Request

The bait was the force dispatched to search under the Annihilation Plan. Its purpose was to create openings and lure the enemy in—to scatter the Defense Force and make the enemy believe there was an opportunity to exploit, that the moment they had been waiting for had arrived.

Though it did not seem as dangerous as luring the enemy into an encirclement and then wiping them out, it was actually extremely dangerous. This was a large-scale search, and the Defense Force could not possibly deploy all its strength. Only a small number of troops could be sent out, basically operating in three-man squads. Meanwhile, the enemies who had broken through the frontline defenses were not few in number, and after entering the Land of Fire, they likely would not disperse much either. In other words, if the enemy attacked these bait units, the bait squads of three would be easily eliminated.

After all, those enemies were no pushovers. Most were likely elite forces, and Kumogakure probably had command personnel among them as well. Their overall combat strength was certainly not low.

Capturing the bait units, extracting intelligence from them, then disguising themselves as the captured bait units to infiltrate Konoha and carry out their plan was also a highly likely course of action for the enemy.

Or they might capture some of the bait units first, drawing more attention from Konoha, scattering the Defense Force further, and making infiltration easier. That too was a very good option.

Of course, they might also bypass the bait units altogether, but comparatively speaking, that would be a rather reckless choice, one the enemy was unlikely to make.

If the bait units fell into enemy hands, their fate was obvious. This was wartime. No enemy would mercifully let them return safely. If they were