Drawing the Blade

On the west side of the Land of Rain, hidden beneath the rain, dense forest, barrier, and diffused mist-like chakra, this surrounding space had been temporarily cut off.

Even the Byakugan couldn't easily see through the true situation here.

Squads of elite Sunagakure ninja were hidden here. Under the premise of maintaining silence, Konoha's reconnaissance systems were completely unaware of their movements.

By planning ahead while the enemy was caught off guard, Sunagakure struck first. While seizing the initiative on the battlefield, it also meant that Sunagakure had gained an intelligence advantage for their next move.

Whether this intelligence advantage could truly achieve a surprise attack effect was another matter entirely... If Konoha were strong enough, they would have a simple and brutal way to deal with it.

One force overcomes ten skills; strategy and intelligence are far inferior to numerical superiority.

The piercing cry of a hawk cut through the rain, and an instant message returned from further away.

"Lady Chiyo, Konoha has made a move. Shimura Danzō himself is leading a large group of ninja to the Land of Rivers."

The intelligence ninja informed the operation's commander, Chiyo, of the latest news, his voice carrying an almost irrepressible excitement and fervor.

So far, the plan was proceeding very smoothly.

"It seems our cooperation with Iwagakure is going well," Chiyo nodded silently.

For some reason, even though everything was going smoothly, Chiyo still felt a vague sense of unease.

Unexpected situations always occurred in war, whether big or small, early or late. There was a discrepancy between the actual development of events and Chiyo's intuitive perception.

"How many Konoha ninja have been mobilized?"

"The latest intelligence indicates at least a thousand Konoha ninja have left the camp."

"A thousand? Impossible. If it's just to support the Land of Rivers battlefield, why mobilize so many ninja? Only the aging Second is there!"

The large-scale mobilization of Konoha ninja was, of course, welcome news for Chiyo's side. However, because things were going too smoothly, it aroused Chiyo's suspicion.

Did Konoha have a reason to overreact so drastically? Chiyo suspected that Konoha's Shimura Danzō was playing a trick within a trick.

"If that's the case, there are indeed some issues... Could it be that Danzō is just overly cautious?"

"Cautious? This isn't just caution; it's practically fear of death."

Ninja fearing death, even ninja of commander rank fearing death, sounded like a joke.

Chiyo shook her head, dispelling the chaotic thoughts in her mind. She decided to assume that the Second Kazekage's might had intimidated the Shinobi World, forcing Shimura Danzō to deal with it with all his might.

Because no matter what she thought internally, Chiyo could absolutely not waver at this point. The chips were already on the gambling table; she had no other choice but to keep raising the stakes... The operation plan would only continue.

"Lady Chiyo, should we begin the operation?" a nondescript Konoha Jonin beside her asked Chiyo.

Chiyo glanced at her younger brother. He was accustomed to addressing her by her title during work, but he seemed a bit impatient.

"Wait, no rush."

"..."

They could afford to wait and not rush, but she wondered if the Second Kazekage, who was playing the role of a lure in the Land of Rivers, could wait.

Chiyo's judgment was correct. She absolutely could not act emotionally at this time. Even if it meant sacrificing the Second Kazekage's life to bring about Konoha's defeat, it would be worth it... After all, with a new Kazekage in place, the previous Kazekage could be treated as expendable.

The core of this operation was to sneak attack the enemy's weak point, so they had to ensure that the Konoha ninja who were dispatched wouldn't have time to return.

After more than half an hour, intelligence was received again from the front. After thoroughly confirming Konoha's movements, Chiyo finally made up her mind:

"Move out."

Following her order, the Sunagakure ninja emerged from their hiding spots and, without a word, charged at full speed in the direction of the Konoha camp.

Sunagakure's operation plan was excellent, and the assault force's strategy was effective. However, there's a saying that even the clearest skies can bring storms. What awaited them next was not a predetermined encounter, but an accidental meeting.

Before leading the Konoha ninja to surround the Second Kazekage, Shimura Danzō naturally issued new orders to the ninja scattered across various battlefields in the Land of Rain. He instructed these ninja to abandon their ongoing offensive actions and instead retreat to their camps to adopt a defensive posture.

This order was completely normal. When fighting, one hand throws a punch while the other naturally retracts.

At this moment, a Konoha squad, after receiving the order, was returning from the depths of the Land of Rain.

On one hand, regardless of whether they possessed sensory abilities, a ninja's five senses were relatively keen. On the other hand, the movements of a large group of ninja were difficult to conceal unless spatial ninjutsu was used for teleportation.

Therefore, this Konoha ninja squad happened to detect the movements of the Sunagakure ninja.

Under normal circumstances, since the Sunagakure ninja had already launched a large-scale attack, they naturally wouldn't fear exposure... Even if they encountered a Konoha squad in the Land of Rain, wouldn't they just charge forward and kill them?

The logic was indeed sound, but their capabilities were not.

The leader of the Konoha squad suddenly stopped, looking with some surprise in the direction from which the Sunagakure ninja were coming.

"Sunagakure ninja... So many? This is bad, a feint! Their target is the camp."

Recalling the orders from the camp, the squad leader immediately guessed what had happened.

"Including Lord Danzō, the most elite ninja at the camp have likely all gone to the Land of Rivers. Sunagakure..."

The other squad members also guessed Sunagakure's operational plan. It was simply too insidious.

Now was not the time for battle analysis; the squad leader had to make a decision quickly.

However, the squad leader had nothing to hesitate about. Based purely on instinct, he immediately said:

"I'll hold them off. You guys take the message back first!"

"Captain, how is that possible? There are too many enemies."

"Everyone, please follow the orders."

"...Yes!"

The captain's orders were simple: he decided to engage the main group himself, leaving the remaining three teammates to split push.

Just as the Konoha squad split in two, three squads of Sunagakure Ninja charged forward!

They were perfectly aware of the Konoha squad's intentions, but how could the Sunagakure side let them have their way? Leave one behind to sacrifice themselves while the rest tried to escape? They were dreaming too big; Sunagakure could drown all four of them with sheer numbers.

But as these Sunagakure Ninja charged in, before the cruel smiles could even appear on their faces, a bloody gash had already appeared on their necks.

Before sending the Konoha Ninja on their way, they themselves met a swift end, their heads separated from their bodies.

This was because the Konoha squad captain who stayed behind had drawn his sword.

And even more so because this ninja who drew his sword had a rather extraordinary name... he was called Hatake Sakumo.

There have always been certain Ninja who, when facing Ninja weaker than themselves, could achieve instant kills with ease. The Golden Flash of later years was like that, and so was the Konoha White Fang at this moment.