I Don't Think It'll Work

Four dark figures flashed through the dense forest in quick succession.

As they neared the Sand Ninja's last known position, Sarutobi Hakuba raised a hand. The four of them stopped at once and formed a defensive formation.

"Hihi."

Sarutobi Hakuba called out, and Hyuga Hihi immediately activated his Byakugan, carefully surveying everything within a one-kilometer radius.

"I don't see any enemies," Hyuga Hihi said, shaking his head.

"We can't let our guard down. We need to sense the area every eight hundred meters. For now, let's check where the Sand Ninja were staying. We might find some other clues there," Sarutobi Hakuba said solemnly.

The other three had no objections. Before long, they reached a rocky hill covered in jagged stones.

The hill stood in the forest, barren and uneven, making it an easy place to hide.

"Hihi, check for traps." Sarutobi Hakuba studied the hill without making any rash moves.

Hyuga Hihi nodded and activated his Byakugan, looking toward the hill.

A moment later, he pulled out several shuriken and said, "Fall back."

The other three retreated with him without hesitation.

Once they had reached a safe distance, Hyuga Hihi threw the shuriken in his hand straight at different parts of the hill.

Sizzle!

Sparks burst from the hill. A moment later, explosions rang out one after another, blasting the hill to pieces.

That wasn't all. Kunai and shuriken flew in all directions amid the shattered rocks. Thin steel wires were attached to the backs of several kunai.

As the kunai shot outward, they pulled steel wires from the ground, weaving them into an irregular net that covered the hill and dozens of meters around it. Dozens of Explosive Tags were stuck to the wires.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even more violent explosions erupted. Once they died down, the four emerged from behind the trees.

The entire area before them had been devastated, and the trees had all fallen outward in a uniform pattern.

"Tsk. A chain trap like that would be hard even for a Jonin to escape if they hadn't spotted and disarmed it from the start," Sen Chisato said.

"Mm... What else?" Sarutobi Hakuba asked. The other two also turned to look at Sen Chisato.

The mission had to be carried out, of course, but they also hoped Sen Chisato would learn as much as possible along the way.

"These Sand Ninja didn't reveal themselves by accident. They wanted to lure Konoha Ninja here," Sen Chisato said. By now, he had completely settled into his identity as a Konoha Ninja.

"What would be the point?" Sarutobi Hakuba had reached the same conclusion, but what was the Sand Ninja's objective?

"I don't know," Sen Chisato said. "But we might figure it out if we find them. Too bad none of us are good at interrogation. It'd be much better if one of us were a Yamanaka Clan ninja."

At that, Sarutobi Hakuba felt his mind go blank.

He thought Sen Chisato was taking a jab at him, so he said irritably, "Let's talk after we find them. Hihi, have you picked up their trail?"

Hyuga Hihi swept his Byakugan over the surroundings, then finally shook his head. "No."

"What a pain," Sarutobi Hakuba cursed.

"Let me try," Sen Chisato said, squatting down.

Hyuga Hihi frowned. "My Byakugan can see everything within a kilometer."

He felt that Sen Chisato didn't understand the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga Clan were Konoha's best sensory ninjas, after all.

"Every kind of sensory ninjutsu has its own strengths. For example, the Hyuga's Byakugan can see everything within a kilometer, making it best for a direct assault. The Inuzuka Clan excel at tracking, and the Aburame Clan's insects are the best at sensing subtle changes in chakra. As for me..."

Sen Chisato closed his eyes and pressed a finger to the ground. "My sensing range is wider than yours!"

He released his sensory ninjutsu. Chakra fluctuations within a five-kilometer radius entered his mind. After carefully filtering them and ignoring the chakra at Konoha's various outposts, Sen Chisato finally pinpointed three locations.

Several chakra signatures emanated from each of them, and none were within the boundaries of Konoha outposts marked on the map.

"Found them. There are three suspicious locations."

Sen Chisato opened his eyes and pointed in one direction. "This way is the closest."

Everyone stared at him in surprise, but no one questioned him.

"Then we'll check this spot first. Prepare for battle. Move out!" Sarutobi Hakuba said decisively.

The four set off again.

Although the target was close, the enemy might have set traps, so they proceeded carefully. It took them several minutes to reach the area.

Hundreds of meters away, the four stopped again.

"This distance should do. They might have a sensory ninja with them. If we get too close, we'll give ourselves away."

Sarutobi Hakuba's expression was grave. He turned and said quietly, "Hihi, confirm their exact location."

"Yes."

Hyuga Hihi activated his Byakugan. Everything within his field of vision turned transparent.

"Found them!"

Everyone tensed and instinctively looked at Sen Chisato.

This kid really was something.

Then they looked at Hyuga Hihi, especially Sarutobi Hakuba.

Sen Chisato's earlier remark hadn't been aimed at him after all...

Hyuga Hihi noticed their looks. The veins bulging around his eyes after activating his Byakugan now looked even more prominent.

But his expression remained unchanged, and he didn't let his emotions get the better of him. Pointing at the low hill ahead, he said, "Confirmed: they're Sand Ninja. There are seven of them. Two have chakra levels on par with a Jonin. They're all beneath the hill, and there are no sentries around it."

"Two Jonin, huh? That's a bit of a problem." Sarutobi Hakuba's expression darkened.

Their individual fighting strength was greater, and all four of them were Jonin-level, but they were badly outnumbered.

If they fought, the enemy could tie them down and let some of their people escape.

After considering it, Sarutobi Hakuba turned to Sen Chisato. "Kid, go back and report what's happening here, then bring reinforcements. If these people dared to infiltrate this far, they must have a special mission. We can't let a single one get away!"

Sen Chisato didn't move right away. Instead, he asked, "What if they make a move after I leave?"

"What are you getting at?" Sarutobi Hakuba asked.

He could tell the kid had another idea in mind.

"I think we should just make our move and wipe them all out!" Sen Chisato said eagerly.

Sarutobi Hakuba frowned and said in a low voice, "No! Never mind whether we can pull it off—we need to get information from them."

"We can get it from the dead, can't we? We have the Yamanaka Clan," Sen Chisato said dismissively.

Sarutobi Hakuba's expression darkened. "Follow orders, kid. This isn't a game!"

He felt the kid was taking another jab at him. That was one thing, but more importantly, he didn't want to take the risk.

"I really think we should give it a try," Sen Chisato said earnestly.

The Sand Ninja had picked an excellent hiding place.

Hiding beneath the hill lowered the chance of being spotted, but it also made it harder for them to escape.

If they didn't bury the whole lot of them, they'd be doing a disservice to the personal gift they'd delivered right to their door.

Sarutobi Hakuba was about to say something when Maruboshi Kosuke, who had been silent until now, chuckled. "Actually, Senri is right. Our chances of success are pretty good. I'm better at Water Style, but I know a little Earth Release too."

Sarutobi Hakuba closed his eyes and thought it over carefully.

Sen Chisato knew Earth Release, and Maruboshi Kosuke and he did too. If the three of them launched a surprise attack, they might be able to wipe out the Sand Ninja before they could react. Even if any escaped, Hyuga Hihi could stop them.

Taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, "Maruboshi Kosuke, stay here. The kid and I will circle around on opposite sides. We move in one minute. Sink the hill directly! Hihi, stay hidden and make sure no one slips through."

"Move out!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sen Chisato and Sarutobi Hakuba used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished like a pair of afterimages.