Word quickly spread through the camp that Konoha's main base in the Land of Rivers had been attacked once again.
After Mitokado Homura had questioned him about a few things, Uzumaki Kuming, one of those involved, walked out of the central tent. Uchiha Fugaku, Might Duy, and the others had been waiting outside for some time.
With the Sand Shinobi's sudden attack, Hizashi Hyuga and Kaoru Hyuga had lost all inclination for romance. They waited anxiously for Kuming to come out.
"Kuming, the supplies are ready."
"What now?"
Uchiha Fugaku tossed Kuming a scroll and asked, glancing at the people bustling around the camp. The Sand Shinobi's attack had woken many who had been asleep. Everyone felt the pressure, and an anxious atmosphere hung over the camp.
"Let's move. To prevent another attack like this, we first need to find a way to spread out our scouts."
"We need to hurry with our mission. If we can't deal with the Sand Shinobi unit that ambushed our reconnaissance team, it'll be difficult to establish our network of scouts in the Land of Rivers."
Uzumaki Kuming glanced at the sky, then quickly headed out of the camp. Fugaku and Duy exchanged a look and hurried after him. Hizashi Hyuga tugged at Kaoru Hyuga's sleeve, and the two of them quickly caught up with Kuming and the others.
Dawn was breaking. The sun was still hidden below the horizon, but the sky had begun to brighten.
After leaving camp, Kuming and the others raced through the forest toward the interior of the Land of Rivers. Fugaku ran with a map in hand, as if he had just checked their direction.
The members of Kuming's squad were all quite capable, but their newest addition, Kaoru Hyuga, couldn't match their stamina. She was also slower