"Inuzuka Ryō, what the hell do you mean by that? You think I, Shukudō, am some kind of coward?"
With a sharp iron mountain shoulder strike, Shukudō shoved Ryō aside and planted himself next to Yoru, facing the approaching enemy. His legs trembled slightly, but his face remained eerily calm—even cracking a forced grin.
"Captain, you're not planning to ditch your beloved subordinate and hog all that sweet S-rank mission credit for yourself, are you?"
Yoru: "…???"
Damn, this little bastard saw right through me.
If not for the way Shukudō's knuckles turned bone-white around his kunai "wife," Yoru might've actually been exposed.
…Cute.
The kid was scared shitless, yet he refused to abandon his team. A loyal little man.
Yoru had misjudged him.
Shukudō wasn't just a survivalist—he had conviction.
With this level of resolve, his potential wasn't just chūnin-tier.
Special jōnin?Absolutely achievable.
"C-Captain… If we fight t-together… we can hold out until reinforcements arrive… R-Right?"
Kogure's voice quivered as she stood beside Yoru, her chubby cheeks pale but determined.
Even terrified, she's trying to encourage us.
What a pure soul.
If only she'd had access to medical ninjutsu training—she'd have made a fantastic medic.
"HA! HA! HA—"
Yoru threw his head back and laughed, his eyes suspiciously moist.
Seeing these three kids—his team—standing with him, ready to fight despite their fear…
Something inside him shifted.
This world was cruel. Ruthless.
But not entirely without warmth.
His chakra surged, smoother and more responsive than ever.
Not because of some bullshit "Will of Fire" awakening—but because, for the first time, he belonged.
"Good. Very good!" Yoru's voice boomed with uncharacteristic fervor. "Today, I'll teach you how to fight a real ambush!"
His presence alone steadied the team.
Even Shukudō stopped fidgeting with his kunai.
Preparations
"Shukudō—stop coddling your 'weapon wives.' Deploy everything."
"Yes, Captain!"
For once, the usually stingy trap specialist didn't hesitate.
Explosive tags. Wire traps. Poisoned senbon.
All his precious "wives" were mobilized.
Yoru casually added, "Mark the traps with emergency avoidance signals."
Standard protocol—but why emphasize it now?
Shukudō shrugged and complied.
"Catch."
Yoru tossed him a large vial of murky green liquid.
"Coat all your blades."
Shukudō's eyes lit up. Poison! And not just any poison—Captain's personal stash!
He slathered the toxin onto every weapon with reverent care, as if applying makeup to a lover.
Yoru watched, amused.
If only he knew.
This wasn't some legendary "instant-death" venom.
Just a bioengineered protease toxin—cultivated by feeding his water bats a cocktail of:
Snake venom Toxic minerals Poisonous herbs
For civilians? Lethal.
For chakra-enhanced shinobi? Annoying.
Unlike Hanzo's infamous salamander toxin, this one didn't kill—it paralyzed.
By disrupting cellular activity, it induced localized numbness.
The catch?
Chakra could suppress it… but the cost was brutal. No standard antidote worked. (Requires customized serum.)
A perfect battlefield debuff.
Ambush Point
With traps set and weapons poisoned, Yoru directed the team:
Inuzuka Ryō & Kogure: Concealed near the riverbank. Yoru & Shukudō: Perched on a thick tree branch (wide enough to block sightlines).
A silent hand signal.
Total silence.
Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
Cicadas droned.
Mushroom spores burst underfoot.
Peaceful.
Deadly.