Naruto Birdcage

Eastern Camp of the Land of Fire.

Since the Kiri-nin had gone silent, the Konoha shinobi found themselves with little to do aside from routine reconnaissance and patrol missions.

However, today, a patrol team spotted traces of Kiri-nin activity again, and Minato personally led a team to eliminate them.

Shortly after Minato left, a group of medical ninja sent from the village arrived at the camp.

However, their condition looked dire.

A crowd had gathered at the camp entrance, and when Shikaku arrived, he found these people disheveled and sitting on the ground, panting heavily as if they'd been traveling for a long time.

He hurriedly asked, "What happened? Did you encounter enemies?"

Shikaku recalled that the message sent via the hawk earlier listed 12 medical ninja in this group, but now only half of them were present.

"On our way here, while resting near the Kiri River, we encountered a team of Kiri-nin. Some of our comrades were killed in battle, and Rin was captured by the enemy."

Rin...

Shikaku's heart sank.

There was only one person named Rin on the list—Nohara Rin, Minato's student.

"Are you talking about Rin... Nohara Rin?"

A white-haired young man stepped out from the crowd, his face partially covered by a mask.

His voice was hoarse and low.

"Yes," replied one of the medical ninja sitting on the ground.

"There were too many enemies. We had no choice but to retreat..."

Before he could finish, Kakashi bolted out of the crowd and sped toward the camp's exit.

"Kakashi!" Shikaku called out, but his shout failed to stop him.

Shikaku cursed under his breath, having anticipated this reaction.

He quickly gave an order: "Morning squad, follow him!"

After issuing the command, Shikaku turned back to the medical ninja and said,

"Don't blame yourselves. Combat isn't your specialty, and making it back alive was already no small feat."

Even so, he couldn't shake off his concern.

Just then, a member of the Hyuga clan stepped forward and said, "I'll lead a team to assist as well."

This was exactly what Shikaku had hoped for.

He nodded and said, "Thank you, Keiji."

In the dense forest, Kakashi was moving at high speed. The news of Rin's predicament left his mind in turmoil, and images of his former comrades entrusting their hopes to him kept flashing through his mind.

"Kakashi!"

Someone was chasing after him—it was Hyuga Keiji and Shirakumo Hayama, each leading their respective teams.

"Kakashi, you're being too reckless. The enemy numbers are too great; going alone is far too dangerous," Keiji said.

"We'll rescue Rin together," added Hayama.

Kakashi glanced back at them, took a deep breath, and said, "Thank you."

The Kiri River was a waterway that flowed through this eastern forest of the Land of Fire, eventually leading to the sea.

It was named for the mist that rose from its surface every morning.

"How is it, Pakkun?" Kakashi asked anxiously, looking at the pack of ninja hounds he had just summoned.

"We've picked up the scent trail," Pakkun replied.

"Lead the way!" Kakashi urged.

Hayama reminded Kakashi once again to stay calm.

If they encountered a battle ahead, being this unsettled could lead to mistakes.

With the ninja hounds leading the way, the Konoha team continued to track Rin and the Kiri-nin, eventually arriving near a low mountain close to the border.

The Konoha group concealed themselves in the shadows as Keiji used his Byakugan to survey the area in detail.

After a moment, he reported, "There are 37 enemies. Rin is inside a cave. The chakra in there is unusual, as if some kind of ritual was recently performed."

"What ritual? How is Rin?" Kakashi asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure. Rin is just tied up; she appears unharmed," Keiji replied.

Hayama said, "Let's come up with a strategy, Keiji."

After a brief moment of thought, Keiji suggested,

"Hayama will lead a team to feign an attack, while Kakashi and I seize the opportunity to infiltrate and rescue Rin."

The plan was simple and straightforward.

Although the enemy's numbers were not small, neither were they overwhelming.

While the Konoha team's numbers were fewer, an experienced jonin could not simply be counted as just one ninja unit.

The teams were reorganized: Keiji, Kakashi, and one chunin formed a team, while the rest followed Hayama to carry out the feigned attack and draw the enemy's attention.

With Keiji's Byakugan, navigating the cave after entry wouldn't be an issue.

It was agreed that once the mission was complete, they would communicate using signal flares, and the two teams began their respective actions.

Hayama seized the right moment and led his team in launching a large-scale ninjutsu assault, shocking the Kiri-nin and prompting cries of "Enemy attack!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kakashi and Keiji silently dispatched the guards at the cave entrance and slipped inside.

Guided by Keiji's Byakugan, the three moved quickly through the winding, rugged cave passages, avoiding some enemies along the way.

When they encountered one or two enemies, they dealt with them swiftly and efficiently.

Finally, they reached the location where Rin was being held.

Unlike the narrow, winding pathways elsewhere in the cave, this area was a vast, spacious chamber.

At the center stood a massive circular platform, seemingly designed to hold something.

Intricate sealing patterns were carved all around it.

"What... is this for?" Keiji murmured as he observed the area.

The chakra that had once filled the space had already dissipated.

Kakashi dispelled the genjutsu placed on Rin.

"Kakashi!"

Rin's eyes lit up with joy upon seeing Kakashi, but her expression soon turned puzzled as she looked down at her hands, sensing something was amiss.

"It seems the enemy did something to Rin," Keiji remarked suddenly.

"I can feel it... something has been placed inside me," Rin said dazedly.

Kakashi responded quickly, "Let's get out of here first!"

"Agreed," Keiji nodded.

The four of them retraced their steps and managed to exit the cave without incident.

Outside, Hayama and the enemy were still locked in fierce combat.

Seeing this, Keiji quickly pulled out a flare gun and fired a green signal flare into the sky.

"Retreat to the camp!"

Rin's face was filled with worry.

She had no idea what had happened to her.

Ever since being captured by the Kiri-nin, she had been unconscious.

"This is troublesome," Keiji suddenly muttered with a frown.

"A large number of Kiri-nin have appeared out of nowhere. They refused to show themselves earlier, but now there are so many!"

"I hope Souma and the others can make it out safely," he added.

The four of them sprinted toward the camp.

The enemies Hayama was fighting did not pursue them.

Suddenly, Keiji halted in his tracks and looked up at a hawk circling high in the sky.

Seeing this, Kakashi and the others also stopped.

Keiji leapt swiftly onto a tree branch, and the hawk swooped down, landing on his arm.

Keiji took out a message tube tied to the hawk's talon, inside which was a note.

He opened it and quickly read the contents.

When he landed back on the ground, Kakashi asked,

"The Ninja Hawk's message??"

Keiji nodded and his expression became calm.

"The village intercepted an enemy message. Rin is carrying the Three-Tails sealed within her. The Kiri-nin plan to release it once Rin returns to the camp or the village."

As the words fell, the expressions of the three changed dramatically.

Rin finally recalled what had happened to her.

The giant circular platform in the cave, that strange ritual.

Kakashi clenched his fists. "Rin..."

Rin trembled all over, gritting her teeth.

She made up her mind and turned to the three of them.

"Kill me! If you kill me, there will be no problem!"

Kakashi angrily shouted, "What are you talking about!"

Keiji glanced at the two of them and calmly said,

"Don't worry. Reinforcements from the village are on the way."

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