Chương 32: Kannabi Bridge (7)
"Was I wrong? Was there really no one else?"
After tracking footprints for a long time, Kita was still unable to locate the two Konoha brats' companions, causing him to question if he had made a mistake.
"No, it's impossible. That kid's reaction can't be fake..."
He remembered how Obito had reacted when he pretended to pursue his companions. Obito's reaction and panic indicated there were indeed other people with them, likely weaker individuals.
Thinking of this, he jumped off the tree trunk and began searching the ground for any footprints or signs he could track.
"Ah, I knew it."
After searching for a while, he saw a mark on one of the trees, similar to the one the Konoha brat had been carving, but this one had a slash through it. It must have been added by the ones he was looking for.
Although he couldn't understand the marks, their appearance assured him he was heading in the right direction.
"There was no slash on the mark I passed earlier, which means they have yet to reach this point."
That meant the enemies weren't far away, maybe even hiding nearby. Walking around the perimeter, Kita suddenly saw something bright glinting in the sun. Upon closer inspection, he found a wire lying across the bushes, with several explosive tags covered with leaves on it.
"What a crude trap. It seems those brats' companions are also inexperienced."
This was good news for him, but it didn't make him completely let his guard down. He didn't forget that his companion might have died at these brats' hands, so he remained extra cautious even when facing kids.
He threw a few shurikens into the trap and easily dealt with the crude explosive setup. However, the presence of the trap also made him alert.
It seemed someone was here but hiding.
Tap tap...
He slowed down and walked step by step into an open space. There were footprints, and the grass still seemed a little warm.
"Damn it, did they escape?"
Realizing that the enemy seemed to have hidden, Kita deliberately muttered out loud. Then he turned his back and pretended to leave, but his hands quickly formed a series of hand seals.
*****
Hiding behind a distant tree, Rin couldn't help but feel nervous when she saw the enemy not only destroy the night watch trap she had set up but also walk to the place where she and Yami had planned to camp and rest.
However, the words the Iwa ninja said afterward and his movement of turning around to leave made her feel relieved.
"We should be safe for now, right? He didn't notice us."
She glanced at Yami, who was behind another tree, but unlike her, he didn't look relieved and seemed even tenser.
Turning his head, he only said a single word. "Run." Then he vanished from her sight.
"Run?" Confused, Rin could only mutter to herself. The enemy hadn't left yet. If they suddenly ran away, wouldn't they be exposing their position?
Just as she hesitated, unsure what to do, the ground beneath her feet suddenly bulged, and a huge earth thorn popped out aiming straight at her.
Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!
The enemy had been pretending to give up the search, but in fact, he had already started forming hand seals when he pretended to turn around. The moment he launched the attack was exactly when she relaxed her vigilance.
Unlike Yami, who could enter stealth mode at any time, Rin's poor hiding skills couldn't escape the perception of this Iwa Jonin.
"Ah!!"
Although Yami's reminder helped her avoid a vital hit, the thrust of the rock spear still pierced the outside of her thigh. In a cloud of dust, Rin was not only forced to roll out from her hiding place, but because of her thigh injury, she was unable to stand up.
"So you're a little girl. Tell me the details of your mission, and I might spare your life."
Seeing that his ninjutsu, which was just a test attack, had hurt the opponent, Kita relaxed his vigilance a little.
"Don't even think about it!" She wasn't naive enough to believe the enemy would spare her. Besides, even at the cost of her life, she wouldn't betray Konoha or her companions.
Rin pulled out a roll of bandage from the medical bag on her waist and tightly wrapped it around her injured thigh at lightning speed, showing her proficiency in medical ninjutsu. Then she supported herself on the ground with one hand, held a kunai in the other, and gritted her teeth in a defensive posture.
"Ah, I see you're one of those feisty ones who wouldn't betray their village!" Kita sighed before pulling out his sword. "In that case, you're useless to keep alive. Allow me to end your miserable life."
Without wasting time, Kita dashed toward Rin, who was still half-crouching on the ground. This was a battlefield, a fight to the death; no sympathy or mercy was needed.
"So fast..."
Rin couldn't even see the enemy's movements clearly and realized she wasn't his opponent even in her best state. Although her hand holding the kunai was firm, it was still shaking instinctively. It was the fear of impending death.
As the enemy closed in, Rin couldn't help but think of her friends and sensei.
'And Yami-Kun, has he already left me, or is he nearby? No, maybe it would be better if he left me behind.'
The opponent's strength was obviously at the level of a Jonin. The power of the ninjutsu just now and the speed at which he was rushing towards her now undoubtedly proved this point.
Realizing that the gap in strength between herself and the Iwagakure ninja in front of her was too big, Rin couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
'I'm sorry, Kakashi, Obito, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-sister... It seems like I will never see you again.'
Just as the sword was about to pierce her chest, Kita suddenly stopped and shifted his body slightly as a kunai suddenly appeared out of nowhere, piercing his back.
Without hesitation, Kita flickered and appeared in a distance away.
"You reacted in such a short time and avoided a fatal hit?"
As expected of a Jonin, his combat experience was completely different from ordinary ninjas. Yami felt a bit regretful that the kunai only cut the back of the Iwa ninja instead of the neck that he aimed for.
"There's another person!?"
Feeling the burning wound on his back, Kita broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't even noticed another person was hiding nearby. It wasn't until the moment the attack came that he realized something was wrong.
Moreover, he had avoided the vital points purely on instinct and a bit of luck.
"It seems you are not an ordinary brat..."
Kita, who was frightened by Yami, gradually calmed down after noticing the chakra fluctuations of the young ninja holding the kunai. The chakra seemed weaker than that of the female ninja. Was he a physical ninja? In that case, Kita had only suffered an injury from a surprise attack and still had the greatest chance of winning in a head-on battle.
"Yami..."
Rin hadn't expected Yami to save her life. In the last few seconds, she had even thought he might have abandoned her like he did to his previous companions. But the moment she was rescued, she realized how wrong she was.
"Can you still stand up?" Yami asked, not paying immediate attention to the Iwa ninja but rather focusing on Rin.
"I can..."
Enduring the pain, Rin stood up, though she was still shaky.
"Keep running. The enemy is a Jonin, and I can't handle him."
Yami suddenly put away his kunai, grabbed Rin's arm, and started running through the forest.
"You..!"
Kita thought the Konoha ninja would fight him head-on, but instead, they started running away.
He had to catch up. If he let these Konoha brats succeed in their mission, he would be a disgrace to his village. However...
"Damn it, I don't have any bandages to bandage my wounds!"
The wound on his back was still bleeding, draining his energy. Especially when running.
Kita finally understood their tactic. They wanted to wear him out.
"Hmph, what a stupid idea. let me show you the true speed of a Jonin!"
Gathering chakra in his legs, Kita, who was already good at speed and physical skills, increased his running speed even more.
Not far ahead, even with Yami's help, Rin's thigh injury was slowing them down.
As one side gained strength while the other lost it, the distance between them and the enemy rapidly closed.
***
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