Night had settled, and with it came the quiet, cautious patrols. Reiki and his team were now on the night shift, having taken over from Yamanaka Kaizo's group.
"No signs of chakra disturbances or unusual movements," Kaizo reported as he passed the watch to Reiki, clapping him on the shoulder before disappearing into the trees.
Reiki glanced at his teammates, Shisui and Nozuki, who were quietly moving into position. The night felt oddly calm, but something unsettled him.
"Nozuki," Reiki began, "I think we should expect an enemy attack tonight. They've likely gauged our strength from the daytime skirmish and may be planning something bigger."
"More rogue ninjas?" Shisui asked, eyes narrowing.
Reiki nodded. "It's possible that some have given up, but any who haven't might be organizing for a stronger assault. They could either combine forces or seek out even stronger allies."
Shisui's eyes widened, realizing the danger. "So, this is when we're most vulnerable?"
"Exactly," Reiki replied. He turned to Nozuki, asking, "What would you suggest we do to stay as safe as possible?"
Nozuki pondered for a moment before speaking. "If we're thinking purely about survival, then retreating back to the village would be our safest choice."
"Retreat?" Shisui sounded bewildered. "But I thought our mission was to gain combat experience against these rogue ninjas?"
Reiki glanced at him. "Shisui, how confident are you in taking down multiple seasoned Jonin with our current abilities?"
Shisui hesitated before replying with confidence, "If it's only two or three, I'd say we have at least a fifty percent chance."
Reiki sighed, gently placing his hand on Shisui's head and channeling calming chakra. "Confidence is good, but don't let it cloud your judgment. Taking risks in unknown situations could lead to more harm than growth."
Shisui blinked as clarity returned. "I… I just wanted to prove myself," he murmured. "If it weren't for you, my mistakes could've endangered everyone."
"It's normal," Reiki reassured him, "We've been through a lot, and mistakes happen. But remember, to keep your Nindo, you have to stay alive. Choosing to retreat isn't weakness; it's knowing when to wait for the right moment."
Nozuki nodded, glancing around. "I'll inform the others to leave behind shadow clones and head back. In case of an ambush, the clones can stall while we retreat."
After Nozuki left, Reiki began setting traps in the nearby dense forest, scattering steel wires and explosive tags around potential entry points. He placed a shadow clone as a decoy, preparing the surroundings for their escape route. Shisui joined in, placing subtle tripwires and traps to slow down any pursuers.
Once everything was in place, Reiki climbed to the highest tree in the vicinity, scanning the area. The forest was quiet, but Reiki's expression was troubled. He reached out mentally to Chomei, his newly acquired tailed beast ally.
"Chomei," Reiki said, "Do you feel anything?"
Chomei's chakra surged gently on Reiki's arm, responding in his mind. "Nothing certain, but there's something… familiar, yet unsettling."
Reiki's thoughts returned to the strange force he'd sensed within Shisui's soul. The eerie sensation, reminiscent of the tailed beasts' own chakra, felt somehow connected to the Uchiha's cursed power of the Sharingan. Yet, Shisui hadn't even activated it recently.
"Could this be related to your kind?" Reiki mused aloud.
Chomei hesitated. "I can't say for sure. But you humans… you shouldn't have that kind of energy. It's strange, though… something about it does remind me of tailed beasts."
Reiki sighed. "There's something wrong with Shisui's soul, and that creeping energy seems stronger. If it grows, I'll have to act… but for now, it's best not to overthink."
Chomei's voice was confident. "Well, if anything tries to harm you, just crush it."
Reiki chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."
With renewed resolve, Reiki nodded and signaled his team. Nozuki had returned, the message delivered, and everyone began moving stealthily in the direction of Konoha, leaving behind a network of traps and shadow clones to cover their tracks.
The shadows of the forest seemed to stretch and shift as they made their way, retreating quietly under the cover of night.
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