As Qingming and Han engaged in a battle of wits, Hyuga Linghuo raced back to the main force. However, upon his return, he quickly sensed that something was off.
The team had halted, and everyone stood on guard, their expressions serious. This made him uneasy.
He couldn't dwell on it for long, as he was unsure how long Qingming could hold out. Time was of the essence. Thus, the moment he returned to the main force, he sought out Nara Si Shui.
At that moment, Nara Si Shui was deep in conversation with several Konoha Jonin, their faces stern and serious, clearly discussing a challenging matter.
Without hesitation, Hyuga Linghuo approached them. Upon seeing him, Nara Si Shui and the others ceased their discussion.
Hyuga Aoyama, a fellow clan member, spoke up first. "Linghuo, weren't you out scouting ahead? Why are you back so soon?"
"Something's happened!" Hyuga Linghuo stopped in his tracks, panting heavily.
Hearing those three words, the others' expressions shifted. They quickly pressed, "What happened?"
Taking a few deep breaths, Hyuga Linghuo spoke rapidly, "Just a few minutes ago, while scouting with Jonin Qingming, we encountered a squad of Iwagakure Shinobi."
"A squad of Iwagakure Shinobi?" The group exchanged glances, then asked, "How many were there? What was their strength?"
"Seven in total, all Jonin. Four were somewhat weaker, two were stronger, and one of them is the Five-Tails Jinchuriki—Han!" Hyuga Linghuo answered decisively.
"What?" The reactions of the others mirrored Qingming's initial disbelief; they couldn't fathom that the Five-Tails Jinchuriki would suddenly appear.
Finally, Nara Si Shui regained his composure and asked, "Where's Jonin Qingming now?"
Hyuga Linghuo replied, "When I used my Byakugan, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki noticed me. Jonin Qingming is currently entangled with them; we must provide support immediately."
However, Nara Si Shui didn't respond right away. His mind raced as he considered the various possibilities and strategies.
Hyuga Linghuo grew anxious and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Under normal circumstances, they should immediately dispatch a Jonin team for support and attempt to encircle the Iwagakure squad. Why was Nara Si Shui hesitating?
Noticing his distress, Hyuga Aoyama interjected, "Linghuo, calm down!"
Taking a deep breath, Hyuga Linghuo slowly exhaled and tried to steady his mind. "Is something wrong with our side?"
As he reflected on it, he realized that something had to be amiss for the atmosphere to be so tense and for Nara Si Shui to hesitate.
Indeed, Hyuga Aoyama confirmed, "Not long ago, reconnaissance teams from several other directions also detected Iwagakure's presence."
"Hiss~" Hyuga Linghuo gasped, confirming, "They were detected from multiple directions?"
"That's right!" Hyuga Aoyama affirmed. "The enemy numbers are significant, and they have essentially surrounded us."
"Is it because of that hidden enemy?" Hyuga Linghuo probed.
Earlier, when Qingming returned, he had recounted the meeting's details, and he was aware of the related events.
Thus, upon hearing that their team was surrounded, he immediately thought of the potential hidden enemy. If that person hadn't alerted them, the Iwagakure Shinobi wouldn't have found them for another hour or two. It would take them until at least noon to locate their previous camp, and they would need at least until the afternoon to find their current position.
Yet, they were now surrounded, meaning the enemy must have pursued them without taking any detours. They could only have achieved this in such a short time if they had precise knowledge of their location, avoiding the need for a lengthy search.
Hyuga Aoyama's next words confirmed his suspicions. "It's that guy."
"That guy? You've seen him?" Hyuga Linghuo asked.
"Yes." Hyuga Aoyama nodded. "He appeared not long ago, and I spotted him with my Byakugan. However, he was too far away, and by the time we got there, he had already fled."
"He fled?" Hyuga Linghuo frowned.
"Yes." Hyuga Aoyama responded with a hint of resignation before changing the subject. "Never mind him; what matters now are those Iwagakure Shinobi forming the encirclement."
"How far are they from us?" Hyuga Linghuo inquired.
"Four to five kilometers," Hyuga Aoyama replied.
Another member remarked, "Fortunately, we prepared in advance and stationed the reconnaissance teams five kilometers away. Otherwise, we would have been caught off guard."
The others pondered the scenario. If they hadn't expanded their reconnaissance range, they wouldn't have discovered the Iwagakure forces had already formed an encirclement five kilometers out. Upon receiving the information from Hyuga Linghuo, they could have hastily sent a large number of Jonin to encircle that Iwagakure squad.
In such a case, as long as the enemy held out for a while, the Iwagakure forces would tighten their encirclement, catching them by surprise without any time to formulate a counterplan.
Thinking about formulating a strategy, everyone turned their gaze to Nara Si Shui, who had just emerged from his contemplation.
Without any unnecessary words, he spoke decisively. "Yamashiro, immediately relay orders to all combat teams to assist Jonin Qingming."
"Understood." Yamashiro listened, quickly forming seals, closing his eyes, and invoking the secret technique of the Yamashiro clan—Mind Communication.
In less than half a minute, he conveyed Nara Si Shui's orders to all combat team members, relaying Qingming's location and the enemy's intel.
Once he reopened his eyes, someone nearby asked, "What about the Iwagakure Shinobi on the outskirts?"
"Don't worry about them," Nara Si Shui replied.
"Don't worry?" Several voices echoed in confusion.
"Exactly, don't concern yourselves with them," Nara Si Shui confirmed, nodding. "From now on, we will advance toward the Tiger Mountain camp with full force. As long as the combat teams can hold off that Iwagakure squad, we can break free from the encirclement before it becomes a significant threat."
"Is there enough time?" someone asked.
Nara Si Shui replied confidently, "There is!"
"And afterward?" another voice queried. "What if the Iwagakure Shinobi continue to pursue us?"
Nara Si Shui answered, "According to my calculations, the enemy should not be able to catch up with us."
At this point, he paused and added, "At least until the reinforcements from the Tiger Mountain camp arrive, the enemy will not be able to keep up with us."
His tone was full of confidence, instilling belief in those around him.
Consequently, the group fell silent, immediately getting to work as per the orders given.
That's all for today.
plz support me if you can.
patreon.com/Mano99
all the fanfic is 30 chapter a had and you will get 1 chapter everyday.