The moment the mission commenced, all casual chatter within the reconnaissance squad disappeared.
Other than the occasional hushed discussion between Akihiko and Hiro, the group moved through the forest in near-total silence.
After nearly two hours of searching, they finally discovered something.
Akihiko’s footsteps halted as he stared at a concealed passage hidden within the darkness ahead.
Without a word, he formed a sequence of hand signals behind his back.
The instant Uchiha Masaki interpreted them, a broad grin appeared on his face.
A moment later, he vanished.
The Body Flicker Technique carried him away before anyone could blink.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Uchiha quietly dispersed.
Some moved into flanking positions.
Others began laying traps and preparing defensive measures.
At the same time, their formation subtly shifted to place Hiro at its center.
The waiting didn’t last long.
Suddenly, flames erupted from inside the hidden outpost.
Several unfamiliar figures burst from the entrance and fled in different directions.
Unfortunately for them, they ran straight into a web of nearly invisible steel wires and rows of pre-positioned explosive tags.
Those lucky enough to avoid the detonations found Uchiha shinobi already waiting for them.
“Eh?” Masaki reappeared as though materializing from thin air.
“That’s all?” He looked disappointed.
“Most of my traps didn’t even get used.
“Ryo worries way too much.” “I’ve already checked them.” Hiro approached the prisoners.
“No explosive tags hidden on their bodies.
“They really do appear to be trainees.” He adjusted his stance slightly.
“We should use genjutsu and extract information.” Akihiko nodded.
Grabbing the apparent leader by the collar, he dragged him several meters away from the others.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated within his eyes as he locked gazes with the captive.
Then everything changed.
Akihiko’s face stiffened.
Without warning, he hurled the prisoner away and jumped backward.
“Fall back!” Every Uchiha reacted instantly.
No questions.
No hesitation.
They abandoned whatever they were doing and scattered.
A heartbeat later— The captured Senju exploded.
His skin ruptured.
Blood, flesh, and a violent shockwave erupted outward.
The blast hurled Akihiko through the air.
He flew more than ten meters before crashing into a tree trunk.
For several seconds, his mind remained completely disoriented.
“Hey!
You’re alive, aren’t you?!” With Hiro’s help, Akihiko finally managed to stand.
Holding his aching forehead, he spat out a curse.
“Bunch of damn lunatics!” “What happened?” Green medical chakra glowed from Hiro’s hands as he examined him.
Nearby, all traces of amusement had vanished from Masaki’s expression.
His Sharingan spun slowly while he surveyed the surrounding woods.
At the same time, he signaled several clan members to establish a perimeter and search the area.
“There was a sealing technique hidden inside his head?” “Yeah.” Akihiko’s face darkened.
“A seal linked to genjutsu interrogation.
“The moment someone attempted to search his mind, it activated the explosive tags implanted in his body.” His voice turned grim.
“The Senju are insane.
“They’ll sacrifice people without hesitation if it protects information.” “Nothing major.” Hiro withdrew his hands.
“You forcibly interrupted your genjutsu, which caused chakra backlash.
“Avoid using your dōjutsu for now and you’ll recover.
“At least you had enough sense to drag him away before questioning him.” “There’s a good chance every one of them was intended to be expendable.” Masaki’s Sharingan rotated faster.
“Let’s kill them.
“Even if reinforcements arrive later, we’re not exactly helpless.” “We can deal with that later.” Akihiko lowered his voice.
“For now, we’re withdrawing.
“And we’re staying away from the main battlefield.” Both Hiro and Masaki turned toward him.
“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Akihiko’s expression remained grim.
“A really bad one.
“Hiro, your older brother is deployed with the main force, right?” “Yeah.” “You have a summon.
“Send him a message and tell them to retreat immediately.” Akihiko clenched his jaw.
“If someone wants to hold anyone accountable afterward, they can blame me.” Hiro stared at him.
His expression became increasingly ugly.
“…And what exactly am I supposed to say?
“That our captain got scared by a human bomb and ordered the entire army to retreat?” “Whether they listen isn’t the point.” Masaki casually unsheathed the short sword hanging from his waist.
At the same time, he noticed one of the younger captives attempting to wake his companions and escape.
“First, let’s deal with these people.” Before he finished speaking, he had already moved.
His figure blurred.
An instant later, he appeared above the prisoners.
Steel flashed.
Two captives died before they could react.
Then two voices shouted simultaneously.
“Wait, Masaki!” “Stop!” The blade froze.
Its edge hovered less than an inch from another prisoner’s throat.
Masaki tilted his head slightly.
He waited.
Unlike Akihiko, whose face remained pale from the recent explosion, Hiro’s expression had become frighteningly serious.
Both palms pressed firmly against the ground.
“Something’s moving underground.” “Don’t kill them.” Masaki glanced toward the prisoners.
Most of them appeared younger than he was.
With a flick of his wrist, his sword shifted course.
Instead of taking lives, he sliced through tendons.
Wrists.
Ankles.
Precise cuts designed to eliminate mobility while minimizing bleeding.
Only after finishing did he address the others.
“Tie them up.
“And get ready to trigger every explosive trap we’ve laid.” Then he pointed toward the hidden outpost.
“Anyone carrying sealing scrolls comes with me.
“We’re searching the interior and taking anything useful.
“The rest of you maintain the perimeter.” As Masaki disappeared into the outpost alongside several clan members, Akihiko massaged his temples.
“Hiro.
“What exactly is down there?” Slowly, Hiro lifted his hands from the earth.
His face was ice-cold.
“An explosive seal network.” Akihiko narrowed his eyes.
“It hasn’t completely activated yet.
“But from what I can tell, it’s linked to the lives of these prisoners.
“If every captive dies, the entire formation detonates.” He paused briefly.
“Whoever designed it knew what they were doing.
“Several layers of sealing formulas are concealing the chakra fluctuations.
“If combat had been happening above ground, nobody would’ve noticed.” Akihiko grimaced.
“What a disgusting trap.” “Feels like something the Uzumaki would create.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed.
“They’ve always had close ties with the Senju.” The lingering headache from the chakra backlash continued pounding inside his skull.
“Send the warning to the battlefield.
“Then we’re leaving.” Hiro immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
Without wasting another second, he formed hand seals.
“Summoning Technique!” A cloud of white smoke burst into existence.
When it dispersed, a tiny snow-white kitten sat where it had appeared, yawning sleepily.
“Didn’t we agree I don’t take night shifts, meow…?” “Sorry, Yukimaru.” Hiro’s expression softened noticeably.
Carefully lifting the kitten into his hands, he spoke gently.
“I’ll buy you dried shrimp afterward.
“We’ve encountered a serious situation.
“Can you carry a message to my brother?” Yukimaru stretched lazily and licked one of its paws.
“Fine, meow.
“But don’t forget my overtime shrimp, meow.” Hiro quickly summarized everything that had happened.
Recognizing the urgency, Yukimaru confirmed the details twice before vanishing in another puff of smoke.
“Have Yukimaru inform the clan as well.” Akihiko shook his head vigorously, attempting to dispel the unease crawling beneath his skin.
“If preparations like this exist in a place this insignificant, then the Senju definitely haven’t abandoned whatever they’re planning.” Hiro nodded.
At that moment, Masaki emerged from the outpost with several clan members.
“How’d the search go?” Hiro asked.
Masaki spread his hands helplessly.
“This place is so empty even a starving mouse would leave disappointed.
“Looks like they prepared to abandon it a long time ago.
“Or maybe it was never a genuine outpost to begin with.” His smile disappeared.
“Just bait.” “We need to move.” Hiro frowned.
“My current assessment is that the prisoners are linked to the explosive formation.
“But there may be additional triggers.
“To be safe, we should continue checking the locations Ryo marked.” His gaze shifted toward Akihiko.
“Can you keep going?” “Yeah.” Akihiko rubbed his forehead again.
“I’ll manage.
“Masaki, you’re taking command from here.” Then he sighed heavily.
“Seriously…
“Ryo’s instincts are absurd.” “Agreed.” Masaki gestured for everyone to erase signs of their presence.
“Most of the time his paranoia turns out to be unnecessary.
“But he’s exactly the sort of teammate who makes you feel secure.” Then a mischievous grin appeared.
“Oh right.
“You and Ryo sparred recently, didn’t you?” He looked curious.
“How’s his recovery going?” “…Ask him yourself.” “No chance.” Masaki immediately refused.
“Before this, all he ever thought about was training.
“Now that he’s blind, he’s probably become even more obsessed.
“I have no intention of spending every hour of my life training.” “Heh.” Masaki spun around instantly.
“Uchiha Hiro!” He pointed dramatically.
“We’re settling this with a duel when we get back!” “Heh.
Amateur.” Listening to their argument restart yet again, Akihiko felt the pounding in his head intensify.
…A squad full of idiots.