Once they confirmed the enemy numbers and projected strength, Reina and Natsumi immediately positioned themselves around Genzo.
No matter what, their priority was to protect Genzo from any harm, then look after his caravans.
Seimei didn't join them right away.
Instead, he created several shadow clones and sent them along with Reina and Natsumi to protect Genzo and his caravans.
As for the real Seimei…
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
It had been a long time since he had gone all out. These 'bandits' had given him the perfect opportunity to let loose.
As for Genzo and his caravans?
Please, Reina, Natsumi, and 60+ guards were already protecting it.
Just to be sure, he sent his shadow clones to raise a few barrier seals to prevent the cargo from being collateral damage during the battle.
After all, you never knew who might be sneaking around. Although sneaking around would be futile before Seimei's Tenseigan and Natsumi's Byakugan, it was better to be cautious.
Seimei had already planned to fight the incoming enemies. And many samurai and ninjas in Genzo's group would probably join the battle too, leaving only half of the people to protect the caravans.
In the face of nearly 150 opponents gathered around the caravans, fighting while protecting them wasn't an option.
The best practice was to keep the battle away from Genzo and the caravans.
While Seimei was assessing the approaching enemies, Reina had already alerted Genzo and his group.
Genzo's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked hurriedly, "What you said...is that true?"
The leader of the independent ninja clan hired by Genzo, Fukada Ren, also had a solemn expression on his face. His nerves were taut.
More than 150 enemies, with over 50 having a considerable amount of chakra, was no joke. To make things worse, many of them even had Chunin-level chakra, and 10 of them had Jonin-level chakra.
It truly was a disaster.
Genzo was even more anxious.
His eyes darted around. Only his years of experience as a merchant helped him stay composed, though barely.
As for those 150 enemies being bandits?
Hah! What a joke!
Where would you find such a formidable group of bandits?
That was definitely the work of a group of trained ninjas. At most, they teamed up with a large number of real bandits for better disguise.
Reina understood their anxiety, but she was utterly composed.
She replied, "We won't joke about something like that, of course. But please don't worry. Neither yours nor the caravans' safety will be compromised. We will deal with the Jonin and most of the Chunin-level opponents."
Then she shifted her gaze to Fukada Ren and continued, "I assume your team and the samurai here can deal with the rest of the civilian and Genin-level enemies?"
Although Fukada Ren was skeptical about her claim to deal with the majority of the tough opponents, he didn't have the luxury to ponder it slowly.
Besides, according to the reports, the black-haired Uchiha girl and the snow-white-haired boy from the Senju clan had formidable combat power, far surpassing average Jonin.
But dealing with so many opponents at the Chunin and Jonin levels on their own would still be very difficult.
Nevertheless, he could only calm himself and focus on his tasks. If needed, he could always provide support to Konoha's team.
And if the worst came to worst, he would just grab Shiraishi Genzo and the sealed item, and make a run for it. As long as they were alive and their item was safe, there would always be more chances in the future.
Shiraishi Genzo also thought of something similar along those lines.
Both he and Fukada Ren involuntarily glanced at each other. The moment their eyes met, they immediately understood the other person's intention.
A look of understanding and approval flashed in their eyes.
Fukada Ren nodded at Genzo before shifting his attention to Reina. "Very well, we will go along with your plan. Our client's safety is paramount, after all."
Hearing that, Reina looked at Genzo for his confirmation.
Seeing that, he also nodded in agreement. However, his attention would instinctively shift to the mysterious caravan containing the hexagonal crystal from time to time.
Reina nodded with a business-like face and said, "Thanks for the understanding. I will return to my position then."
With that, Reina joined Natsumi to protect Genzo and the caravans in their immediate vicinity.
One of Seimei's shadow clones was also standing beside her.
She said, "Tch. I want to join the fun, too. But what can I do? I have to protect the client."
Seimei's shadow clone smirked and said, "Well, you will get your turn next time. The world is filled with 'bandits' anyway. Who knows whether another group of 'bandits' will attack once we reach the Land of Frost."
Reina clicked her tongue but didn't argue.
Instead, her focus shifted to something else. "So many ninjas of Jonin and Chunin caliber. It must be those barbarians from Kumogakure. I say those bastards act more like bandits than ninjas."
Natsumi chimed in, "Now, they are less than half a mile away from us." She continued with a trace of worry in her voice, "Can Seimei handle them on his own?"
"Definitely. No need to worry!" x2
Reina and Seimei's shadow clone said at the same time.
Natsumi could only nod her head. However, she couldn't help but worry about Seimei.
The number of enemies was quite large. Even with the battle prowess Seimei had shown while sparring with her, facing that many Jonin and Chunin would be very tough.
In a life-and-death combat, just one slip was enough to lose your life. The enemy only needed one opportunity to drive the kunai into your body to take your life.
If things went south, she would definitely go to aid Seimei after leaving a shadow clone behind. She resolved silently, keeping her Byakugan active.
If Seimei could hear her thoughts, he would surely feel warm in his heart. But more than that, he could only say that she was worrying too much.
Compared to Echo, the S-rank Swift Release ninja, the approaching enemy Jonin were nothing more than dim stars around the bright moon.
Meanwhile, the hired ninjas and samurai also stepped forward and took their positions near Seimei, waiting for the enemies to show up.
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Time trickled second by second, and in the blink of an eye, a few minutes quietly passed.
Currently, the bandits were less than 100 meters from the caravans, hiding behind the cover of the scattered trees, large rocks, and mounds of pristine snow.
One of the leaders, also a sensor-nin, watched the caravan halt and take positions. He was a seven-foot-tall burly man. He had a robust physique with steel-like muscles and dark skin.
He had short, dirty blonde hair. He wore sleeveless bandit attire that highlighted his bulging biceps and triceps.
His arms, neck, and collarbone area had countless scars, indicating marks of brutal battle and survival.
A ninjato was sheathed behind his back.
His chakra alone approached the Elite Jonin-tier.
His name was Ryohei.
Another leader with noticeable body fat beside him quipped, "So, they are here, huh? Just as our little spy informed us."
Ryohei answered without looking back. His voice was chilling. "Heh. It's good for that little spy. I traveled tens of miles in the cold, dark night to intercept this merchant's caravan. If his intel didn't match, I would have personally snapped his neck later."
Another thin, sharp-eyed leader in bandit attire chimed in, "Hey, hey, he still has his uses."
Ryohei smirked and said, "It doesn't matter. He is a traitor, anyway. Today, he betrayed his client. Tomorrow, he can betray us. He isn't one of us. The moment his usefulness is over, sending him on his way to hell is what we should do."
"Traitors have no place in our ranks."
The fat leader chuckled lightly. "Poor bastard."
Although he laughed lightly, his eyes were cold. He definitely agreed with Ryohei.
The thin leader asked, "Anyway, they have stopped and formed a battle formation. Our surprise attack plan is already busted. They must have a sensor-nin in their ranks. Judging by their formation and readiness, they have detected us approaching quite early."
Ryohei nodded. "Indeed, they do. I sense a unique yet familiar flow of chakra coming from one of the girls' eyes. It's Byakugan. And judging by the intensity and quality of the chakra, it's one with good purity, too."
The fat leader came to a sudden realization and barked, "No wonder. So, there's Konoha scum among them."
Ryohei added, "It's only natural, considering this merchant Genzo is from the Fire Country. They indeed have quite a few ninjas and samurai among their ranks, but it's not something we can't deal with."
"What's more, I sense only three kids have Jonin-level chakra capacity among them. Honestly, it's a little on the higher side among Jonin. But they are still kids. Apart from the Hyuga girl, the other two must be from decent ninja clans. They must be from Konoha."
"Among the others, a few have chakra capacity approaching a full-fledged Jonin, but they are not there yet."
Of course, he had no idea that Reina and Seimei had taken precautions and used seals to limit the sensor-nins' perception. As a result, other sensors could never detect their vast chakra reserves, giving their ambushers and attackers a nasty surprise.
The thin leader let out a sinister laugh and said, "And although the chances are low, if the girl is from the main branch of the Hyuga clan with no Caged Bird Seal, we will hit a jackpot."
Ryohei snorted and reminded, "Don't get distracted. Don't forget what our mission is."
The fervor in the thin leader's eyes instantly cooled. His focus returned.
He nodded, "Don't worry. I am not that stupid."
Ryohei sighed and commanded, "Very well. Since they have already discovered us, there's no point in hiding anymore."
"Let's get this over with."
He only took a minute to organize his team and shouted, "Boys. There are fat sheep in front of us. What do we do?"
As soon as his words fell, the crowd boiled with fervor.
Although there were over 50 trained ninjas blended into the crowd, the remaining 100 or so people were genuine mountain bandits. Many of them even unlocked chakra, making them a lot more powerful than average civilian bandits.
They shouted like madmen.
"WE CHARGE!!"
"WE KILL!!"
"WE PLUNDER!!"
Their voices were so loud that even Seimei, his team, Genzo, and others in the caravan could hear them.
Many of Genzo's hired guards involuntarily tensed up. A trace of unease and fear appeared in their eyes as they heard the demonic chorus of the madmen tens of meters away.
Ryohei shouted, "Then what are you waiting for? CHARGE!!!"
And then…all hell broke loose.
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