Reconnaissance Mission? An Open Scheme!

"The target location is up ahead. Stay alert."

Hyuga Teruki's low voice carried over. Team 17 had arrived at the suspicious area designated by the mission. Hyuga Teruki was the first to activate his Byakugan, his sharp gaze piercing through layers of obstacles as he scanned the valley from afar.

At the same time, Aburame Shibi silently released a large swarm of Kikaichū. The insects dispersed soundlessly into the surroundings, gathering every scrap of information. Namikaze Yoru and Nawaki stood to the left and right, vigilantly guarding the two scouts.

A short while later, the intelligence had been compiled. According to Hyuga Teruki and Shibi's reports, this was indeed nothing more than an ordinary logistics outpost, perfectly matching the intelligence. There were not even any decent guard ninjas.

Hyuga Teruki immediately formulated a plan: he and Namikaze Yoru would serve as the main assault force, while Nawaki and Aburame Shibi would provide support from the side.

The other three nodded without objection. Only the faint unease in Namikaze Yoru's heart refused to fade. Though his Mind's Eye of the Kagura repeatedly searched the area, it found nothing unusual.

As the operation began, he deliberately lagged half a step behind and silently concealed another kunai etched with runes where he stood.

The team slipped into the valley like ghosts. With the precise intelligence they had gathered, they eliminated the outer sentries with almost no effort.

After taking care of the guards, the entire camp failed to mount any meaningful resistance. They captured the camp without a hitch.

The process had gone so smoothly that it was almost inconceivable.

"Confirmed. Everyone in the camp has been eliminated." Aburame Shibi paused before continuing, "These ninjas... don't seem to have the caliber of regular ninjas from the Five Great Nations."

Before Namikaze Yoru could speak, Nawaki answered first. "No matter what they've arranged, we just need to blow this camp up."

No one objected. This was indeed a common way for ninjas to handle things. No matter what the enemy had planned, blowing it up was always the answer.

Explosive Tags were swiftly set in place. The team retreated to a safe distance.

As a kunai with an Explosive Tag tied to its handle was thrown, a chain reaction erupted. Amid thunderous explosions, the entire camp was reduced to ashes.

Almost at the same instant, an incomparably violent beastly roar rang out alongside the explosions, deafening everyone present.

"ROAR—!!!"

Accompanied by the sound of some enormous seal shattering, a colossal beast suddenly appeared. Its body blotted out the sky, and the shadow it cast instantly swallowed Namikaze Yoru's team.

Although they had already retreated dozens of meters after using Explosive Tags to destroy the camp, the giant beast seemed practically upon them.

"A Tailed Beast? It's the Five-Tails!" Hyuga Teruki's expression changed drastically as he stared fixedly at the giant beast that had just broken free and was roaring at the sky.

No orders were needed. Their survival instincts drove everyone to retreat at full speed.

Only then did Namikaze Yoru understand where the sense of danger that had lingered in his heart came from.

This was a trap, a death trap carefully prepared for Konoha ninjas. A blatant open scheme! As long as Konoha discovered the anomaly in the valley, they would inevitably send people to deal with it. And the moment they stepped inside, they would fall into the trap.

The guards Namikaze Yoru's group had killed, who had clearly lacked the discipline of proper ninjas, seemed to be nothing more than cannon fodder from small ninja villages or conscripted rogue ninjas.

No matter what happened afterward, the fact that Konoha ninjas had released the Five-Tails was indisputable. Not only would Iwagakure emerge unscathed, but it could even seize the moral high ground and turn around to accuse them.

Having understood everything in a flash, Namikaze Yoru rapidly swept his gaze around. He was certain Iwagakure's arrangements did not end here.

Sure enough, at the edge of his Mind's Eye of the Kagura's range, a group of ninjas was rapidly closing in from the outskirts. At their head was none other than Ōnoki of the Two Scales.

"Retreat, now! This isn't something we can handle. It's a trap!" Namikaze Yoru said to the team as quickly as he could.

During that brief exchange, the Five-Tails Kokuō, newly freed from its seal, had already noticed Namikaze Yoru's group with its savage gaze. Roaring, it charged at them at tremendous speed, utterly inconsistent with its enormous body.

"Steam!" Namikaze Yoru's expression grew even more solemn. In his memories from his previous life, there was almost no information on the Five-Tails Kokuō. He only knew that when it appeared, it had already been captured by the Akatsuki Organization, and its Jinchuriki was Han, known as the "Steam Ninja."

Though they knew the giant beast behind them was incredibly fast, no one dared slow down. Confronting such a monster head-on was sheer folly. Even Hyuga Teruki, the strongest jōnin among them, would be like using a toothpick to stab an elephant if he tried to face the Five-Tails with his strongest Gentle Fist attacks.

If this continued, the Five-Tails would catch them in moments. They could not afford to delay, nor could they hold back.

"Eight Gates: Fourth Gate, Gate of Pain—open!"

Dark green Chakra burst forth like steam. Namikaze Yoru's speed surged abruptly as he grabbed Nawaki and Aburame Shibi, turning into a streak of green light that instantly widened the distance from the Five-Tails.

As for Jōnin Hyuga Teruki, he was a Taijutsu ninja, so his speed was not slow either. But Namikaze Yoru only had two hands and could not help him. He could only hope the man was tough enough to survive.

Just as everything was heading in a better direction and they might soon escape danger, the Five-Tails' gaze turned dangerous.

Perhaps, in the Tailed Beast's simple way of thinking, humans were nothing but tiny insects, and three was far greater than one. Its speed increased again, and it ignored Hyuga Teruki as it charged straight toward Namikaze Yoru's group of three.

This change made Namikaze Yoru and the others' faces darken. He even cursed, "So today's just about killing me, huh?"

Fortunately, Namikaze Yoru's speed could barely match the Five-Tails'. Of course, he might have been faster if he abandoned the other two.

But leaving Nawaki behind would be no different from throwing him directly into the Five-Tails' mouth.

As for Shibi, perhaps his Kikaichū had not yet been fully cultivated. Under the pressure of the Tailed Beast, they had lost all vitality and could not move. With all his strength tied to the Kikaichū, Shibi was almost completely incapable of fighting.

The three could only hope the main camp would notice the disturbance and that Orochimaru's reinforcements would arrive. After all, aside from him, no matter how many low-ranking ninjas came, they would only be throwing away their lives.

During the chase, perhaps frustrated that it could not catch the insects before it, the Five-Tails grew visibly agitated. Scalding steam continuously spewed from its mouth.

Sensing the Five-Tails' abnormal behavior behind him, alarm bells blared in Namikaze Yoru's mind. The stench of death seemed to crash into his face.

He did not even need to turn around. His Mind's Eye of the Kagura clearly "saw" a massive amount of Chakra rapidly gathering within the Five-Tails. Its running speed gradually slowed until it came to a complete stop.

But this was clearly not a sign that it was giving up. On the contrary, the Five-Tails was about to unleash its ultimate move.

A pitch-black sphere of Chakra formed in the Five-Tails' mouth. The instant it took shape, it shot toward Namikaze Yoru's group with power that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

"Fuck! Is that really necessary?! Are you seriously using anti-aircraft guns to kill mosquitoes?"