Time passed, and it was now the middle of the night.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded in the distance, jolting Aoba Uchiha awake from his sleep. In an instant, his sleepy eyes became sharp and alert. Without much hesitation, he grabbed the ninja pouch and forehead protector beside him, and by the time he emerged from his tent, he was fully equipped.
Several others stepped out at the same time, including their team leader—Furukawa.
Taking just a few quick steps to reach Furukawa's side, Aoba followed his gaze, looking out into the distance. The faint sound of battle could be heard from far away. Clearly, something had gone wrong.
The patrol and defense of this area were handled by two squads, one for the daytime and one for the night. Aoba's Team 17 belonged to the first squad responsible for daytime patrols, while the second squad took over during the night.
It was clear now that it was the second squad that was currently engaged in battle with an unknown enemy.
The second squad consisted of four teams. Two of them were composed like Aoba's, with one Jonin leading three Genin. The remaining two teams were led by a Special Jonin with three Chunin each. Adding the Jonin squad leader, the second squad had a total of 17 people: three Jonin, two Special Jonin, and six Chunin and Genin.
Their structure mirrored that of the first squad almost perfectly.
At this moment, Aoba could only hope that the enemy had been discovered accidentally by one of the second squad's teams, forcing them into a skirmish. If not, and the enemy had come prepared, the situation could turn dire.
That would mean the enemy's total combat strength was at least equal to theirs, and this was no longer just a covert operation or infiltration but a full-blown assault. If that were the case, the two sides would undoubtedly fight to the death.
As Aoba pondered the situation, the first squad quickly assembled. At the same time, the sounds of battle began to echo from two other directions within the forest.
Well, that settled it.
This was definitely no covert operation or infiltration.
No group trying to sneak through enemy lines would coordinate multiple squads simultaneously—it would be nearly impossible to retreat if discovered. The fact that the enemy didn't care about being detected showed that they were fully prepared for a direct assault.
But what puzzled Aoba was the purpose of the raid.
This was just a temporary outpost with no significant strategic value. Even if the enemy managed to capture it, there didn't seem to be much to gain. Moreover, the outpost wasn't far from the main Konoha base, meaning they could easily send reinforcements if needed.
In other words, the enemy couldn't hold the area for long and might even get caught in a counterattack.
So, why were they taking such a risk for so little reward? Was it to eliminate Konoha's forces? But how much damage could they really inflict with so few people and no famous shinobi among them?
Or were they trying to pass through?
But if that was the case, making such a loud disturbance was even more counterproductive.
With so many unanswered questions, Aoba couldn't figure out the enemy's intentions and decided to stop overthinking it for now.
At this point, the first squad's leader, Nakashima Hiro, stepped forward. A seasoned Jonin in his middle years, he spoke with authority.
"First team!"
"Yes!"
A lean Jonin, accompanied by three Genin, stepped out. Aoba recognized this man as Okura Seiya. Though Seiya looked frail and weak, he was actually a formidable ninja, rivaling even their own teacher, Furukawa.
"Seiya, your team will stay behind to guard the camp," Nakashima Hiro ordered.
"Understood, Captain."
Okura Seiya accepted the command without objection, and after responding, he withdrew to the rear.
Nakashima Hiro then turned to the remaining teams.
"Second, third, and fourth teams!"
"Yes!"
The three team leaders replied in unison.
"You will follow me to provide support for the second squad."
"Yes, Captain!"
Furukawa and the others answered together.
Aoba didn't fully understand the arrangement. Given how strong Okura Seiya was, shouldn't he join the reinforcement effort instead of staying back to guard the camp?
However, Nakashima Hiro soon revealed the rationale behind his orders.
"Seiya, summon your familiar now," Nakashima commanded.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Okura Seiya bit down on his thumb, drawing blood. As the blood dripped from his hand, he quickly formed the hand seals for the Summoning Jutsu—Boar-Dog-Bird-Monkey-Ram—and performed the technique, summoning a night owl.
Then, through some unknown technique, Seiya linked the owl's vision with his own, allowing him to see everything the owl did. Though this connection had a limited range, it was an excellent scouting tool.
Finally, Aoba understood Nakashima's plan.
He intended for the owl to accompany their group and use the connection between Seiya and the familiar to relay information back to the camp in real-time. Seiya, in turn, would pass that information on to the main base, ensuring they were kept up to date on the situation. This way, the base could respond effectively, whether by sending reinforcements or launching a counteroffensive.
As expected, Nakashima Hiro's next words confirmed Aoba's guess.
"Seiya, from now on, you'll control the owl and follow us from the shadows. Relay all information back to the main base."
Seiya nodded in acknowledgment, signaling that he had no issues with the plan.
With a flap of wings, the summoned night owl took off and quickly disappeared into the night sky.
Satisfied, Nakashima Hiro gave a final order to the group.
"Let's move out!"
He took the lead, darting into the forest, and the others hurried to follow.
To Aoba's relief, Nakashima Hiro hadn't made the mistake of splitting the group into smaller units. Instead, he kept everyone together as they made their way toward the nearest battlefield. Clearly, he intended to assess the situation before making any further decisions.
Aoba was fully on board with this strategy.
In their current uncertain situation, dividing their forces would have been extremely risky. They could easily be picked off one by one. Thankfully, Nakashima Hiro was no fool, and his experience showed in how he handled things. This eased some of Aoba's anxiety.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Moving swiftly through the dense forest, Aoba and the others advanced quickly. Just as they were about to reach the battlefield, Nakashima Hiro suddenly raised his right hand, signaling everyone to stop.
The group immediately halted, staying alert as they scanned their surroundings.
The usual sounds of insects and birds in the forest had completely vanished. In the eerie silence of the night, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard.
It was too quiet—unnervingly so. Everyone held their breath, wary of what might be lurking nearby.
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