Sudden Attack

The entire group advanced in silence. The fifty-man force had been systematically cut down by Fugaku Uchiha, who killed over a dozen of them single-handedly, leaving them with no choice but to flee in disarray; indeed, there was nothing left to say.

The pride that once belonged to Cloud shinobi was wiped out after this battle, replaced only by deep humiliation and a resolute desire for revenge.

Trailing at the very rear, Fugaku continuously observed the state of these Cloud shinobi. The sky gradually grew pale with the first light of dawn, and leaping past the forest before them revealed a vast open clearing.

A small Cloud shinobi camp stood within the clearing, with quite a few ninja stationed inside.

Several captains re-divided the troops into tents and headed straight to the command headquarters to report the situation.

The ninja whom Fugaku had transformed into was named Jue Kawasaki, a Cloud Chunin. Returning to his tent, he went straight to bed and rested, perfectly playing the part of a Cloud shinobi who had endured combat, run all night, and was utterly exhausted.

He knew very little about Jue Kawasaki's background. The reason he had gone all the way without exposing any flaws was primarily because these Cloud shinobi had already been somewhat terrified by the reputation of Fugaku Uchiha.

Everyone displayed varying degrees of composure loss. Coupled with the dim light of dawn, which made it impossible to see specific details clearly, no one noticed that Jue Kawasaki had been replaced.

If he waited until broad daylight to wander around the camp, he ran a high risk of exposure. Coincidentally, having run all night, he was also somewhat tired and could use the time to rest here.

By morning, the sound of the camp assembling rang out, and a large