It was clear that Aizen was somewhat surprised that Konoha had joined forces with Kumogakure, but it was no big deal. It was just a trivial matter.
The sun hung high in the sky, its dazzling rays piercing through the clouds and shining down on this desolate, barren land.
Countless enormous red rocks, weathered by wind and sand, stood across the desolate terrain like silent giants who had stood there for ages.
Every mottled mark on their surfaces bore the imprint of time.
At that very moment, however, more than a dozen figures had appeared atop several of these red rocks.
They looked somewhat panicked, as though they were trying to evade something.
"Hurry, let's go! Those Konoha shinobi from the Hyuga Clan are heading this way!"
A shinobi wearing an Iwagakure Forehead Protector hurriedly addressed the young Rock Ninja under his command.
"Captain, what about you if we retreat? Come with us!"
A young Rock Ninja spoke up, unable to bear the thought of leaving him behind.
Hearing this, the Rock Ninja Captain smiled reassuringly, then said in a stern voice,
"You all need to leave at once. I still have to destroy everything in the outpost. After that, I'll leave too, so don't worry."
The young Rock Ninja still wanted to persuade him, but the Rock Ninja Captain stopped them with a wave of his hand and said sternly,
"If you keep standing here arguing with me, the Konoha shinobi will arrive before long. Follow my orders and retreat at once!"
At the Rock Ninja Captain's stern command, the group finally withdrew, reluctant to leave.
Once the young Rock Ninja were gone, a grave look flashed through the Rock Ninja Captain's eyes. He hurried back to the outpost inside the cave and began placing Explosive Tags around it