Intelligence

The Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Palm could catch anyone off guard in close combat. By the time they realized what had happened, they had already been hit.

The Sand Shinobi Jonin fighting Hyuga Ning had underestimated the Gentle Fist. Repeated strikes to his pressure points cut off the flow of chakra through his body.

Of the two remaining Sand Shinobi Chunin, one died when Satomaru stabbed him through the heart. Shinji slit the other's throat.

"Take the bodies," Fugaku Uchiha ordered. "Nozawa, lead the way. Hyuga Ning, cover our rear. Fall back and find somewhere safe."

Hyuga Ning knocked out the Jonin he had fought. The group picked up the bodies and left the battlefield. Rain would soon wash away the blood, one of the Land of Rain's peculiarities. The tracking skills Ninja used to follow traces were far less effective here.

Ninja who relied on the noses of Summoning Beasts or trained Ninja animals were hampered in the Land of Rain too. That included Konoha's Inuzuka and the Hatake family's Ninja dogs.

The Land of Rain was mountainous, and Nozawa soon found a place to hide. At this hour, the Nations were in the thick of battle. It was unlikely anyone would find them here before nightfall.

"Memorize what these four Chunin look like," Fugaku said. "Tomorrow night, we're going to the Sunagakure Outpost. Don't give yourselves away."

"Captain, that still leaves two of us without a role," Satomaru said. "Sending all six inside is too risky. If we're exposed, none of us will make it out alive."

"We'll discuss the numbers later," Fugaku said. "First, we need the details of the Sunagakure Outpost. Yamada Shinji, Qiuze Danye, you're both skilled at Earth Release. Take the four bodies to the deepest part of the cave and bury them. Clean up every trace.

"Hyuga Ning, guard one of the Sunagakure Jonin with the others. Nozawa, come with me to interrogate the other."

"Yes, Captain." Nozawa came over, carrying an unconscious Jonin.

Deep inside the cave, Fugaku activated his Sharingan. Its three Tomoe revolved as he studied the unconscious Sunagakure Jonin's breathing and the rise and fall of his chest. The man really was unconscious. He wasn't pretending.

If a Ninja could fake it well enough to fool even the Sharingan, Fugaku would have to accept his bad luck.

"Pull his eyelids open," Fugaku said. The three Tomoe in his Sharingan spun faster as he prepared a Genjutsu.

Nozawa placed his fingers on the Jonin's eyelids and pried them apart, revealing eyes devoid of awareness.

The Genjutsu took hold.

The Sunagakure Jonin's eyes went blank.

"What's your name?"

"Black Sand."

"Tell me how you collect supplies."

"The outpost has a logistics office where supplies are requested. One Jonin and two Chunin staff it each day. The office issues proof of identity and a document stating the supplies needed. You take the document to the warehouse and hand it over to collect them."

"How is the warehouse guarded?"

"One Jonin and two Chunin."

Fugaku nodded. Sixteen Ninja were assigned to the outpost. Six guarded its three entrances, and another six staffed the logistics office and warehouse. That left two Jonin and two Chunin unassigned.

"Write down the names and distinguishing traits of all sixteen Ninja at the outpost and all six members of your squad. Include everything you know about the sixteen, and draw a map of the outpost's interior."

Fugaku kept his Sharingan fixed on the man's eyes. He would catch the slightest change.

The three Tomoe spun without pause as Fugaku poured Pupil Power through his Sharingan into the man's eyes. He did not dare let his guard down.

Jonin from every nation received some training in resisting Genjutsu. The more sensitive the Intelligence, the harder the man's subconscious would fight. If he woke, he might bite off his tongue and kill himself.

Line after line of Intelligence appeared on the Scroll. Half an hour passed before the man finished writing down the details and drawing the map.

Fugaku wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled. Maintaining a Sharingan Genjutsu for half an hour had taken a toll. Without the Pupil Power he had absorbed on several occasions, he doubted he could have held out so long.

He struck the man's neck with the edge of his hand, knocking him unconscious again. Then he and Nozawa carried the Sunagakure Jonin back to the others.

"Captain, the bodies are buried," Qiuze Danye said. "I placed a simple Sealing Jutsu over them, too. No one will find them unless they go deep into the cave and look closely."

"Good work." Fugaku handed the Intelligence Scroll to Hyuga Ning. "This is what he told us. I want all of you to memorize it. I'll rest for a while, then interrogate the second Sand Shinobi."

"Should we kill the one we've already questioned?" Shinji asked.

"Keep him alive for now," Fugaku Uchiha said. "Once we've questioned them both, we'll compare their accounts before killing them."

After resting for a while, Fugaku Uchiha took Aburame Nozawa to interrogate the other Sunagakure Jonin.

There were no significant differences between their two accounts.

"Nozawa, use your Kikaichū to check the map before we move tomorrow night," Fugaku said. "You all know how dangerous this mission is. Hyuga Ning and I will lead four Chunin into the outpost. The other two will stay outside to support us."

Satomaru opened his mouth, but Fugaku raised a hand to stop him.

"I know what you're going to say." Fugaku glanced at Satomaru. "Against an enemy force several times our size, two more people won't make much difference. The more we take in, the more chances there are to make a mistake and expose ourselves.

"Since no one else has spoken up, I'll name them. Yamada Shinji, Aburame Nozawa, you two will support us from outside. If we haven't come out by the following morning, return and report that the mission failed."

"Captain, why us?" Shinji asked urgently. "No one in the Yamada family fears death. I'd rather fall in battle than save my own skin."

Aburame Nozawa also stared intently at Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku understood how they felt. No one wanted to be the only survivor when all their teammates had died. The guilt and regret would follow them for the rest of their lives.

Kakashi was proof of that. Obito's and Rin's deaths had left him withdrawn for over a decade. It was not until the Fourth Shinobi World War, when he discovered that his friend had been alive all those years, that his guilt had eased even slightly.

Fugaku understood, but he would not change the plan.

Fugaku Uchiha looked calmly at Shinji. "I hope this is the last time anyone questions my orders.

"You and Qiuze Danye are both skilled at Earth Release, but Danye is also good at Sealing Jutsu. He'll be more useful inside. Nozawa's Kikaichū are best suited to reconnaissance. They won't be as effective in a fight where we're heavily outnumbered.

"Memorize all twenty-two people listed in the Intelligence. Once the operation begins, you cannot let the slightest thing give you away."

"Yes."

With the assignments settled, Fugaku began studying the Sunagakure Jonin he would impersonate: the Ninja he had knocked out first.

Black Sand. Sunagakure Jonin. Subordinates: Odamaru and Benasuna. Skilled in Wind Release.

Personality: cautious, observant, and generous.

As he read through the Intelligence, he rehearsed the man's speech and mannerisms in his mind.