Blood trickled from the ninja Shi's mouth as he stared in disbelief. He hadn't expected to meet his end like this, at the hands of these young Konoha Chunin. Yet, a twisted grin spread across his face.
"Haha… If my death could mean taking out a Konoha genius, then it's worth it!" he spat, laughing.
But his laughter died abruptly as Namikaze Nozuki appeared before him, entirely unharmed, her expression calm.
"Sorry to disappoint," she said. "I'm not dead. My arm isn't even bruised."
Shi's face twisted in horror. "Impossible… I know I hit you hard…"
"Here's a tip," Shisui said, smirking. "We have a skilled medical ninja on our team."
Realizing his situation, Shi tried to respond, but before he could, his strength faded, and he crumpled to the ground, defeated.
The remaining five enemy Chunin lay unconscious around them, the fight having ended in Konoha's favor.
Reiki turned to his comrades. "Hayate, Yamanaka, Yamashiro… here are potions for each of you. Remember, if we face another ambush, there's a reward waiting. Also, if you're injured, come to me—I'll handle the treatment free of charge."
The five who had fought valiantly now stood in line as Reiki treated their injuries. Meanwhile, Shisui looked regretful. "We should have kept Shi alive! I forgot about Reiki's… enthusiasm for treating injuries."
Reiki couldn't help but chuckle as he examined their fallen foes. Once he'd treated his teammates, he turned to the five unconscious attackers. With calm precision, he healed them, but not before using his unique technique to extract information from their minds.
"They're rogue ninjas," he murmured, confirming his suspicions. "They see us as valuable hostages, thinking they could ransom us to Konoha or profit from the medicinal potions they heard about." As Tsunade's student, Reiki had attracted more attention than he realized.
Once the five were fully treated, they groggily regained consciousness, only to find themselves encircled by their Konoha captors.
"Now, here's your chance," Reiki said, his voice steady. "I'll give you a ten-second head start. Run as far as you can. After that, we'll pursue you. If you're captured again… the outcome will be death."
With that, Reiki began to count, "Ten…"
The rogues didn't need to be told twice. They bolted immediately, fading into the trees.
"One!" Reiki finished, and with a nod, he and his team set off in pursuit. The chase didn't last long, and one by one, the Konoha Chunin eliminated their targets with swift, decisive efficiency.
---
As they regrouped, Reiki noticed that Nozuki's face was unusually tense. Though seasoned, Nozuki still grappled with the reality of taking lives.
"Nozuki," Reiki said gently, "you're a Chunin now. Lord Minato will face countless enemies, and you'll be by his side. To be a ninja is to face difficult choices… but you're strong enough to make them."
Nozuki took a steadying breath, nodding with determination.
The group set up camp as dusk settled around them, a gentle glow cast over the forest.
"Let's rest here for the night," Reiki announced. "Camping in the field is as much a training exercise as any other, and we might encounter another raid."
They decided on a watch rotation, each team volunteering to take turns.
Mitarashi offered first, saying, "Our team will take the first watch."
"We'll take the second shift," Yamashiro said, nodding.
"Third shift for us," Yamanaka added, turning to Reiki. "You three can rest first so that you're ready if we need to fight."
Reiki nodded, grateful for the chance to recharge.
---
Meanwhile, not far away, a group of rogue ninjas gathered, grim-faced as they examined the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Hongishi, one of their leaders, glared at the corpses, his face dark with resentment. "These were skilled fighters. Konoha's Chunin shouldn't have been able to defeat them so easily."
Zhi, another rogue, looked uneasy. "Are we really going to attack them again?"
Hongishi clenched his fists. "Yes. If we turn back now, we'll lose more than just this fight." He pulled out a vial of glowing liquid. "Remember, we have the remaining potion. We'll use this to bolster ourselves."
Zhi hesitated, glancing at the ominous potion. "You mean…?"
Hongishi's face was resolute. "Yes. We'll use this potion to level the playing field. It's about time these Konoha brats learned what the real ninja world is like."
The rogues vanished into the night, preparing for one final ambush.
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