Before the Battle

"Sister Kyoko, the new supplies are all put away." Hyuga Ao said to the woman who looked strikingly like Kato Shizune.

No, it wasn't that she resembled Kato Shizune—rather, Kato Shizune resembled her. Hyuga Ao guessed this woman was a direct relative of Kato Shizune.

Hyuga Ao leaned in, looking like a curious kid. "Sister Kyoko, what's all this stuff for?"

Kato Kyoko shoved Ao's face away with a look of disgust. "Shoo, shoo, kids shouldn't pry into this."

She paused, remembering Ao's identity, and finally let a bit slip. "Seems like they're trying to force Iwagakure to send more troops for a decisive battle?"

Send more troops?!

Hyuga Ao's eyes lit up. It all clicked. Combined with Kumogakure's surprise attack on Iwagakure in the later stages of the Ninja War, Konoha was trying to pressure Iwagakure into reinforcing, leaving their rear vulnerable.

That would give Kumogakure a chance to strike.

So Konoha and Kumogakure had been in contact all along?

Kato Kyoko flicked Ao's forehead, snapping her out of her thoughts. She said irritably:

"Daydreaming again? Go finish today's homework."

Hyuga Ao giggled, then scurried off to complete today's experiment.

A medical ninja's early training was like using a life-restoring machine.

It meant cycling a fish between near-death and lively states over and over. Once healing fish became second nature, you'd make small cuts on yourself to practice.

With her excellent Chakra control, Hyuga Ao quickly ended the medical fish's miserable existence, reaching the level of treating humans.

As for daily homework, everyone went through it—memorizing books and writing exams. Medical ninjas might only use a few Medical Ninjutsu, but the knowledge behind them was staggering.

So these days, Hyuga Ao was running back and forth between the wards and the study.

"Ao'er, come take a look at this."

Hyuga Ao walked over. Byakugan, activate!

"Both forearms shattered, three ribs broken on the left side, compressing the heart, with bone fragments shifting internally. Call Lady Tsunade." Hyuga Ao quickly completed the injury assessment.

This was one of Hyuga Ao's duties in the medical unit. The unit welcomed Hyuga ninjas.

Because the Hyuga Clan made convenient medical ninjas, and the branch family members were hardworking and obedient, taking abuse without complaint. Who didn't like reliable people?

But there were only so many Hyuga members, and those in the medical unit had their own tasks, so Hyuga Ao got roped in.

Hyuga Ao pondered the man's injuries.

A heavy, powerful punch had come flying. The Konoha ninja crossed his arms to guard his chest, but it was useless. Both forearms were crushed, the punch didn't lose momentum, slammed into his chest, ribs snapped instantly, and he flew back. Lucky to be alive.

Were Iwagakure already sending out such dangerous fighters?

Hyuga Ao quickly assessed Iwagakure's situation.

Using someone that strong for reconnaissance meant Iwagakure was almost ready too.

Konoha Hall.

Several Jonin were in a meeting.

"Iwagakure's probing attacks are getting stronger." Kikume Kōtō spoke, looking at Orochimaru. "Should we start mobilizing?"

Orochimaru turned to Jiraiya. "Any movement from Kumogakure?"

Jiraiya shook his head silently.

"Heh." Orochimaru let out a light laugh, his snake-like eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "Then forget Kumogakure. We'll fight this battle ourselves! Is Konoha weaker than them?"

Orochimaru gave the order: "Effective immediately, begin mobilization for the decisive battle!"

"Jiraiya, start streamlining camp personnel and clearing logistics."

"Tsunade, put the field hospital on wartime footing and begin preparing supplies."

"Kōtō, you're in charge of the camp's specific defenses. Boost the ninjas' morale."

"Yes." "Yes." "Yes."

Then Orochimaru summoned Hyuga Ao.

"Ao, I have a mission for you."

Hyuga Ao jolted. Finally, the downtime was over!

"This is a solo mission. In the camp, you're the fastest. Among the Hyuga, you see the farthest. Your Wind Cloak is also suited for stealth. So, I'm giving you an S-rank mission."

"Reconnaissance of Iwagakure's camp!"

Orochimaru tossed the mission scroll to Hyuga Ao, along with an Anbu mask.

"From now on, you'll operate as Anbu. Codename: Senri."

"Remember a few things. Your main focus is Iwagakure's military supplies and whether they have any high-level combatants, like Ōnoki or Jinchuriki. You have one day to prepare. Be careful. Go."

"Yes!" Hyuga Ao took the scroll and mask and left.

On the way, Hyuga Ao's heart raced. Ever since getting the Wind Cloak, she'd felt a restless urge—like the wind had stopped flowing. She wanted to keep running, to test her current strength.

Real combat was the truest test. Hyuga Ao hadn't come here to slack off. She came to improve herself.

In the future, Pain, Obito, and Madara—who among them was an easy mark? To protect Minato and Kushina, Hyuga Ao had to go out and experience battle, to fight, to grow stronger!

Today, she finally had the chance!

Hyuga Ao's body trembled slightly—it was a tremor of excitement.

Scouting out the Iwagakure ninja? That thrilling? Well, I like it. Hyuga Ao thought to herself.

Hyuga Ao quickly replenished her Ration Pills, ninja tools, and some daily necessities, then set off.

Hyuga Ao leaped out of the camp, leaving two footprints on the damp earth of the Land of Rain.

Hyuga Ao increased her Chakra output, and the Chakra spread through the threads within her clothes to deploy the Wind Cloak, wrapping herself inside it to seal off her aura and prevent it from leaking out.

Once the Wind Cloak had contained her aura, Hyuga Ao began to quiet her footsteps. The prints she left grew shallower and shallower, until finally even the sound vanished.

Relying on her superb martial arts skill, she achieved stepping on snow without a trace and landing without a sound!

Beneath her night attire, Hyuga Ao drifted like a ghost toward the Iwagakure camp.

At that time, the Iwagakure ninja were stationed deep in the Land of Rain, facing Amegakure from a neighboring position, since the two nations were still in the honeymoon phase of their alliance.

So the Amegakure ninja kept the Iwagakure forces close by, blending a bit of trust with a bit of surveillance.

At this point, the Land of Rain was on high alert, with Amegakure and Iwagakure coordinating their defenses, plus the Sand Ninja unit off to the side looking out only for itself.

It could be called an inescapable net, but even an inescapable net couldn't stop someone who had the full map cheat activated.

Wrapped in black cloth, beneath her mask, a pair of bright eyes glowed with white light.

Hyuga Ao zigzagged her way along; under the ten-kilometer range of her Byakugan, the defensive arrangements of the Iwagakure and Amegakure ninja had nowhere to hide, and she easily slipped through them.

Thus, winding and weaving, stopping and going, on the third night, she arrived outside the Iwagakure camp.

But once there, Hyuga Ao looked at the dimly lit Iwagakure camp and found herself in a bind.

In her Byakugan's vision, the ground around the Iwagakure camp all had abnormal Chakra reactions, and to prevent being seen through by Konoha ninja, the Iwagakure camp had also left a buffer zone of several kilometers.

Even though Hyuga Ao's Byakugan could see far, from the outside she couldn't see through the Iwagakure camp.

How was she supposed to complete the mission?

Hyuga Ao sank into deep thought.