After the crisis at the Medical Station had been resolved, Riyue returned to the Logistics Department and continued managing the warehouse. Another half a month passed. One day, Riyue arrived at the Logistics Department as usual and saw his teacher, Dan Katō.
"Teacher Dan Katō!" Riyue greeted him.
"Riyue, you're here." Dan Katō smiled and waved.
"Teacher, what brings you here?" Riyue asked.
"Yesterday, Shikaku and the others and I raided a small enemy supply point. We came away with quite a haul. I just got back to report in, and now I have to go on an important mission with Lady Tsunade, so I'm here to pick up some special equipment."
"Oh, you're going on a mission with Lady Tsunade? Teacher, did you confess your feelings?" Riyue chuckled, wearing an expression that said, "You know what I mean."
Dan Katō's face immediately reddened. He smiled awkwardly. "Ahem, Lady Tsunade and I are just friends for now. Uh... do you have a Water Source Detector?"
"We do. I'll go get one." Riyue went into the warehouse and soon emerged with a device that looked like a compass, except that two parallel, upright pointers shaped like "┌" were attached to it.
"Here you go, Teacher Dan. Just sign here." Riyue pointed to the register.
Dan Katō signed his name and handed the register back to Riyue. "I'm off. I'm heading to the battlefield this time. See you next time, Riyue!"
"Goodbye, Teacher." Riyue waved.
"Dan Katō and Tsunade are going on a mission together? To the battlefield?" Riyue pondered, his brows slowly knitting together...
Tsunade sat in a tent, studying a map. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio and several jonin stood nearby.
"So if we follow the underground river, we'll find a forest oasis. That's where Hidden Sand's main supply depot is?"
"Yes! That's what I gathered from the memories I read in the prisoner's mind." Inoichi nodded.
"Our raid on the small supply point paid off. We even uncovered such important intelligence," Shikaku added.
"The Intelligence Division analyzed the information and confirmed that the memories were genuine, not fabricated," a jonin from the Intelligence Division added.
Dan Katō had led a team in an attack on a small Hidden Sand supply point. While searching the memories of a Hidden Sand prisoner, Inoichi Yamanaka had discovered the exact location of the main supply depot.
Much of the Land of Wind was an endless desert, making supply transport extremely difficult. Hidden Sand must have needed a massive depot to store supplies and ease the strain on its logistics. Otherwise, most of its water and food would be used up during the long journey.
If the main supply depot fell, Hidden Sand would lose the war!
So they had promptly reported the matter to Tsunade, who immediately decided to personally lead a squad on a surprise attack against the main supply depot. She had just been confirming its location on the map with Inoichi.
"Good! How are preparations for the Special Operations Team?" Tsunade nodded.
"Teacher Dan has gone to prepare," Choza replied.
"Excellent! The moment the team is ready, we'll set out and attack Hidden Sand's main supply depot!" Tsunade nodded. "You've all worked hard. I'll take it from here."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!" The three took their leave.
A short while later, Dan Katō entered the tent with nine people. They were all Konoha elite jonin, far stronger than ordinary jonin.
"Lady Tsunade, we're ready! Leave this mission to us. You should stay here and oversee the camp," Dan Katō urged.
Tsunade shook her head. "This mission is too important to risk failure."
She rose to her feet and swept her arm forward. "Then let's move out! Our target: destroy Hidden Sand's main supply depot!" Everyone followed Tsunade out of the camp at once. (BGM: Shippuden, Yasuharu Takanashi)
The eleven-person squad entered the desert, quietly crossing the front lines and reaching Hidden Sand-controlled territory. Using the detector, they soon found the underground river deep in the sandstorm-swept desert, then followed it toward the forest oasis. No one spotted the elite squad along the way. The weather was unusually hot that day, and dark storm clouds loomed across the distant sky.
"Yes, this must be the place. There are suddenly a lot more Sand Shinobi in this area," said the jonin using the Byakugan after observing the forest for a long time.
"There are six Hidden Sand sentries 300 meters ahead. Judging by their chakra, two are jonin. Another eight shinobi are patrolling in the open 800 meters away. I can't see any farther," the Byakugan-wielding elite jonin reported after carefully scouting the area.
"I'll quietly take out the sentries. Cover my body. Spirit Transformation Technique!" Dan Katō said, rapidly forming Hand Seals. A translucent version of himself slipped free of his body, surrounded by faint white light and enclosed in a halo.
Dan Katō's spirit shot away at once, tracing a bright arc as it silently darted through the trees. Using the trees for cover, he quickly circled behind the sentries.
With blinding speed, he passed through the body of the jonin concealed in the last thicket. The jonin's soul was struck down, and he slumped face-first into the bushes.
"One down!" Dan Katō's spirit flashed onward.
The Chunin hiding in a nearby tree felt Dan Katō's hand sweep across his throat.
"Two!"
As the Chunin fell, his body brushed against the branches, making them rustle. A Hidden Sand jonin nearby turned around, eyes wide and mouth open as he was about to shout. Dan Katō flashed in, his body glowing white, and plunged into the jonin without hesitation, successfully possessing him!
"Third!"
Another Hidden Sand shinobi nearby heard the noise and quietly called over, "Hey, what's going on? Is something wrong?"
The possessed shinobi paused, then gestured to his comrade that there seemed to be something ahead. The Hidden Sand shinobi looked in the direction he indicated.
"I don't see anything happening. What are you—" His comrade turned around, only for a hand to cover his mouth. A kunai plunged straight into his own chest.
"Fourth!"
Dan Katō then controlled the possessed jonin and ran toward the two people at the front.
"Boss? What happened? Why did you leave your post?" The two Hidden Sand shinobi stared at the jonin rushing toward them.
"I spotted something unusual up ahead. Hurry! Come with me!" The jonin glanced at them and spoke sternly.
The two Chunin didn't suspect a thing. They leaped after the jonin into a nearby patch of woods. Everything fell silent... A short while later, the Hidden Sand jonin emerged alone.
"Fifth and sixth."
Dan Katō's spirit left the possessed jonin. The man's soul had died along with the others.
"All taken care of!" Dan Katō's spirit flashed and returned to his body.
"The sentries are down!" Dan Katō opened his eyes and told the others.
"Move in! Take out the patrol!" Tsunade signaled to her teammates. The eleven elite jonin quickly crept up beside the Hidden Sand patrol. The eight men hadn't noticed a thing.
Tsunade waved her hand. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" All eight patrolling shinobi were killed at once. Tsunade hadn't used her Strength Enhancement Technique. Instead, she'd used poison-coated kunai. The Hidden Sand shinobi hadn't known what hit them before they died.
After quietly eliminating the outer sentries, the Konoha team reached the supply depot. Tsunade's squad quickly drew up an attack plan.
"The main supply depot is heavily guarded: eighteen jonin, sixty-eight Chunin, and a large number of Genin." The Byakugan-wielding elite jonin checked again with his Byakugan.
"Tsunade, you draw the enemy's attention with a surprise attack. I'll use the Spirit Transformation Technique to possess one of them, then take the chance to destroy the depot. What do you think?" Dan Katō suggested.
"Good. Everyone, launch the attack and draw their attention!" Tsunade nodded.
"Summoning Technique!" A Konoha jonin with a long sword on his back and a headscarf slapped one hand against the ground, summoning a Ninja Dog wearing a Konoha Forehead Protector.
"I'll have the Ninja Dog sneak underground and deliver all the Explosive Tags inside. Dan, once you possess someone and get the tags, blow up all the supplies." The long-sword-wielding jonin strapped a large bundle of Explosive Tags, prepared in advance, to the Ninja Dog's back. The dog immediately burrowed underground.
Tsunade patted the Byakugan-wielding jonin. "You guard our escape route and stay alert. Also, protect Dan's body. If anything goes wrong, signal us immediately and retreat! Is that clear?"
"Understood!" everyone replied in low voices.
"Then let's move!"
Tsunade directed the team to split up. Dan Katō's spirit crept forward. There were four wide, sturdy, dome-shaped warehouses built from sand. Three teams of shinobi guarded the entrances, while others watched over the surrounding area and the interiors.
A Sand Shinobi was standing guard outside one of the warehouses. Dan Katō reacted instantly and rushed at him. The guard turned around, but before he could react, Dan Katō had already possessed him.
"Attack!" Tsunade ordered, and the Konoha elite jonin immediately charged forward. Tsunade and six others attacked the main entrance, while two more launched an assault from the side. The Byakugan-wielding jonin kept watch.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!" Tsunade charged out, leaped high, and brought her foot down on the middle of a group of enemies guarding the exterior. Boom! The ground split apart, leaving a huge crater. Rocks flew and dust billowed as the entire terrain of the clearing was reshaped.
Several Hidden Sand Chunin failed to dodge in time. The force slammed into them, and they were sent flying, spitting blood. The ground shook, throwing the Sand Shinobi nearby off balance. Tsunade seized the moment, leaped into the air, and charged at a Hidden Sand jonin with a punch.
The jonin hurriedly crossed his arms in front of him to defend himself. "Ha!" Tsunade's ferocious punch struck his guard, sending a wave of force rippling outward. Crack! The Hidden Sand jonin's arms were instantly shattered, and his face caved in. He flew away like a cannonball, getting a free ride through the air. He was already dead before he hit the ground.
"Enemy attack!" The remaining Hidden Sand shinobi reacted and quickly attacked Tsunade and her team.
"Protect the warehouses!" More guards rushed over and blocked the Konoha shinobi.
"Attack!" The six people behind Tsunade launched their assault too.
"Lightning Style: Earth Flash!" "Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!" "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!" "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!" "Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"...
Boom! Boom! Bang! The Konoha jonin unleashed a barrage of jutsu that exploded among the Hidden Sand shinobi. Then they charged into the fray, while the flank attack began at the same time.
"Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!" The Konoha jonin with the long sword on his back drew his blade in a flash and used Konoha's sword technique. Three clones attacked two enemies at once. As the enemies scrambled to defend themselves, the jonin's real body appeared beside them.
A flash of steel! Whoosh! His blade swept through like lightning, killing them both instantly.
Dan Katō controlled the enemy he had possessed and quickly retrieved the bundle of Explosive Tags delivered by the Ninja Dog from an inconspicuous corner. Taking advantage of the chaos at the supply depot, he slipped through the warehouse entrance. Inside, row upon row of shelves held boxes, and the place was enormous.
"A-Ming! Konoha's attacking us! Get over here and help!" a Sand Shinobi called to the man possessed by Dan Katō.
"Damn! I ran into a Hidden Sand shinobi." Dan Katō's heart tightened.
"A-Ming! What are you standing around for?" The Sand Shinobi ran over and shouted at the shinobi Dan Katō had possessed.
"Someone just came in! I'm going to check!" "A-Ming" shouted, suddenly running deeper into the warehouse.
"An enemy? Let's go see!" The Sand Shinobi hurried after "A-Ming" into the warehouse.
They ran to the far end. "There's no enemy in here. A-Ming, you..." The Hidden Sand shinobi spoke in confusion, but a kunai had already sliced across his throat. Blood gushed out as he clutched his neck and fell to the ground.
"I'm the enemy who came in!" "A-Ming" glanced at the fallen Sand Shinobi, quickly took out the Explosive Tags, and moved through the shelves, sticking them everywhere.
"Lady Tsunade, there are too many enemies. We can't hold out much longer," one of the jonin beside her said. The Hidden Sand shinobi had blocked the Konoha attack, then launched a frenzied, reckless counterattack. They kept attacking with poisoned weapons and striking back with all kinds of jutsu, while trying to surround and divide the Konoha shinobi. One Konoha elite jonin had advanced too far and was surrounded by more than ten enemies. Outnumbered, he was killed in battle. The others had also suffered various injuries.
"Hold on a little longer! We'll be able to withdraw soon!" Tsunade shouted. She had suffered a minor injury too. Turning around, she punched an enemy rushing at her and sent him flying, but several more Hidden Sand shinobi charged in.
The shinobi controlled by Dan Katō darted between the shelves. He had finished placing the Explosive Tags.
"Done! I'm almost out of chakra, too!" Dan Katō immediately left A-Ming's body. A-Ming fell to the ground, already dead.
"Detonate!" Dan Katō formed a seal and set off more than a thousand Explosive Tags. His spirit flashed back into his body.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Rumble... The Explosive Tags went off in a chain reaction, blasting crates apart. The shockwave blew the warehouse roof away, leaving everything in ruins. The Hidden Sand shinobi fled in panic amid the explosions.
"Success! Retreat!" Tsunade shouted, leading the remaining seven people toward Dan Katō. The Byakugan-wielding jonin had also seen the warehouse explode. Excited, he patted Dan Katō on the shoulder.
"Whew, we did it!" Dan Katō smiled, his body weak with exhaustion. The chakra required to detonate a single Explosive Tag was negligible, but setting off more than a thousand had taken a heavy toll. Dan Katō's chakra was nearly depleted, and he couldn't use the Spirit Transformation Technique now.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Dan Katō's feet shuddered. Golden sand flecked with tiny points of light surged up from below. It was an ore rich in gold and heavy metals—Gold Dust. The golden Gold Dust shot upward and swirled toward the two of them.
"Watch out!" The Byakugan-wielding jonin shoved Dan Katō away, but the Gold Dust seized the chance to wrap around all four of his limbs.
"Damn it! What's going on?" The Byakugan-wielding jonin couldn't move.
"Magnet Style: Sand Gold Binding Coffin!" A person stood on a distant branch, arms folded and face expressionless as he watched Dan Katō and the others. The Gold Dust quickly encased the elite jonin with the Byakugan.
He extended a hand toward the Gold Dust from a distance and clenched it hard.
"Magnet Style: Sand Gold Funeral!" The Gold Dust suddenly compressed. Immense pressure bore down on the Byakugan-wielding jonin, threatening to crush him to pieces.
"Ah! Help me!" Dense chakra poured from every point on the Byakugan-wielding jonin's body as he struggled with all his might against the crushing Gold Dust. Dan Katō took the opportunity to cut at the Gold Dust with a kunai. He was almost free.
"Hmph! You're both going to die!" The man raised his hand. Another mass of Gold Dust floated up and swiftly formed a massive spiral-shaped spear above the Byakugan-wielding jonin's head.
"Run! Forget about me!" The Byakugan-wielding jonin used the last of his strength to shove Dan Katō away.
"Magnet Style: Spiral Gold Spear Strike!" The man casually flicked his hand downward. The Gold Dust spear spun rapidly and plunged from above into the Gold Dust binding the jonin, piercing through the jonin and the mass of sand together. Blood sprayed, staining the Gold Dust red.
"Damn it!" Tsunade and the others rushed over from nearby, but they were too late.
"Tsunade! This is where you'll meet your end!" Chiyo, Ebizo, and another shinobi carrying a giant fan landed on the treetops. Along with the shinobi who controlled the Gold Dust, there were four of them from Hidden Sand, looking down at Tsunade and her eight companions. More Hidden Sand shinobi were approaching in the distance.
"Here, I'm king! Magnet Style: Gold Dust Tidal Wave!"
The shinobi controlling the Gold Dust pressed his palms together, rapidly draining the chakra from his body. Gold Dust surged from the ground all around them. But that wasn't all. The walls of the sand-built warehouses and the crates inside were all made of Gold Dust, too!
Streams of Gold Dust burst out everywhere and gathered together. A vast flood of flowing Gold Dust churned like ocean waves, forming a massive sandstorm that surged toward the Konoha shinobi. Then a huge quicksand vortex opened in the ground.
The nearby trees were uprooted by the Gold Dust and swept into the vortex. Everything that stood in the way of the Gold Dust flood was swept away and swallowed. In an instant, a vast stretch of forest had become a sea of Gold Dust. The landscape for miles around had changed. The Konoha shinobi had nowhere to escape. The ground trembled beneath their feet as the Gold Dust waves were about to sweep them away.
"Not good!" Tsunade and the others leaped to dodge, but successive waves of Gold Dust knocked them back down. When they landed, the Gold Dust surrounded them completely. In an instant, they were swallowed up and buried beneath tons of Gold Dust. Chiyo and the others stood on a floating mass of Gold Dust and watched, sneering coldly.
The Gold Dust-wielding shinobi bent over and pressed both palms against the Gold Dust.
"Die, all of you! Magnet Style: Gold Sand Grand Funeral!"
Before you continue