Reconnaissance of the Sand Shinobi

Hyuga Hideki, Hyuga Tetsuya, and Hyuga Yoichi each led a squad of ninjas, searching for the Sunagakure Ninja camp from three different directions.

Relying on the power of the Byakugan, they successfully bypassed the Sunagakure perimeter.

Crossing a hill, a heavily guarded camp appeared within Hyuga Hideki's line of sight.

He immediately activated his Byakugan, carefully observing the chakra fluctuations within the enemy camp.

The enemy clearly had not yet detected the Hyuga Clan reinforcements, as their patrols were not densely distributed on the perimeter.

This power—there is no mistake. It is a Tailed Beast. The One-Tail Jinchuriki must be here.

Hyuga Hideki felt a secret shock in his heart; his Byakugan had captured a powerful and ominous chakra, like a natural disaster, blotting out the sky and shrouding the entire camp.

The intensity of that presence was so great that it even eclipsed the existence of all other chakra signatures.

Hyuga Hideki's brows furrowed, his expression grave, and he turned to the ninjas behind him.

"Take this information back. Although I have only observed the Tailed Beast's chakra, other powerful individuals may also be present. Split into two groups to deliver the message and notify the others to consolidate the intelligence."

The ninjas nodded, quickly splitting into two teams and sprinting away in different directions.

Hyuga Hideki decided to stay behind to continue his observation.

He cast his gaze toward the camp once more, taking a deep breath to steady his rhythm and calm himself.

The surrounding environment was silent and oppressive, with only the wind whispering in his ears.

Hyuga Hideki held his breath, focusing his attention as he waited for developments to unfold.

Hyuga Tetsuya quietly followed the Sunagakure patrol route and finally located their camp—a vital base situated at the center of a transportation hub.

The camp was bustling with people and a constant flow of supply convoys; it was clearly a core stronghold for the Sunagakure Ninja.

He activated his Byakugan to observe the situation in the opposing camp.

"There is one person whose chakra reaction reaches the level of Orochimaru, and there are twenty others at the Jonin level."

"I cannot yet determine who the strongest chakra signature belongs to, but the possibility of it being the One-Tail Jinchuriki can be ruled out. I need to get closer; you wait for me outside," he whispered to his teammates.

Hyuga Tetsuya crept along the shadows, cautiously approaching the enemy camp.

Finally, he saw the identity of the ninja across from him—the hat inscribed with the character for "Wind" revealed his status.

This man was none other than the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, the Gold Dust wielder, Rasa.

After betraying the Scorch Release user Pakura, he had no remaining rivals and had successfully become the Kazekage.

Because of this, his prestige was insufficient, and he relied entirely on the support of the elder council members Chiyo and Ebizo to maintain his position as Kazekage.

After confirming the identity and location of the Kazekage, Hyuga Tetsuya quietly retreated to rendezvous with his teammates.

"The leader in the camp is the Kazekage. We must take this information back. Let's go," he said quickly.

The group withdrew rapidly, clearing all traces before returning to the Konoha camp.

However, not long after they left, a squad of Sunagakure Ninja arrived at the spot Hyuga Tetsuya had passed, sensing something amiss.

"Puppet Technique." A Sunagakure puppeteer summoned a special puppet that had been left on the ground.

Because this type of puppet was extremely rare, Konoha had little understanding of it, and the Byakugan had failed to detect its presence, making it impossible to discover during the sweep.

After reading the records within the puppet, the puppeteer said to his teammates, "Konoha ninjas have infiltrated. Judging by this distance, it should be a Byakugan user."

"In months of fighting, we have never encountered a Byakugan user. It seems their reinforcements have arrived. We must report this to Lord Kazekage."

They returned to the camp quickly, and the puppeteer went to request an audience with Rasa.

"Lord Kazekage, Konoha reinforcements have arrived, including ninjas from the Hyuga Clan. The camp should have just been scouted," the puppeteer reported, kneeling on one knee before Rasa.

"Is that so? It seems they are preparing to counterattack. I wonder where they will choose as their breakthrough point," Rasa said after hearing the report, turning to ask the high-level advisor Ebizo beside him.

Ebizo was one of the highest-ranking advisors in Sunagakure, famous for his strength and intellect. He had also been the head of the think tank during the Third Kazekage's era, and successive Kazekages had trusted his abilities.

Looking at the map, he analyzed calmly, "Anything is possible; it depends on the strength of Konoha's support for the front line."

"If the support is strong, they might choose your position as the breakthrough point. If the Kazekage is defeated, the war will be more than half over."

"If their strength is insufficient, Tsunade might choose to break through my sister's camp, while Orochimaru might choose to break through the location of Bunpuku," Ebizo continued.

Ebizo's sister was the advisor Chiyo. Tsunade's medical ninjutsu made her unafraid of Chiyo's deadly poisons, and her Strength of a Hundred Technique could easily shatter puppets; Chiyo's abilities were completely countered by Tsunade.

As for Bunpuku, he was the current One-Tail Jinchuriki. If Orochimaru were to break the Tailed Beast's seal, it was questionable whether the One-Tail could even be considered a combat asset for their side.

"It seems we have no choice but to consolidate; we cannot give them the chance to defeat us one by one. Although the camps are not far apart, if a battle breaks out, reinforcements may not arrive in time," Rasa said sternly.

"Go, send word to Advisor Chiyo and the Jonin overseeing Bunpuku. Have them bring their troops here to assemble. We cannot give Konoha an opening," Rasa ordered.

"Wait a moment, Lord Kazekage. Should we take a gamble? We do not have the capability for a protracted war; the longer it drags on, the lower our chances of winning," Ebizo suggested.

"Konoha should not have discovered that we have guessed their plan. It would be better to turn the tables and ambush them."

"For the sake of safety, we can pull the camps closer together, prepare for defense and support, and maximize the intensity of our reconnaissance during this period."

Rasa pondered the situation and realized that, as Ebizo had said, the war between Sunagakure and Konoha was a deadlock that could only be broken by a swift victory.

"Then we shall do as you say," he finally nodded in agreement.

The messenger ninjas scattered rapidly, conveying the plan to the leaders of each camp.

Hyuga Yoichi followed the trail until he reached the Sunagakure Ninja camp. Activating his Byakugan, he observed a distinct chakra signature within; the ninjas inside were likely the renowned Puppet Corps of Sunagakure.

Just as he prepared to observe more closely, several puppets burst from the ground with ferocious momentum.

Caught off guard, Hyuga Yoichi's arm was slashed, blood instantly seeping from the wound.

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Hyuga Yoichi reacted instantly, his hands moving like lightning to effortlessly shatter the sentry puppets.

As the fragments scattered, he swept his Byakugan across the opposing camp, discovering that the enemy forces had already begun to assemble and were charging toward him.

"Retreat, now!" he commanded his team decisively, his voice laced with a hint of tension.

"The chakra fluctuations on the other side indicate that Chiyo is leading them. I triggered the puppets' alarm, and they have already discovered us!"

He led his team in a rapid withdrawal, moving with great speed while his heart remained filled with vigilance and unease.

Meanwhile, the unit led by Chiyo received the message from Rasa. After carefully confirming its contents, she nodded to the ninja beside her and said, "I understand. Go and report back to the Kazekage; I shall act according to his orders."

Chiyo then led her unit back to the camp and began setting up ambushes and defensive measures.

Her movements were methodical, and a calm, sharp light flickered in her eyes, as if everything were entirely within her grasp.