Hearts and Minds

From atop the cliff face, kunai rained down in dense volleys. Even with the Kumogakure forces defending with all they had, plenty slipped through.

Chaos had broken out in the supply team. Dust billowed, and explosions erupted one after another among the cargo.

As the flames spread, Hatake Sakumo set fire to cart after cart of grain bound for the Land of the Moon.

His figure darted through the convoy. Flashes of his short sword cut down the shinobi guarding the supply carts.

Amid the chaos, Sakumo flickered through the dust without lingering in one place. His target had always been the supplies.

The death of Fujimura Yi, commander of Kumogakure's supply team, threw the convoy into brief disorder, but it was quickly brought under control.

Several of the supply team's captains gathered.

"Cloud shinobi, listen to my orders! Form up by squad! There aren't many Konoha shinobi attacking us. Don't panic.

"The first and second units will kill the Konoha shinobi lying in ambush on the cliff. The third and fourth will guard the supplies. The fifth and sixth will tie down Hatake Sakumo.

"Don't let a single Konoha attacker escape."

The disordered Kumogakure forces gradually fell into formation. Squad after squad rallied to resist Konoha's surprise attack.

Figures rushed up the cliff face and clashed with the Konoha shinobi lying in wait.

Konoha shinobi raced down the cliff and plunged into the supply convoy, drawing attention away from Sakumo.

One Konoha shinobi ignored the weapons coming at him from every side and burst through the encirclement. Blood poured from his wounds, staining even his outer clothes red.

He broke through the Kumogakure forces, gravely wounded in several places. Rushing to a cart loaded with grain, he detonated the explosive tags in his ninja tool pouch.

A powerful shock