Ambush

A hawk's cry pierced the vast sky, beneath which stretched an endless expanse of Gobi desert.

Burying one's body beneath the gravel was a true test of willpower; not only was there the intense heat, but one also had to remain vigilant against the bites of various insects at all times.

A ninja must endure what ordinary people cannot, so Mo Jingxian draped himself in a layer of elemental shroud.

To have a method and not use it would be mindless.

The hawk soared through the high altitudes for over ten minutes before gradually flying off into the distance.

The infiltration squad hidden within the gravel breathed a collective sigh of relief.

It was no secret that the Sand Ninja used hawks for patrols, and it was clearly highly effective.

To avoid exposure, they could only travel by night and hide by day; they estimated that with one more night, they would reach the ambush site.

During the days spent deep behind enemy lines, Mo Jingxian practiced the newly acquired breathing technique whenever he had the time.

Regrettably, through trial and error, he discovered he could only sustain it for a maximum of one hour each day.

Beyond that time, his body would send out warning signals of danger.

Mo Jingxian was not so stubborn as to force his practice at the risk of his body collapsing.

Perhaps because it had only been a short time, his body had not undergone any changes, though his mind did seem a bit clearer.

He could not tell if it was just his imagination.

Actually, it was not without benefits; ever since he began practicing the breathing technique, he felt that his control over the elements had become slightly easier.

This was no illusion; although it had only increased by a tiny margin, he had still managed to capture the sensation.

In the space of the Gobi, the water element was weakened, while the wind element was extremely abundant.

He would take this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding.

He possessed experience in cultivating the water element, allowing him to avoid the wrong paths he had once taken and bypass certain pitfalls in advance.

Thus, Mo Jingxian's comprehension of the wind element could be described as advancing by leaps and bounds.

According to his calculations, if everything went smoothly, he expected to push his wind element mastery to the intermediate level in about ten days.

If that happened, the power of his Ice Release would rise to another level.

Faint wind elements mingled in the air, drifting around him.

If Mo Jingxian actively perceived them, the wind elements would transmit information to him.

There was nothing much to say about this; he had once utilized this characteristic to develop the "Mist of Vitality."

Compared to the two elements, their functions were largely similar, belonging to the most basic applications.

Mo Jingxian continued to explore and comprehend the various changes of the wind element.

Gentle wind, biting wind, violent wind, erosive wind...

He perceived the disturbance between himself and the airflow.

It was light, very subtle—so subtle that if his attention wavered even slightly, the sensation would slip away.

It was an interaction; every person was constantly interacting with space at every moment.

He attempted to use the wind element to guide this interaction, slowly and bit by bit changing the airflow disturbance around his body.

This practice lasted for four hours, and Mo Jingxian was finally able to alter the flow of air around his body.

Very good; he had developed another small technique.

Currently, the only Wind Release ninjutsu he knew was "Wind Release: Vacuum Blade," but he did not intend to learn any new wind techniques in the short term.

He had not yet fully mastered the S-rank ninjutsu "Water Release: Water Severing Wave," and he could not spare the energy to learn more wind techniques.

He had arranged his schedule to be very full; after mastering Water Severing Wave, he could research the "Rasengan."

The cultivation process for this technique was already clear to him; it was not for the sake of making a ball, but to experience the ultimate nature transformation of the wind element.

There was no technique more suitable than this one.

That was not all; there was also the Principles of Sealing Jutsu that required a massive amount of time to explore.

His own strength had been developed upon the two cornerstones of elemental mastery and the Principles of Sealing Jutsu.

Therefore, he must never put the cart before the horse; he had to clearly understand where his foundation lay.

Even now, he had barely uncovered a corner of the Principles of Sealing Jutsu, and endless knowledge awaited him ahead.

Thinking of this, Mo Jingxian felt that this seemed to be a lifelong project.

Calculated by the lifespan of a human, wanting to complete such an ideal... it was a tall order.

Perhaps—he should stop being human?

The thought lingered in his mind for only an instant before Mo Jingxian completely suppressed it.

The scorching, venomous sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the sweltering temperature gradually began to drop.

The moon rose to the center of the sky, and the galaxy shone brilliantly.

In the vast Gobi, the occasional chirping of insects became the only movement in the silent night.

A rustling sound of sand friction interrupted the insects' song.

The six people who had infiltrated behind enemy lines crawled out, huddled together to eat some dry rations, and took a brief rest.

Five of the six had faces as red as Guan Gong's; even in the darkness, they could not hide their flushed complexions.

Hayama Shirakumo was particularly affected, a large bump swelling on his forehead—the mark left by a scorpion sting.

Yet, he stubbornly insisted on not making a sound, though it must have been excruciatingly painful.

Seeing the five of them focusing their gazes on him, Mo Jingxian shrugged: "Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and eat."

After swallowing the last bite of his wheat cake, he could no longer hold it in, and his shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.

Seeing the increasingly wicked looks in the others' eyes, the captain, Nara Shikuta, stepped in to prevent a tragedy from occurring.

"Alright, hurry up and rest. We must reach the ambush site tonight."

A night of forced marching.

Luck was on their side; the squad stayed far from populated areas, crossed the desert, and finally arrived at Sandstone Millet before dawn.

Five hundred meters from the exit of an unnamed canyon, the six of them went into hiding.

The moon set and the sun rose, day and night alternating.

This wait lasted for five days.

Deep behind enemy lines with no cover available, they had to bury their bodies in the sand, leaving only a bamboo tube exposed to the surface for air circulation.

This was a double torture for both body and mind, a supreme test of the infiltrators' willpower.

Mo Jingxian certainly did not waste his time; since he could not move his body, he poured all his energy into his breathing technique and the comprehension of wind elements.

Over the past five days, his mastery of wind elements had progressed significantly; perhaps he only needed a single opportunity to advance to the intermediate level.

"They're here!"

Ayako Hyuuga's lowered voice carried a hint of tension.

The squad had finally waited for their target.

"Nine escorting ninjas: one Jonin, three Chunin, and five Genin."

Ayako's intelligence reached their ears clearly. Based on the enemy's strength, the supplies being transported this time were likely of high value.

Within the vision of the Byakugan, none of the enemy's actions could remain hidden.

As expected, just as Mo Jingxian had predicted, the Sand Ninja split off six men to search both sides of the canyon very carefully, checking almost every inch of the ground.

As the report was relayed back, Tekuno felt a sense of relief; if they had followed his own ideas, he would have gotten everyone killed.

There were sensory ninjas among the Sand Ninja as well; although they lacked the monstrous capabilities of the Byakugan, they were not to be underestimated.

Once the enemy entered the canyon, Ayako Hyuuga voluntarily deactivated her Byakugan.

The six-man squad in hiding reduced their chakra flow to the absolute minimum, and even their breathing slowed down to match.

Gradually, they merged into the surrounding environment.

A howling wind swept across the sandy ground, dragging dust high into the sky, leaving the world in a gray haze.

A three-man Sand Ninja squad appeared at the canyon entrance, scouting forward along the route.

If one were to observe closely, they would see the captain's expression relax significantly as he stepped out of the canyon.

"Phew—we've finally made it past the most dangerous part."

"Move! Follow me to scout ahead."

The squad members all wore expressions of ease.

The Sand Ninja scouting party came within less than ten meters of Mo Jingxian at their closest point.

That was the distance of a Body Flicker Technique.

He subconsciously held his breath.

Fortunately, his body was wrapped in wind elements, and the enemy did not discover the infiltrator lying right under their noses.

Watching the Sand Ninja walk away, Mo Jingxian slowly let out a stifled breath, his tensed muscles gradually relaxing.

The scorching sun hung directly overhead, and a strong wind rolled by, the dust rising like waves.

"Creak... creak..."

As wheels crushed the stones, the Sand Ninja supply caravan appeared at the canyon entrance.

In addition to the three scouts, six more Sand Ninja guarded the perimeter of the caravan.

Mo Jingxian opened his eyes, and through the gaps in the sand and stone, his gaze locked onto the caravan.

The mission Captain Nara Shikuta had given him was to hold off the only Jonin among the enemies.

The caravan was moving very slowly, still some distance from his ambush point.

Mo Jingxian discarded all unnecessary emotions, his entire being turning into a cold machine as he continuously calculated the distance between the two sides.

Two hundred meters.

His heart began to beat powerfully, blood surging rapidly from his ventricles.

One hundred meters.

His muscles mobilized in unison, coiling into a single force. He was like a leopard lurking in the shadows, waiting for the optimal distance to launch a lethal strike.

Fifty meters... forty meters... thirty meters...

As the convoy passed the halfway point of the ambush site, the distance between the two sides was less than twenty meters.

"Bang!"

From the exploding gravel, a figure shot toward the convoy.

Immediately following, five more people rushed out from their cover, and before the Sand Ninja could react, a dozen hidden weapons were already upon them.

Before the shock in the Sand Ninja's eyes could fade, the explosive tags detonated.

Mo Jingxian's speed was incredibly fast; he was like a streak of light, leaving only a blurred shadow in the space behind him.

The wind element pushed his speed higher and higher; the free wind had no constraints and could not be blocked.

As the air flowed over his body, it created no resistance, instead forming a vortex behind him that gave him an extra push.

Compared to before, Mo Jingxian's speed had increased by a full fifty percent.

From the enemy's perspective, he was like a shadow that arrived before them in the blink of an eye, impossible to track with the naked eye.

A palm strike.

Mo Jingxian had abandoned his weapon, his fingers joined like a blade, the edge of his palm dancing with flowing wind.

Yamazaki Ji possessed the unique pride of the Sand Ninja; since the war began, he had wanted to cross blades with a Konoha ninja to weigh the caliber of those from the village touted as the strongest.

Today, his wish was granted.

The attack came too suddenly; there was no time to weave hand signs to release ninjutsu.

He drew his short blade and swung upward.

His swordsmanship had been tempered through thousands of trials; it was a technique honed through countless days and nights amidst the Gale.

He believed in his blade just as he believed that his village would surely achieve final victory.

The moment the blade struck the enemy's forearm, Yamazaki Ji felt as if he could already see his opponent wailing in pain.

The corners of his mouth curled high, and he tightened his grip on the hilt with even more force.

Suddenly!

His blade felt as if it had struck slippery rubber; the long sword did not sever the enemy's arm as he had intended.

It slipped, veering off course.

His power was vented into empty air, and his center of gravity was compromised.

In that very instant of his stagger, a palm-blade covered in Water Scale Armor thrust directly at his throat.

He did not know if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he seemed to see those scales flowing, with wind surging out from the gaps between them.

In his peripheral vision, his teammates were rushing to his rescue, the terror on their faces still fresh.

Further away, five more enemies were pouncing on the convoy.

The kunai flying through the air, the explosive tags tied to them, had already burned down to the end of their fuses...