The Start

"Captain Ao, where are you taking us? Shouldn't the battlefield be to the west? Why are we heading north?" Mei Terumi asked curiously as they traveled.

"Our mission is to circle around to the rear of Konoha's main camp. Once their main forces move out and their defenses are weakened, we'll launch a surprise attack. Our target is the current head of the Hyuga Main Family!" Ao maintained his rapid pace, explaining without looking back.

To prevent the strategic plan decided by the higher-ups from being leaked, only the various squad leaders knew the purpose of this operation. The rest of the team members knew nothing.

Now that the plan was being put into action, Ao dared to explain it to the three of them without worrying about the risk of a leak.

"Only our squad is going to raid Konoha's main camp? Isn't that just sending us to our deaths? Captain, did you offend some big shot up there, and now they're deliberately using this as an excuse to settle a personal grudge?" Mei Terumi followed closely behind, speculating maliciously.

Konoha's main camp was poorly defended, but that was only in comparison to its own peak strength.

Even if all their main forces had been deployed, the remaining defenses were still more than enough to stop their tiny squad of four.

Qi Shuang thought for a moment before cautiously saying, "With the four of us, it's indeed impossible to break through Konoha's main camp. So the higher-ups definitely didn't send only one squad!"

"But we haven't seen any other squads nearby. That means the higher-ups deliberately scattered us!"

"Oh?"

Mei Terumi turned around and looked at him in surprise. Then she asked, "How can you be so sure there are other squads?"

She wasn't some ignorant fool. Naturally, she understood that the higher-ups must have sent more than just their squad. She had merely been teasing Ao out of habit.

She wanted to use the opportunity to figure out where the other squads were headed and why their forces had been divided.

Zabuza, who was beside them, couldn't help taking another look at Qi Shuang after hearing this. He was curious to see what answer his former classmate would give.

Qi Shuang thought briefly and continued, "The Hyuga clan's Byakugan has exceptionally powerful perception. If our main forces moved out together and circled around to the rear, they would easily alert them."

"Although I don't know what method the higher-ups plan to use to draw away the main forces at Konoha's main camp, if our side alerts the enemy in advance, then the effect of weakening the camp's defenses will be greatly reduced!"

"At the same time, the troops carrying out the surprise attack on Konoha's main camp will also be in great danger!"

"So, to avoid alerting Konoha, the higher-ups deliberately ordered all our squads to move separately."

"Even if several squads are discovered, the enemy won't take it seriously. They'll only assume that we've simply infiltrated their rear and are preparing to harass and sabotage them!"

Mei Terumi listened to his well-reasoned explanation with half-belief and half-doubt. She looked toward the squad leader ahead and shouted, "Captain Ao, is what he said true?"

"That's right! He got every part of it right!"

Ao glanced back at the new recruit behind him, astonishment filling his heart.

If the other boy had been a veteran around his own age and had offered such a comprehensive analysis, Ao wouldn't have been surprised at all. But the boy was only around ten years old.

If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, Ao would have found it extremely difficult to believe that a child of that age could possess such a broad grasp of the overall situation.

A genius! Another genius!

He silently labeled Qi Shuang a "genius" in his mind.

This was a genius no less talented than Zabuza and Mei Terumi.

It was just that they had been born in the wrong era. In these troubled times and on this chaotic battlefield, geniuses were even more likely to become targets for the enemy.

That was why geniuses so often died young.

Ao didn't know whether the three geniuses behind him would be able to survive this war.

Hearing his response, Mei Terumi excitedly glanced at Qi Shuang and immediately moved closer, teasing him. "Not bad, kid! You don't really look completely useless after all!"

At this, Qi Shuang rolled his eyes at her and said helplessly, "Do I really look that weak?"

Mei Terumi nodded with utmost seriousness. "At least in our squad, you're the weakest and most useless one! You're not even as good as Zabuza over there!"

Zabuza, who had been silently traveling beside them, felt his heart twitch when he heard that.

He had never imagined that even if he kept quiet, he would still suffer this undeserved calamity.

After estimating that they had moved beyond the Byakugan's detection range, Ao immediately led his three subordinates to turn southwest according to the predetermined plan. Together with the other squads, they formed an encirclement and completely surrounded Konoha's main camp.

Before long, everyone faintly heard explosions rumbling one after another.

Ao knew that Kirigakure's main forces had launched an attack on the Uchiha clan.

At the same time, Qi Shuang also understood what the Kirigakure command center was planning.

The Uchiha clan's camp was in the direction from which the explosions were coming.

The Kirigakure command center was clearly planning to draw away Konoha's main forces by attacking the Uchiha camp. Through a large-scale battle, they would pin Konoha's main forces to that battlefield and create an opportunity for their surprise attack.

As for how big a tiger they could lure out, that would depend on how dangerous the Uchiha clan became!

At this thought, he suddenly remembered the Uchiha jonin who had been captured the previous day.

"So that's how it is!" The corners of his mouth lifted.

The command center must have obtained some important intelligence from that Uchiha jonin—enough to place the Uchiha clan under the threat of annihilation. That was the only way to draw every last soldier from Konoha's main camp and create an opportunity for their surprise attack.

"Right, take a look at this!" Ao, who was leading them, suddenly pulled a photograph from his pocket and flicked it toward the little girl behind him.

"Who's this?" Mei Terumi asked curiously as she caught the photograph.

The photograph showed a middle-aged man with a pair of pale eyes.

Ao explained while continuing forward, "The man in the photograph is the current head of the Hyuga Main Family!"

"You must memorize his appearance. Don't let him escape!"

"Whether you kill him or capture him alive, you'll deal a heavy blow to the Hyuga clan. That will improve the situation on our side of the battlefield!"

"Oh? He's the current head of the Hyuga clan? He doesn't look particularly special!" After carefully memorizing the man's features, Mei Terumi handed the photograph to Qi Shuang beside her.

Qi Shuang took the photograph, quickly memorized the man's appearance, and then passed it to Zabuza on the other side.

Just then, a scarlet signal flare lit up in the sky.

"Full speed ahead! Prepare to attack!" Looking at the scarlet cloud in the sky, Ao spoke solemnly to his three young subordinates.

That signal flare was the attack signal agreed upon by the higher-ups.

With that, he immediately increased his speed by a large margin and sprinted straight toward Konoha's main camp.

Understanding the importance of the matter, the three of them followed silently.