The following two days in Tanzaku Quai passed under a low, simmering tension. Team Twelve executed Genma's surveillance orders with quiet efficiency.
They took turns shadowing Hiroshi Yamada, blending into the chaotic tapestry of the port town. Izumi, utilizing her Sharingan discreetly from rooftops, tracked his movements through crowded streets.
Kenta, surprisingly adept at looking inconspicuous despite his sturdy build, followed at ground level, observing Yamada's interactions at teahouses and merchant stalls.
Ryuu, often paired with Kenta for close proximity sensing or with Izumi for combined visual/sensory overwatch, focused on detecting any suspicious chakra signatures approaching the merchant or lingering near his known locations.
The man from the trail – the potential bandit – was sighted several more times, always at a distance, seemingly observing Yamada's warehouse or the routes he took through town. He never made direct contact, never did anything overtly hostile, simply… watched. It was unnerving, professional shadowing rather than crude banditry.
Genma logged the observations grimly, his easygoing facade occasionally cracking to reveal the sharp assessment of a veteran Jonin recognizing a planned operation unfolding.
Other than the watcher, however, Yamada's business seemed to proceed without incident. He met with various contacts, finalized deals, and spent his evenings sequestered in a slightly more reputable inn than the 'Sleeping Carp'. On the morning of the fourth day, he contacted Genma.
"Excellent news, Genma-san!" Yamada beamed when they met near his now partially emptied warehouse. "Business concluded ahead of schedule! I'm ready to depart. Though," he lowered his voice slightly, "I'm taking a different route from here, heading west towards the capital first. Don't need an escort for that leg; safer roads, more traffic. Your team's service is concluded here." He handed Genma another pouch, presumably the final payment.
Genma accepted it with a nod. "Understood, Yamada-san. Safe travels." While seemingly taking the merchant at his word, Ryuu noted Genma's eyes subtly scanning the surroundings, likely assessing if this change in plan was genuine or a deliberate attempt to shake off potential followers – or even the escort themselves.
"Right then, Team Twelve," Genma said once Yamada had bustled off towards the main town gate. "Mission technically complete. Client satisfied, payment received. Now we just get ourselves back to Konoha without incident."
He looked at them seriously. "Don't relax just because the client is gone. We still have that shadow potentially out there, and the road back is just as dangerous. We maintain standard travel formation and vigilance until we cross the Land of Fire border. Let's move out."
Their return journey began under the same bright sun that had greeted their arrival, but the mood was different. The nervous excitement of the Genin was gone, replaced by a quiet focus born from days of tension and vigilance. They retraced their steps along the dusty road leading away from Tanzaku Quai, heading back towards the forested hills that marked the border region.
Genma took point this time, moving slightly ahead, his senses clearly operating at peak alertness. Izumi flanked right and Kenta flanked left, his usual chatter replaced by a determined silence, his hand resting on his kunai pouch. Ryuu took the rear guard position, extending his sensory range as far as his reserves allowed, constantly sweeping the area behind and around them, searching for that familiar, faded signature of the watcher, or any new threats.
The first day of the return trip passed uneventfully. They moved faster without the slow wagon, covering ground quickly. The feeling of being watched lessened somewhat, though Ryuu couldn't shake a persistent unease. The watcher hadn't made a move in Tanzaku Quai – was he waiting for them to be isolated again? Or had Yamada's change in route truly thrown him off?
They made camp that night in a hidden dell, taking extra precautions. Genma personally reinforced the simple perimeter traps Ryuu and Kenta set up. Watch rotations were strict. Ryuu, during his watch with Izumi, focused intently on sensory input. He detected the usual nocturnal animals, the wind sighing through the pines, the distant flow of a river... and then, something else.
Faint. Very faint, at the absolute edge of his current range. Multiple signatures, moving stealthily through the forest, roughly parallel to their position, but slowly closing the distance. Not the single weak signature of the watcher from Tanzaku Quai.
These felt... different. More disciplined. More numerous. At least five, maybe six. Their chakra was suppressed, masked expertly, but Ryuu's training with Kasumi had specifically focused on detecting such deliberate concealment.
He immediately signaled Izumi, who was perched silently in a tree above. She scanned the indicated direction intently, her Sharingan piercing the darkness. After a moment, she gave a subtle negative hand sign – no visual confirmation yet. They were too far, too well hidden.
Ryuu silently dropped down and woke Genma, relaying his findings in a hushed whisper. Genma was instantly alert, his earlier relaxed posture vanishing. He extended his own senses, nodding grimly after a moment.
"Confirmed," he whispered back. "Multiple hostiles, suppressed signatures, converging slowly. Professionals. Not bandits." He glanced towards the sleeping Kenta. "Wake Miyamoto quietly. Standard defensive formation. Prepare for engagement, but we don't initiate."
The tension in the small camp became electric. Kenta woke instantly at Izumi's touch, his eyes wide but determined. They took up defensive positions around their meager campsite, weapons drawn, senses straining.
The hostile signatures continued their slow, deliberate approach, clearly attempting a coordinated encirclement. They weren't rushing, suggesting confidence, perhaps wanting to assess Team Twelve's strength or wait for the optimal moment to strike.
"They know we've detected them," Genma murmured, spitting out his senbon, holding several more between his fingers now. "Trying to box us in. Force our hand." He looked at his Genin. "Remember your training. Protect each other. Follow my lead."
The attack came suddenly, explosively, not from one direction, but from three simultaneously. Figures erupted from the shadows of the trees, moving with blinding speed. They wore nondescript dark clothing, their faces covered by simple cloth masks, revealing nothing of their affiliation. But their movements, their coordinated assault patterns, screamed 'trained shinobi'.
Two lunged directly at Genma, kunai flashing. One fired a volley of senbon towards Izumi in the tree. Two more charged Kenta and Ryuu near the center of the camp.
Genma met the assault head-on. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!) He spewed a series of small, controllable fireballs, forcing his attackers to dodge, simultaneously flicking senbon with pinpoint accuracy to disrupt their balance.
He moved like quickly, engaging both opponents simultaneously, his Taijutsu fluid and deadly, never staying in one place for more than a second.
Izumi reacted instantly to the senbon attack, activating her Sharingan fully. She twisted in the branches, deflecting the needles with a thrown kunai, then launched herself downwards, engaging one of the attackers charging Ryuu and Kenta. Her movements were fast, aggressive, her Sharingan tracking the enemy's attacks, countering with precise strikes.
Kenta roared, stepping forward protectively in front of Ryuu. "Get behind me, Ryuu!" He met the charge of the remaining attacker head-on, relying on his sturdy build and newfound defensive training to block the initial flurry of blows, though he was clearly being pushed back.
Ryuu felt a surge of adrenaline, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden chaos. Five attackers. Skilled. Coordinated. Genma was occupied with two, Izumi with one, Kenta barely holding off another. That left one unaccounted for...
Above!
Ryuu sensed the signature dropping silently from the canopy directly towards him, aiming for a swift, incapacitating blow while Kenta was engaged. This attacker moved with greater stealth, greater precision than the others.
No time to think, only react. Ryuu channeled chakra and wove hand signs as fast he possibly could. "Hyōton: Kōri Heki!" (Ice Release: Ice Wall!)
A jagged wall of ice erupted upwards from the ground just as the attacker descended, the shinobi's fist smashing into the solid barrier with a surprised grunt instead of Ryuu's skull. The ice wall cracked but held for a crucial second.
The sudden appearance of Ice Release, even defensively, clearly startled the attackers.
The one fighting Kenta hesitated for a fraction of a second, distracted by the unexpected jutsu. Kenta seized the opening, roaring again and driving forward with a powerful shoulder tackle, sending the attacker stumbling back.
The attacker who hit the ice wall landed awkwardly, momentarily off balance. Ryuu didn't waste the instant. He formed the seals Kasumi had drilled into him relentlessly.
Dog → Bird → Tiger → Boar → Ox → Dog.
"Hyōton: Sensatsu Suishō!"
A concentrated burst of ice senbon, smaller in number than his previous display but formed with desperate speed, shot directly at the off-balance attacker at point-blank range. The shinobi tried to twist away, raising an arm to block, but several needles struck home, piercing his shoulder and leg, drawing pained hisses.
"Ice Release!" one of the shinobi fighting Genma shouted, his voice sharp with surprise and alarm. "It is the Yuki target!"
"Capture the boy! Take the Uchiha's eyes!" another commanded, pressing his attack on Genma with renewed ferocity.
The objective was clear. This wasn't random. They were specifically targeting him and Izumi. Ryuu felt a cold dread wash over him. Root? Or another faction seeking Kekkei Genkai?
Genma, hearing the command, reacted instantly. He knew he couldn't let his Genin be captured or maimed. He needed to create space, break their formation. He spat a volley of senbon towards his two opponents, forcing them back momentarily, then blurred through hand seals.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique!)
Two solid clones of Genma flickered into existence. "Izumi! Kenta! Fall back towards Ryuu! Defensive perimeter!" Genma ordered, his real body engaging one attacker while his clones moved to intercept the other and relieve the pressure on Izumi.
Izumi disengaged smoothly, her Sharingan tracking multiple opponents, falling back towards Ryuu. Kenta, bleeding from a shallow cut on his arm but still fighting fiercely, managed to push his opponent back and scrambled towards Ryuu as well.
They formed a tight triangle, backs almost together, Kenta providing the physical shield, Izumi scanning visually, Ryuu extending his senses. Genma and his clones fought furiously nearby, trying to hold off the three shinobi now focused on them, preventing them from reaching the Genin.
But the attackers were skilled, relentless, and clearly prepared for Jonin-level resistance. One of Genma's clones was dispersed by a powerful combination attack. The remaining clone struggled against two opponents. The tide was turning.
The shinobi Ryuu had wounded with ice needles pressed forward again, ignoring the pain, his eyes fixed on Ryuu with cold determination. The one Kenta had fought circled around, looking for an opening.
"We need to break through!" Izumi hissed, her Sharingan spinning, tracking their movements. "Sensei is being overwhelmed!"
"How?" Kenta panted, gripping his kunai. "There's too many!"
Ryuu's mind raced. Genma was buying them time, but he couldn't hold off three skilled opponents indefinitely, especially while protecting them.
They needed a distraction, a powerful one, something to shatter the enemy's focus, allow Genma to regroup or finish his opponents. He looked at his hands, felt the remaining dregs of his chakra. The Sensatsu Suishō had taken too much and he barely had enough left for a single jutsu. The Makyō Hyōshō was too draining, too complex for this chaotic melee.
Then he remembered the other manifestation. The scythe. Raw, instinctive, formed from desperation. Could he do it again? Deliberately this time?
He saw an opening. The wounded shinobi lunged towards Kenta, trying to bypass him to reach Ryuu. Kenta met the charge head-on, blocking with brute strength. Izumi moved to support Kenta, her kunai flashing.
Now!
Ryuu focused all his remaining chakra, ignoring the screaming exhaustion, pouring it into his right hand, visualizing not just cold, but form, edge, weapon. He felt the familiar, biting chill surge through him, drawing moisture from the damp air, from the very ground beneath his feet.
The pale blue ice formed, extending from his fist, longer this time, nearly two feet, curving into a sharper, more defined scythe blade. It felt unstable, wildly draining the last of his reserves, but it was real.
He didn't hesitate. He saw the second attacker circling around Izumi and Kenta, preparing to strike while they were occupied with the wounded one. With a desperate cry, Ryuu lunged forward, swinging the rudimentary ice scythe in a wide, clumsy arc.
He wasn't aiming to kill, just to intercept, to defend his teammates. But his control, fueled by adrenaline and near-total chakra depletion, was erratic. The attacker, surprised by the sudden appearance of the ice weapon and the small boy lunging with unexpected ferocity, tried to dodge back.
Too late.
The jagged, imperfect edge of the ice scythe connected not with the attacker's weapon, but with his outstretched arm. Ryuu felt a sickening resistance, then a crack, followed by a spray of something warm and dark against his face.
The attacker screamed, stumbling back, clutching a mangled, bleeding arm where the ice had sheared through flesh and bone. Ryuu stared, frozen, the ice scythe still clutched in his trembling hand, dripping red onto the forest floor.
Blood. His blood. He had drawn blood. He had seriously wounded someone.
The reality crashed down on him, the detached analysis momentarily shattering, replaced by the visceral shock of the violence he had just inflicted. His stomach churned.
The momentary lull caused by Ryuu's unexpected attack gave Genma the opening he needed. With a final, decisive burst of speed and a flurry of precisely aimed senbon, he disabled his remaining opponent.
His shadow clone dissipated. He turned, taking in the scene – Izumi and Kenta holding off the first attacker, the second attacker disabled and screaming, Ryuu standing shocked and trembling, holding a bloodied ice scythe, his chakra utterly depleted.
But the wounded shinobi Ryuu had struck wasn't finished. Eyes blazing with pain and fury, the man ignored his mangled arm and lunged again, not at Ryuu, but with suicidal desperation towards the closest target – Kenta.
"Kenta!" Izumi screamed, trying to intercept, but she was too far, blocked by the other attacker she was still engaging.
Kenta, caught off guard by the sudden shift, reacted purely on instinct, raising his arms defensively.
The attacker slammed into him, driving a kunai deep into Kenta's chest just as Genma's own kunai, thrown with impossible speed, buried itself in the attacker's throat, silencing him permanently.
Kenta Miyamoto gasped, his eyes wide with shock and pain. He looked down at the kunai embedded in his chest, then up at Ryuu, a look of confusion and disbelief on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a wet, gurgling sound came out. Then, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the forest floor, still.
Silence. Deafening silence, broken only by the steady drip of rain from the leaves and Ryuu's own ragged breathing.
Kenta was dead.
His teammate. The earnest, uncomplicated boy who shared his lunch, who complained about chores, who wanted to test his skills. Dead. Because of this mission. Because Ryuu's attack, meant to defend, had inadvertently created the opening for Kenta's killer.
The ice scythe dissolved in Ryuu's numb hand, splashing unnoticed onto the bloody ground.
He stared at Kenta's still form, the world narrowing to that single, horrific image. The weight of his actions.
Kenta had died because of his hesitation. Because of his fear. He had caused his teammate's death.