CHAPTER 133
The leader of the Konoha rescue squad was Inoichi Yamanaka.
He had personally arrived with a support team of around ten shinobi.
When he saw the Iwagakure corpses scattered across the battlefield and the four surviving Konoha shinobi tending to their wounds, especially after confirming that Asuma's injuries were not life-threatening, the tension on his face eased noticeably.
However, when his gaze shifted toward the three fallen Konoha shinobi lying motionless on the ground, his expression darkened once again.
He had rushed here the moment he noticed the distress.
To be more precise, even before the signal flare had been launched...
He was already on his way.
As one of the Yamanaka Clan's foremost sensory shinobi, Inoichi had long placed a Mind Transmission sensing mark on Asuma.
The moment that mark transmitted an intense distress signal, he immediately realized something had gone terribly wrong and personally led the rescue team without hesitation.
After all, Asuma was the biological son of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Hokage's son.
Although sending him on dangerous missions was part of his growth as a shinobi, no one intended to let him die on the battlefield.
Besides the protective equipment secretly prepared by the Sarutobi Clan, Asuma also carried this emergency sensing mark.
If he ever encountered a life-threatening situation, reinforcements could respond immediately.
Inoichi quickly walked over and personally examined Asuma's injuries.
After confirming they were mostly external wounds and severe Chakra exhaustion rather than fatal damage, he finally asked in a solemn voice,
"Asuma."
"What happened here?"
Holding his bleeding arm, Asuma answered between heavy breaths,
"Captain..."
"The mission was completed."
"But while returning with the intelligence, we were ambushed near this area by an Iwagakure squad."
"There were at least twenty of them..."
"And..."
"It felt like they specifically came after us."
Inoichi's brows knitted tightly together.
His sharp eyes immediately swept across the surrounding terrain.
"This location..."
"Although it's still inside the buffer zone..."
"It already leans toward Konoha's sphere of control."
"For Iwagakure to infiltrate this deeply..."
"And prepare such an ambush..."
His tone became increasingly grave.
"Our intelligence network has failed somewhere."
"We must return immediately."
"The captured prisoners must be interrogated as quickly as possible."
"We have to determine their true objective."
Only then did he turn toward Uchiha Shisui.
His expression softened slightly as he nodded.
"Shisui."
"Thank you for arriving in time."
"Otherwise..."
His gaze swept over the corpses and the exhausted survivors.
He didn't finish the sentence.
The meaning was already obvious.
Shisui smiled gently before shaking his head.
"You give me too much credit, Captain Inoichi."
"We only fulfilled our duty."
He then stepped aside, revealing Guy standing behind him.
"The person who truly turned the battle around..."
"Was Guy."
"He arrived first."
"He was also the first to break through the enemy encirclement."
Hearing that, Inoichi was visibly surprised.
His attention had been entirely focused on Asuma and the battlefield until now.
Only then did he truly look toward Guy.
He also noticed the countless shattered craters, broken earth, and destroyed trees surrounding the battlefield.
Most of those traces...
Had clearly been caused by Taijutsu.
A trace of astonishment flashed across Inoichi's eyes before gradually changing into appreciation.
He nodded toward Guy.
Guy simply returned the gesture politely.
At the same time, he quietly analyzed the situation in his own mind.
Even if he hadn't arrived...
Kurenai and Asuma probably wouldn't have died.
Shisui might have arrived in time.
Or perhaps Inoichi's rescue squad would have reached them before the final moment.
Five minutes...
Was neither particularly long nor particularly short.
Judging by Asuma's determination, he should have been able to hold on until reinforcements arrived.
As for the other two unfamiliar Chunin...
Whether they could have survived...
That was much harder to say.
Meanwhile, Inoichi wasted no time.
He immediately ordered his subordinates to search the battlefield.
Several shinobi quickly restrained the surviving Iwagakure prisoners and administered basic treatment to prevent them from dying before interrogation.
Every living captive possessed valuable intelligence.
After briefly discussing the battlefield situation with Shisui, Inoichi prepared to withdraw his forces.
Kurenai quietly looked toward Guy.
Her eyes were filled with reluctance.
It had been nearly two years since they had last seen each other.
After finally reuniting...
They had immediately experienced a life-and-death battle together.
There were countless things she wanted to tell him.
Yet before they even had the chance to properly speak...
They already had to separate once more.
Her eyes gradually reddened again.
Guy naturally noticed the emotions hidden within her gaze.
Grinning slightly, he quietly walked over.
Using his body to subtly block the view of everyone else...
He secretly reached into the inner layer of his clothes.
Then he quietly placed a palm-sized package wrapped neatly in clean cloth into Kurenai's hand.
A gentle warmth spread across her palm.
She froze.
Instinctively lowering her head, she looked at the small package resting in her hand.
Guy lowered his voice so only she could hear.
"I brought this back from the Land of Waves."
"It's for you."
Kurenai's crimson eyes immediately sparkled.
They shone as brightly as stars.
She tightly clenched the small cloth package.
Just as she was about to unwrap it...
Inoichi's voice echoed from ahead.
"Kurenai."
"Asuma."
"Move out."
"We have to deliver this intelligence back immediately."
Hearing the order, Kurenai reluctantly suppressed both her curiosity and excitement.
Instead of opening it...
She carefully tucked the package into the safest place inside her clothes, close to her heart.
Then she looked up.
Her eyes met Guy's once more.
Countless emotions flowed silently between them.
In the end...
They became only one gentle sentence.
"Guy..."
"Be careful on the battlefield."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
Guy smiled and nodded firmly.
"You too."
Only then did Kurenai finally turn around.
Even as she followed Inoichi's rescue squad deeper into the forest...
She couldn't help looking back several times.
Eventually...
Their figures disappeared completely among the trees.
Guy remained standing there.
Quietly watching until they were no longer visible.
Only then did Ebisu sneak over with a mischievous grin.
He nudged Guy with his elbow.
"So..."
"You finally gave it to her?"
"Scram."
Guy rolled his eyes and pretended to kick him.
Laughing loudly, Ebisu quickly jumped aside.
Standing nearby, Genma bit his senbon as a faint smile appeared on his face.
Even Shisui couldn't help smiling before shaking his head helplessly.
After a brief moment...
His expression became serious once again.
"Alright."
"It's time for us to leave."
"For an Iwagakure squad to infiltrate this deeply into our territory..."
"This is unlikely to be an isolated incident."
"It may be part of a larger operation..."
"Or perhaps the prelude to a full-scale offensive."
"We must return to Outpost No. 8 immediately."
"And report everything to Captain Feiquan."
The moment those words were spoken...
Guy's expression became solemn.
The playful smiles on Ebisu's and Genma's faces disappeared as well.
All three immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Let's move!"
At Shisui's command, the four of them wasted no more time.
They immediately changed direction.
Bursting forward at full speed...
They raced straight toward Outpost No. 8.