Chapter 5 - Discovered
In the village hidden in the mist, we hid behind the rocks and trees, trying to stay out of sight as we observed the Mist shinobi. The air was thick with tension, and Nami-sensei gritted her teeth, a mixture of frustration and anger in her eyes.
"How cowardly can they be?" Kara grumbled under her breath, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"They... they're kidnapping kids to find good talent and turn them into slaves," Juri said, her voice trembling with fear. Her hands were shaking, and I could see the terror in her eyes as she watched the scene unfold.
The cruelty before us was like a nightmare come to life. The Mist shinobi moved with a cold efficiency, their faces devoid of any emotion as they herded the children like cattle. My stomach churned at the sight, but I knew we had to stay focused.
As we continued to watch, the leader of the Mist shinobi team, a tall man with a scar running down his face, emerged from one of the tents. He spoke quietly to another shinobi, his voice low but firm. "Take care of those files," he said, his tone leaving no room for questions.
But we were the "files" he was referring to. A small fly was buzzing behind him, listening to everything he said. That fly was raised and controlled by Nami-sensei, and through it, we learned that they knew about us.
"How did they find out?" I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.
"It's because of Juri and Kara," Nami-sensei said quietly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to piece together what had happened.
It turns out that when you conceal your presence, you must channel your chakra without any disruptions. But it's easy to make a mistake, especially when you're nervous or inexperienced. Juri and I weren't born into powerful families, and we weren't naturally talented either. Juri, in particular, struggled with controlling her chakra, and this wasn't the first time she had slipped up.
Kara, already frustrated with the situation, became even more irritated. "Juri, you've messed up again!" she hissed, her voice low but filled with anger.
Juri, startled by Kara's harsh tone, stepped back in fear. Her foot hit a small stick on the ground, causing it to snap with a quiet but distinct sound. My heart sank as the noise echoed in the silence.
A Mist shinobi who was passing by paused for a moment, his ears twitching as he listened. For a second, I hoped he hadn't noticed, but then I remembered—these shinobi live in the mist, and their senses are sharper than ours.
Realizing the danger, I spoke up, "We need to leave now. I think they've discovered us."
Kara glared at me, whispering harshly, "You're being a coward again, Ruki."
But before I could respond, we both fell silent, knowing we were in real trouble. We waited for what felt like an eternity, the minutes dragging by as we prepared to make our escape.
'Swish'
Just as we were about to move, a kunai came flying out of nowhere, heading straight for our hiding spot. My breath caught in my throat as I realized we had no choice but to fight.