Chapter 39: Night Raid (Part 1)

Time flew by. It was now the latter half of the night. Boom! Suddenly, an explosion sounded from afar, jolting Seimei awake from his sleep. In an instant, his eyes sharpened from their previous daze. Almost without hesitation, Seimei grabbed the ninja tool pouch and forehead protector beside him, simultaneously sitting up. By the time he exited the tent, he was already fully equipped. Several others also emerged with him, including their team leader, Furukawa. He quickly reached Furukawa's side and followed his gaze towards the distance, where faint sounds of fighting could be heard. Clearly, something had happened. The patrol and defense of this area were handled by two squads, one responsible for daytime and the other for nighttime. Their Team 17, the first squad, patrolled during the day, while the second squad, which they handed over to, was responsible for the night. Undoubtedly, it was the second squad currently engaged in battle with the unknown enemy. The second squad consisted of four teams. Two of them had the same configuration as their team, with one Jonin leading three Genin. The remaining two teams each had one Tokubetsu Jonin and three Chunin. Therefore, including the Jonin squad leader, the second squad had a total of seventeen people: three Jonin, two Tokubetsu Jonin, and six each of Chunin and Genin. This was almost the same as their first squad. Now, Seimei could only hope that the enemy had accidentally exposed themselves and been caught by one of the second squad's teams, forcing them into combat. Otherwise, it would be a big problem. Because that would mean the enemy's overall combat strength was no less than theirs, and their mission was no longer the usual lurking and infiltration, but a surprise attack. In that case, both sides would inevitably fight to the death. While Seimei was pondering, the first squad assembled. At the same time, fighting sounds also came from two other directions in the forest. Well, there was no need to guess anymore. This was definitely not lurking and infiltration. No one would organize multiple teams for lurking and infiltration, making it difficult to retreat if discovered. Seeing that they didn't care about their whereabouts being exposed, it was clear they were prepared for a surprise attack. But... Seimei couldn't understand the purpose of the enemy's surprise attack this time. This was just a temporary camp without any important facilities. Even if they captured it, it seemed to have no value. Moreover, this place wasn't too far from Konoha's main camp. As long as they sent the information back in time, the main camp could provide support at any moment. In other words, it was impossible for the enemy to hold this place. There was even the risk of being surrounded. Why would the enemy do something with such a disproportionate risk and reward? To eliminate Konoha's active forces? Please! There were only a few people here, and no particularly famous ninja. Even if they killed everyone, how much impact could it have on Konoha? To pass through? But if they were just passing through, they shouldn't be making any noise. Due to the lack of information, Seimei couldn't figure out the enemy's intentions for the time being, so he simply stopped thinking about it. At this time, their first squad's leader, Nakajima Hiroshi, stepped forward. He was a middle-aged Jonin, and his first words were an order. "Attention, everyone!" Everyone immediately stood at attention, awaiting his next instructions. "First squad." "Present!" A slender Jonin, along with three Genin, stepped forward. Seimei knew this person was named Okura Seiya. He looked frail, but in reality, his combat power was extremely strong, no weaker than their team leader, Furukawa. "Seiya, your squad will stay and guard the camp," Nakajima Hiroshi ordered. "Yes, Captain." Okura Seiya had no objections. He responded and stepped back. Nakajima Hiroshi looked at the others and said, "Second, third, and fourth squads!" "Present!" The leaders of the three squads responded simultaneously. "You will immediately depart with me to support the second squad." "Yes, Captain!" Furukawa and the others responded again. Seimei didn't quite understand this arrangement. In his opinion, Okura Seiya was so strong that he should go with the team to provide support. Leaving him here was a waste of talent. Fortunately, Nakajima Hiroshi soon made him understand the meaning behind this arrangement. He said, "Seiya, summon your summoning beast now." "Yes." Okura Seiya nodded without any surprise, then bit his thumb, letting blood flow down his palm. As if feeling no pain, Okura Seiya quickly formed the five hand seals "Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram" and used his blood as a medium to perform the Summoning Technique, summoning a night owl. Then, he used some unknown ninjutsu to connect the owl's vision with his own. This way, whatever the owl saw, he would also see simultaneously. Although there was a distance limit to this connection, it was undoubtedly an excellent reconnaissance method. At this point, Seimei understood Nakajima Hiroshi's intention. He clearly planned to have this owl accompany them and, through its connection with Okura Seiya, transmit information back to the camp in real-time. Then, Okura Seiya would contact the main camp, allowing them to understand the situation here. Whether it was sending reinforcements or launching a counter-encirclement, they could then act with precision. Sure enough, Nakajima Hiroshi's next words confirmed his guess. "Seiya, from now on, you will control 'Owl' and secretly follow us, transmitting information to the main camp at all times." Okura Seiya nodded in response, indicating no problem. Flap~ The sound of wings flapping came. The night owl summoned by Okura Seiya soared into the sky and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye. Seeing this, Nakajima Hiroshi nodded, then said to Seimei and the others, "Let's go!" With that, he took the lead and rushed into the forest. Seimei and the others didn't dare to delay and quickly followed. What relieved Seimei was that Nakajima Hiroshi didn't blindly divide their forces. Instead, he led everyone towards the nearest battlefield. He clearly intended to assess the situation before deciding on their next move. Seimei wholeheartedly agreed with this approach. The situation was currently unclear. Recklessly dividing their forces would undoubtedly be a very dangerous move. If they were defeated individually, it would be disastrous. Fortunately, Nakajima Hiroshi, being the squad leader, wasn't a fool and didn't make such a basic mistake. This slightly eased Seimei's anxiety. ... Rustle, rustle, rustle~ In the dense forest. Seimei and the others were moving swiftly. Just as they were about to approach the battlefield, Nakajima Hiroshi in front suddenly raised his right arm, signaling everyone to stop. Everyone immediately halted and looked around vigilantly. At some point, the sounds of insects and birds in the forest had ceased. Under the silent night sky, only the rustling of leaves in the night wind remained. The surroundings were eerily quiet! Everyone held their breath and observed their surroundings, as if there were ferocious beasts lurking nearby, making them afraid to breathe deeply.