Chapter 33: Extra Chapter
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"Relax, Captain," Satomaru assured Fugaku with a confident smile. "We won't be easily taken down by our opponents."
Nozawa nodded silently, refraining from making any remarks.
Fugaku acknowledged their words, noting that in today's battle against Ame Shinobi Chunin, Satomaru, did not show any remarkable strength. Satomaru and his opponent seemed evenly matched, but their struggles were a result of their unfamiliarity with the Land of Rain's environment. Fugaku couldn't discern any exceptional qualities in Satomaru's abilities.
It is also absolutely possible that Satomaru is deliberately concealing his true strength, relying on some unique jutsu specific to his clan or the Anbu, or perhaps Fugaku had just misjudged the strength of Satomaru's opponent.
Silence once again settled within the cave as the three shinobi assumed a cross-legged position, focusing on replenishing their chakra reserves.
In the tumultuous battlefield of the Land of Rain, where countless nations clashed, the slightest lapse in vigilance could spell death.
After restoring their chakra to its peak, Nozawa released his swarm of malevolent and mildly disturbing insects, resuming his reconnaissance of nearby shinobi from other countries.
The incessant drizzle cast a somber mood over the trio, particularly Fugaku, who found solace in the absence of distractions while carrying out missions in the rain.
The three-man squad—Fugaku, Nozawa, and Sato—formed an oddly harmonious trio. Nozawa exuded an air of solemnity, while Satomaru was a man of few words. Silence permeated their interactions, offering Fugaku a chance to observe his comrades with a detached and objective perspective. The less spoken, the fewer clues revealed.
If Sato had emerged from the ranks of the Anbu, he must possess his own astute insights into intelligence gathering and intelligence analyzing. Fugaku felt that it was not yet time to divulge his own ideas and powers, no one besides himself is trustworthy.
'Well, aren't they just the epitome of grace? These ninjas are masters of deception, wielders of knives, and experts in ruining your day. With their charming smiles, they'll gladly stab me in the back and revel in watching me bleed, all while professing their undying affection. How delightful!': Fugaku thought mocking himself at the very notion of trusting these people who do not belong to his Clan.
Nozawa's proficiency in handling his malevolent, disgusting, creepy insects seemed to improve with each rainy mission, although luck had not been on their side. They had spent the entire day without encountering a suitable team to eliminate.
On several occasions, they had come across six-member squads, making it difficult for the three of them to engage. In fact, it could even result in their own casualty rather than their opponents.
The Land of Rain's perpetual rain cast an early darkness over the landscape. With no favorable prospects in sight, the trio sought refuge in a clean cave and kindled a small campfire.
(A/N: Some might wonder how there can be so many caves, but you all know about the Jutsu Kakashi used against Sasuke in his Bell test, right? I am going by the logic of them creating their own caves when they cannot find a natural cave. It is much better than staying in a vulnerable position.)
"Although, we haven't come across any three-man teams for quite some time," Sato remarked cautiously. "we need to remain cautious, Captain."
Fugaku nodded, contemplating the situation for a moment. "The battle in the Land of Rain appears to be escalating way too quickly. Three-person mission teams are already becoming scarce. Most teams consist at least of two or three squads combined. At this point, our first encounter with the Ame Shinobi trio can already be considered as us being fortunate."
As Fugaku assessed the situation, he came to the conclusion that it would be best to wait for the vanguard troops to once again gather before informing Team Leader Hatake about the state of affairs in the Land of Rain.
From his observations, it appeared that Konoha hadn't anticipated the current turn of events in the Land of Rain to unfold in such a manner. It seemed impractical for Konoha shinobi to engage in combat with shinobi from other countries when their own forces were vastly outnumbered in each battle, possibly by a ratio of two to one.
Considering Konoha's intelligence capabilities, they should already be aware of the ongoing developments in the Land of Rain. It wouldn't take long for them to realize the precarious situation and recall all three-person teams. The initial intention, Fugaku deduced, was likely to encourage collaboration among team members. However, the current circumstances made that nearly impossible. Sending random individuals into battle together and expecting them to survive while also handicapping their abilities seemed incredibly foolish. Even someone like Danzo, who was known for his self-destructive ideas, would not be foolish enough to implement such a strategy, right?
Fugaku addressed the living insect hive: "Nozawa, tomorrow focus on finding other Konoha team members, especially those from the Aburame Clan."
Nozawa nodded, understanding Fugaku's intention.
Sato couldn't believe it. "You're planning to team up with other teams, Captain?!" Uchiha Clan members were known for their pride and arrogance. They would rather dig their own graves than consider teamwork. Fugaku's decision to join forces with others exceeded Sato's expectations.
Nozawa nodded and added, "Locating the Aburame Clan's team shouldn't be too hard. We can communicate with each other using our own methods. We'll start searching tomorrow morning."
Fugaku had been searching all day for signs of the Uchiha Clan's secret code, but found nothing. It seemed these arrogant individuals within the Uchiha Clan wouldn't even think of working together with their own clan members unless things were to turn extremely dire.
The three of them discussed their next moves, and once again, silence settled in the cave, broken only by the crackling of the campfire.
Nozawa's voice suddenly broke the silence, filled with seriousness. "Someone is approaching. My bugs have sensed their presence, and they're not Konoha shinobi."
Sato acted quickly, extinguishing the campfire, while Fugaku prepared a trap with explosive tags hidden under carefully arranged stones.
The trio retreated to the deepest part of the cave, relying on the heightened perception of their Sharingan.
Footsteps grew nearer, and they held their breath. Six Iwa shinobi entered the cave, some of them injured from a recent battle. Two were gravely wounded.
Their progress was halted by Captain Omoto, the commanding figure among them.
"Captain Omoto, what's going on? Hechuan and Kikawa need medical attention for their wounds," one of the Iwa shinobi spoke.
Omoto remained silent, quickly forming hand seals. Being sensitive to temperature, he noticed the residual warmth left by the campfire. The enemy had detected their presence and prepared a trap.
*Ting*
*Ting*
Two shurikens suddenly appeared in front of Omoto, disrupted by Fugaku's quick actions.
Fugaku smirked. "These Iwa shinobi just came from a battle. We just need to keep them engaged and wear them down. They're already weakened."
The cave's darkness posed a challenge, but Fugaku's Sharingan illuminated the surroundings. He swiftly launched sharp projectiles, taking advantage of the dark environment.
The projectiles altered their trajectory, targeting the four active Iwa shinobi.
"Watch out for hidden weapons!" Omoto warned his team. "Retreat and leave the cave. Our opponent is a Konoha Uchiha with Sharingan. He has an advantage in this darkness."
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