Deep in the forest, the bonfire crackled, its light illuminating the faces of a few people.
“Renye-kun, is the roasted rabbit not ready yet?” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s mouth was watering from the rich aroma of the meat.
Danzo Shimura closed his eyes to rest, feigning indifference, but the bobbing of his Adam’s apple betrayed him.
Renye rotated the wild rabbit on the branch, fat dripping into the fire with a “sizzle.”
These wild rabbits were caught along the way to serve as tonight’s dinner.
The Land of Fire is quite far from the Land of Lightning, about a three-day journey, and they were expected to arrive at Hidden Cloud Village tomorrow afternoon.
Utatane Koharu rested her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the enticingly colored rabbit meat, “Renye-kun’s cooking is really good.”
“Turn it slower, it’s going to burn,” Senju Tobirama said thoughtfully, sitting on the ground.
He was very particular about the food he ate, especially disliking burnt food, believing that the charred taste affected the flavor of the ingredients themselves.
“Got it, Uncle,” Renye said, slowing his movements.
“Is it ready? I’m so hungry,” Uchiha Kagami said, holding a kunai, ready to cut the rabbit meat.
“It should be ready soon, don’t rush,” Homura Mitokado said with a smile.
The food Renye needed to roast included not only wild rabbit, but also fish and vegetables like mushrooms.
“The roasted fish and vegetables are ready,” Renye said, handing the roasted fish and vegetables, which were stuck in the ground in front of him, to everyone in turn.
Senju Tobirama took the roasted fish and vegetables and began to eat elegantly, but his gaze remained on the wild rabbit.
Compared to roasted fish, he still preferred roasted rabbit.
He had eaten fish meat the most at the camp, and now he could finally have a change of taste.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were the same, their gazes openly fixed on the roasted rabbit.
“Do you want to try the Sarutobi Clan’s special spices?” Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to remember something and took out a small porcelain bottle from his ninja tool pouch.
“Hiruzen, are you trying to murder us again?” Danzo Shimura snorted, “Keep that stuff for yourself.”
Uchiha Kagami and Homura Mitokado nodded in agreement, “We don’t need it.”
When they were on a mission before, they tasted the Sarutobi Clan’s secret sauce along the way, and then that mission failed.
The specific reasons couldn’t be elaborated on, but it was a bad memory.
Utatane Koharu had initially wanted to try it, but hearing their words, she immediately abandoned the idea.
Seeing that no one wanted it, Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly a bit anxious, “Try it, it’s really delicious.”
He passed the porcelain bottle to everyone in turn, but no one wanted to try it.
“Hiruzen, you should really keep this good stuff for yourself,” Renye said, looking warily at the porcelain bottle, feeling that it wasn’t anything good.
“Alright,” Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly, pulled out the stopper, and poured the sauce onto the roasted fish.
Everyone’s gazes simultaneously turned to the green sauce clinging to the roasted fish.
Even Senju Tobirama frowned, wondering if this stuff was really edible.
Under everyone’s curious gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his mouth and took a bite of the roasted fish, immediately revealing a satisfied smile.
“Mmm, delicious!”
Utatane Koharu looked curious and couldn’t help but ask, “Hiruzen, is it really delicious?”
“It’s really delicious, Koharu, you should try it,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said enthusiastically, handing over the porcelain bottle.
Utatane Koharu poured some sauce onto her roasted fish, then took a bite, and immediately stuck out her tongue from the spiciness.
“Cough, cough, cough, Hiruzen, you lied!”
“I knew this would happen…” Danzo Shimura snorted.
“Hiruzen, stop sharing your sauce,” Uchiha Kagami and Homura Mitokado said in unison.
Those two had been terribly harmed by this sauce before, and they still had psychological trauma from it.
“It tastes fine, though?” Hiruzen Sarutobi scratched his head in confusion, wondering why everyone disliked it.
Senju Tobirama looked up at his noisy disciples, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Just then, he suddenly dropped the smile from his face and instinctively looked in a certain direction.
Renye suddenly caught a movement in the distance and activated his Sharingan.
“What’s wrong?” Danzo Shimura noticed Renye’s reaction and mouthed the question.
This was a habit they had developed over years of working together.
Renye shook his head slightly, signaling to stay calm.
He calmly looked into the distance, and with the aid of his Sharingan, he clearly saw three figures lurking behind a distant tree trunk.
And these figures were slowly approaching.
Not only that, but assassins were continuously appearing from all directions, roughly estimated to be no less than ten…
“Koharu,” Renye suddenly raised his voice, “Give me some of Hiruzen’s special sauce.”
Utatane Koharu blinked, immediately understanding, “Okay, Renye-kun.”
Renye stuck the roasted rabbit he was holding into the ground, so it wouldn’t burn if a fight broke out later.
Senju Tobirama watched their actions, with no intention of participating.
He had sensed the arrival of the assassins long ago, but he hadn’t said anything, wanting to see how his disciples would react.
Fortunately, Renye and the others did not disappoint him; upon discovering the assassins, they didn’t alert them, but instead deliberately exposed a weakness, waiting for their opponents to get closer.
The bonfire crackled, and Renye outwardly applied sauce to the vegetables, but in reality, he was estimating the assassins’ distance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already put down his food and was forming hand signs.
Danzo Shimura’s right hand was hidden in his sleeve, gripping a kunai.
Uchiha Kagami and Homura Mitokado began to adjust their positions, silently encircling Senju Tobirama.
One hundred meters, fifty meters, thirty meters… The assassins steadily closed in.
“Now!” Renye roared, taking out his Basho Fan from behind his back and fanning it towards the nearby area.
Almost at the same moment, several dark figures burst out from the bushes, their sharp kunai aiming directly at the people by the bonfire.
Two assassins who had just jumped out hadn’t expected Renye to suddenly attack, and were caught off guard, directly hit by the Wind Release.
“Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!”
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Fire Release was already prepared; seeing the enemies appear, he unhesitatingly used his Ninjutsu.
Three fire dragons roared out from the bonfire in front of them, forcing back the two sneak attackers.
Just then, several kunai wrapped in lightning shot from different angles, their target precisely Senju Tobirama in the center.
Senju Tobirama remained motionless the entire time, and just as the assassins thought they were about to succeed…
Uchiha Kagami, Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu, and Danzo Shimura moved simultaneously, using Ninjutsu to block the incoming kunai.
Renye’s Tachi instantly unsheathed from his waist, the blade’s light cutting across the night sky.
“Clang—”
An incoming kunai was cut down by the Tachi.
“Poison Expert… Today is your death day!”
Three assassins appeared simultaneously, lightning flashing in their hands, striking directly at Renye’s vital points!
Seeing this, everyone immediately understood.
From the very beginning, the assassins’ target was Renye, not Teacher Tobirama!
“Renye, be careful!”
Facing their attacks, Renye’s eyes were cold, and he said disdainfully:
“You think you can kill me?”