements nor after seeing Shuji already unwilling to step into the trap, why release those two Iwa shinobi? Why not choose to continue feigning civility but instead tear off the mask and launch an attack?
Following along this journey, not one problem was solved. Instead, more and more emerged.
Shiranui Genma did not know what Shuji was thinking. But from his perspective, the current situation was already terrible to the extreme.
"Shuji, allied Sunagakure has betrayed us. We should immediately return to Konoha and warn Hokage-sama." Genma's expression was extremely grave. He began worrying whether western line forces had already suffered heavy damage.
Yes, this was the safest approach.
But Shuji vaguely felt matters were probably not so.
However, Genma's concerns were reasonable. This possibility needed reporting to the village.
"Genma, you return first." Shuji made his decision.
"What about Team Five?"
"We continue the mission." Shuji said.
Shiranui Genma did not understand. In the current situation, continuing the envoy mission was meaningless.
"Because these people were seeking death, dying as Suna shinobi." Shuji's gaze swept across Suna and Iwa corpses on the ground. "From the initial ambush attempting to kill us, to later actively seeking death, I'm more inclined this is the enemy's scheme."
"Though I don't know why Iwagakure's reaction could be so fast, even anticipating..."
No, not anticipating.
Shuji instantly connected the chaotic threads.
The mastermind behind the Cloud envoy kidnapping incident might be Uchiha Obito, but he was not necessarily the only player.
The Cloud delegation's numerous attacks along the way, the premeditated Iwa ambush before them... behind this entire affair, Iwagakure had probably been fanning flames all along.
Still, truly impressive, that rotten old man Ōnoki.
He played an overt scheme. If they died, Konoha would suspect Suna. If they did not die, Konoha would still suspect Suna.
"I believe this is Iwagakure's conspiracy. Yet we cannot fail to be vigilant toward Sunagakure, because the village cannot bear the consequences of misplaced trust."
He had already clarified the current situation, adding information from his memories.
Shuji leaned toward believing current Sunagakure remained trustworthy. The enemy choosing death was the best proof.
After hearing Shuji's judgment, Shiranui Genma also fell into a dilemma.
Their squad's mission was ensuring Team Five's jōnin Shuji could safely reach Sunagakure. Now abandoning Team Five to return, what would that accomplish?
"Or," Genma proposed a compromise, "let Anko and Itachi return first. The three of us will accompany you to continue toward Suna."
Shuji insisted on his idea. "The technique you possess can let you rapidly return to the village..."
"But!" Genma interrupted with a serious expression. "We cannot continuously launch that technique in a short time. We have even less capacity to instantly arrive at Sunagakure directly from Konoha."
Shuji nodded slightly, understanding their difficulty. "Entering Suna from Narrow Sky, we'll definitely pass through Suna checkpoints. I'll judge whether to continue the mission or withdraw based on Suna shinobi's specific reactions."
"Your mission is to bring the exact situation here—including Suna shinobi participating in ambush and dying in battle, plus my preliminary judgment—back to Konoha as quickly as possible."
"This is more important than escorting us to a Sunagakure that may already be a dragon's den. Western line stability now exceeds everything."
Genma exchanged glances with Raidō and Iwashi. The three understood priorities.
Genma's squad ultimately chose to leave.
Shuji looked at the two squad members beside him. A trace of apology surfaced. "Sorry. This decision is indeed extremely dangerous."
"What are you saying, Shuji?" Anko tossed her hair carelessly. "We're shinobi. Isn't this our duty? The captain makes decisions. As subordinates, we just need to obey properly and complete missions!"
"Anko-senpai is correct."
Shuji smiled briefly and said no more.
Team Five's three members set out again.
The journey passed without words, atmosphere tense. The canyon exit was in sight. Ahead opened wide—the essential path to Suna, the narrow and precipitous Narrow Sky with cliff walls soaring into clouds on both sides.
Just as Team Five's three members stepped onto the Gobi Desert leading to Narrow Sky's entrance, still several hundred meters from that treacherous gap—
A dry hot wind wrapped in sand grains swept past without warning.
Immediately after, on the seemingly empty Gobi surface ahead, figure after figure rose from the scorching ground, instantly filling Team Five's vision!
A Suna force!
Numbers far exceeded the previously encountered "patrol squad." Their formation was strict, ninja tools in hand. Murderous aura rushed at them.
Suna Jōnin Maki's gaze swept across the Konoha forehead protectors on Shuji's three, finally settling on the leading youth's face.
"Konoha shinobi? You... what brings you here?"
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild