After Lock disappeared, he didn't plan to attack those two directly but quickly moved toward the other side.
Hijikata Shiro was barely holding on while facing several enemies at once. Even as a jōnin, he was stretched thin — not to mention supporting others.
Lock couldn't rely on Hijikata. He could only move in stealth and try to rescue the others himself. Their situation was dire. By the time he got close, only three of the original five-man group were left alive.
Two were badly wounded, barely able to stand. That left two chūnin and another injured shinobi, surrounded by five enemies.
The attackers were no ordinary bandits. Whoever they were, they had managed to move more than a dozen trained fighters within Konoha's territory without raising suspicion. If Lock hadn't wiped out six already, things would have been far worse.
Using Blink Strike, he appeared behind one of the enemies and cut him down instantly, revealing himself at the same time.
"Go! Don't fight them head-on — move now!"
Lock was confident in his own skills, but he could only take enemies down one by one. With so many left, especially the two he had faced earlier, he couldn't protect everyone at once.
"Wind Release!"
"Fire Release!"
The enemy didn't panic when their comrade fell. Well-trained, they immediately gave up surrounding the others and unleashed ninjutsu at him together. A storm of fire and wind roared toward Lock.
He had always relied more on assassination techniques than ninjutsu, but that didn't mean he underestimated them. In fact, he feared them. Taking those hits directly would mean certain death. He dodged with everything he had.
But the two enemies who had chased him earlier pressed in again. In desperation, he released a thick cloud of smoke.
Blue mist billowed out, spreading within ten meters.
The two ninja stepped inside, expecting it to be nothing more than a smokescreen to escape. Their vision blurred, not completely blocked, but distorted. They could still make out Lock's silhouette, and so they pushed forward cautiously, holding their breath.
What they didn't realize was that the smoke slowed their movements.
Steel clashed within the haze as Lock fought both at once. Even with the smoke's cover, he was pressed hard, barely holding on.
Then came two screams. Of the three comrades left, two more fell to the enemy's blades.
Lock gritted his teeth. He couldn't help them. Injured, barely fending off two skilled swordsmen, he had no chance to break through.
"It can't go on like this…"
Barely a minute had passed since the ambush began, and already so many were dead. Nearly ten enemies remained, several of them dangerous. Even he might not be able to escape if surrounded.
Though he hadn't been close to his squadmates, they were still Konoha shinobi. Seeing them die one after another filled him with grief and fury.
"Blink Strike!"
Lock vanished from sight and reappeared behind one of the men attacking Hijikata Shiro. His blade pierced cleanly through before the man realized what had happened.
"Captain Hijikata! Join forces with me — together we can cut them down!"
His plan was simple. With his left arm injured, he wasn't suited for head-on combat. He would strike from the shadows while Hijikata, a jōnin, drew their attention.
"Fine."
With one enemy gone, Hijikata's morale rose. He surged forward, forcing the other four back with swift ninjutsu, then fell back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Lock.
"Captain, my skills aren't meant for open battle. I'll—"
A sharp pain stopped his words. Lock's eyes widened as a blade slid through his ribs from behind.
"You—!"
Struggling to turn his head, he stared in disbelief at Hijikata Shiro, who still held his weapon firm, cold-faced.
"Don't blame me," Hijikata said flatly. "This is an order. I've held back — this wound won't kill you."
"Why…?"
Pinned and bleeding, Lock couldn't break free.
"The truth is simple," Hijikata continued. "Our mission was never to kill you — it was to capture you. You were too cautious, too dangerous. That's why the trap was laid, why so many had to die."
Lock's mind raced. It all fits together now. The ambush, the enemy's knowledge of their movements — there had been a traitor all along.
"You… you're from the village," Lock muttered, grimacing. "This is Danzō's doing, isn't it?"
Hijikata's eyes narrowed, his voice calm and cold.
"Lord Danzō was right. You truly are different — sharp enough to see the truth even now. But it's too late. No matter how unique your abilities are, you won't escape this time."
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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