Upgraded Mission... (Seeking Reads)

At the end of June, the rugged fortress of Iwagakure welcomed merchant caravans entering and exiting, while at the main gate beneath the massive earthen walls, Chunin performed their routine inspections with lethargic indifference.

"Seriously, vegetable prices are rising again. The village really should do something about these profiteers."

"Our current mission budget can still cover it, but the Genin have it much worse."

"Lord Tsuchikage should make a decision sooner!"

"..."

Unlike Konoha, Iwagakure had very little greenery; looking out, one could only spot a few patches of green amidst the cluster of pointed buildings, creating a stifling sense of oppression.

The middle-aged man following the caravan chatted idly with his companions while keeping a close watch on the surroundings. Once they were completely clear of the fortress, he used the excuse of needing to relieve himself to temporarily slip away from the group.

"Pick up the pace! There are several more urgent shipments coming in, so everyone stay sharp!"

The team leader shouted from the front, and soon, scattered responses followed.

The straight road leading out of the village was flanked by rock walls several men high; the path looked as if it had been carved out of a plain, leaving no cover whatsoever.

"Captain Shikaku, the target has reached the designated location."

A few kilometers away from the main road, Hideichi Hyuga reported from behind a rock wall. Beside him, Shikaku Nara let out a long breath and whispered a reminder:

"We move when night falls. Once we have the scroll, we evacuate immediately."

Ever since they arrived in Iwagakure, the situation had steadily deteriorated, and the village's sleeper agents had failed to appear.

If not for the Byakugan detecting that the enemy had shifted from a relaxed exterior to a state of high alert, the four-man squad would have been surrounded by Iwagakure ninja on the outskirts, just as the original plan had feared.

Several squads were lying in ambush at the West Gate outpost. Thinking back on the events of the past few days, Shikaku Nara even began to suspect that there was a mole in the mission.

The pre-arranged code signals had also lost their effectiveness. Shikaku Nara had no intention of trying to pass through the sensory barrier; as the captain, he had already prepared himself for the mission to fail.

"What about Lord Jiraiya?"

Worried about the mission failing, Kakashi asked again. Shikaku shook his head, offering no further explanation:

"My priority is to lead you all to a safe extraction."

"..."

Shu Furukawa was still struggling to sense the area. Seeing that no Iwagakure pursuers had appeared, he immediately whispered a warning:

"We should have shaken off their sensory ninja. Captain Shikaku is right—if we don't leave now, the ninja stationed on the perimeter will close in on us."

The Byakugan and sensory-type ninja played a massive role in such situations. After a moment of contemplation, Shikaku Nara remained uneasy and continued to urge:

"After we get the scroll tonight, take the secret medicine and prepare to counter an ambush."

Night fell, and the lights of Iwagakure in the distance were not as bright as those in Konoha.

Upon reaching the designated location, Hideichi Hyuga successfully retrieved the intelligence scroll. Seeing the hand signal Shu Furukawa made from afar with his Byakugan, he immediately sprinted at full speed.

The ambushing Iwagakure sensory ninja had not expected the enemy to detect their presence; the range of perception, far exceeding their expectations, had ruined the plan.

The square-jawed Jonin captain did not blame his subordinates, but instead fired a signal flare and gave the order:

"Chase them down and leave no one alive."

Unlike the "small fry" hired from the black market, the two squads accelerated in silence, moving faster and faster.

Noticing the light behind them, Shikaku Nara cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected the enemy to value this intelligence so highly, and he could only grit his teeth and sprint.

The flat terrain was highly advantageous for Iwagakure, and with the help of their sensory ninja, they quickly locked onto the Konoha squad.

As they reached the vicinity of a low rock wall, Hideichi Hyuga didn't even have time to warn them before the ground beneath their feet began to crack. With a thunderous roar, gravel flew in every direction.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

The combined ninjutsu, bolstered by the terrain, had a devastating effect. When the four of them regained their footing, Shikaku Nara was bleeding from the head, clearly struck by falling debris.

"Kakashi!"

Shu Furukawa barked a reminder. Kakashi completed his physical activation at high speed, squeezing his chakra for a second time.

As electric arcs appeared on their short blades, a piercing screech began to echo through the night.

Ignoring his head injury, Shikaku Nara took the secret medicine, and his shadow manipulation erupted, instantly pinning down both squads as the enemies closed in.

"Bang..."

Gravel scattered across the ground. Shu Furukawa and Kakashi, sprinting at full power, attacked from different directions. The moment the Iwagakure ninja faltered, screams rang out one after another:

"Ugh! Ah!..."

Sharp chakra-infused short blades sprayed blood everywhere. When Shu Furukawa reached the burly Iwagakure Jonin, the man was already struggling.

"No!"

Shu Furukawa's chakra erupted once more. The Iwagakure Jonin let out a desperate roar, and then a brilliant blue blade of light sliced across his waist.

Blood splattered instantly, and the upper half of the body that fell to the ground struggled for a moment before falling completely silent.

"Rotation!"

Hideichi Hyuga spun like a top, his erupting chakra deflecting the incoming shuriken, while the protected Shikaku Nara knelt on the ground.

Before the Shadow Possession Jutsu could be activated again, the square-jawed Iwagakure jonin seized the opening and completed his ninjutsu:

"Earth Style: Earth Core!"

A stone pillar suddenly erupted, launching Shikaku Nara into mid-air and interrupting his technique, while the Iwagakure squad launched their own ninjutsu:

"Earth Style: Flying Gravel!"

"Rotation!"

On the other side, Kakashi had successfully killed three squad members and critically wounded their lead jonin; hearing the massive commotion behind him, he hurriedly accelerated his sprint to return.

With a massive, bleeding wound at his waist, the Iwagakure jonin who had narrowly escaped death clutched his injury and took deep, ragged breaths, his face etched with terror.

He had intended to use the terrain to continue launching ninjutsu, but with the arrival of Shu Furukawa and Kakashi, the Iwagakure squad's formation was immediately thrown into chaos.

The square-jawed Iwagakure jonin kicked Kakashi away and retreated in a hurry, but the shadow on the ground chased him relentlessly, forcing him to keep his distance for the time being.

The other split-off squad was also facing a crisis; Hideichi Hyuga closed in to launch a rapid-fire assault on a chunin, while Shu Furukawa wove between the two, the sounds of short blades and kunai clashing in quick succession.

The Iwagakure chunin attempted to create distance and had just leaped backward, but before he could initiate his ninjutsu, Shu Furukawa dropped his stance and struck first:

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

The earth rapidly fractured and crumbled, sending shards of stone flying everywhere; the two Iwagakure chunin scrambled to retreat, but were ultimately caught within the radius of the technique.

Shikaku Nara seized the opportunity to throw a kunai rigged with an explosive tag, and the violent blast drew a low curse from the square-jawed Iwagakure jonin as he attempted to provide reinforcements:

"Damn it!"

A massive cloud of dust rose over the plains, and by the time the Iwagakure squad regrouped, Shu Furukawa and the others had already vanished from sight.

The other heavily wounded jonin had lost all color in his face, and he collapsed powerlessly the moment he reached his teammate's side.

The square-jawed Iwagakure jonin noticed the terrified expressions of his remaining men and did not order a pursuit; looking at the scene before him, he muttered under his breath:

"Such power... to think it was an Earth Style technique used by a child..."

As the sky began to brighten, the four who had successfully escaped neared the border; aside from Shu Furukawa, the three who had consumed secret medicines in succession were reaching their limits.

Kakashi and Hideichi Hyuga were covered in wounds and gasping for air, while Shikaku Nara, leaning against a shattered rock wall, was smeared with blood.

Shikaku noticed Shu Furukawa nod after finishing his sensory hand seals, and only then did he offer a bitter smile and whisper:

"I hope the intel was worth it..."