c26: Was Ambushed
"You want to give orders? Then earn that right beat me first. Don't forget, you're the one I defeated," Chiba said with cold disapproval, offering no courtesy to Yamanaka Kuruma.
"You... you're pushing it!" Kuruma's face turned red with suppressed rage, his hands trembling. He wanted to lash out, but lacked the strength to back it up.
His hatred toward Chiba burned fiercely, like a simmering fire threatening to erupt. Deep down, he harbored a desire to defeat Chiba one day to wipe that calm arrogance from his face.
"Stop it. We're in the middle of a mission. You can settle your score after it's done," Uchiha Mina interjected sharply.
She was well aware of the ongoing grudge between Kuruma and Chiba, but resolving it now wasn't a priority. As long as it didn't disrupt the operation, she had no intention of playing mediator.
"No signs of defensive traps or lookouts. The camp looks unsecured. We should move in," Moonlight Neri observed after a quick scan of the area through a pair of binoculars.
Without waiting for agreement, Kuruma dashed off first leaping from tree to tree with practiced ease. His frustration needed a release, and he planned to unleash it on the rogues.
The rest of the squad Chiba, Kakashi, Mina, and Neri followed closely behind.
In less than ten minutes, they reached the rogue encampment situated just below the mountain peak.
The clearing had only recently been constructed. Trees had been felled, and the space roughly leveled. Seven crude wooden huts stood scattered, surrounded by lumber piles and scrap materials. The setup looked hurried and disorganized.
Based on information from the villagers, the rogue group numbered around twenty. Most were weak, low-level fighters, though two or three among them might be at chunin level tougher, but not elite.
Kuruma had expected to catch the rogues off guard, to storm in and take them down before they even knew what hit them.
But when he burst into the clearing, no enemies were present. His eyes darted across the empty campsite, face etched in disbelief.
"What the hell...? Where are they?" Kuruma muttered, scanning the huts, unable to grasp what had happened.
He'd been certain that this would be an easy slaughter. But now, standing in the middle of a silent, deserted camp, his confidence wavered.
Chiba and the others arrived moments later, also stunned by the rogue-free camp.
"No way... Did they bail? Maybe they caught wind of us and ran?" Moonlight Neri asked, his voice laced with confusion.
Chiba climbed atop a thick wooden pole to get a better view. His eyes narrowed. "No. They're not running they're hunting."
Suddenly, rustling erupted in the surrounding woods branches cracking, kunai clinking, chakra signatures shifting in the air.
"Ambush! Form up, prepare for contact!" Kakashi called out immediately, sliding into a defensive stance.
The team instantly reacted kunai drawn, eyes darting across the tree line.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh
Dozens of rogue shinobi burst from the forest, surrounding the clearing on all sides. Weapons drawn, expressions twisted, they closed in on the Konoha team.
These weren't ordinary thugs. Though poorly organized, they carried killing intent. Bloodstained blades and tattered flak jackets told stories of raiding and brutality.
Twenty-three in total, they now formed a rough ring around Chiba's team, smirking as they closed the trap.
Moonlight Neri froze. It was the first time he'd ever been cornered this badly. Panic spread across his face as reality hit this wasn't training. This was war.
"Well, well. Look at these kids. Still wet behind the ears, and they think they can wipe us out?" sneered a lanky rogue twirling a notched blade.
"Is this all Konoha could send? Looks like they're running low on real shinobi," another laughed, brandishing a chipped battle axe.
"Two of you brats look like you still belong in the Academy," one rogue said, leering at Chiba and Kakashi. "You here to play ninja?"
It was clear now the enemy had spotted their approach and staged a trap. The rogues had emptied the camp and waited for the Konoha squad to walk into it.
The bandits believed that surrounding and overwhelming the group would be enough to crush them.
"What do we do now?" Neri asked, voice trembling. Though his sword was out, his grip faltered.
"Calm down," Chiba said, his tone firm but measured. "They're disorganized. Most of them aren't real shinobi. We still have the advantage."
Despite being young, Chiba had remarkable composure. He analyzed situations like a veteran, refusing to let fear cloud his thinking.
"Chiba's right," Kakashi added, his Sharingan inactive but his instincts sharp. "We're Konoha ninja. These guys may outnumber us, but they don't outmatch us."
"As long as we fight together, they can't take us down," Mina said. Her chakra flared slightly, betraying her tension, but she stood ready.
They were members of Konoha's ANBU, selected for their talent despite their youth. No matter the odds, they weren't pushovers.
In truth, rallying morale should've been Kuruma's job as team leader. But Chiba and Kakashi had taken control of the moment and Kuruma knew it.
He clenched his fists tightly, anger flaring. His chance to lead was slipping away again stolen by Chiba's calm and Kakashi's charisma.
"You think a bunch of trash like you can beat us?" Kuruma barked. "You want to fight? Come and die, cowards!"
He stepped forward, eyes filled with fury, ready to unleash his frustration on someone—anyone.
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