**Chapter 69: Preparing in Advance**

At midday, Reiki was the first to land on a high cliff, taking in the landscape below. Moments later, Uchiha Shisui arrived, followed by Namikaze Nozuki.

"I honestly don't get how you're so good at everything—combat, medical ninjutsu, taijutsu! Looks like I've got a lot of training ahead of me," Shisui panted, though a grin of excitement lit up his face.

Despite his status as a Uchiha prodigy, Shisui often felt isolated. The clan's prideful nature made it difficult for him to find genuine friends, and his gentle personality sometimes clashed with their competitiveness. In Reiki, however, Shisui had found a true partner, someone who encouraged and understood him.

"I'm always the last to make it to the top, huh?" Nozuki joked, catching her breath. Once confident in her perception abilities and chakra reserves, she now felt surprisingly average compared to Reiki and Shisui.

Reiki smiled reassuringly. "We're partners; that's what matters most. Let's have a bite to eat before we head back. I doubt the rest of our journey will be smooth."

Nozuki nodded thoughtfully. "I haven't sensed any aggressive chakra yet, but it seems they're waiting until we're farther from the village."

Shisui, always preferring peace, added, "If they stay hidden, we won't need to fight. But… if not…"

"We'll be ready," Reiki finished, pulling out a small grill. "Let's eat and set our traps—give them a surprise they won't forget."

---

Meanwhile, hidden in the distance, a thin, sharp-eyed ninja observed the group. "They've stopped… and they're… barbecuing?" he muttered, baffled by their lack of caution.

"Could this mean there's a high-level Konoha guardian nearby?" he pondered. "Spread out and check for any Jounin. If we detect even one, we abandon the mission."

The sentient ninja next to him nodded. "Understood," he said, looking a little envious as he eyed the smoke rising from the barbecue. "I can practically smell it from here…"

The lanky leader snapped him back to focus. "We'll get closer and make our move at night. For now, let's avoid triggering their attention."

---

While Reiki, Shisui, and Nozuki enjoyed their meal, they quietly finalized their strategy, placing well-hidden traps throughout the area.

"Reiki, our trap was triggered," Nozuki whispered, sensing the distant disturbance.

Reiki grinned. "They're closer than we thought. Get ready. We need to strike fast and gain the upper hand; if we don't, this fight could drag on."

The three of them tensed, knowing the ambush was imminent. 

---

In the shadowed forest, the enemy group slowly advanced, marking each of the traps. Suddenly, one of the explosive tags triggered, erupting in a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke. 

"Damn it! We've been found out!" the thin leader snarled as he brushed off the dust.

The sentient ninja next to him lowered his head. "They said something about practicing their trap skills before we left. Seems they weren't lying…"

"Just mark all the traps; we can't afford any more mistakes," the leader growled.

---

Deeper in the forest, Reiki's group moved quickly. In the dim light, with tangled terrain and abundant shadows, they skillfully used the forest to conceal themselves. Splitting up, they each created shadow clones to scatter and confuse their pursuers.

Reiki, keeping his senses sharp, whispered, "We have to keep the element of surprise. Nozuki, Shisui—let's draw them in further, then we hit them hard."

>>>>>

Gimme Power stones I'm Poor