Coordination Inside and Out

The battle outside Mount Tenmoku remained fierce, but the red alert inside the base had been shut off. The harsh red light faded, the shrill buzzing stopped, and calm returned to the entire base.

The investigation team, led by three Sunagakure Jonin, first entered the Archives Room. It was spotless. No one was hiding there, and none of the documents had been lost or damaged.

Once they confirmed the room was safe, the team began a thorough search. They spread out and swept every inch around the Archives Room, checking corners, spaces above the ceiling, and even gaps in the ventilation shafts.

After several careful sweeps, the entire core area was clean. There was no trace of foreign Chakra and no unusual sound. The barrier around the Archives Room was stable and fully charged, with no sign that anyone had touched or penetrated it. Even the heavy stone door was intact.

Having confirmed that the Archives Room and its surroundings were secure, the three Jonin led the other Sand Ninja out of the area. They planned to follow the main passage and search outward, section by section, until they had eliminated any hidden threat.

The team had just left the Archives Room area and was about to begin its outward search when a thin, dark shadow flickered across the entrance to a side passage at the edge of the lead Jonin's vision.

"Who's there?!"

The shadow moved so fast that it vanished in an instant, as though someone were fleeing along the wall. The light caught its outline for only a moment before it slipped back into darkness.

Every Ninja in the team tensed. They stopped in unison and turned toward the passage entrance.

"Captain, that passage connects to the supply area. It's also one of the base's few entrances