Whoosh, whoosh.
The blizzard in the Land of Iron couldn't stop the encirclement force from advancing.
Wrapped in white cloaks, the force raced across the snowy plains, braving the storm. The vanguard had already engaged the enemy, so the reinforcements no longer needed to move stealthily and could travel at full speed.
The Jonin leading the encirclement force was Takahashi Ryūichi, a member of Konoha's Sealing Team.
There were two deputy commanders: a Kirigakure Jonin and a Sunagakure Jonin.
The Kirigakure Jonin specialized in Taijutsu and was Shinnō's designated counterpart, tasked with dealing with Moryo, the monster. Shinnō was a remnant of the Sky Ninja Village. The Sunagakure Jonin was a puppeteer, skilled in sealing techniques and poison.
As they raced along, the Kirigakure Jonin, one of the deputy commanders, asked, "How much longer?"
"At this pace, about thirty minutes!" Takahashi Ryūichi replied.
The Kirigakure Jonin frowned slightly. "Can the vanguard hold out?"
The Sunagakure Jonin, the other deputy commander, said, "I checked the vanguard's personnel assignments before we set out. Even excluding the support staff from the Reconnaissance, Communications, Intelligence, and Medical Teams, they have more than sixty combat personnel—over a dozen tactical squads. They should have no trouble holding out for a few hours!"
Takahashi Ryūichi nodded. "That's right. The Intelligence Squad at headquarters has already calculated that, given the vanguard's numbers, they should be able to keep the enemy occupied for at least half a day!"
The Kirigakure Jonin let out a sigh of relief and grinned. "So all we have to do is arrive on schedule and clean up the mess?"
Ninja were usually at their strongest at the beginning of a battle, limited as they were by their Chakra reserves. Once the fight became a stalemate or dragged on, their strength gradually declined as their