Uchiha Haruki and Uchiha Retsu followed the markers left behind, eventually reaching the spot where the enemy had split up again.
After surveying the area, Haruki spoke up. "Something's changed. These footprints and traces... there are way more than just two people. This looks like nearly twenty. I saw the markings En left.
One of them is for the backup team to follow—it's pointing west. The other one is meant for our squad, pointing east. And it looks like most of the footprints head east."
Uchiha Retsu frowned, thinking it over. "It's more than that. En must have found something big. That signal pointing west isn't for us or backup—it's for Konoha's own pursuers.
En must have thought this was serious enough for the village itself to respond. The path east is the one for us and the Uchiha reinforcements. You were right—this is getting huge! We have to move! En's probably going to be exposed soon."
The Edge of Konoha's Forest
"They split up back there. The ones that went into the forest should be chasing En. That kid's good at tracking. About fifteen hundred meters past where they split, there was a fight. It ended fast, judging by the bodies.
From the looks of it, the work was done by Haruki and Retsu. One of the ninjas poisoned himself. Those kids are in trouble; this isn't simple," Mei reported to Handsome Uncle and Uchiha Nobunaga after catching up with the main forces.
"Pick up the pace. Keep moving forward," Uchiha Nobunaga commanded, waving his hand. Everyone immediately accelerated, dashing forward through the forest.
Deep within Konoha's Forest
Tall trees stood in every direction, full of life and thick with foliage. Two figures leaped swiftly between the branches, occasionally stopping to check their surroundings, then moving forward without bothering to hide their presence.
After running for a while, the two finally stopped. Uchiha Retsu slammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, swearing, "Damn it! They split up again! If we keep chasing like this, we'll never catch them. They're deliberately leading us around, and their pace isn't any slower than ours."
Haruki didn't say a word. He simply made a hand gesture, and both of them retreated back the way they came, moving swiftly while forming hand seals.
When they saw who was ahead of them, Haruki held Retsu back before he could launch his jutsu.
It was just a kid—someone about their age, holding a kunai. He didn't look scared when he saw them; instead, he actually seemed relieved.
Uchiha Retsu raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Hey, Blondie, you out here camping or something?"
Both Haruki and the blond kid stared blankly at Retsu. Dude, now's really not the time to be cracking jokes.
The blond kid scratched his head awkwardly. "Uh... my name's Namikaze Minato. I'm a student at the Konoha Ninja Academy. My teammate got kidnapped. I've been tracking them using clues she left behind, and that's how I ended up here. Are you guys here to rescue someone too?"
Both Haruki and Retsu exchanged looks. So the big wooden crate wasn't just carrying supplies... it had a Konoha kid inside.
Haruki immediately turned to Retsu. "Retsu, go after them alone. If you catch up and don't find En, don't make a move. Leave marks along the way and wait for backup. If you find En, stay with him.
I'm already with someone. I don't need backup. I'll follow this guy and use his clues to track the others. I think we were right. This might not just be a big catch—it could be deadly."
Before Retsu could argue, Haruki turned to the blond kid. "Lead the way. You can find your teammate, right?"
Haruki left a series of Uchiha and Konoha markers on the ground and gestured for the blond kid to move. The two of them headed off in the same direction. Before disappearing into the trees, Haruki shouted back to Retsu, "Retsu! Stay alive... let's go home together!"
Under a Tall Tree
Mei studied the markings left on the ground, then turned to the others. "According to the marks En left, the enemy split up again here. En went forward, but the two kids split off. Haruki went left with someone, and Retsu went forward. As for who Haruki's with, we won't know until we catch up."
Handsome Uncle cleared his throat. "I'll go after Haruki. Brother, you and Mei track down Retsu and En. Haruki left two different types of signals—he probably meant for us to split like this."
Uchiha Nobunaga glanced at Handsome Uncle and nodded. "Alright. Take the first five squads with you. Move out."
Inside Konoha's Forest
A large man moved swiftly through the trees, carrying a red-haired girl on his back. Around him, three more ninjas moved in a triangular formation, guarding them closely. The large man lowered his voice, "So, the little mouse following us—is he still there?"
The red-haired girl smirked. "Oh, he's doing well. He's got talent, such a pity. If my calculations are right, he'll be a name on the Memorial Stone by the time another hour passes."
The large man chuckled and picked up his pace.
Half an Hour Earlier
Two teams of enemy spies deep in Konoha territory regrouped. The rear team spoke up with confusion, "Why did you guys stop? This isn't part of the plan."
One of the masked ninjas from the front team replied, "We've picked up some company, so we need to adjust the plan. Sanai, you transform into the little girl.
We'll pretend to take a break here. I'll carry her on my back and continue according to the original route. You three go back and mess with their tracking. If they're tailing us this close, they're not sensory types—they're just good at tracking.
The remaining five of you take the real girl and head left to the meeting point. If nobody's there, don't wait—head straight back to the Hidden Cloud Village.
As for you three going back, after thirty minutes, circle back around. We'll meet at the designated spot and finish off whoever's tailing us. I'm the mission leader, so follow my orders."
Uchiha Retsu was sprinting forward at full speed when three figures suddenly appeared ahead of him. The four of them stopped, sizing each other up. The fight was on the verge of exploding.
"Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu!""Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Uchiha Retsu made the first move, attacking aggressively before quickly retreating back the way he came.
He glanced back, spotting one Jonin and two Chunin. "I mean, I know I'm pretty reckless, but I'm not trying to die here! Three-on-one is just suicidal. Better find support, regroup, and then catch up with En. Damn it, En, you better be careful out there!"
"Little brat, you've got sharp reflexes! Kill him, and then we move!" Scarface snarled, dodging the shuriken and signaling to the other two.
The three of them picked up speed, chasing after Retsu. He cursed under his breath. Damn it, man, I didn't steal your girlfriend! Why are you chasing me like this? He grit his teeth. Screw it, maybe I should just turn around and fight. Buy myself some time.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!""Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu!"
The three enemies responded instantly."Water Release: Water Wall!""Manipulated Shuriken Technique!""Lightning Release: Ground Walk!"
The three techniques deflected the attacks. The Lightning Release shot out, hitting Retsu—only for his body to disappear in a puff of smoke.
"Earth Release: Hiding in Rock Technique!"
A short ninja was suddenly dragged underground, his face frozen in shock. Retsu emerged from the ground and stomped down hard on his neck, snapping it cleanly. Using the momentum, he sprang to the left, flicking a shuriken straight into the throat of the nearest enemy.
Panting heavily, Retsu grinned fiercely. "Heh... now it's one-on-one."