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.

=====

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Kapitel 193: 192-Cursed Mark

By the time Kudo and the shadow clones left Tanigakure, the evening sky had settled into a deep indigo, speckled with the first stars of the night.

Travelling at night posed no significant challenge for them, especially since their pace could now increase without the young Daimyo's son, Akihiko, to worry about.

The darkness provided cover, allowing them to move swiftly and silently through the night.

The distance between Tanigakure and the border of the Land of Rivers was quite significant. Hours passed before Saseki and his group intercepted Kudo and the shadow clones.

Meanwhile, as Renjiro and the rest of the squad remained behind in Tanigakure, their presence was undetected even by Akihiko's convoy.

It was not particularly difficult for them to stay hidden, given their skills and experience.

They blended seamlessly into the shadows, their senses attuned to any potential threat.

'If nothing happens after a day, then I guess we will go back to the village. There won't be a need to waste both the squad's and my time,'

Renjiro thought as they decided to monitor the situation regarding Akihiko.

Tanigakure was a bustling village, and they had welcomed several high-ranking nobles of similar standing to Akihiko. The security was tight, though not as stringent as Renjiro would have preferred.

'If we can move undetected, then it means that other people can also do so,' Renjiro thought, a sense of unease settling over him.

Then it happened. Dead in the night, one of the guards from Akihiko's convoy attempted to assassinate the young master.

Renjiro and his team, ever vigilant, acted swiftly. The would-be assassin was immobilized within moments, his weapon clattering to the ground with a metallic thud.

Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he regarded the immobilized guard.

"Check whether he is under some sort of Genjutsu," he instructed Akira.

"The rest of you, secure the area while I raise the alarm."

Akira nodded, her Sharingan activated as she began to examine and interrogate the guard.

The rest of the squad fanned out, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any additional threats.

Renjiro moved quickly, his footsteps silent as he made his way to inform the head guard from the convoy and the one in charge of security in Tanigakure.

The head guard from the Land of Fire was surprised to see Renjiro and his squad still in Tanigakure.

"Renjiro-sama, I thought you had left," he said, his voice tinged with confusion.

Renjiro gave a brief nod. "I had a hunch that something would happen to the young master," he explained.

The head guard's eyes widened in understanding, a newfound respect shining in his gaze.

"I see. Your foresight may have saved the young master's life. We owe you a great debt," the head guard said, his voice filled with gratitude.

Renjiro nodded curtly, acknowledging the compliment. "Ensure that the rest of the convoy is secure. We need to be prepared for any further attempts," he advised. They then went to do other preparations

After informing the concerned parties, including the team in charge of security in Tanigakure, Renjiro quickly returned to his squad as the head guard informed his superiors

The rest of the convoy guards were now on high alert, Renjiro wanted to interrogate them to ensure that there weren't any more spies in their ranks but he quickly shot that idea down.

'If we can both interrogate the two people we caught then we can fish them out. While the guard might not know if there are other spies present, that other guy in Kudo's custody might know.' Renjiro thought.

As Renjiro approached, he could see Akira still interrogating the guard.

"What did you find out?" Renjiro asked, his tone brisk.

Akira looked up, her Sharingan deactivated.

"He's not under any Genjutsu," she reported.

"But after a brief interrogation, I discovered he is a spy for a local group of rogue shinobi who wanted to kidnap Akihiko but after they failed, they decided to kill him."

Renjiro's eyes narrowed as he processed this information. "So, it wasn't just an assassination attempt. They wanted to kidnap him," he mused, his mind racing with the implications.

"We need to secure him. Killing him would be easier, but it would bring more issues as he is our best shot at proving what happened." Renjiro said as he looked at the dazed guard. He was still under Akira's genjutsu.

With a swift movement, Renjiro planted a seal on the guard, ensuring that he would be unable to escape even if he managed to break out of the Genjutsu.

Just as he was about to give further instructions, memories flooded into his mind from the shadow clone that was with Kudo.

The sudden influx of information was a bit disorienting, but Renjiro quickly regained his composure.

He saw the battle, felt the intensity of the fight, and experienced the capture of Saseki, the rogue jounin.

The memories provided valuable insight, and Renjiro knew they needed to act on this information swiftly.

He turned to his squad, his voice calm and authoritative. "We've captured the leader of the rogue shinobi. Kudo is securing him now."

When Kudo arrived with Saseki in tow, they quickly decided to interrogate him to compare notes with what the got from the guard.

"He might have valuable information about their plans and the organization behind these attacks."

Kudo nodded, stepping aside to allow Renjiro to take the lead. Renjiro knelt down beside Saseki, his eyes meeting the rogue shinobi's. "You have two choices," Renjiro began, his tone cold. "You can cooperate, and we'll ensure you are treated fairly. Or you can resist, and things will get much worse for you."

Saseki's eyes flickered with defiance, but he remained silent. Renjiro sighed, knowing that this would not be easy. He signalled to Akira, who stepped forward, her Sharingan activating once more.

"Let's see if we can get you to talk," Akira said, her voice soft but menacing. She locked eyes with Saseki, and within moments, the rogue jounin's resistance began to crumble. The Sharingan's power was undeniable, and Saseki found himself unable to resist its influence.

Slowly, painfully, Saseki began to talk. He revealed the plans of his group, their intentions to kidnap Akihiko, and the broader conspiracy at play.

"Tell us about the organization behind you," she demanded.

Saseki's face twisted with pain and defiance. "I... can't..." he gasped, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

The struggle was evident in his eyes, the internal battle between his will and whatever force was preventing him from speaking.

Renjiro's eyes narrowed, noticing something strange. Black lines began to form on Saseki's face, creeping across his skin like a sinister web.

'What is that?' Renjiro wondered, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

Akira pressed on, her voice firm. "Who are you working for? What are their plans?"

Saseki's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. His eyes bulged with terror and agony, the black lines spreading rapidly. The squad watched in shock as his body convulsed violently.

Renjiro's heart raced. "Stop! Akira, stop the interrogation!" he ordered, his voice sharp.

Akira immediately ceased her questioning, but it was too late. Saseki's body stiffened, and with one final shudder, he collapsed, lifeless. The black lines receded slightly, leaving his face pale and contorted.

Tora and Miki rushed over, their faces pale with horror. "What just happened?" Tora asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Renjiro knelt beside Saseki's body, examining the black lines closely. "That's Juinjustu," he said grimly.

"A curse mark. He wasn't allowed to talk about the organization behind him. The mark killed him the moment he tried to reveal anything."

The squad fell silent, the weight of the revelation settling over them like a dark cloud.