The azure glow of Divine Foot Talismans tore through the darkness before dawn. Fifteen hundred figures became streaking beams of light, following the white figure leading them from the front. Like an invisible greatsword, they drove fiercely toward the Land of Lightning.
The wind shrieked sharply past their ears as mountains and rivers rushed backward beneath their feet, blurring into flowing swaths of color.
Neji's mind was like the most precise instrument. Through the Primordial Bagua Diagram suspended within his Sea of Consciousness, he connected perfectly with the Spirit Board system, bringing every detail of the massive force under his control.
A vast current of consciousness surged through the network constructed by the Spirit Board—cold, precise, and without the slightest delay.
'Vanguard squad, shift three degrees to the left. Avoid the swamp three li ahead.'
'Third Earth Release unit, erect a small Earth-Style Rampart five hundred meters east of the current coordinates. Mark it as temporary rest point seven.'
'Wind Release sensory unit, intensify scans of the fan-shaped area to the right front. Abnormal energy readings have increased by five percent.'
The orders were not barked out harshly. They were like the gentlest threads of rain, falling directly into the depths of the designated shinobi's minds.
There was no confusion and no hesitation. The named units adjusted instantly, meshing together like precision gears.
Within a few breaths, the muddy terrain that would originally have required half a day to detour around had been replaced by a temporary path hardened with Earth Release.
The faint energy fluctuations reported by the Wind Release sensory unit were confirmed to be a herd of startled thunder beasts. The message that the threat had been cleared soothed the taut nerves of several nearby squads at the same time.
With the sun high overhead, the force