Framed Again

In Golden Valley Mountain, two intelligence officers soon appeared before the Wind Shadow and the Tsuchikage to report what had happened in the forest.

"Have you identified the attacker?"

"Wind Shadow, we're still investigating. Everyone who saw the killer is dead, and the Sand Shinobi squad sent to reinforce them was almost wiped out.

"Only three Sand Shinobi survived. Two were maimed by Explosive Tags and will likely have to retire as Ninja. The third took a blast to the chest that ruptured his internal organs. He's unconscious.

"According to the Medical Ninja, he'll need at least three days to wake up. With injuries like those, he won't be able to remain a Ninja either."

The Third Kazekage frowned. They had lost more than twenty people from two squads without even knowing who the enemy was. It was a heavy blow to the Sunagakure Shinobi's recently rising morale.

"Send fifty elite Ninja after them. Anyone who shows up in the Land of Birds at a time like this may well be a Konoha scout.

"Someone who can kill more than twenty of our Ninja must be one of Konoha's better-known fighters. Find a way to stop them.

"Send more Ninja with flying Summoning Beasts and search thoroughly. Killing a Konoha expert would weaken them before the fighting even begins."

"Yes."

"Wind Shadow, it seems Sunagakure has run into trouble."

The Third Kazekage nodded. The Iwagakure Forces were also stationed in the Land of Birds and must have seen what happened to the Sand Shinobi squad. There was no point hiding it.

"Whoever did this came looking for trouble. They may have come because the Tsuchikage and I were meeting. What I don't understand is why they didn't enter Golden Valley Mountain to disrupt it," the Wind Shadow said.

"The Lightning