- Alert, the enemy is coming!
It took Hoshi a few precious seconds to realize what was going on, but once she did, she rushed to get dressed and put on her gear in a matter of moments. Nearby, her partner was doing the same.
The young kunoichi was confused for a second when she and Asani jumped out of the rough house created by the dōton ninjutsu, but then a lot of training for just such an occasion took its toll and the girls ran to the gathering place of their group, avoiding their colleagues who were hurrying to their places.
The parking lot, located in a small grove, just a few dozen steps from the beach, was rapidly acquiring signs of order and discipline.
- Genshiro, enemy formation? - The commander's booming voice came from the other side of the camp, cutting through the noise.
- About three hundred, a third of them at jonin level," one of the two Hyugas shouted back, "moving toward us from the sea and will arrive in about seven minutes.
The white-eyed man's news was funeral news - there were only a hundred and thirty-one fighters on Konoha's side, only twenty of whom had the rank of jonin, the rest were ordinary chunin, mostly not even from clans, which said more about the outcome of the coming clash than any soothsayer.
Hoshi shivered and looked around, seeing the same uncertain expression on her comrades' faces. Training and a prepared battlefield should have increased the chances of a successful outcome if Kumogakure sent his forces here, but the class advantage was too great.
At her friend's suggestive glance, the kunoichi reached for the pouch that contained the precious scrolls of sensei clones. If that wasn't reason enough to use them, when else would it be?
- Tagari, activate the barrier, teams one through twenty - to their positions, - the commander immediately began to give out instructions, not giving in to emotions, - Sakura, send a message to Konoha, twenty-third and twenty-fourth teams - you activate the traps, the rest - get ready to cover the withdrawal to the second line of defense. Our task is to delay the attackers and inflict enough damage to make a further attack by this particular group unnecessary, even if it means our defeat! Konoha is behind us, and we cannot retreat! For our own sake and for the sake of our loved ones back home!
At the commander's last words, which reached every soldier, the camp was quiet for a few moments - each of the border guards realized the price they would have to pay to complete the task at hand, and on the faces of many ninja there was an expression of stubborn concentration. And just at that moment of silence, there came a ringing girl's voice that traveled just as far as the man's gruff voice.
- Um, Uchiha-san, I guess I can even up the odds a bit," Hoshi froze as dozens of stares crossed her.
She didn't have to be embarrassed by the attention for long, however, as the commander appeared a few moments later, flashing an activated sharingan with three tome. Like the rest of the clan, the black-haired, medium-sized shinobi, wearing a field uniform and not particularly memorable facial features, was focused and scowling, literally radiating tension.
- Hoshi-chan, this had better be true," he said.
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