Naruto: Trinity of Bloodlines

The following day, Hyougen made his way to the gate of Konohagakure, where everyone was waiting for him, including the instructor.

"Why are you late?" Renji scolded with a tone of reprimand.

Annoyed, Hyougen crossed his arms and replied, "The scheduled time hasn't come yet, and the client hasn't arrived."

Upon hearing his response, Renji was left speechless.

Before they could continue talking, the sound of steady footsteps cut through the air. Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man, his forehead lined with wrinkles, followed by two massive carts, their wheels groaning under the weight of heavy goods. Several men were guiding them.

The trio immediately recognized the man as the client.

"Are you the ones responsible for guarding the caravan? You look awfully young!"

Renji nearly shouted in protest, but Shinko stepped forward quickly and whispered something to the client.

"Alright, no time for pleasantries. These goods must reach their destination safely, and if there's any mistake... you will bear the consequences." He said coldly, glaring at them before ignoring any responses and continuing on his way.

Shinko showed no sign of being disturbed by the harsh tone, as though he was accustomed to such treatment. He gave the client a quick glance before heading to the gate guard to coordinate before leaving.

---

After a day of travel, the caravan stopped for a rest under the shade of some trees.

"The heat is unbearable!" Renji exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I hate to admit it, but you're right," Ayami added with annoyance, wiping her face with distaste.

Renji turned to Hyougen, who was eating dried food, and asked, "What about you? Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you feeling the heat?"

Hyougen responded calmly, "It's not too bad. It's part of the job. We just have to endure."

Renji sighed in exasperation, "I don't understand how you can stand this weather without even sweating. I'm jealous of you!"

Hyougen ignored him and continued drinking water.

After about half an hour of resting in the shade, Shinko approached Hyougen quickly and said in a serious tone, "The merchant and his workers are done resting. It's time to move."

Hyougen nodded calmly. For a while now, he had been recognized as the unofficial leader among the trio, and neither of them had objected.

---

After three hours of traveling, everyone was on high alert, carefully watching the road. They paid little attention to the client, as they were focused on the mission.

Suddenly, the instructor's voice rang out, "Stop, everyone!"

The carts came to a halt immediately. Renji opened his mouth to ask, but Shinko intervened quickly.

"There's a trap ahead! Get ready to fight. You three are responsible for protecting the client and the goods. As for me, I'll handle the enemy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the instructor disappeared quickly.

Unlike Renji, who was still confused, Hyougen understood immediately. He drew his kunai and cautiously surveyed the surroundings.

He moved from the front of the caravan to where the client stood, then shouted to Renji and Ayami, "What are you doing?! Protect the goods, I'll guard the client!"

Upon hearing his words, they regained their focus and nodded seriously.

Though he didn't say it aloud, Hyougen couldn't help but wonder... "How did Shinko know about the ambush? Does he have a sensing technique?"

"Dammit! The trap failed!"

"It took a long time to set up those traps and explosive tags!"

"Shut up and focus on the mission!"

As they spoke, the sound of footsteps was heard, and everyone turned toward the source.

From among the tangled trees, seven dark figures emerged, moving steadily like hunters chasing their prey. As they drew closer, sunlight gleamed off the metal bands they wore, bearing the Rock Village insignia. Their eyes glinted with a deadly coldness. For a moment, the wind stilled, as if waiting for the impending confrontation.

Hyougen took a slow breath, his grip tightening on the kunai in his hand, and a heavy sense of foreboding weighed on his heart—this battle wouldn't be easy.

His heart raced as he stared at them. Something was wrong... Moments of anticipation passed, and then realization struck him like a cold slap: 'Six Genin... and one Jonin?!'

Upon seeing their strength, his pulse quickened. He immediately shouted to his companions, "Renji! Ayami! Get over here and leave the cart!"

He realized they had no chance against a Jonin, let alone six Genin.

Then, the client shouted with clear concern, "Protect me well! I don't care what you do, just make sure I get out of here safely!"

But Hyougen completely ignored him. He knew that this type of client would talk a lot but wouldn't be useful in a fight.

Now, the situation was clear: Three Genin surrounded one person in the middle, facing six Genin and one Jonin.

"Ayami, Renji, you're responsible for dealing with the Genin and protecting the client. I'll handle the Jonin. Be careful, one mistake and we'll all be dead."

Although they wanted to object, they remained silent in the end. They understood this was the best plan, and if no one stopped the Jonin, they'd all end up dead.

"Are you done discussing how you're going to die?" the Jonin said mockingly, placing his hand on his kunai.

Hyougen didn't respond. He drew his own kunai and moved toward him.

"Oh? Your bravery is impressive, but the idea of facing a Jonin head-on… is incredibly stupid!"

But before he could finish his sentence, Hyougen moved in a flash, completely ignoring the Jonin. He moved like a shadow, throwing two kunai that sliced through the air. The first one didn't even give his opponent a chance to raise his weapon—he only saw a flash of death before the kunai pierced his neck. The man froze for a moment before collapsing, gasping his last breaths.

The second opponent moved at the last moment, but it wasn't enough. The kunai slashed through his shoulder, causing blood to spurt from his arm, and a muffled cry of pain escaped his throat.

Silence reigned for a few moments. Even the Jonin couldn't hide his shock. He hadn't expected a young boy to catch him off guard and take one of them down so quickly.

But the surprise turned into anger. In the blink of an eye, the Jonin threw his kunai directly at Hyougen's heart, but...

"Boom!"

Hyougen body turned into smoke. It was just a shadow clone.

"Sato!" shouted one of the Genin, now in shock as he looked at his fallen companion, whose blood still stained the earth.

His shock turned to raging anger. He gripped his weapon tightly and yelled, "I'll kill you, you little bastard!"

But the Jonin cut off his rush before he could move, placing his hand firmly on his shoulder and saying sternly:

"Stop! Don't lose your temper. You were deceived by just a kid. Don't let him provoke you further."

His voice carried a clear warning, but he didn't stop there. He added dryly, glancing at the injured Genin:

"If you want revenge, go kill his two teammates over there, just like your friend was killed while I deal with him."

His simple words flipped the tables on Hyougen, turning the enemy's weakness into a grave threat to Renji and Ayami.

Hyougen saw the anger in their eyes shift into a deadly resolve, and before he and the other Genin could move, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"What are you doing?! Move! I've taken down one and injured another, your job just got easier!"

His words were a shock that brought Renji and Ayami back to their senses—there was no time to hesitate now. They had to fight, or they'd be the next victims.