Meanwhile, on the other side, Konoha's group found their path blocked by a line of Sand shinobi.
"Kakashi-san, Guy-san, please come with me."
The Sand ninja stepped aside and pointed down an alley to the left.
Kakashi's stride paused a fraction.
His exposed right eye narrowed, his gaze lingering on the Sand ninja's face for a brief moment…
A mask. No expression to read.
But the chakra felt steady. No obvious irregularities.
"What do you mean?"
His voice stayed as lazy as ever, but there was a faint edge of caution beneath it.
"You need us to split up?"
The Sand ninja nodded, businesslike.
"There are four attackers, all S-rank missing-nin. They are currently escaping in four different directions."
"We need everyone to act separately, each responsible for one direction."
He paused, then added, "This is Kazekage-sama's order."
Kakashi's brow twitched, so slightly it was almost invisible.
That man again.
Ever since they stepped into Sunagakure…
It felt like every step had been arranged.
The conference, the attack, the request for aid, splitting forces…
Was it really just coincidence?
He looked at Asuma.
Asuma had a cigarette in his mouth, brows knitted tight, annoyance written all over his face.
But under the double pressure of "the Kazekage's order" and "S-rank missing-nin," he could not bring himself to refuse.
Then Kakashi looked at Guy.
Gai's thick brows were lifted, eyes sharp.
He was clearly already in full Youthful Combat Mode.
No overthinking. Not a second of hesitation.
The three exchanged a look.
The meaning inside that look was complicated…
Wariness. Resignation.
But in the end it settled into one shared conclusion:
Be careful.
Kakashi said it quietly.
Asuma nodded and exhaled a thin ring of smoke.
Guy gave a thumbs-up and flashed a wide grin, gleaming white teeth on display.
"Don't worry! Youth will not lose!"
With that, he and Kakashi followed the Sand ninja, striding toward the end of the alley and disappearing from sight.
That left Asuma, and the younger genin behind him.
"Asuma-sensei…"
Shikamaru started to speak, but the sound of approaching footsteps cut him off.
Another Sand ninja appeared in front of them.
"Excuse me, are you a medical ninja?"
Sakura blinked, then nodded reflexively.
"Y-yes…"
The Sand ninja's tone sharpened with urgency.
"One of the enemies is a poison specialist. He's fleeing to the northwest."
"We need your assistance treating any poisoned wounded. Please come with me."
Sakura's eyes widened.
"Me? But I'm just—"
"Elder Chiyo will be accompanying you."
The Sand ninja cut her off, his voice carrying a note of respect.
"Elder Chiyo is Sunagakure's founder of poison arts and the foremost authority on antidotes. With her present, you don't need to worry about safety."
Elder Chiyo?
That legendary puppeteer? One of Sunagakure's elders?
Sakura instinctively looked at Asuma.
Asuma was silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
In poison and antidotes, there were only a handful of people in the shinobi world who could surpass Chiyo.
With Sakura along, they really would not need to worry about handling casualties.
And…
He glanced at the Sand shinobi racing in pursuit in every direction.
Then at the distant, muffled boom of explosions.
Right now they needed every capable person they could get.
A medic's value could not be replaced.
He said it.
Sakura bit her lip, then finally nodded.
"Yes!"
She followed the Sand ninja and quickly vanished into the winding streets.
Ino stared after her, mouth opening like she wanted to say something, but in the end she only muttered under her breath.
"Sakura… be careful…"
Shikamaru stayed near the back of the group.
In his head, he quietly sorted through what had just happened.
First Kakashi-sensei and Gai had been split off and taken away.
Then Sakura had been called away alone.
The reason was "S-rank missing-nin scattered in different directions, so we need to pursue separately."
It sounded reasonable…
But…
Shikamaru's eyes swept the area.
Every time a Sand ninja appeared, it was perfectly timed.
Not a second early, not a second late.
Always right before Konoha's group could voice doubts.
And each time, they were given a "reasonable" explanation and guided away.
Coincidence?
Or…
"Everyone."
A third Sand ninja appeared.
He stood at the mouth of an alley and angled his body aside.
"Please come with me."
Shikamaru's frown deepened.
But there was no room to refuse.
Sunagakure was an ally, and they were supposedly helping fend off enemies.
They could not very well start accusing the other side in the middle of an attack.
He took a slow breath and followed.
Ino, Choji, Kiba, and Shino followed as well.
They crossed several alleys, circled burning buildings.
Finally, they arrived in front of a relatively concealed stretch of ruins.
"We're here."
The Sand ninja stopped and stepped aside.
Shikamaru looked forward on instinct…
And his pupils contracted hard.
On the broken wall, a figure was crouched.
A black cloak patterned with red clouds, a blood-red triple-bladed scythe, and a face split by a deranged grin.
"Heeey, heeey, heeey…"
Hidan tilted his head, scarlet eyes dragging over the young Konoha ninja, his mouth stretching into an exaggerated curve.
"You here to join Jashinism?!"
Asuma's heart sank.
He spun around—
The Sand ninja who had led them there was already gone without a trace.
"Damn it…"
Asuma cursed under his breath, one hand already dropping to his weapons pouch.
Something was wrong.
This place had only the enemy. In all of Sunagakure's massive village, there was not a single Sand ninja in sight.
It was obviously wrong.
Ino's eyes widened, and she took an unconscious step back.
Choji's hand reached for his chips bag, then stopped, switching to a kunai instead.
Hidan hopped down from the wall, scythe on his shoulder, walking closer one step at a time.
His gaze swept over their young faces like he was choosing lambs to slaughter.
"Mm… not as good as that Kazekage, but hey, you'll do."
He licked his lips, bloodthirst flashing in his eyes.
"So many sacrifices. Jashin-sama is gonna be happy!"
Asuma inhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm.
He scanned their surroundings fast…
Rubble. Narrow alleys. No escape route.
The enemy was only one man, but he was S-rank.
And on their side, it was only him, one jōnin, and four genin.
This was bad.
He spoke low and tight.
"Ino, don't use sensing. This guy's chakra is… not normal."
"Choji, don't start eating. Stay mobile."
"Shikamaru, you're in command."
The three nodded slightly to show they understood.
Hidan tilted his head as he watched them, then burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha… you're still talking tactics?"
He swung the scythe hard. The blade cut the air with a screeching whistle.
"Come on, come on! Let's see how long you can last!"
Sweat gathered in Shikamaru's palm.
A nasty premonition crawled up his spine.
But his eyes stayed cold and focused.
All they could do was stall.
Stall until Kakashi-sensei got back, or until Sand reinforcements arrived…
(End of Chapter)
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