High in the vast sky, the stars were dim, and the bright moon hid behind the clouds. Pitch-black night shrouded the land. Everything was quiet except for the crackle of wood in the campfires and the patter of rain.
Suddenly, the chunin patrolling Konoha's Front Lines camp facing Iwagakure fell one after another, their faces turning purple and white foam spilling from their mouths.
"Enemy attack!"
At last, a Jonin noticed something was wrong and let out a piercing cry. His hands immediately formed seals. "Wind Release: Thousand Faces Wind!"
The Jonin's warning jolted the sleeping Konoha ninja awake. They hurried out of their tents and formed defensive formations on their own.
Dan Katō emerged at once as well, his gaze grave as he watched a thick bank of black mist surge toward the Konoha camp from the firelit ground ahead.
"Wind-affinity ninja, use Wind Release to disperse the poison mist! Earth-affinity ninja, defend! Fire- and Water Release-affinity ninja, prepare combination ninjutsu! Attack the moment you spot an intruder!"
Dan Katō hurriedly issued orders, and the ninja around him sprang into action!
As the Konoha ninja formed ranks, a murderous tension filled the air. Every ninja stared ahead, nerves taut, ready to deal the unknown enemy a fatal blow the instant they appeared.
Dan Katō's brow furrowed deeply. Such a massive cloud of poisonous black mist clearly could not have come from Iwagakure's ninja. Could Sunagakure be attacking?
At that thought, Dan Katō gave the surrounding ninja instructions and sat cross-legged on the ground, his hands rapidly forming seals. "Spirit Transformation Technique!"
His soul immediately left his body and slowly rose into the air. After glancing down, Dan Katō wasted no more time and flew swiftly forward.
Before long, Dan Katō's soul reached Hanzō's position. "Hanzō, what are you trying