Two cute girls, how to divide four people?

The Land of Fire and the Land of Wind do not directly border each other; they are separated by the Land of Rivers, or one could travel north through the Land of Rain to reach them.

As small nations, they were destined to become battlegrounds for the warring great nations.

This was also the original intention behind the small nations' existence when the first five Kage established their villages among the five great nations.

Small nations serve as buffers for the great nations, preventing direct conflict between them.

Tōka was currently traveling along the border of the Land of Rivers.

The Land of Rivers had dense forests connecting the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, as well as vast expanses of yellow sand that stretched from the border of the Land of Fire all the way into the Land of Wind.

Undoubtedly, the team led by Sakumo Hatake was traveling through the sandy terrain.

The reason for choosing the sandy route, besides it being the shortest distance, was also to avoid detection.

The Sand Ninja would never have guessed that Konoha would send people to infiltrate through the sandy terrain filled with sandstorms.

Moreover, the sandstorms that occasionally swept through would completely erase any traces left behind.

Just as the White Fang squad was infiltrating towards the Land of Wind, two figures dressed in dark brown trench coats slowly emerged from the depths of the yellow sand.

"Karura-nee, what do you think our chances are of convincing the Raikage to send troops to the Land of Lightning this time?" Pakura asked, pulling her high collar tighter and tucking her head into her trench coat.

"If Konoha achieves victory quickly, the Land of Lightning will not send troops," Karura replied softly, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

"Victory quickly?" Pakura tilted her head, not quite understanding.

Sunagakure and Konohagakure had engaged in hundreds of small-scale skirmishes in the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain, and they had been fighting for a year.

Was a year not considered a long time?

"I mean, Konohagakure defeating us before Iwagakure and Kirigakure truly join the battlefield," Karura said, glancing at the sky. A massive storm seemed to be brewing on the horizon.

Kumogakure, a powerful nation whose military strength was said to rival Konoha's, wished to take advantage of the situation but did not want to act too soon.

On one hand, they hoped the great nations would deplete Konoha's resources. On the other hand, they also hoped Konoha would weaken the other villages.

If Konohagakure swiftly ended the war with Sunagakure.

Even if Iwagakure were to go to war, it would be a one-sided conflict, and they would have nothing to fear.

At that point, the likelihood of Kumogakure choosing to observe would significantly increase.

Because the Land of Water was an extremely isolationist country, and Kirigakure was in a period of internal strife, it was destined that they could not dispatch too many ninja to the front lines.

At most, they would station troops on the border to exert some pressure on Konohagakure.

In other words, the only one that could truly stand against Konohagakure in a full-scale war was Iwagakure.

Karura and Pakura's mission was to persuade the Raikage to directly send troops to attack Konoha.

However, the two of them were unaware that, along the route to the Land of Lightning, an elite assassination squad from Konoha was rapidly approaching.

Wearing animal masks signified an Anbu operation, and during the operation, they could only refer to each other by codenames.

Tōka wore a fox mask and couldn't be bothered to think of another codename, so he was simply "Fox."

The other two were equally lazy; the one with the cat face was "Cat," and the one with the dog face was "Mastiff."

As for Sakumo Hatake, the three of them referred to him as "Captain."

At the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind, although both sides were vast expanses of yellow sand, they gave off completely different feelings.

The Land of Rivers had sandy areas, but also large forests, and the sandy areas felt gentle.

In contrast, the Land of Wind was all yellow sand as far as the eye could see, and the sandy areas felt dry and scorching.

The White Fang squad soon appeared on the border of the Land of Wind. Sakumo Hatake raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

With immediate obedience, the three instantly halted their advance.

"Cat, sense the surroundings," Sakumo Hatake's command was crisp and decisive.

As a veteran Anbu member, the cat-faced man naturally understood Sakumo Hatake's intention.

He closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and his chakra surged.

An invisible wave of energy spread out in a fan shape.

"Two people are approaching from ten miles out," the cat-faced man said confidently after a moment, opening his eyes.

"Two people?" Sakumo Hatake frowned slightly. Ordinary people wouldn't take this route.

Even black market traders would choose the Land of Rain or the forest route through the Land of Rivers.

Moreover, with Konoha and the Sand Ninja locked in a fierce battle, black market traders wouldn't be traveling in such small groups.

"Fox, protect yourself. Cat, conceal yourself. Mastiff, stay with me. Understand?" Sakumo Hatake commanded after a moment of thought.

"Understood," the three replied in unison.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As Sakumo Hatake finished speaking, the four of them quickly moved deeper into the yellow sand.

Wooooosh~~~

The wind roared past my ears. If not for the mask covering my mouth and nose, I would have ended up with a mouthful of sand just by opening my mouth.

Tōka followed at the rear of the squad, using his small stature to his advantage by hiding behind the dog-faced man.

This reduced the sand in his face while also lessening the wind resistance.

"We're close! Take cover!" Sakumo Hatake suddenly called out.

Tōka and the cat-faced man instantly darted away, hiding behind a high sand dune.

Karura and Pakura, walking towards them, were completely unaware as they moved forward, one step at a time!

Suddenly, something unexpected happened!

A silver light flashed through the yellow sand, and a deadly aura of death swept towards the two of them.

Pakura's expression remained unchanged as she immediately dodged behind Karura.

Rustle rustle...

Without even seeing how Karura moved, a large mass of yellow sand surged out, forming a sand wall directly in front of her.

Sakumo Hatake's blade plunged into the sand. His expression sank slightly, then he kicked the sand wall, using the momentum to pull out his weapon before leaping back to create distance.

"Great Fireball Technique!" Pakura seized the opportunity, forming hand seals as a giant fireball shot towards Sakumo Hatake even faster.

"Water Release: Water Wall!" The dog-faced man attacked simultaneously, and a water wall appeared, blocking in front of Sakumo Hatake.

With the distance created, the two sides entered a stalemate.

Tōka, observing from the shadows,'s eyes lit up. He had initially thought the dog-faced man was a taijutsu expert, but he didn't expect him to be a Water Release specialist.

Was he specifically here to deal with Scorch Release user Pakura?

As they traveled, Tōka had finally figured out the abilities of the people in the squad.

The cat-faced man excelled at genjutsu and reconnaissance, the dog-faced man at Water Release and taijutsu, and Sakumo Hatake at swordsmanship and ninjutsu.

"It really is a carefully selected lineup!" Tōka muttered, his gaze returning to the battlefield.

Pakura stepped forward from behind Karura, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her.

The dog-faced man appeared beside Sakumo Hatake at the same time.

"Konoha's Anbu? It seems you intend to infiltrate the Land of Wind's rear and cause destruction!" Karura narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice.

"Karura, you can freely control sand. The other one..." The dog-faced man took out some intel and whispered into Sakumo Hatake's ear, "is precisely the Scorch Release ninja—Pakura."

"Go!" Sakumo Hatake grunted, gripping his short sword, the White Fang. With a whoosh, he transformed into a streak of light and charged forward.

The dog-faced man simultaneously formed hand seals, his target clear.

He would restrict Pakura's Scorch Release, and after Sakumo Hatake dealt with Karura, they would deal with Pakura together!

This combat plan was the most efficient in terms of time and energy.

"Pakura, be careful, their speed is very fast!" Karura had no choice but to extend her hands to control the sand, increasing its speed.

"Since they're from Konoha, there's nothing more to say!" Pakura's lips curled slightly, revealing a ruthless smile.

The surrounding temperature grew scorching hot as she spoke.

Whoosh!!

A white flash streaked through the air. The sharp blade, gleaming with deadly intent, aimed for Karura's vital point and stabbed forward without holding back.

The sand seemed to have a mind of its own, surging towards Sakumo Hatake and Karura. With Karura's deliberate manipulation, its speed was more than double its previous self-protective pace.

Thwack thwack thwack!!

With ten swift strikes, Sakumo Hatake's arms became a blur of motion, furiously stabbing at the sand.

The sand that was dispersed fell away, only for countless more grains to surge forward.

Sakumo Hatake glanced at the sand that was already nearing his knees and made a decision. A powerful wave of energy erupted, instantly blasting the surrounding sand outwards.

"What strong defense!" Sakumo Hatake exclaimed, retreating.

Karura, however, pursed her lips, her indigo eyes vigilantly fixed on Sakumo Hatake, shock evident in her heart.

So close, the sand's defense was almost breached!

"Scorch Release: Vaporize Killing!"

"Water Release: Grand Waterfall Technique!"

Pakura and the dog-faced man shouted in unison. Their chakra surged forth, and two powerful torrents, one cold and one hot, rushed towards each other.

Sizzle sizzle...

Water and fire, incompatible, caused large clouds of white steam to diffuse.

The moment Sakumo Hatake drew his White Fang short sword, his identity was exposed.

Konoha's White Fang had assassinated countless Sand Ninja during the Second Shinobi World War, including the son and daughter-in-law of Sand Village elder Chiyo.

As the wife of the Fourth Kazekage, Karura naturally recognized this short sword, stained with the blood of countless Sand Ninja.

From the moment they clashed, they unleashed deadly killing moves. After a brief retreat, they charged at each other once more.

"That woman's defense is terrifying! How come the captain can't finish the fight quickly?" the Cat-faced man, peeking from behind a sand dune, stared at the battlefield, dumbfounded.

Tōka, however, felt it was as it should be. With a gentle appearance and shoulder-length hair, indigo pupils – this woman was Gaara's mother, Karura!

The sand protecting Gaara wasn't Shukaku's power, but originated from his mother, Karura.

Karura's own control over sand would surely be even more terrifying.

"It seems our previous tactics won't work anymore," Tōka murmured.

The Cat-faced man nodded in agreement. Pakura's strength was between an elite genin and a jonin, while the other woman was between a jonin and an elite jonin.

But both of them were incredibly powerful, especially with the battlefield being sandy ground.

Sakumo Hatake might find it difficult to conserve his chakra and finish them off directly.

"Perhaps I can provide some support with genjutsu."

Muttering to himself, the Cat-faced man quickly formed hand seals, intending to use genjutsu to assist the attacks of Sakumo Hatake and the Dog-faced man.

Seeing this, Tōka, hidden behind his fox mask, frowned slightly. What a bunch of guys who don't know how to cherish a woman, he thought.

Whoosh!

Tōka moved, lunging forward. Holding two shuriken in his hands, he hurled them.

Shing, shing!!

The sound of shuriken cutting through the air rang out, instantly drawing the attention of all four.

Attacks like these couldn't harm Karura, who had autonomous sand defense, let alone Pakura.

However, Tōka's objective was simple: cause a distraction – and help these two escape!

"There's someone else?" Pakura, who was in the thick of fighting the Dog-faced man, sensed Tōka's presence and immediately unleashed a large fireball, forcing the Dog-faced man back.

Pakura took the opportunity to withdraw from the battlefield and regroup with Karura.

It was clear that Konoha's combat power was superior to theirs; they might not even win a two-on-two.

And now there was an extra person, even if he was just a shorty.

But Konoha's Anbu were the most elite force among the Five Great Nations, and they had to be treated with caution.

"Protect the fox!" A dark glint flashed in Sakumo Hatake's eyes. Instead of reprimanding Tōka for deviating from the plan, he ordered the Dog-faced man and the Cat-faced man to protect him.

This was because Sakumo Hatake knew that everyone except Tōka among the four could afford to get injured.

"That kid seems important, take him out!" Pakura, being impatient, immediately unleashed a powerful technique towards Tōka.

The scorching heat waves distorted the air, and the hazy vision made it seem like something terrifying was approaching.

A bead of sweat trickled down Tōka's forehead. He had intended to help them escape, not to volunteer himself as a target!

However, a strange scene unfolded!

Tōka stood still, while Pakura's attack passed by his side.

The heatwave washed over him, instantly drying the sweat on his skin.

"Have I fallen for genjutsu already?" Tōka's gaze sharpened as he pondered when the Cat-faced man had acted.

A white blur flashed before his eyes, and two palm strikes landed on the backs of Karura and Pakura's necks.

Thump!

Pakura's eyes rolled back as she fainted. However, Karura, protected by her autonomous sand, was completely unaffected by the genjutsu.

Sakumo Hatake's attack also made Karura realize she had been caught in a genjutsu.

Buzzz!!

A terrifying aura erupted, and the sky-high yellow sand surged like ocean waves.

Karura channeled more and more violent chakra from within her body, breaking free from the Cat-faced man's genjutsu.

The illusion shattered, and she returned to reality. Karura's pupils constricted sharply as she saw Pakura had fallen into the hands of Konoha's Dog-faced man.

"Pakura!" Karura cried out anxiously, but Pakura remained unresponsive.

The four Konoha shinobi also gathered together at this moment. Tōka stood in the rear, still puzzled as to when the Cat-faced man had used genjutsu.

"To capture her alive is somewhat unexpected," Sakumo Hatake remained unfazed by Karura's powerful aura. He glanced at the unconscious Pakura and said calmly.

"What do you want?" Karura, worried about Pakura's safety, dared not act rashly.

"Since we've captured a Scorch Release ninja, we'll naturally take her back to the village for research," the Dog-faced man said with a lewd smile, even leaning down to sniff near Pakura.

Tōka, however, knew that while this guy was a bit unreliable, he wasn't driven by lust, but by a desire to disrupt Karura's state of mind.

As expected!

Upon hearing this, Karura's expression changed drastically. She pursed her lips and stared coldly at the Dog-faced man.

If looks could kill, the Dog-faced man would have died countless times over.

A strong wind whipped up the sand, howling like yellow waves.

For a moment, the atmosphere became even more oppressive and deadly.

Tōka took the opportunity to quietly ask the Cat-faced man, "When did you activate that genjutsu just now?"

"It was a genjutsu trap, I set it on you beforehand," the Cat-faced man replied in a low voice. "As soon as someone attacked you, it would trigger the genjutsu."

"So that's how it is..." Tōka suddenly understood. No wonder Pakura's attack had missed, and even Karura had fallen for the genjutsu.

This Cat-faced man is not simple! (To be continued)