Chapter 158: 157. The Risk Is…

MrProper

But I'm no quitter, and this novel ain't stopping until the epilogue! I'll do my best to keep the releases consistent this month!

Please enjoy this chapter!

Outside Kumogakure

The individual known only to the world as "Balance" sat alone on a grassy hilltop. Despite the ongoing war, the clashing of blades, and the chilling wails of death...he remained as nonchalant as ever

Calmly smoking a cigar as if he were sitting on the porch of his house

"This spot is gonna get noisy soon"

"Sigh. Just when I finally thought I'd be getting some alone time"

"What? You're saying I'm bad company Balance?"

"Oh, it's you Red. Thought it was...never mind. What's up? I thought you'd be getting a closer look by now"

"I would be, but I've noticed the test sub-I mean, the inmates have yet to be sent into battle. I can't gather accurate data if they don't even bother to use the Lift now can I? Care to elaborate?"

She took it upon herself to sit next to him before taking off her mask. There was no need for secrets between them as Red, being Sage's right-hand, was primed to the identities of every senior member

Balance was the Company's Spymaster, possessing informants in every single country on the continent. He was no less informed to member secrets than she was. Feeling at peace as he continued smoking with his mask off

"Relax, you know how skilled Nobuyuki is at running interference. He's been surveying this village for a while, and with inside intel from Flow...everything's gone the way he said it would. I think it's safe to say he's got this figured out eight ways to Sunday"

"Is that so? You punched through the fourth line of defense yes, but remember, each...what did Flow say they called it?"

"Phase?"

"Right. In the direction towards Kumo, each one is more powerful than the next. And now, Ganjō Yotsuki has reinforced the first and toughest Phase, with the second one"

"Again, it's all part of the plan. Truth be told, things would've been pretty difficult, but everything changed when you gave me that nice little surprise back at the prison"

"Surprise? Wait, do you mean-?"

"Mhm. Those guys..."

♦♦♦

Inside the village

With the Chinoike running around rampant, creating "exploding humans" everywhere, along with its already unstable mountainous structure...the village had more than its fair share of property damage

The numerous collapsed buildings, businesses, and homes portrayed an image ruin, loss, and time...taking its inevitable toll. However, the village as a whole still stood tall...for now

"H-Help! Someone! W-W-We...urgh! We're stuck!"

"H-Honey..."

"Ah!"

"Take...the kids first"

"Whoa! Whoa! J-Just hold on! Do your best to stay awake! Help is coming, I promise!" {Someone...please get here!}

Within a typically, heavily populated area, several families remained trapped under rubble. Victims of the explosions caused by these heinous invaders could be found everywhere

TAK! TAK! TAK!

"A-AH! Who-?!"

"It's okay! We're here to help!"

{Shinobi? Oh, thank goodness-wait...kids? What are they gonna do?} the man judged as he observed the three children wearing shinobi attire

WEAVE!

"I'll take care of the debris" {Doton: Chidōkaku1Earth Style: Mobile Core} 

"I'm sensing quite a few of them, I'll handle the extra hands" {Kage Bunshin no Jutsu2Shadow Clone Jutsu}

POOF!

Team Tango had been assigned to this district. In record time, they'd already managed to clear out the majority of civilians within the area in need of help. Rei's acute senses allowed them to complete their task with much efficiency

RUMBLE!

"Stay calm and don't rush! We'll guide you all out one at a time!" Suzu exclaimed as she directed the people

Using her Earth Style, Suzu carefully lifted the debris as Rei's clones swiftly moved to rescue those in danger. Leaving them with Tai as he tended to those in need of medical attention

"Tai? Any in critical condition?"

"None so far, but I'll let you know if otherwise...Captain Suzu"

"Don't make fun, I'm no captain"

"Says the girl who wasted no time taking charge of our little operation. Quite remarkably if I do say so myself, you're a born leader"

"..."

The moment they left HQ, Suzu was quick to take the reins. Formulating a well structured, if not outright methodical plan of action to complete their operation as fast as humanly possible

Though typically one to remain quiet and hide her emotions, she caught her teammates off guard with this unexpected and sudden enthusiasm. Rei and Tai didn't even bother to question it, following the young girl as if it were natural

"Alright people, line up! I don't care how small the wound is, you look hurt, you get treated by me!"

{You're not bad yourself Tai} thought Suzu as she subtly smirked at Tai

 After several minutes of careful coordination by everyone present, the once "on the brink" family was now safe from harm

"T-Thank you. I never imagined Genin would be the ones to-"

"If you want to thank us, check if anyone's missing. I'd prefer we not leave anyone behind"

"R-Right! Of course!"

TAP!

"Hm?"

Leaving Tai to his work, Suzu sought to speak with Rei in private

"What's up Suzu? If you're wondering if any are Chinoike, I already checked their chakra signatures. They're far too weak to be nin-"

"That's not it. With everyone here, we've cleared out the last area in this district. Once Tai is finished treating everyone, we can head out. The problem is-"

"The group is far larger than we anticipated, I know. Getting them out safely is gonna get tricky if we run into the enemy. Luck has been on our side since no Chinoike have yet to attack us but...I'd prefer we don't push it"

"Even with your clones, the nearest evac center is several klicks3Kilometersnorth from here, and this group doesn't look ready for long trip"

"I thought there was a center not far from here. Wait...was it the one reported to have already been...?"

Suzu nodded her head in affirmation, refraining from letting the families they just rescued overhear any bad news

"Well, so much for good luck"

Many Genin teams were deployed to this area due to the fact the evac center nearby had long been destroyed before any had the chance to use it

With no help, and nowhere to go, the populace of this area had suffered immensely

"AHEM!"

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"!"

"Tai, you're already done?"

"Yup, only minor injuries to report. It's amazing all the elderly managed to survive in that collapsed building with nothing but a few scrapes. But walking is going to be a problem"

"Sorry Rei, but it looks like you'll be working overtime"

"I figured. It's not like we can call for help anyway. Let's get work. You two get them prepped"

"Right"

"On it"

While Suzu informed the group of next steps, Rei gathered his chakra

{Even with my current stamina, I'm not Naruto. I won't be able to maintain this stronger version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu for too long, but I should have enough chakra to get everyone to our destination} "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu4Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

POOF! POOF! POOF!

♦♦♦

Kumo's HQ

"Sir! The southeastern ward has been compromised!"

"Damn it, send a squad from the western side over there intercept!"

"Yes!"

"Someone get me a status report on the northern area!"

After sending everyone out, Dodai was stuck in the Intelligence Division to run operations both within and out of the village. But things only grew more difficult the more he understood their situation

"Sir, we can't contact the general hospital!"

"Isn't that why you have legs?! It's right across from this building. If you can't call the place, RUN TO IT!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Damn it! Radio is still down...why has my elite intelligence unit failed to figure out how these nobodies have blocked all forms of communication?!"

No one had an answer. Along with the Chinoike's sabotage, radio communication remained inoperable. Even the tech belonging to the Daimyō's Bureau, their transmitting devices were useless. Making it even harder for Dodai to do his job

They weren't just one, but several steps behind these troublesome foes

"Still no news on our other wards, we still haven't pinned down the Chinoike...and why the hell aren't these supplies on route to the front yet?!"

"Sir! We just received word from the center in central districts, evacuation has been completed!"

"Finally! Some good news! The Genin know to return here once they've completed their tasks. Be ready for new assignments!"

"Right!"

"Come on everyone! As adults, don't you think it's shameful to be outdone by the kids?! Get it together!"

"YES SIR!" everyone responded in unison

After issuing more orders, Dodai left the central command center and entered the room next door

CLINK!

"How's it looking?!"

"We're almost done, Tango is getting prepped"

Inside, Tetsuo Mori was hard at work, calibrating a large mechanical device housed in the room's center. His bodyguard Shō, along with a slew of assistants aided him in his endeavor

"What's keeping Tango?"

"One, a proper health check to ensure he's ready for this. Two, we've yet to acquire appropriate head measurements. This device has yet to be piloted after all" said Tetsuo in an annoyed tone

"Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not! Call me old fashioned, but testing potential brain-killing equipment on a colleague makes me uncomfortable. I'm one of the few merchants in this world who actually has a conscience!"

"Sorry, I can't imagine how much pressure this is for you"

"Sigh...whatever. I just wish we had more time, this would've been so much easier. Besides, with all the yelling I've heard, you need this done. It's just...the pressure riding on us"

"So many lives may live or die...depending on how well we perform. Believe me, I get it"

"I'll get it done Dodai"

CLINK!

"You mean, we'll get it done Tetsuo-dono"

Tango greeted the pair with smile as he burst in the room. His bright outlook took them both by surprise

"Tango! You're finished?"

"Mhm. Let's begin preparations, the Network isn't gonna start by itself!"

"You're in a chipper mood, despite the situation. Something you know that I don't?" Dodai questioned

"About the central district, I actually got the news before you did. My squad was deployed in that area, and they got it done in no time at all"

"Wait, you got the news? Tango, did you use your  Chakra Transmission Jutsu?! I specifically told you not to expend anymore chakra before we test this!" yelled a worried Tetsuo

Tango remained oblivious to his concerns and continued sharing his thoughts

"I had to fight from laughing when I heard how freaked out the guards at the evac center were once they saw Rei and his many clones enter the facility. All the while carrying numerous people on their backs, hahaha!"

"Pfff!" Dodai couldn't stop from giggling

"This isn't funny! Tango, Dodai...the risk is-!"

"Completely worth it. Since my students are risking their lives, busting their asses outside. There's no reason for me not to do the same"

"Damn straight. He's clearly made up his mind Tetsuo-dono"

"Haaaa...fine. Don't blame me if your fry your brain. Shō! It's time!"

"We're all plugged up over here sir"

Tango sat in front of the large device, crossing his legs and weaving hand seals. Tetsuo's assistants began attaching several plugs to the headset Shō placed on top of his head

Tetsuo began final checks

"How's our prep?!"

"All bases are covered, he's hooked up, readings are stable. Boss, you're the trigger"

"..."

Waiting for a final signal of affirmation, Tetsuo shot glance at Dodai. Understanding what's a stake, the latter procrastinated a bit before nodding in affirmation

"Well..."

CLICK!

"Here's hoping we don't blow ourselves up"

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