At the edge of the clouds, the horizon was dyed red.
Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, daylight displayed its final splendor before gradually fading away.
The sun slowly sank beneath the clouds, and night descended.
Beneath the dim moonlight, in the lush forest outside Konoha, pairs of calm, steady eyes slowly opened.
"Rustle, rustle—"
A gentle breeze stirred the forest, making the branches whisper softly.
But at that moment, the sound was like a trembling overture, mourning everything that was about to happen that night.
"Everyone, wake up!"
"All Rock Ninja units, remember: your mission tonight is to follow the original plan to the letter. Now, move out!"
A low, hoarse voice rang through the shadowy green forest.
As soon as he finished speaking, countless swift whooshes sounded in the previously silent woods.
Shadowy figures raced through the treetops beneath the moonlight, each one seeming to carry an air of grim resolve.
Meanwhile.
In another forest not far away, a tall figure stood atop a tree branch and spoke calmly.
"Pass it on. Order all the Sand Ninja to move out now!"
At his words, several figures beside him vanished in an instant.
A moment later, a flurry of hurried activity stirred in the forest below.
The young man on the branch glanced down at them, his expression composed. A faint trace of doubt showed in his tired-looking eyes as he murmured, "An ambush like this... can it really affect Konoha...?"
His expression remained unchanged, but his hands, folded across his chest, clenched tightly.
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"...
With such a massive force of ninja on the move, there was no avoiding making noise.
Even though the troops tried their best to move stealthily, they still made quite a racket. The forest grew all the quieter around them,