Hyuga Hideki, Hyuga Tetsuya, and Hyuga Yoichi each led a squad of ninja, searching for the Sunagakure Ninja camp from three different directions.
With the power of the Byakugan, they made it through the Sunagakure Ninja's encirclement without trouble.
After crossing a hill, Hyuga Hideki spotted a heavily guarded camp.
He immediately activated his Byakugan and carefully observed the chakra fluctuations inside the enemy camp.
The enemy had clearly yet to notice the Hyuga Clan's reinforcements, and their patrols were not densely spread around the perimeter.
"This power... There's no mistaking it. It's a Tailed Beast. The One-Tail Jinchuriki must be here."
Hyuga Hideki was secretly astonished. His Byakugan had detected a powerful, ominous chakra, like a natural disaster blotting out the sky and covering the entire camp.
Its presence was so powerful that it even obscured the other chakra signatures.
Hyuga Hideki furrowed his brows, his expression grave. He turned to the ninja behind him and said:
"Take this information back. I only detected the Tailed Beast's chakra, but that doesn't mean other powerful shinobi aren't here. Split into two groups and send word so everyone can pool their intelligence."
The ninja nodded, quickly split into two groups, and raced off in different directions.
Hyuga Hideki decided to stay behind and continue observing.
He turned his gaze toward the camp again, took a deep breath, and steadied himself, doing his best to remain calm.
The surroundings were quiet and oppressive, with only the wind whispering in his ears.
Hyuga Hideki held his breath and waited for something to change.
Hyuga Tetsuya stealthily followed the Sunagakure Ninja patrol route and finally found their camp—an important base at the heart of a major transportation hub.
The camp was bustling with activity, and supply convoys streamed through it. It was clearly a key Sunagakure Ninja stronghold.
He activated his Byakugan and observed the camp across from him.
"One person's chakra is on par with Lord Orochimaru's. There are also twenty chakra signatures at the level of jōnin."
"I can't yet tell who has the strongest chakra signature, but I can rule out the One-Tail Jinchuriki. I need to get closer. Wait for me outside," he whispered to his teammates.
Using the shadows for cover, Hyuga Tetsuya cautiously approached the enemy camp.
At last, he made out the identity of the shinobi across from him—the hat bearing the character for "wind" gave him away.
The man was none other than the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, the Gold Dust user.
After betraying Pakura, the Scorch Release user, he had no rivals left and had successfully become Kazekage.
For that very reason, he lacked prestige and could hold onto his position only with the support of Chiyo and Ebizo from the council of elders.
After confirming the Kazekage's identity and location, Hyuga Tetsuya quietly retreated and regrouped with his teammates.
"The camp's leader is the Kazekage. We need to take this information back. Let's go," he said quickly.
The group withdrew at once, erased all traces of their presence, and returned to the Konoha camp.
However, not long after they left, a squad of Sunagakure Ninja arrived at a spot Hyuga Tetsuya had passed earlier and sensed something amiss.
"Puppet Technique." A Sunagakure puppet master summoned a special puppet that had been left on the ground.
Since this kind of puppet was extremely rare, Konoha knew little about it. The Byakugan hadn't detected its presence, so it had naturally gone unnoticed during the search.
After reading the records stored inside the puppet, the puppet master told his teammates, "A Konoha shinobi infiltrated the area. Judging by the distance, it was probably a Byakugan user."
"We haven't encountered any Byakugan users in months of fighting. Looks like their reinforcements have arrived. We need to report this to Lord Kazekage."
They quickly returned to camp, and the puppet master went to see Rasa.
"Lord Kazekage, Konoha's reinforcements have arrived, including a shinobi from the Hyuga Clan. They must have scouted the camp just now." The puppet master knelt on one knee and reported to Rasa.
"Is that so? Looks like they're getting ready to counterattack. I wonder where they'll choose to break through." After hearing the report, Rasa turned to the senior adviser beside him, Ebizo, and asked.
Ebizo was one of the most senior advisers among the Sunagakure Ninja. Renowned for his strength and intelligence, he had also been the leading strategist during the Third Kazekage's era. Kazekages throughout the generations had trusted his judgment.
He studied the map and analyzed the situation calmly. "Any of those positions are possible. It depends on how much support Konoha sends to the front lines."
"If their reinforcements are strong, they may choose your position as their breakthrough point. If the Kazekage falls, half the war will be over."
"If they don't have enough strength, Tsunade may choose to break through at my sister's camp, while Orochimaru may target Bunpuku's location," Ebizo continued.
Ebizo's sister was the adviser Chiyo. Tsunade's Medical Ninjutsu made her immune to Chiyo's poisons, and her Strength of a Hundred Technique could easily break through puppets. Chiyo's abilities were completely countered by Tsunade.
Bunpuku was the current One-Tail Jinchuriki. If Orochimaru managed to destroy the Tailed Beast's seal, it would be questionable whether the One-Tail could still be considered an asset in battle.
"Looks like we have no choice but to assemble our forces. We can't give them the chance to pick us off one by one. The camps aren't far apart, but if a battle breaks out, reinforcements may not arrive in time," Rasa said gravely.
"Go. Send word to Adviser Chiyo and the jōnin overseeing Bunpuku. Tell them to bring their forces here and assemble. We can't give Konoha an opening," Rasa ordered.
"Wait, Lord Kazekage. How about taking a gamble? We don't have the means to fight a prolonged war. The longer this drags on, the lower our chances of winning," Ebizo suggested.
"Konoha probably hasn't realized we've already guessed their plan. We could use that to our advantage and lay an ambush."
"To be safe, we can move the camps closer together and prepare our defenses and support. We should also intensify our scouting as much as possible during this time."
Rasa considered the situation and realized that Ebizo was right. The war between the Sunagakure Ninja and Konoha was at an impasse, and the only way to break it was to win quickly.
"Then we'll do as you suggest," he said at last, nodding in agreement.
The messengers quickly scattered, carrying the plan to the leaders of each camp.
Hyuga Yoichi followed the trail and found the Sunagakure Ninja camp as well. After activating his Byakugan, he detected unusual chakra signatures inside. The shinobi there were likely the famed puppet master corps of the Sunagakure Ninja.
He was about to take a closer look when several puppets suddenly burst out of the ground, lunging at him.
Caught off guard, Hyuga Yoichi's arm was slashed, and blood instantly welled from the wound.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Hyuga Yoichi reacted swiftly, his hands moving like lightning as he easily shattered several puppets stationed as sentries.
Fragments flew everywhere. He quickly scanned the enemy camp with his Byakugan and saw that the enemy forces were already assembling and charging toward him.
"Retreat!" he ordered his teammates decisively, his voice tinged with tension.
"Chiyo's leading the enemy force. I triggered the puppets' alarm, and they've spotted us!"
He led his teammates in a swift retreat, moving at a rapid pace, though his heart remained full of unease and vigilance.
At the same time, Chiyo's squad received Rasa's message. After confirming its contents, she nodded to the shinobi beside her and said, "Understood. Go back and report to Lord Kazekage. I'll follow his orders."
Chiyo then led her squad back to camp and began setting up an ambush and preparing the defenses.
Her movements were orderly and precise. Her eyes gleamed with a cool, sharp light, as if everything were already under her control.