The Second Girls journey in Naruto

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A volley of cold arrows, as dense as a swarm of bees, shot out from the forest.

Chihori and Sakiya exchanged glances. Without hesitation, they both stepped forward, forming hand seals in perfect synchronization.

"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!"

Two towering earthen walls rose instantly, shielding the group.

Tsuchiya Tsukigami and Sakuragi quickly pulled Tokumoto Kyotoshi and Ochiaisuke behind the barriers for cover.

The arrows struck the earthen walls with sharp, metallic clinks, creating a chaotic symphony.

Perched atop a massive tree, a young man observed the scene in silence. A woven headband made of vines adorned his head, dotted with small yellow flowers. His expression darkened as he saw his carefully laid ambush fail.

"So it's useless after all... even after all that preparation."

Below him, another young man wearing a similar vine headband looked up nervously.

"Boss, what do we do now? Our only real advantage was the crossbows, and they didn't even scratch those ninjas."

The leader leaped from the tree, catching a branch mid-air to slow his descent before landing nimbly on the ground.

"We retreat! Quickly!"

"Understood!"

One of the bandits retrieved a leaf with an unusual shape, bringing it to his lips and blowing softly.

A sharp, eerie sound rang out, carrying far into the distance.

"Retreat!"

"It's an emergency retreat! Move it!"

The relentless barrage of arrows had lasted for nearly thirty seconds.

Still concealed behind the earthen walls, Kihana Sakiya and the others listened as the sounds outside faded away. Just as they prepared to emerge, they heard the peculiar signal.

Tokumoto Kyotoshi's face turned grim, and Chihori's brows furrowed in frustration.

"A signal... They were organized from the start."

Without hesitation, Chihori vaulted over the wall.

"Tsuchiya, Sakuragi! Protect the mission targets!"

"Understood!"

Tsuchiya and Sakuragi immediately flanked Tokumoto Kyotoshi and the others, their eyes scanning for any remaining threats.

Meanwhile, Sakiya had no intention of staying behind.

She nimbly leapt over the wall, following Chihori without hesitation.

Chihori, well aware of Sakiya's stubborn nature, didn't waste time arguing.

The fact that the ambush had relied on simple arrows meant their attackers were likely not shinobi, but rather a trained militia—or possibly bandits.

Either way, they were no real threat.

This was the confidence of a Jonin.

With that assurance, Chihori pursued the fleeing attackers.

The bandit leader, glancing back, saw the Konoha shinobi gaining on them.

"They're too fast! We won't escape like this!"

Panic spread through his team.

"Leader, what do we do?! We don't stand a chance against a ninja!"

His eyes narrowed as he noticed the small girl trailing behind the Jonin.

"Did you see that?" he muttered. "We may not be able to beat the woman, but that little girl... she's our chance."

His men hesitated.

"Are you serious?!"

"Don't forget—we've taken down rogue ninjas before!"

Understanding dawned on them. Their only hope for survival lay in capturing the girl.

"Turn back! Now!"

"Move!"

Chihori, watching the retreating bandits suddenly change course and charge towards them, frowned.

"Why would they turn around...? Is this a trap?"

Regardless, she decided to test them.

Forming a rapid sequence of hand seals, she inhaled deeply.

"Wind Release! Thousand-Faced Gale!"

As she exhaled, a compressed mass of air shot forward, expanding into a storm of razor-sharp wind blades.

The bandits, who had likely only faced wandering rogue ninja before, froze in horror as the deadly wind slashed towards them.

"Hurry up!"

However, the wind blades moved faster than they had anticipated.

A large group of bandits fell like wheat being cut, struck down by the relentless barrage. Seeing such a massacre, the young leader remained calm, his voice steady and commanding.

"Don't panic! We can't escape! Our only chance is to seize the moment!"

Hearing this, the remaining bandits gritted their teeth and charged forward. They were no fools—they knew that against a ninja of this caliber, running was futile. Fighting to the death was their only option.

Chihiro caught the meaning behind the young leader's words.

"A target?"

Turning her head slightly, she saw Sakiya approaching from behind. Her short hair swayed in the wind from the speed of her movement, strands floating unpredictably.

Chihiro glanced back at the bandit leader, recalling his mention of a "chance of survival." She couldn't help but chuckle.

"If they're hoping to use Sakiya as a bargaining chip... they have no idea what they're up against."

She decided to observe Sakiya's actual combat ability, letting a few bandits slip past while unsheathing her blade. There was no need for hesitation—these were criminals who had attacked them first.

Cutting through them was as easy as slicing fruit.

Meanwhile, Sakiya watched the approaching enemies with curiosity rather than fear. Her golden eye glimmered with anticipation.

The bandits surrounded her, gripping their weapons tightly as they lunged.

"Be careful of her ninjutsu!"

"She moves fast! Two of us attack while the others defend!"

This was the method they had used before against wandering ninjas with limited chakra and basic clones. But their usual tactics wouldn't work here.

In the face of the ambush, Sakiya didn't flinch. Instead, her lips curled into a delighted smile as she muttered to herself.

"Is it finally time for the Eye of Death to shine?"

"Then let my Eye of Death declare your demise! Ahahahahaha—!"

Holding her left eye dramatically, she erupted into laughter.

Chihiro, watching from a distance, sighed.

"Sakiya's chuunibyou act is getting worse."

The bandits hesitated for just a moment, unnerved by the theatrics. But they quickly shook it off and attacked, weapons raised.

Just as a machete was about to strike her, a dazzling light burst forth, a glowing magic circle expanding in the air.

In the next instant, their weapons—all of them, from machetes to wooden sticks, even an old wooden bench—swung through empty space.

"Where did she go?!"

"She used some kind of jutsu!"

The young leader's face twisted in realization.

"Damn it! We're the ones in danger now!"

As the remaining bandits frantically searched for Sakiya, one of them suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling.

"Wait... where's Sixth?"

The group froze, their eyes scanning the area. Then, from the ground, a weak voice croaked out.

"I'm... here..."

The remaining bandits turned, their blood running cold as they spotted the source.

Only the severed head of their comrade remained, resting on the dirt, his lifeless eyes staring back at them.

________________

Support me on patreon and read 5 - 10 chapters ahead

patreon.com/Silver757