Chapter 302 - 302: 302 - Taki under attack!!!

"Wait! Please, you have to believe me—I really am a Takigakure ninja! My name is Ozaki, I was sent by Jōnin Yōrō to meet you…"

After Rōshi and Genma gave their assessment, Raidō moved in and restrained the Takigakure ninja.

Ozaki didn't resist, but kept trying to explain. "Wh-what are you doing? The enemy could still be nearby—time is of the essence! Lord Shibuki and your comrades are still waiting!"

An instant later, wooden branches coiled around Ozaki's arms, legs, and torso, pinning him in place.

He never finished his sentence. Using the opening created by the restraint, Raidō began a swift, professional body search.

From his tool pouch, inside his lapels, and hidden sleeve pockets, all the way down to the soles of his sandals, Raidō checked every possible place where a weapon or intel might be concealed, not missing a single spot.

A moment later he straightened and gave a small shake of his head toward Rōshi and Genma. "No exploding tags or obvious triggered jutsu residue. Just standard tools and ID… he checks out as a Takigakure chūnin."

Rōshi nodded. "Take him with us."

Iwashi stepped forward and took hold of Ozaki, who was bound by Wood Release and could only move his eyes.

The four-man squad accelerated, racing toward the direction of the roaring waterfall.

As they ran, trees whipped by on either side, their shadows strobing over the group. Shiranui Genma spoke up without looking back. "Listen. Whether you're legit or not, there are a few things you need to understand."

"First, we were sent as reinforcements after learning that the elite vanguard chose to retreat, and that the enemy might have a terrain advantage or even intel superiority. In that situation, the top priority is never to charge straight into a completely unknown area."

"It's to maintain the continuity of the intelligence chain."

"If a team that could very well be walking into a trap doesn't leave clear clues about 'why they got trapped' and 'what might be ahead' before going in, then the reinforcements lose at least half their value and just turn into more consumables waiting to be rescued."

"Second, if the first wave of reinforcements is really in danger, then as the second wave, the first thing we have to judge is whether we actually have the ability to break the deadlock."

"If we can't confirm that, then our first job isn't to reinforce—it's to bring intel back, report the situation at the front to the rear, and help prepare a force that can actually solve the problem."

"So," Genma concluded, giving Ozaki one last sidelong glance, "your words, your identity, and the route you showed us won't be major factors in our decisions until we complete our own preliminary reconnaissance and assessment."

"You just need to follow quietly… or pray that you really are who you say you are."

Ozaki fell silent, his expression flickering in and out of sight under the racing shadows of the trees.

Before long, they reached the designated rendezvous point. The ground was in chaos.

The signs of battle were still fresh and fierce. Yet there were no bodies—no enemy corpses, no Konoha, no Takigakure. Not even any large remains. Only scraps of torn cloth and broken ninja tools littered the ground.

"It looks like the battle's over... maybe the enemy pulled back?" the bound Ozaki spoke up at once. "Please untie me. I know the safe route into the village! With things so unclear right now, having me lead the way is the fastest option!"

Roshi didn't answer. After sweeping his gaze over the battlefield, he headed straight toward the massive waterfall and walked behind the curtain of water.

"Wait! Konoha-nin!" Ozaki raised his voice. "The entrance isn't outside the waterfall! You have to dive into a specific pool inside the cave behind it and follow a hidden waterway to reach the village! You won't find the entrance just by walking in."

The rest of the squad ignored the man restrained in Iwashi's grip and followed Roshi into the waterfall.

They passed through the roaring sheet of water and moved deeper in. Just as Ozaki had described, the cave floor was dotted with dozens of deep pools of various sizes.

"This is it." Ozaki let out a faint breath of relief. "On the left—the third pool from the left! That's the right waterway entrance! Please hurry and untie me; I'll lead you in."

Even as Ozaki spoke, Roshi brought his hands together in a simple seal.

In an instant, dozens of Shadow Clones identical to Roshi appeared, densely filling the cave.

A heartbeat later, all of the clones leapt into the different pools at once.

—

At the same time, behind the waterfall—within Takigakure's headquarters, concealed at the center of a vast lake.

The old peace and quiet had long since been shattered. The air was thick with the stench of blood and smoke.

Roughly twenty Takigakure ninja stood there in a daze, while hundreds more were corralled around them, too afraid to move.

Outside that ring, a man lounged casually in a rattan chair.

He had light blond hair and a neatly trimmed mustache and beard at his chin, giving him the appearance of a gentle merchant. In that same mild tone, he said, "Now where could they have gone? I'm just a merchant. I really don't want to do things like this."

No one answered.

Oyashiro En snapped his fingers, and a controlled Takigakure ninja stumbled forward.

A moment later, with a thunderous boom, the ninja exploded.

"Just like that."

"If you're waiting for reinforcements, don't bother. They're already dead."

"As for the Konoha-nin following them, they probably won't be coming either."

"At least, not before you die."

—

An explosion rumbled in the distance.

Muffled by layers of rock and soil, it sounded like a far-off earthquake, but everyone knew what it really was.

Asuma stayed silent.

There were only two enemies here—or rather, only two that posed any real threat. As for the defected Takigakure ninja, they barely counted.

One was a blond man Asuma knew nothing about—no intel, no background—only that anyone he wounded could be seized and turned into a living bomb in an instant.

The other, according to intelligence reports, was an Akatsuki operative: a grotesque, pitcher-plant-like monster.

When the situation spun completely out of control, Asuma had no choice but to pull his people back.

Across from him, Takigakure's leader, Shibuki, slumped against the wall, his face white as paper. The young leader ground his teeth, fighting to keep his hands from shaking.

Crouched beside him was a young girl.

Fuu, the Seven-Tails' Jinchuriki.

She hugged her knees to her chest, burying her face in her arms.

"Listen, Fuu," Asuma lowered his voice, "Konoha's reinforcements are on their way. If we can just hold out a bit longer, we'll definitely be able to launch a counterattack."

Fuu's lips quivered.

Another explosion thundered through the area.

Fuu sprang to her feet.

Her body began to glow as red chakra seeped out from beneath her skin.

"Fuu! Don't!" Shibuki lunged to pull her back.

In that instant, several white, humanoid bulges swelled up on the surface of Fuu's Tailed Beast Chakra cloak. They grew rapidly, taking on full human shapes—pale skin, short green hair, and vague, indistinct faces.

White Zetsu clones.

Clinging to Fuu like parasites, they began greedily draining the overflowing Tailed Beast Chakra.

"Finally, the time has come."

The White Zetsu laughed.

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