Capítulo 30: Chapter 30
"With this, Sensei, we may be able to soften the enemies considerably. I suggest we split up and take care of both sides rather than just one end," Torune offered his opinion. Although still reserved, he had warmed up to his team in the past couple of weeks.
"Yes, Sensei. How about Kazuki and I infiltrate the town and bandit camp separately? We'll act as insurance in case Kumo plans on using the hostages. Sensei and Torune can identify sentries and scouts from both the town and the bandit camp." Itachi shared his plan. Gai contemplated the matter; infiltrating both the base and camp seemed plausible, and with the items on hand, they could retreat if necessary. Understanding Torune's current combat prowess, Gai assigned him a less dangerous position.
"Torune, you will support Itachi from outside the bandit camp. If possible, pick out any isolated Kumo ninja. Itachi, infiltrate the bandit camp, prioritise the hostages, and keep an eye out for Kumo infiltrators. Prioritize your safety; if exposed, don't hesitate to fall back immediately." Gai then turned to Kazuki, who was packing items for his teammates in various sealing scrolls.
"Kazuki and I will handle the town. I'm not very skilled at infiltrating in such situations, so, Kazuki, we'll have to rely on you for the safety of the hostages. I'll try to take out a few targets if possible."
After swiftly making a decision, the team divided their roles. Torune assumed the responsibility of communicating with the incoming reinforcements. To facilitate information exchange, he also left a few bugs by Kazuki's side.
As Torune and Itachi stealthily made their way towards the bandit camp, Kazuki and Gai maneuvered through the shadows, heading towards the town.
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"Did you know the recent batch of loot has been quite substantial? The commander has decided to send out the collected resources back home immediately," a Kumo Shinobi disguised as a civilian said to his comrade, both casually smoking while on sentry duty.
"The commander has never broken his schedule. The last batch was only sent a week ago. Don't we normally send out supplies once a month? Why is the commander in such a hurry?" The other Kumo Shinobi inquired, passing his smoke over.
"I am not sure about the exact details, but I heard a team recently found ancient ruins, and the findings were substantial. So the commander wants to send back the resources at the earliest," the first Shinobi shared in a hushed tone, emphasizing the confidentiality of the information.
"Do you have any idea what they found? It must be something really important or valuable to take such hasty actions," the second Shinobi pressed, eager for more details.
"I was only able to find out so much, and it's only because I am related to the vice commander. By the way, aren't you being too talkative today? ..." Before the first Shinobi could continue, the other Shinobi expressed disappointment. "Sigh, I thought you were some kind of big shot when I saw you earlier with the Elite Jonin. What a disappointment. I think you are of no more use."
Before the Kumo Shinobi could grasp the situation, a tanto blade pierced his neck from behind, severing his spine. The bizarre aspect was that there was no one physically behind him; the tanto seemed to be manipulated by shadows. The second Kumo Shinobi made a hand gesture, and in an instant, Gai appeared by his side.
"Kazuki, did you find anything? Why is the entire town brimming with such activity at an unusual hour?" Gai inquired, while the second Kumo Shinobi reverted to his original form. He placed a black tag on the deceased Shinobi, and a pitch-black flame erupted, swiftly consuming the body without emitting any light.
Meanwhile, Kazuki began explaining the information he had obtained from the fallen Shinobi. Gai and Kazuki had already discreetly eliminated four Chunin and three Genin who were out on patrol. They carefully selected their targets to avoid drawing attention, taking advantage of the heightened activity in the town as the Kumo ninja prepared for the imminent shipment. On any normal day, the missing ninjas would likely have been spotted, but tonight, the attention of most Kumo ninjas was focused on the upcoming deployment.
"Kazuki, whatever they must have found must have high significance if they are so hasty. We must intercept the shipment," Gai advised, sharing his decision with Kazuki.
Kazuki simply nodded and transformed himself into the now-deceased Kumo Shinobi. "Gai sensei, I am going towards the hostages. I will leave things out here for you, Sensei, and I will try to delay the shipment as much as possible. If not possible, maybe I will blow it up, hahaha," Kazuki said with a mischievous expression. Gai couldn't help but shake his head at the kid's antics during such a critical time.
Kazuki merged with the shadows and vanished after handing Gai a scroll containing approximate locations of the Kumo Shinobi and the layout of the village. Gai, after referring to the new details at hand, moved to eliminate the next target.
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Meanwhile, in the bandit camp, outside the perimeter, Torune waited patiently, concealed from sight, as he carefully monitored the surroundings. His focus was on the two Kumo Shinobi disguised as bandits, seemingly enjoying their time sharing drinks. If Torune hadn't known beforehand, he might have believed they were genuine bandits. He marvelled at how Kazuki and Itachi had been able to discern their true identity as Shinobi.
The two Kumo Shinobi leisurely savoured the night with drinks in hand, oblivious to the super tiny bugs stealthily making their way into both of their bottles. Torune manipulated his poisonous bugs to taint the drinks. Meanwhile, Itachi had already departed to infiltrate and rescue the hostages. Despite the camp being populated with numerous bandits, only ten of them were Shinobi. However, caution was paramount, especially with Kumo Jonin leading the camp. If discovered before reinforcements arrived, it could spell significant trouble for the team.
Within the heart of the bandit camp, a makeshift prison had been erected to confine the hostages. A dozen ruthless bandits, overseen by three Kumo Shinobi, all of Chunin rank, stood guard. The atmosphere reeked of despair as the captives, tormented and abused, faced the brutality of their captors. The women, in particular, suffered unimaginable cruelty and were subjected to inhumane acts of torment.
Pleas and cries for mercy echoed through the confined space, unheard by the callous perpetrators. The gang of bandits revelled in their sadistic display of power, taking perverse pleasure in the suffering they inflicted upon their defenceless captives. The air was thick with anguish and fear as the hostages endured unspeakable horrors.
Unbeknownst to the tormentors and their victims, a pair of piercing red eyes observed the unfolding atrocities from the shadows. These eyes, filled with a mix of rage and determination, carefully scrutinised every action within the grim confines of the prison.
In the oppressive silence of the makeshift prison, Itachi waited patiently, suppressing the anger that simmered beneath the surface. His rationality prevailed over impulsiveness, allowing him to observe the unfolding scene with a focused mind. Amid the torment and chaos, a peculiar moment caught his discerning eye.
As one of the regular bandits reached out to pull a woman from among the hostages, a Chunin swiftly intervened, sternly reprimanding the bandit. "You better not touch that woman. The leader has specifically chosen her, and you know how the leader is," the Chunin warned, his words carrying a weight that commanded obedience. The bandit, seemingly intimidated, hastily retreated as if the woman were a forbidden entity.
Itachi's keen eyes honed in on this abnormality. Something about the woman had drawn the Chunin's protective attention. Intrigued, Itachi observed her closely and discovered that, aside from superficial wounds, the woman remained mostly unharmed. This anomaly raised questions in Itachi's mind, adding a layer of mystery to the already tense atmosphere within the prison.
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Meanwhile, Kazuki, flawlessly disguised as a Kumo Chunin, strategically placed sealing tags around the village without the knowledge of the Kumo Shinobi, ensuring that none would be able to escape once the conflict commenced. After completing the intricate sealing arrangement, Kazuki strolled in the direction where other Kumo ninja were hastily preparing the convoy.
"Oi, Gen! What are you doing there? Come give us a hand. The commander has asked us to make sure that the convoy leaves before daybreak." Kumo Jonin, burdened with heavy boxes for the convoy, noticed Gen walking about leisurely and called out.
Kazuki had gleaned some information about the original Gen, someone related to the vice commander, and an elite Jonin. Although the real Gen wasn't an exceptional Chunin and lacked brightness among the Kumo ranks, his status was relatively higher. Kazuki decided to play his part and approached the Jonin, hoping to discern the contents of the convoy. He was puzzled about why such a significant discovery required a large convoy for transport.
"Why go through so much trouble arranging for transport? Why not send a team out with sealing scrolls carrying the items?" Kazuki questioned the Jonin, who handed him a hefty box while picking up another. The weight of the box only deepened Kazuki's confusion.
"Gen, why do you always ask such stupid questions? Do you think the commander didn't think of such simple things? It's not that we don't want to; it's just that we can't. Whatever's in these boxes interferes with our storage scrolls," the Jonin explained, revealing the limitations of Kumo's sealing scrolls.
"Just so you know, sealing scrolls aren't easy to produce; they're strategic resources. Only a limited number are made each year. I sometimes wonder how you even reached Chunin rank, lacking all this essential knowledge, Gen," the Jonin added, expressing a mix of frustration and respect for Gen's connection with the vice commander.
Kazuki's earlier confusion was clarified. When he attempted to probe if he could store the boxes, he found that he could do so if he intended. This meant that the quality of Kumo's sealing scrolls was subpar, unable to store items emitting strong chakra fluctuations. From his earlier probing, he discerned the identity of the mystery material: each box was filled to the brim with the highest quality Chakra metal ore Kazuki had encountered in his short life, each box weighing at least a couple of hundred kilogrammes each.
As Kazuki assisted the other Kumo ninja, he covertly took measures to sabotage the convoy. A rough estimate revealed over a hundred sealed boxes, with many more yet to be loaded. It became clear to Kazuki that Kumo had discovered a vast chakra metal ore mine—a substantial one, given the volume of ore harvested in just a few days.
"Gen., the Vice Commander has asked for you to report to him immediately at his place," a Chunin informed Kazuki, who seamlessly joined the others in place of Gen. Armed with the gathered information, Kazuki headed towards the vice commander's residence.
Upon reaching the vice commander's residence, Kazuki casually walked in and entered the study, where a stern man with features resembling Gen was engrossed in documents. "Uncle, did you call for me?" Kazuki inquired.
Before the vice commander could respond, a sudden explosion reverberated, alarming the entire town and prompting all Kumo Shinobi to prepare themselves for battle. "Gen, quickly go to where the hostages are. Make sure they are not harmed. You know how important those people are," the vice commander urgently directed, rushing towards the commander's location. However, just as he stepped out of the study, instincts kicked in, and he deftly dodged a rising water blade that narrowly missed him.
"Who are you? What did you do with Gen?" The elite Jonin, now on full alert, surrounded himself with a protective layer of lightning-infused chakra. Kazuki observed Jonin's lightning armour closely, simultaneously erecting a barrier around the house to avoid drawing attention.
The Jonin quickly detected the sealing of the house and reacted swiftly, flickering behind Kazuki to strike a fatal blow. Instinctively, Kazuki dodged, and the vice commander retreated, realising that shadows were ready to strike if he continued forward.
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