A massive caravan of over a dozen carriages rolled along the muddy roads, crossing the border from the Land of Fire into the Land of Fields.
The caravan belonged to the Taihe Chamber of Comrce, one of the largest and most influential trade organizations in the Land of Fire, known for its longstanding alliance with the Uchiha Clan. Their plan was to traverse through several small nations, eventually reaching the Land of Thunder, where the goods would fetch high profits due to price differences.
To ensure the safety of the journey, the Chamber of Comrce hired a large number of guards, including two teams led by Uchiha Clan shinobi.
The rhythmic squeaks of the carriage wheels filled the air as the convoy moved along the rugged path.
At the forefront, three shinobi wearing the iconic Uchiha crest kept watch. They were part of one of the two Uchiha teams hired to safeguard the caravan.
Among the three, the oldest was a stern-looking man with a missing finger on his right hand, Uchiha Mori, the team leader. Despite the seemingly calm journey, he remained alert, his Sharingan activated to scan the dense woods flanking the road.
"Captain, don't you think you're being overly cautious?" asked Uchiha Haruto, a younger shinobi with short black hair and a confident deanor. "We've got two jonin here. Who would dare attack us?"
Uchiha Haruto's relaxed attitude reflected his inexperience. He was a chunin with a One-Tomoe Sharingan, his strength nearing that of a special jonin.
Uchiha Mori scowled, his voice carrying a tone of warning. "Don't get complacent, Haruto. You see this?" He raised his hand, displaying the missing finger. "Do you know how I lost this?"
Curiosity sparked in Haruto and Uchiha Yukari, the third mber of the group, a kunoichi with a calm deanor.
"How?" Haruto asked.
Mori sighed. "Five years ago, I took on a similar mission. Back then, I thought exactly like you—that no one would dare attack us because we had a jonin on our team. But we were ambushed by a rogue ninja. He used Earth Style to launch a sneak attack. I avoided a fatal blow, but I lost this finger in the process."
He fixed Haruto with a stern gaze. "Carelessness can cost you more than just a finger. It can cost you your life. Learn from my mistake."
The warning sobered Haruto and Yukari, both of whom adopted a more cautious stance.
The caravan continued its journey, eventually crossing into the Land of Fields. Hours passed uneventfully until Mori's voice suddenly rang out.
"Stay alert! It's an ambush!"
A storm of kunai rained down from the dense woods on both sides of the road.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Fla Bullet!"
Mori quickly ford seals, unleashing three fiery blasts to intercept the kunai. Many projectiles were deflected, but so made it through, striking the guards.
Pained cries echoed as several guards fell, so collapsing in pools of blood.
From the shadows of the forest, more than a dozen masked figures in black erged, moving with precision and speed.
Mori's Sharingan spun as he blocked the attacks of two assailants simultaneously. His face darkened—both attackers had jonin-level strength.
"Who are you?" Mori demanded, gritting his teeth as he parried their strikes.
The n in black offered no response. One continued to engage Mori in close combat while the other ford hand seals.
"Wind Style: High Sky Cannon!"
Four concentrated blasts of wind roared toward Mori. He evaded with the enhanced perception of his Sharingan, but the mont he dodged, the first attacker exploited the opening.
A sharp kunai slashed across Mori's side, drawing blood. Staggering back, he gritted his teeth as the two attackers pressed their advantage.
Nearby, Haruto and Yukari were also under siege, each facing multiple opponents. The second Uchiha team at the rear of the caravan was overwheld by twice as many attackers, and chaos engulfed the convoy.
Guards were cut down one by one. The n in black moved with chilling efficiency, slaughtering them in a one-sided massacre.
By the ti the fighting subsided, the area was drenched in blood. Corpses littered the ground, and the caravan was reduced to shambles. Both Uchiha teams had been wiped out, their Sharingan gouged out by the attackers.
Only a handful of unard civilians remained, trembling as they hid under carriages or in the wreckage.
From one of the carriages, a plump man in luxurious robes was dragged out by a masked figure. His face was pale, drenched in sweat.
"Are you Taihe Yangshi, the president of the Taihe Chamber of Comrce?" the masked man demanded.
"Y-yes," Yangshi stamred, his voice quivering. "I am. Sir, we'll leave the goods. Just spare our lives!"
The masked man sneered. "How generous. These goods already belong to us." His tone turned icy. "As for you, you're coming with us. Your life depends on how much your family values you."
He turned to the remaining civilians. "Tell his family to gather 300 million ryo as ransom and bring it to Shangtian Town in the Land of Fields within five days. If they don't… we'll collect his corpse instead."
The attackers swiftly loaded the goods and took Taihe Yangshi away, leaving behind only a few terrified survivors to deliver their ssage.
As the dust settled, the bloody aftermath stood as a grim reminder of the power and ruthlessness of the attackers.
(End of Chapter)
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