"Captain, why hasn’t Haruki returned after such a long time?"
The Amegakure ninjas looked worriedly at the empty desert ahead.
Miozawa’s brows were furrowed, and his heart was filled with worry, but his identity as Captain prevented him from showing it, as it would only make the ninjas more uneasy.
Miozawa took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Wait five more minutes. If Haruki still doesn’t appear, Shuzo and Kinami, you two go look for him."
Shuzo and Kinami, who were called out by Miozawa, nodded.
Time passed by second by second.
Miozawa closed his eyes, his brows furrowing tighter, as various terrible conjectures flashed through his mind.
Suddenly, the excited voices of the Amegakure ninjas erupted in Miozawa’s ears.
Miozawa sharply opened his eyes, and the figures of Haruki and Number One, riding on a broom, rapidly approached them.
Haruki landed steadily on his broom in front of Miozawa. Number One stopped behind Haruki.
"Brother Miozawa, I’m back." Haruki gave Miozawa a brilliant smile.
Miozawa breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s great. It’s good that you’re okay."
Miozawa could finally relax.
"We found ambushing Sunagakure ninjas ahead, but they’ve all been dealt with now."
"There’s no more danger ahead, so we can go in and set up traps."
Haruki’s voice held a hint of excitement, and his eyes still held the innocence of a child. What he had done was completely contrary to his relaxed tone.
Upon hearing the content of Haruki’s words, the trap squad members all froze without exception.
Miozawa’s pupils dilated, his lips slightly parted, and he stared intently at Haruki in front of him.
"Were those ambushing Sunagakure ninjas killed by you?"
Miozawa swallowed, saying with great difficulty.
The Amegakure ninjas’ gazes were all focused on him.
"Did you kill them by yourself?"
Haruki nodded and then shook his head, stating precisely. "It was Number One and my curse."
The Amegakure ninjas looked at each other.
"Haruki, thank you." Miozawa sincerely thanked Haruki.
Haruki looked at the gratitude in everyone’s eyes, scratching the back of his head. "Everyone doesn’t need to thank me. We are companions, and companions should help each other, right?"
[System detected Miozawa’s affection value +2000.]
[System detected Shuzo’s affection value +2000.]
[Currently, a total of 100,000 affection points have been collected. Your Accompanying Cursed Spirit Rika’s rank has increased to 91.6%.]
"You’re right. Companions must help each other." Miozawa said solemnly.
"We can’t waste any more time. The First Ambush Unit, always ready behind us, is waiting for our results."
Miozawa’s gaze swept over the Amegakure ninjas in front of him, and with a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Move out!"
Everyone’s voices echoed in the air.
Haruki remounted his broom and ascended into the air.
Amidst the wind-eroded rock formations, a crow lightly pecked at the feathers on its body on a rock, its dark pupils observing any disturbance in this desert.
The team of Amegakure ninjas, dressed in black attire, silently entered the rock formations.
Miozawa raised his hand and made a gesture. With the silent command issued, all ninjas in the trap squad immediately sprang into action.
Haruki remained by Miozawa’s side, waiting for the ninjas to complete the task of setting up traps.
Miozawa looked at Haruki beside him. After Haruki perfectly completed one impossible task after another, he could no longer view him as an ordinary ninja.
"Haruki, do you know how many camps Sunagakure has established along the path from Sunagakure to the Land of Wind border?" Miozawa asked.
Haruki nodded. He had seen them on the map in Hanzo’s tent and had specifically counted them at the time. "Four."
"That’s right." Miozawa nodded. "There are four."
He looked towards the Sunagakure camp located in the canyon in the distance, his eyes shining with firm resolve.
"As long as we occupy these four camps, then our war against Sunagakure will be half won. Therefore, no matter the cost, we must take these four camps."
Haruki nodded, his eyes equally firm. "Mm. I’ll work hard."
[System detected Miozawa’s affection value +3000.]
[Your Accompanying Cursed Spirit Rika’s rank has increased to 91.63%.]
"Let’s work hard together." A warm smile appeared on Miozawa’s stern face.
"After the traps are set, you’ll retreat with Shuzo and the others back to a safe place." Miozawa continued.
"Then what about you, brother Miozawa?" Haruki immediately asked.
Miozawa smiled. "Ten ninjas from the trap squad will act as bait to lure the Sunagakure ninjas from the camp into the traps."
Haruki carefully observed Miozawa. Miozawa at this moment looked very much like someone who had made peace with sacrifice.
"Brother Miozawa, the bait mission must be very dangerous." Haruki stated with certainty.
Miozawa didn’t answer. His hand rested on Haruki’s shoulder as he said, "Every ninja’s ultimate destiny is death. Every ninja is prepared to sacrifice themselves. Sacrificing for what one loves is a kind of happiness."
No, buddy, why are you stealing my lines?
"But I don’t want everyone to sacrifice." Haruki said.
Miozawa was taken aback, a hint of unbearable sadness surfacing in his eyes.
For Haruki, accepting the death of those around him seemed to be a difficult process. But this was a battlefield, and he would have to get used to it sooner or later. Therefore, Miozawa said nothing more.
"I diligently practice controlling curses, desperately want to learn more ninjutsu, even secretly learn enemy ninjutsu, and develop new ninjutsu day and night..."
"I do all of this to keep everyone alive."
"I hope I can play a greater role on the battlefield and reduce the dangers everyone faces..."
Haruki lowered his head, his voice choked with emotion.
"But I value everyone’s lives so much, yet brother Miozawa doesn’t value his own life..."
[System detected Miozawa’s affection value +5000."
[Your Accompanying Cursed Spirit Rika’s rank has increased to 91.68%.]
"Brother Miozawa, have you forgotten?"
"My puppet can act as bait."
"No one has to put themselves in danger."
Haruki looked at Miozawa, his eyes red.
The ninjas who had finished setting the traps stood silently beside Haruki and Miozawa.
[System detected Kinami’s affection value +3000.]
[System detected Shuzo’s affection value +3000.]
[Currently, a total of 150,000 affection points have been collected. Your Companion Cursed Spirit Rika’s rank has increased to 93.18%.]
Hearing the conversation between Haruki and Miozawa, the Amegakure ninjas spoke with difficulty, "Haruki, one puppet is too few. It’s not enough to lure out the Sunagakure ninjas. We must go..."
Haruki looked at them and retorted, "Who said there’s only one puppet?"
100 PS = 1 Bonus chap
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