Changes

The meeting of Kumogakure's senior officials ended amid heated discussion. Those in favor of sending troops remained the clear majority.

After all, anyone could see that Konoha had weakened overall, and Viroi's body was already in Cloud shinobi hands.

When the time came, Kumogakure could fabricate whatever evidence it needed against Konoha and claim that Konoha had deliberately killed Viroi to silence him.

In a forest in the Land of Rain, Susanoo's long blade swept through the Cloud shinobi squad. Every member was killed.

Even the Squad Leader who had dodged Amaterasu lay dead, regret still on his face.

Fugaku formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Moving Core!"

"Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction!"

After a succession of crashes, quiet returned to the forest. Only the battered trees showed that a battle had taken place.

His Sharingan swept over the scene. Finding no clues left behind, Fugaku darted back into the forest and gradually disappeared.

Fugaku had just killed the third squad, cleared the scene, and slipped into the forest when a gray hawk flew overhead.

His expression remained calm. The hawk was likely part of Kumogakure's reconnaissance, which meant his movements might have been exposed.

Wisps of black mist drifted over his body, and his figure faded into the forest.

The gray hawk circled above the forests of the Land of the Moon, occasionally letting out a piercing cry.

The Cloud shinobi squads searching below looked up. Once they recognized the hawk, they resumed their search for Fugaku Uchiha.

The hawk circled a while longer before landing at Kumogakure's base in the Land of the Moon.

A Cloud shinobi stepped forward to speak with it. The hawk was his Summoning Beast, tasked with reconnaissance and gathering intelligence.

"Captain, according to the gray hawk, two search squads have disappeared. Konoha shinobi