Chapter 52: Eternal Rivals?!
As the last of their enemies fell, Mikoto and Ryota barely took a moment to catch their breath before turning toward Kiyoshi. His opponents lay motionless around him, his stance still firm. Without a word, the three understood what needed to be done next. Ryota stayed behind to watch over the rogue shinobis.
Without hesitation, Kiyoshi and Mikoto rushed toward the inner section of the outpost, prepared for whatever lay ahead. But as they entered, they came to an abrupt stop.
Commander Hideo, Kenshiro-sensei and the others were already approaching from the opposite direction. Their sensei's sharp gaze swept over them, ensuring they were unharmed.
Kiyoshi exhaled, glancing at the reinforcements. "What happened on your end?"
Kenshiro's expression was serious as he explained, "At first, everything was normal. The outpost was quiet, secure. Then, out of nowhere, we heard explosions around the perimeter."
Mikoto and Kiyoshi exchanged a glance.
"We thought it was an ambush," Kenshiro continued. "That the enemy had surrounded us. So we took defensive positions, waiting for an attack."
Kiyoshi frowned. "But it never came."
Kenshiro nodded. "No follow-up explosions. No assault. Nothing. Just silence. It didn't make sense."
Hideo's sharp gaze was fixed ahead as he added, "That's when we received word of your battle. Shinobi had engaged your side of the outpost, but nowhere else. The rest of the perimeter remained untouched."
Understanding dawned on Kiyoshi. "So they distracted you with the explosions, making you think you were surrounded, while their real target was us."
Kenshiro's eyes darkened. "Exactly. Once we realized that, we came to reinforce immediately. And here we are."
Silence settled between them as the realization sank in.
Kiyoshi cleared his throat and began to recount their side of the story. "We fought some rogue ninjas who were disguised as merchants. They slipped past us, but once the fight started, their disguises fell away. They were more than just simple thugs." He paused, glancing at Mikoto. "But we handled them. Daichi and Ryota stayed back to watch over the captured shinobi. Daichi's injured, but it's nothing serious."
Kiyoshi's eyes briefly flicked to Hideo's face which had a frown on, thinking something.
"Where are they now?" Kenshiro asked, his voice low.
Kiyoshi nodded toward the direction they had just come from. "They're waiting there. Follow me."
As they neared the site, they saw it. A group of shinobi had already arrived, surrounding Ryota and Daichi. Their bodies were poised, their hands positioned as if preparing for a fight.
These weren't just any shinobi.
At first glance, their masks resembled those worn by ANBU operatives. But there was something different about them—subtle, but unmistakable. Upon closer inspection, Kiyoshi's heart skipped a beat. These were no ordinary ANBU agents.
They were ROOT shinobi.
His mind raced. Danzo, the man who had manipulated the shadows of the village for decades. Kiyoshi had crossed paths with his schemes once before, but this felt different. Was this another one of Danzo's plans? Had they somehow become eternal rivals, locked in a never-ending conflict?
While his mind spun with thoughts of Danzo and the ROOT organization, one of the ROOT shinobi stepped forward, his mask concealing his features. His voice was cold, methodical, yet carried a reverence. "Release the captured rogue ninjas," he ordered, his eyes never leaving the group.
As he spoke, the ROOT operative tossed a scroll onto the ground in front of them, a cold smirk hidden beneath his mask. "This is under the orders of Lord Danzo."
Commander Hideo was the first to react. He stepped forward, a frown etched deeply on his face. "What is this? Why are you interfering?"
The ROOT shinobi remained unfazed, his gaze unwavering. "You have no say in this matter. Those ninjas are to be released immediately. Lord Danzo's orders are clear."
For a moment, there was hesitation. Commander Hideo's eyes flicked toward Kiyoshi, Mikoto, and Ryota. His hand hovered near his sword hilt, and Kiyoshi could see the internal struggle warring inside him. Danzo. That name was like a shadow, following them wherever they went.
"I don't like this," Hideo muttered, his voice low. "But it seems we have no choice."
Kiyoshi's brow furrowed as Hideo sighed heavily, the weight of his decision pressing down on him. "Release them," the commander ordered, his voice laced with reluctance.
The ROOT shinobi gave a slight nod, their eyes still cold and unreadable behind their masks.
As the rogue ninjas were released from their bindings, the tension on the battlefield remained thick. Kiyoshi couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was at play here. The fact that Danzo's ROOT operatives had come directly to them meant that they were involved in something far greater than just this skirmish.
His eyes flicked toward the crates that had been scattered around the area. They had been part of the rogue ninjas' carriage and were now left behind, yet something felt off about them.
Before they could approach, however, the ROOT shinobi swiftly took action, grabbing the crates with ease and vanishing into the shadows with their precious cargo.
Kiyoshi observed the scene carefully, his expression unreadable. The timing, the precision—none of it was a coincidence. The explosions, the battle, ROOT arriving just in time with written orders from Danzo—it was all orchestrated. A perfectly executed maneuver to eliminate evidence while asserting control.
Danzo always moves like a ghost, pulling strings from the darkness. He calculated every move, ensuring that only the results he desired would remain. If nothing else, this encounter reinforced one thing: ROOT's influence ran deeper than they had assumed.
Kiyoshi's gaze lingered where the crates had once been. Whatever was inside, it had been important enough for Danzo to personally intervene.