Kapitel 191: 190-Gut Feeling

"For now, just erase your chakra signatures and prepare yourselves,"

Renjiro instructed his squad. His words were met with silent nods as the squad members followed the directive. This ensured they could remain undetected, even by seasoned sensors, until the moment they chose to reveal themselves.

Ahead, the convoy moved at a steady pace. The guards scanned their surroundings with keen eyes. Their hands rested close to their weapons, ready to spring into action at the first sign of trouble.

The young Daimyo's son, Akihiko, sat inside a luxurious carriage, occasionally peering out with a mixture of curiosity and boredom.

Akihiko was blissfully unaware of the potential danger lurking in the shadows, his innocence a stark contrast to the seasoned guards surrounding him.

'Haven't they realized it yet?'

Renjiro wondered as he observed the convoy's guards. Despite their vigilance, there wasn't much change in their actions, suggesting they had yet to sense the impending threat.

As the convoy ventured deeper into the Land of Rivers, the atmosphere grew more oppressive. The usual sounds of wildlife had faded away, replaced by an eerie silence.

Then it swiftly happened. From the shadows of the trees, a group of rogue ninja emerged, their movements swift and precise.

Renjiro could tell at a glance that these were not mere bandits; they were skilled shinobi, their formation and approach displaying a high level of training that you wouldn't expect bandits to have.

"Formation!"

The head guard of the convoy reacted immediately, shouting. The guards moved in unison, forming a protective circle around the carriage.

The rogue shinobis were armed and ready, but they hadn't made any overtly aggressive moves yet. The head guard stepped forward, his voice firm as he demanded,

"State your business. This is a convoy of the Fire Daimyo. Identify yourselves."

Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he observed the head guard's approach. 'Why is he doing that? Or is he that confident because we are here?'

He wondered if the guard's willingness to negotiate was born out of a genuine desire to avoid conflict or misplaced confidence in the unseen support from his squad.

The leader of the rogue ninja, a tall figure with a prominent scar running across his face, stepped forward. His eyes were cold and calculating,

"We have no quarrel with you," he said, his voice low and even. "We're here for the boy. Hand him over, and no one gets hurt."

The head guard's resolve did not waver. "You will not lay a hand on the young master," he declared, drawing a kunai with steely determination.

The rest of the guards followed suit, weapons at the ready. The rogue ninja leader smirked, clearly unimpressed by the display of defiance.

"Very well," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Have it your way."

With a swift motion, he signalled his comrades, and the attack began. The rogue shinobis moved with deadly precision, launching a coordinated assault on the Daimyo's guards.

Steel clashed against steel, the air filled with the sharp sounds of combat and the crackling energy of jutsus being used. The guards fought valiantly, but it quickly became apparent they were outnumbered and at a disadvantage. They were up against close to fifty enemies, while they numbered only twelve.

Renjiro watched intently as he said,

"Get ready,"

Just as the guards seemed to be faltering, Renjiro made his decision. With a swift hand signal, his squad joined the fray.

Renjiro, wielding a sabre, moved through the chaos with deadly grace. He had chosen this weapon deliberately, hoping it would help safeguard his identity.

His squad followed his lead, their movements synchronized and efficient. They struck with precision, their training and experience evident in every action.

The rogue ninja leader, noticing the new arrivals, shouted in surprise,

"Who are you?" His voice was a mix of confusion and anger, clearly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the masked figures.

"Death," Renjiro replied coldly, his voice cutting through as he lunged at the leader, his sabre aimed to incapacitate him. However, to his astonishment, the figure dissolved into water, revealing itself to be a mere clone.

'What?'

Renjiro thought, momentarily caught off guard. It was a clever ruse however, Renjiro didn't dwell on it. He quickly shifted his focus to the next target, ensuring the battle's momentum stayed in their favour.

The skirmish was brief but intense. The rogue ninja, outmatched and overwhelmed, quickly realized they were no match for Renjiro's team.

One by one, they were killed. The Daimyo's guards, emboldened by the arrival of the Konoha shinobi, rallied and supported their allies, ensuring a swift end to the confrontation.

As the dust settled, their leader was nowhere to be seen which bothered Renjiro a lot.

'Did he escape?' He wondered.

The Daimyo's guards quickly secured the area, ensuring there were no lingering threats.

Akihiko, who had been safely shielded in the carriage, emerged, his eyes wide with shock and awe. The young boy looked around, trying to comprehend the sudden violence and its abrupt end.

Renjiro approached the young boy. He crouched down to Akihiko's level, his voice gentle but firm.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Akihiko nodded, clearly shaken but unharmed. "Yes, thank you," he murmured, his voice trembling slightly.

Despite the fear in his eyes, there was no visible harm to him. The masked shinobi had appeared out of nowhere, rescuing him from a situation he barely understood.

Renjiro gave a reassuring smile, though it was hidden behind his mask. "You're safe now. Let's continue our journey." He stood up, signalling to his squad to regroup.

The convoy quickly reorganized, the guards more vigilant than ever. The atmosphere was tense but relieved, the danger a stark reminder of the challenges they faced.

As they continued their journey, Renjiro couldn't shake the lingering doubt in his mind.

'Was that just a safeguard measure?' he wondered, considering the possibility that the leader had anticipated interference and planned accordingly.

The presence of a clone suggested a level of preparedness that was unsettling.

'My gut feeling is telling me that there's more to this. That wasn't just him being cautious.' Renjiro thought.

The rest of the journey passed without incident, the convoy moving at a steady pace towards Tanigakure. Akihiko was to attend a ceremony, a significant event that would take several weeks, so there was no need for them to stay there as the mission's objective was just to ensure his safe arrival and then leave his security to the villagers of Tanigakure.

They were well aware that any harm coming to the Fire Daimyo's son would lead to severe repercussions, potentially even war with the Land of Fire. Which was something both parties involved did not want.

As the convoy entered Tanigakure, Renjiro and his squad maintained their discreet presence, ensuring Akihiko's safe passage into the village. Once the young master was settled in, Renjiro approached the head of the village's guard. They exchanged a few words, confirming the arrangements for Akihiko's stay and security.

As Renjiro and his squad departed from Tanigakure, he detected something with his chakra field.

'Again?' Renjiro thought, a mixture of irritation and concern surfacing in his mind. The mission had been successfully completed, yet it seemed their troubles were far from over.

=====

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Kapitel 192: 191-Formation Four

Renjiro's mind raced as he processed the situation.

'Once might have been normal, but twice? I refuse to believe this is just a coincidence. And from their chakra signatures, they are stronger than the ones we encountered on our way to Tanigakure. I can sense multiple chunins and a jounin. This is no ordinary force!'

His thoughts churned as he quickly considered their next move. There was no time to waste, the enemy's strength and numbers demanded a swift and decisive response.

The squad leader came to an abrupt stop atop a sturdy tree branch, causing the other five behind him to halt as well. Those unfamiliar with sensory techniques looked around in confusion, unsure of what had prompted the sudden pause. However, Kudo and Miki, who were also sensors, quickly understood the gravity of the situation.

In a low voice, Renjiro instructed, "Be ready. We have enemies approaching from the west. They have a jounin, so we will use Formation 4."

As soon as Renjiro finished speaking, the squad members nodded in unison. In an instant, they disappeared into the trees, flickering toward the west where their enemies lay in wait.

Meanwhile, Saseki, the leader of the approaching rogue shinobi, felt a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest.

'I just hope the intel was right. The fact that they cannot determine the power levels and identities of the team from Konoha is unnerving, but they can't have more than one jounin present,' he thought, trying to calm his nerves.

He had been informed that the Konoha squad had left Tanigakure a few hours earlier, and his task was to intercept them before they exited the Land of Rivers.

'I just hope they're using the same route,' he mused.

Saseki's frustration simmered just below the surface. The earlier mission to abduct the Daimyo's son had been a failure, largely due to the intervention from Konoha shinobis. Their intervention had not only thwarted the kidnapping but also resulted in significant losses for their forces.

'Now I am tasked with cleaning up Kata's mess,' he thought bitterly.

The plan was to attack the Konoha squad on their return journey, masking their true intentions under the guise of normal bandit activity in the area.

While this might complicate future plans to abduct Akihiko, it was a necessary risk to avoid alarming the Daimyo and potentially sparking a larger conflict. They could always find another opportunity or another target.

Turning to one of his subordinates, a sensory shinobi, Saseki asked, "Are they close?"

The sensor, a young woman, shook her head. "I still can't sense them," she replied. Saseki frowned, muttering under his breath,

"I wonder why they're so slow."

His words were barely out when a thunderous explosion shattered the relative quiet of the forest.

"Boom!"

The ground shook, and the air filled with the acrid scent of burning foliage and the metallic tang of blood. One of Saseki's men shouted,

"We're under attack!" Panic spread through the rogue group as they scrambled to understand what was happening.

Saseki's eyes widened in shock. 'What is this?"

Their sensor had assured him that the Konoha squad was still far off. Yet here they were, under sudden and violent assault. He turned to glare at the sensor, who looked equally bewildered.

'Did they conceal their presence?' He barely had time to process the thought before the masked figures of Renjiro's squad descended upon them.

The rogue shinobi were roughly the same number as the group that had attacked the convoy earlier, but these were clearly more powerful. Renjiro's squad wasted no time with pleasantries or negotiations.

They moved with lethal efficiency, each member taking on multiple opponents. Tora, wielding his twin swords with deadly precision, cut down enemies with swift, brutal strikes.

However, as he began to face chunin among the group, Tora started to tire.

'It seems I need to use that,' he thought grimly.

Without warning, Tora channelled his remaining chakra into a desperate, final attack. His body glowed with an intense light before exploding in a brilliant burst of energy.

The explosion was massive, sending shockwaves through the forest and obliterating the enemies surrounding him. Similar scenes unfolded where Miki and Akira fought. They, too, resorted to explosive techniques, causing significant damage and chaos among the rogue shinobi ranks.

Saseki's frustration boiled over into rage. He had just closed in on one of the masked figures when they exploded. Suddenly, he felt the cold steel of a blade coming near his shoulder. Instinctively, he leaned back, avoiding the strike by a hair's breadth.

He quickly put distance between himself and his assailant, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of a masked figure standing before him. The figure's stance was calm and composed, a stark contrast to the chaos around them.

The figure tilted their head slightly, as if assessing Saseki. "Who are you?" Saseki demanded, his voice edged with anger and fear. The masked figure remained silent, the only response a subtle shift in their posture.

'Damn it,' Saseki thought, tightening his grip on his kunai.

Saseki, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on him, lunged at the masked figure before him. The two engaged in a fierce exchange, their movements a blur of speed and precision. Saseki's strikes were powerful and relentless, but the masked figure parried each one with ease.

'I need to find a way to get out of this situation,' Saseki thought desperately, his eyes darting around, searching for an opening. But Renjiro was relentless, his movements precise and efficient, leaving Saseki no room to escape.

Saseki barely managed to parry a slash aimed at his midsection, the force of the blow sending him stumbling back. He knew he was running out of options, and his mind raced with the possibility of defeat.

In a swift and decisive move, Renjiro made his move. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a series of seals from his pouch. Saseki's eyes widened in realization, but it was too late.

Renjiro darted forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. Saseki tried to defend himself, but Renjiro was too quick. With a series of fluid motions, Renjiro slapped nearly a dozen seals onto Saseki's body. The seals glowed momentarily before sinking into Saseki's skin, and he felt a sudden, overwhelming sensation of paralysis.

Saseki's body seized up, his muscles locking in place. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. Panic surged through him as he realized he was utterly incapacitated.

Renjiro had used advanced paralysis and chakra-draining seals, rendering Saseki completely helpless. The rogue shinobi fell to the ground with a thud, unable to move a muscle. His eyes darted around wildly, the only part of him that could still move, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

'How?' he wondered.

'We need to interrogate him,' Renjiro thought, knowing that Saseki could hold valuable information.

Without a word, Renjiro hoisted the paralyzed jounin over his shoulder and made his way back to where Kudo was waiting.

"I have dealt with their leader, you can deal with the rest, If anything happens, you can let me know,"

Renjiro said as he approached Kudo. He then set Saseki down and dispelled himself.

This was the formation four that Renjiro had talked about. He and the rest of the squad members who had engaged the rogue shinobi were nothing more than shadow clones.

This was a strategy devised to deal with dangerous situations like suicide bombers. It was a formation that relied on the use of shadow clones, each clone capable of performing a shadow clone explosion. This jutsu had been a mandatory skill for the squad, one that Renjiro had insisted everyone master, including himself.

The real Kudo had been with the clones, acting as a safeguard in case they needed to secure someone for questioning. The plan was simple, if nothing happened on the way back to Konoha, Renjiro and the rest would regroup with Kudo and swiftly return to the village.

However, if an attack occurred, they would stay back in Tanigakure, protecting Akihiko from potential threats.

As the clones dispelled themselves, the memories and information flooded into Renjiro's real body.

'Now we have another person to interrogate.' Renjiro said as he stood over a person who he incapacitated with his seals just as he did to Saseki. The only difference was that he needed fewer seals as this person was just a guard in the convoy that was escorting Akihiko.