After six days of grueling travel, they finally reached the border.
The Land of Wind and the Land of Fire did not share a border. The Land of Rivers, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Grass lay between them as buffer zones. But in this invasion, the Sand Ninja had marched straight into the Land of Fire.
They kept stirring up trouble, constantly provoking Konoha.
Their goal was to drag the recently stabilized Land of Fire back into war.
First, it would divert internal tensions. Second, they hoped to narrow the economic gap. After all, those with nothing to lose had nothing to fear. In short, Sunagakure was more willing than Konoha to go all out!
Kudo's squad arrived at the front line and accepted an A-rank mission.
[Cut off Sunagakure's supply route in the southwest]
Ever since Konoha had adopted its scorched-earth tactics, the Sand Ninja could no longer rely on plunder for supplies. With the added medical needs of their wounded, supplies had become crucial.
Shingetsu was a little surprised when she heard the assignment. "How did a reconnaissance mission turn into a combat mission?"
Kudo Yukiyuki explained, "The situation changes by the minute. It's normal. You came prepared to fight, didn't you?"
"Of course."
"Two squads stationed here will be joining us."
After a brief discussion, the three squads joined up and set out.
They traveled through uninhabited territory, heading toward the Land of Rivers.
This was already a war zone where danger lurked at every turn. Shingetsu activated her Byakugan and surveyed the area within her range of sight.
"About eight hundred meters ahead, someone's hiding in the treetops. Probably a scout. At two o'clock, roughly six hundred meters away, a squad of three is moving west..."
As she reported what she saw, everyone shared her Byakugan's vision.
The squad on the flank went to intercept the moving Sand Ninja, while Kudo Yukiyuki led Akashi and the others to eliminate the scout head-on. They crossed the first line of defense.
No disguise or ambush could escape the Byakugan's scrutiny.
Half a day passed.
The surprise attack was going smoothly.
According to the map, the supply route identified earlier ran through a valley not far ahead.
The terrain was treacherous, and the path narrow, but it was well concealed.
As they drew closer to their target, Kudo Yukiyuki raised a hand to stop them.
"Hold on. Let's get into position first. The Sand Ninja supply convoy will definitely have plenty of guards. We've broken through the outposts, but the real fight is just beginning."
He turned to Shingetsu. "What's the situation?"
"Three enemies at twelve o'clock, four at three o'clock, and two at ten o'clock. They're all about a kilometer away," Shingetsu reported succinctly.
At that distance, they could reach the enemies in no time.
Kudo Yukiyuki smiled. "Good. Ueno's squad will launch a frontal feint to draw their attention. We'll circle around and catch them in a pincer."
"Understood!"
Everyone answered.
Their side outnumbered the enemy, so splitting up to pin them down was an effective strategy.
Under Kudo Yukiyuki's lead, Akashi and the others went around toward the valley, while Ueno's squad charged from the front.
The plan went perfectly.
Once the Sand Ninja ahead were engaged, Kudo Yukiyuki swung his arm. "Attack!"
The Byakugan had revealed the enemies' positions and numbers, leaving them completely exposed. In an instant, ninja tools flew, and Akashi opened the attack with the Great Fireball Technique.
The others rushed in right behind him.
The narrow valley was perfect for trapping the enemy. A surprise attack could break them in one fell swoop.
"Konoha Ninja, we've been waiting for you!"
A thunderous shout answered their charge.
It was as if the enemy had known Konoha's plan all along. They blocked each attack one by one. A burly Sand Ninja jonin broke into an exaggerated grin, his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty hunger.
"Damn it, they have a sensor-type ninja too!" Kudo Yukiyuki exclaimed, instantly on guard. "Everyone, be careful!"
An explosion rang out from the cliff face.
The rock wall collapsed. Boulders tumbled down, blocking the path, and the resulting cloud of dust obscured their vision. At the same time, the Sand Ninja leaped to the top of the valley as if they had planned it in advance.
The Konoha Ninja, caught unprepared, fell into disarray.
"Take the high ground! We can't let them trap us in here!" Kudo Yukiyuki made a snap decision.
"It's too late!" Shingetsu's gaze pierced the smoke.
She saw the Sand Ninja undo their packs and yank at the bandages. The things inside revealed their fearsome forms.
Puppets.
The Sand Ninja's specialty: puppet masters.
"Remember my name—Sand Skeleton, Fukuyama!" Chakra Threads formed between the ninja's fingers as he twitched them.
The art of controlling puppets in battle was difficult to master. Since a puppet master entrusted most of his combat strength to the puppets, his own body was left weak. Those willing to fight on the battlefield were usually elite.
Being able to control two puppets at once was already an impressive skill.
The Humanoid Puppet clattered, its joints shuddering. Sharp drills emerged from its fingertips, while a ring of jagged saw teeth unfolded around its waist. It was armed from head to toe.
The other, shaped like a spider, opened its mouth to reveal a flamethrower. Its two eyeballs bulged out, gleaming white.
Fukuyama surveyed the squad before him and made a strange sound. "Orochimaru, the one hailed as one of the Konoha Sannin, isn't here. What a letdown. I'd hoped to wipe you all out at once."
"Don't get careless."
Another jonin remained calm. "Finish this quickly!"
"Hahahaha! My puppets have been itching for a fight!" Several Sand Ninja sent their puppets swaying in eerie, unnatural movements, swinging their heavy arms and spinning their heads around.
The chilling scrape of blades rang in their ears as seven or eight sharp blades sprang from the puppets' loose frames.
Puppets could conceal far too many things.
Sometimes they could take on several enemies at once, thanks to all their bizarre weapons and hidden tricks.
And there were at least six puppet masters present.
The intelligence had been wrong!
The Sand Ninja had chosen this battlefield deliberately.
This wasn't a supply route at all. It was a trap!
The narrow terrain was ideal for surrounding them, making escape extremely difficult.
They had lured their prey deep inside, then trapped them like turtles in a jar.
The Konoha Ninja had let their guard down because everything had gone so smoothly at first. Now the tables had turned.
If the Byakugan hadn't helped them take out the hidden sentries along the way, the Sand Ninja would have known their route from the start. A pincer attack then would have made the situation even worse.
Fukuyama manipulated his puppets, their joints clacking as he let out a chilling, sinister laugh. At the same time, a huge fireball burst from the open mouth of one puppet.
The Sand Ninja on both sides followed up with Wind Release.
Fire could overcome wind, but wind could also fan flames!
Senbon shot from the puppets' fingertips. Shuriken and Kunai poured down like rain, while the wind drove the fireball forward in a devastating blast.
From their high ground, the Sand Ninja launched a crushing attack on the encircled Konoha Ninja.
There was nothing nearby to take cover behind, leaving the Konoha Ninja no choice but to defend themselves as best they could.
Several were slashed by the sharp blades, leaving bloody wounds.
Soon the wounds began to fester, oozing a sticky fluid as the poison ate into the flesh. A foul stench drifted through the air.
"Watch out! Their weapons are coated in poison!" Akashi warned.
There was no medical ninja here, let alone any antidote. Anyone struck by the poison was likely doomed.
As more puppets closed in, their attacks grew fiercer.
At this rate, their morale would crumble first.
"Don't get tangled up with the puppets. Aim for the puppet masters!" Akashi used his Sharingan to track the Chakra Threads.
"Hmph. Keep dreaming!"
Fukuyama's plump body sprang into the air. He controlled the Spider Puppet with his fingers, sending it soaring, its legs unfolding long hooked blades that spun at high speed.
It lunged straight at Akashi.
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