Attack

In the dark forest, only the stars shed a faint light from above. The crowd gradually fell silent.

Most of the Konoha shinobi had already melted into the forest. The long, unbroken march had exhausted them.

While the enemy had yet to appear, they took the chance to rest.

After a brief stir, the forest fell quiet again. Now and then came the faint rustle of small animals moving about.

The Sealing Squad tasked with sealing the Two-Tails had been chosen from the two hundred Konoha elites. Every member was skilled in sealing.

They gathered around a fresh scroll and inscribed a Sealing Formation on it for the Two-Tails.

They had no Sealing Vessel prepared, so they had to use a scroll. Once the sealing was complete, it would be sent straight to Konoha to be sealed again.

A purpose-made vessel was far safer than a scroll, after all.

Fugaku sat cross-legged among the roots of a large tree, surrounded by weeds. Anyone who failed to look closely would never spot him.

As the sky gradually brightened, everyone adjusted their hiding places. From outside the forest, no one would have guessed that two hundred shinobi lay concealed nearby.

Ahead of them, Kikaichū from the Aburame Clan spread through the forest. Hyuga shinobi hid among the rocks and trees, keeping watch for enemy movement.

Time passed, second by second.

Fugaku slowly opened his eyes. Even from a great distance, he could sense a fleeting trace of ferocity.

It was a hint of the aura leaking from the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki because the seal within him was incomplete.

Fugaku was not a sensory-type shinobi, but he could still feel it.

Not far away, Hatake Sakumo opened his eyes as well. "Get ready," he said quietly. "The enemy's here. You take the front. I'll