Enemy attack!!
The remaining Konoha jonin and chunin immediately became alert upon hearing the explosion. They quickly flipped behind nearby trees to take defensive positions, then frowned as they looked at their comrade who had been blown to the ground...
No need to guess, that guy was definitely finished!!
"Who's there?" The Konoha jonin carefully scanned the surroundings but still couldn't detect anything. His heart tightened—it seemed these enemies had prepared well in advance. But...
Was their target Uzushiogakure or Konoha??
He glanced at the Uzu-nin who had also taken cover. He wasn't worried about these two Uzumaki shinobi at all. After all, that seven-year-old kid was Kage-level, someone who had wiped out over a dozen Konoha ANBU jonin!
So...
Rather than worrying about others, it was better to focus on themselves. As for whether Uzushiogakure would help them, the Konoha shinobi weren't sure. Their relationship wasn't as close as the so-called "eternal friendship between Konoha and Uzushiogakure."
"Stay alert!" The Konoha jonin said to the chunin hiding beside him. "If the situation turns bad, we retreat immediately."
"But the Uzu..." The chunin hesitated, speaking with reluctance.
"Don't mind them." The jonin cut him off. "They're safer than us!"
That was a Kage-level fighter!!
Hearing his captain's words, the chunin thought for a moment and agreed. There was no need to sacrifice their lives for the Uzumaki—there was no reward in it! He quickly nodded and replied, "Understood!"
...
"Jun-sama, aren't you going to help?" Uzumaki Kai frowned as he looked at the fallen Konoha chunin. "Otherwise, Konoha might..."
"No need." Uzumaki Jun waved his hand. "They're not here for us anyway."
Not here for us??
Uzumaki Kai looked at Jun in confusion. He didn't understand what Jun-sama meant.
Or rather...
How did Jun-sama know this wasn't an ambush targeting them?
However, Jun didn't notice Kai's puzzled expression. His thumb, index, and middle fingers seemed to be pinching something as he murmured meaningfully, "Perhaps Uzushiogakure will gain a new clan soon."
Hearing Jun-sama's muttering, Kai focused his gaze...
A bee. A struggling bee, its wings caught between Jun-sama's fingers!
...
"Dodge!!"
Suddenly, the Konoha jonin shouted sharply.
The chunin immediately backflipped away upon hearing the order. Though he didn't know why his captain had suddenly told them to evade, he knew it was best to follow orders.
The moment he moved...
"Boom—!"
The spot where he had been standing exploded violently.
"Explosive tags?" The chunin frowned. He hadn't sensed any explosive tags earlier—how had this happened?
"No." The jonin shook his head grimly. "Not explosive tags." He scanned the surroundings. "I already know who the enemy is."
"It seems we're in serious danger this time!"
...
"Bees??" Uzumaki Kai stared in confusion at the small bee trapped in Jun's hand. "Is this related to bees?"
Jun narrowed his eyes as he observed their surroundings and nodded. "A group of professional beekeepers. I wonder if Uzushiogakure can recruit them."
The Kamizuru Clan. In the world of Naruto, there were two major insect-controlling clans: Konoha's Aburame Clan and Iwagakure's Kamizuru Clan...
The Aburame Clan had risen to prominence by crushing the Kamizuru Clan during the First Shinobi War. It wasn't until Naruto's era, during the search for the Bikochu, that the Kamizuru Clan reappeared with only a few remaining members...
"Camouflage Concealment Technique?" Jun muttered, frowning. He couldn't find a single person nearby!
No wonder the Kamizuru Clan was nearly wiped out.
The war was already over, yet they still dared to seek revenge against Konoha...
Most likely, after this group was eliminated by Konoha, the clan's remaining strong fighters would be few. And this attack was probably unauthorized—no wonder so few survived in the end.
Otherwise, was it possible that every last clansman, young and old, had joined the battle, leaving only three pitiful bees behind?
That was impossible...
No doubt about it—this was the Kamizuru Clan!!
They must have acted without orders, and then the Tsuchikage sold them out!!
"Find them." Jun narrowed his eyes. "But don't hurt anyone. We're here to recruit, not to kill."
Hearing Jun-sama's words, Kai was stunned. "What about Konoha??"
The two Konoha shinobi were still dodging and weaving, unable to locate the enemy!
"Don't mind them." Jun said. "They'll probably retreat once they realize they're outmatched."
Indeed, without a tracking dog or Byakugan, detecting hidden enemies was far too difficult. Truly an A-rank concealment technique!!
And...
They were nearing Konoha's borders. If the disturbance was noticed, Konoha's ANBU would arrive soon.
So they had to act fast if they wanted to recruit anyone!!
Suddenly...
"Jun-sama!" The Konoha jonin shouted toward Jun's direction. "Retreat!!"
Then...
Without looking back, he sprinted toward Konoha!
"..."
Damn it!!
Kai and Jun stared dumbfounded as the two Konoha shinobi shouted once before fleeing without hesitation. This was...
An attempt to abandon them, using the two Uzumaki as decoys to cover their own retreat!
"Jun-sama." Kai frowned, waiting to see what Jun-sama would decide.
But...
"Don't panic. Let them get farther away first." Jun remained vigilant as he spoke. "Remember, we have nothing to do with Konoha. We're not taking the blame for this!"
"..."
Hearing Jun-sama's words, Kai was speechless. Weren't you always saying, "Konoha and Uzushiogakure share eternal friendship"?
Why the sudden change of heart?
At that moment...
Jun threw a Flying Thunder God kunai and instantly vanished from his spot. The place where he had been standing...
"Boom!!"
Erupted in a massive explosion!
"Kamizuru Clan." Jun called out loudly. "Look carefully, we are not Konoha shinobi. See this clan symbol?"
"Konoha's symbol has a small tail and a pointy mouth!"
However...
"Bee Needle Jutsu!"
A low voice answered Jun.
"What a headache." Jun sighed helplessly before teleporting away again with the Flying Thunder God Technique. Couldn't they just talk this out? Unable to locate anyone, he had no choice but to keep shouting. "You can't hurt me. And most likely..."
"Konoha's ANBU will arrive soon." Seeing the surroundings fall silent again, Jun continued. "Think about your clansmen. Think about your family. If all of you die here, what will happen to your clan?"
"..."
Rustle...
The sound of wind brushing through leaves echoed around them.
Seeing that no further attacks came, Jun relaxed slightly. It was good that they could listen to reason—he had worried they might be too stubborn. And...
Shouldn't they be chasing the fleeing Konoha shinobi instead??
Couldn't they tell this clan symbol was different from Konoha's??
You've got the wrong people!!
"Take this!" Jun tied a recruitment flyer he had hastily written earlier to a kunai and threw it. "Read it—it might help you!"
Then, with Kai, he headed toward Konoha.
...
"Clan leader, we..." A Kamizuru shinobi wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector asked nervously as he watched the Uzumaki leave. "What now?"
"Sigh." The Kamizuru leader glanced at Jun's retreating figure and sighed. "Let's withdraw. We're pulling out."
He knew the child was right. If their clan's last remaining strong fighters were lost here, then...
The Kamizuru Clan would truly be finished!
Especially since they had disobeyed the Tsuchikage's orders. Even if they returned, their fate would likely be...
He looked at the kunai embedded in the tree.
"Retrieve that kunai." The Kamizuru leader sighed in resignation. "Let's see what's written on it. Be careful."
"That boy was right. Perhaps this time..."
"We made a mistake!!"