Sunagakure Spies

Shinku hid in the shadows of the treetops. Under cover of night, his body nearly blended into the darkness around him.

His shadow clone had already been destroyed by Gama's Wind Release, but that was part of his plan—to draw the enemy's attention, create confusion, and give his real body a chance to find an opening.

He knew a head-on fight against an elite Sunagakure squad was a poor choice.

Sunagakure ninja favored control and drawn-out battles. Gama's combination of Sand Release and Wind Release, paired with a puppet master's precise strikes, would trouble any opponent.

"I have to find their weakness..."

Shinku murmured to himself, his gaze moving between Gama and the other two.

He had little Chakra left. The Great Fireball and Shadow Clone Technique had already drained much of his strength, and his supply of Explosive Tags was nearly exhausted.

He needed to find an opening and turn the battle around before his Chakra ran out.

Suddenly, an almost imperceptible ripple of Chakra came from his left.

Shinku's pupils contracted. He recognized the subtle sign of a puppet master controlling his puppet.

Without hesitation, he formed hand seals and said under his breath, "Hell Viewing Technique!"

For an instant, the air seemed to freeze. A haze passed over the puppet master's eyes.

His puppet had been poised to strike from the side, but it stopped in midair, its strings twitching erratically.

Shinku's genjutsu slipped silently into his senses, trapping him briefly in a false vision. The forest around him became an endless desert, and waves of scorching sand surged toward him and swallowed him whole.

"Not good!"

Gama sensed something wrong with his companion and whipped his head around. The puppet master stood motionless, his eyes vacant.

Realizing Shinku's genjutsu had taken hold, Gama gritted his teeth