SWNOVELXO Chapter 112: Chapter 112
Under the gentle sea breeze, the sun painted the sky in hues of orange and gold. The waves rolled softly onto the shore, their rhythmic sound blending with distant laughter. Amid this tranquil scene, Fujiwara Tetsuya couldn't help but feel like he had walked into a trap of his own making.
Mikoto stood a few feet away, her graceful figure accentuated by her light summer attire. Every movement seemed deliberate, every glance calculated. Fujiwara Tetsuya swallowed hard.
"Mikoto… Today you…"
His voice trailed off as he licked his dry lips. His throat felt parched, like he'd been stranded in a desert for days. If someone handed him a bucket of water, he felt like he could drink it all in one gulp.
Noticing his reaction, Mikoto's lips curled into a faint, teasing smile. She arched her slender waist slightly forward, her confidence radiating through her every gesture.
"Tetsuya-kun, have you forgotten what you said a few days ago?" she asked sweetly.
"If we had a day to rest, we'd go play at the beach."
Fujiwara Tetsuya's stomach dropped. He had indeed said that. At the time, it was just a way to smooth over a small disagreement between Mikoto and Koharu Tatsu. He hadn't expected her to actually remember it—let alone act on it.
And yet, here they were.
Before he could respond, the door to the neighboring room creaked open, and Koharu Tatsu stepped out. Her outfit was… bold, to say the least. Compared to Mikoto's subtle charm, Koharu's confidence blazed like a wildfire.
For two days, Fujiwara Tetsuya's emotions oscillated between joy and torment.
The joy came from the picturesque beach scenes, the soft golden sands, and the rare chance to relax. The torment came from being caught between Mikoto and Koharu's silent rivalry.
By the second afternoon, after an argument between the two girls, they reached an agreement: a time-sharing system.
Mikoto would have six hours of Tetsuya's time. Koharu, four.
"This damned sense of presence," Fujiwara Tetsuya muttered under his breath as he lay under the sun, staring at the clear blue sky.
But all good—or chaotic—things must come to an end.
At dawn on the third day, Team Thirteen regrouped. Their vacation had been cut short. New intel had arrived from Uzushiogakure overnight, and they were once again bound for the port.
When they arrived, the festive air of the beach was replaced by tension and grim faces.
The Ninth Squad had returned, but their ship was barely holding together. The hull was cracked, and smoke still rose from the damage. Several bodies were being carried ashore, covered in white sheets.
Among the wounded was Senju Aoki, an elite jonin of the Senju Clan. His face was pale, and deep gashes marred his once proud armor. Koharu Tatsu immediately rushed to his side, her hands glowing with faint green chakra as she stabilized his wounds.
Fujiwara Tetsuya stood nearby, his face grave.
"Aoki-senpai… what happened?"
Senju Aoki coughed, his voice weak but steady.
"We walked into a trap."
He paused, his brow furrowed as if reliving the harrowing events.
"Yesterday, we followed intel from Uzushiogakure to Sanyo Island. Rogue ninjas were supposed to be hiding there, and at first, it seemed accurate. We fought and neutralized them without much trouble."
"But then…" Aoki's voice trembled slightly. "Several enemy ships appeared out of nowhere. They surrounded us. Before we realized it, we were cornered."
Fujiwara Tetsuya clenched his fists. "Was the intel compromised?"
"That's one possibility," Aoki admitted, his eyes narrowing. "But it's also possible they anticipated our arrival from the start. Either way, they were waiting for us."
The implications were heavy. If their enemy had infiltrated Uzushiogakure's intelligence network, then every move they made could be walking into another trap.
"Aoki-senpai, who were the attackers? What was their strength?" Uchiha Mikoto's voice was calm but sharp, like the edge of a finely honed kunai.
Senju Aoki's gaze turned serious.
"The enemy force consisted of over ten chunin, two jonin… and two elite jonin."
The air around them seemed to freeze. Even Mikoto, Koharu, and Aburame Muto flinched at the words.
"Two elite jonin…" Fujiwara Tetsuya muttered under his breath.
An elite jonin wasn't just a powerful ninja—they were monsters on the battlefield. Veterans who could single-handedly turn the tide of a battle.
"Yes," Aoki continued. "Two elite jonin. And…"
He hesitated.
Fujiwara Tetsuya stepped forward. "Aoki-senpai, please. This isn't Konoha. Whatever you need to say, we're here to listen. You can trust us."
Senju Aoki sighed heavily. His hesitation wasn't because of Team Thirteen's strength.
Instead, he was hesitating whether he should reveal something about Team Thirteen's members, who were also involved in this matter.
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