Deep within the forest.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Team Renjiro darted through the trees, leaping swiftly from branch to branch. As they moved, Renjiro briefed his squad on the mission and its importance.
"So that's our new mission." Renjiro said in a serious tone: "Everyone, stay sharp. This may be the most dangerous assignment we've had since the war began."
"Of course." Maemon replied, adjusting his glasses: "We're talking about the deployment map that could shift the course of the entire war."
Renjiro glanced at him with a slightly odd look. Lately, Maemon had been tying up his now-long hair. Luckily, it was still black—otherwise, Renjiro might have mistaken him for the young Kabuto.
"You know I'm best at playing support." Tsugami said with a wry smile: "But ever since I joined your squad, I feel like I've become a danger magnet."
Maemon chuckled: "Funny. I get the feeling you're starting to enjoy it."
Suddenly, Renjiro raised his hand—his fingers forming a silent command to halt.
"Quiet. We're almost there." He said in a low voice.
"Yes, captain."
The team immediately fell silent.
About five minutes later, the dense forest gave way to a clearing—revealing a steep, barren mountainside looming before them.
Whoosh!
Renjiro raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. The team stopped instantly.
"Tsugami." Renjiro called in low voice.
Tsugami nodded and turned to Domaru.
The ninken sniffed the air carefully, nose twitching, then shook his head.
"No enemy scents in the area." Tsugami reported, giving Domaru a small pat on the back.
"Good." Renjiro said quietly: "At least there's no ambush outside the mountain."
As for the inside? That was another story. Their objective was inside that mountain—where the Iwagakure shinobi had built a secret base.
"This place gives me the creeps…" Maemon muttered, staring up at the slope. He shivered suddenly, as if something invisible had brushed against him.
"Hmm…"
Renjiro stepped closer, inspecting the mountainside.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary rocky slope. But with trained eyes, one could spot subtle signs—fine seams, faint unnatural lines—evidence of a cleverly concealed entrances hidden among the crevices.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to his team: "Our mission is simple: retrieve the enemy's military deployment map. Avoid combat if we can… though let's be honest—we'll probably end up fighting anyway."
"Any questions?"
"No, captain." Tsugami and the others replied in unison.
"Then let's begin."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, the team disappeared into the terrain.
---
With Renjiro leading, the team converged on one of the hidden entrances.
"This should be one of the entrances…" Renjiro muttered, placing his hand against the stone surface.
Then he glanced toward another nearby spot—it looked like yet another possible entrance.
"There should be multiple entry points to the base…" He said thoughtfully.
The existence of multiple entrances meant two things: Either they were decoys, meant to mislead intruders like Renjiro's team… Or they were traps, set by the Iwa-nin to kill anyone who entered from the wrong direction.
Anything was possible—which made the situation even trickier.
While Renjiro could technically use Mind Net to identify the correct or safest entrance among them, that would risk exposing their presence. It was still unclear whether enemy shinobi were stationed nearby, keeping watch.
"Since it all comes down to luck… then I choose you." Renjiro said quietly, staring at the sealed stone entrance in front of him.
He slowly drew his blade from its sheath.
Since the decision was random and there was no clear sign of which path was safest, Renjiro didn't hesitate. He committed to the one directly ahead.
With a quick hand signal, his teammates spread out and stood ready.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In one clean motion, Renjiro slashed his blade twice—forming an "X" pattern.
The disguised stone gate split into four precise fragments.
Swish! Swish!
Maemon and the others swiftly caught the falling pieces and moved them aside, completely silent.
Doramaru sniffed the air again. After a moment, he looked at Tsugami and shook his head. It was clear—he hadn't picked up any enemy scents.
"Let's go in." Renjiro said with a serious expression.
He gave one more silent signal, then stepped forward with quiet, deliberate footsteps into the entrance.
Maemon and the others followed close behind.
---
At that very moment, deep within the mountain's hidden complex…
Iwagakure Jonin Akagawa opened his eyes.
A cold light flashed within them, and killing intent burst from his body like a blade drawn in silence.
"They've arrived." He murmured.
Rising slowly to his feet, a sinister smirk curled across his face: "Begin. Follow the plan."
"Yes, sir."
In the shadows nearby, four Iwa-nin stood around a massive scroll. The scroll's surface was covered in a detailed architectural blueprint of the mountain base.
They exchanged brief glances—then began forming hand seals in perfect synchronization. As they completed the final sign, each bit their finger, smeared blood across their palm, and pressed their hands firmly onto the scroll.
"Earth Release: Constructive Shift!"
Suddenly, the entire mountain began to tremble.
Grgrgrgr! Crack!
---
About ten minutes into the tunnel, under Renjiro's lead—
Rumble!
The ground beneath their feet began to shake violently and without warning.
"Damn it!"
Caught off guard, Renjiro nearly lost his balance and fell. He cursed inwardly, quickly regaining his footing.
"Be caref—"
Grgrgrgr! Crack!
Before he could finish, an even greater shift erupted around them. The earth split open—massive slabs of stone rising and sinking—while the surrounding rock walls groaned and shifted.
It was as if the mountain itself were coming alive—reshaping from the inside out.
"Everyone, be careful!" Renjiro shouted.
Faced with the sudden change, Team Renjiro had no time to understand what was happening. They scrambled, dodging collapsing rocks and unstable ledges.
Grgrgrgr! Crack!
By the time the seismic change ended, the team had been scattered—separated by the chaotic terrain into isolated pockets.
From the outside, the barren mountain had vanished. In its place stood a perfectly sealed, flat-topped mountain—airtight, without openings or exits, almost like a tomb with no doors.
---
"This is bad… this is definitely an ambush." Renjiro muttered as he got to his feet, his face looked grim.
The environment around him had completely changed. What had once been a wide, open tunnel had transformed into a narrow, featureless corridor.
Mind Net!
He immediately activated his sensory technique—only to feel a suffocating emptiness.
"They sealed this place tight… they must have planned everything in advance." Renjiro thought grimly.
His Mind Net couldn't pick up anything—no chakra fluctuations, no directional insight.
It wasn't just interference—it was suppression.
Renjiro frowned. The suppression felt deliberate and structured, something not natural.
"A Sealing Jutsu…" That had to be it. A sealing barrier was preventing him from accessing his usual range of perception.
With his senses blocked, Renjiro could rely only on his eyes. He scanned the tunnel—but saw no exit, no cracks, no seams. Just smooth, cold stone.
"Damn it… I hope everyone's alright."
Renjiro clenched his fists in worry. He couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him—afraid something might have happened to his teammates.
The tunnel was pitch black. He couldn't see anything around him. But fortunately, by activating Time Bullet, his vision improved slightly—just enough to make out the carvings on the tunnel walls and the faint outlines of the path ahead.
While Time Bullet's main function was to accelerate Renjiro's perception of time, it also slightly enhanced his vision—something incredibly useful in situations like this.
"There's only one way forward… they're forcing us to move in this direction." Renjiro muttered, his voice was low and serious: "We've walked straight into their trap."
His mind began racing with analysis as he moved carefully through the dark: "That intel about the deployment map… it was a setup. They planted it intentionally—to lure us here. And now, they've sealed this place to block my Mind Net. In other words… we weren't just unlucky. We were the target from the start."
Renjiro's heart grew colder. His thoughts pieced the situation together step by step.
In truth, Akagawa had staked everything on this one plan—just to lure Team Renjiro into a trap.
Though he was confident the plan would work, there had been no guarantee that Konoha would send Renjiro's squad specifically. For Akagawa, it had been a gamble—a massive one. He had wagered everything—even Iwagakure's troop deployment map—on the hope that his bait would draw out his intended prey.
And to his fortune… It worked.
"Ahh… fuuhh…"
Renjiro exhaled deeply, letting the breath out slowly.
A firm look appeared in his eyes as he moved forward with quicker, more resolute steps.
Even with such an unfavorable start, Renjiro forced himself to stay calm. The fires of war had long since reshaped him—from a quiet, isolated boy into a capable shinobi.
Though he was alone and the terrain altered beyond recognition, though he couldn't use his sensory skills—Renjiro never considered abandoning his team. He would never run just to save himself.
And even if he wanted to, it wasn't as if the enemy would let him escape. But most importantly—he knew his teammates wouldn't give up either.
They understood how vital this mission was to Konoha, especially in its current state.
They would absolutely push forward—just like he would. Which meant, moving ahead was still the fastest way to reunite with them.
---
Author's Note:
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