Heading to the battlefield

The Third Unit headed toward the battlefield, following the objectives laid out beforehand. Although this was the first deployment of a ninja force like this, every member was an outstanding ninja who had proven themselves. At least on the surface, they moved in orderly ranks, advancing without a word or a pause.

Even without testing it in actual combat, Senju Toka knew that warfare now could no longer be conducted as it had been during the clan conflicts. Tobirama had discussed with her many times what methods Konoha Ninja Village should employ if war broke out. They had drawn up several plans, and now it was time to put them to the test.

As the unit commander, Senju Toka felt an immense weight on her shoulders. They might have devised battle plans, but she had no idea how those plans would work in practice.

Regardless, she had to press forward and do everything she could to halt the Kumogakure Ninja force's advance and fulfill the Third Unit's mission—contain the enemy force and drive it toward the main Kumogakure army, giving the Land of Fire Samurai Legion time to regroup.

Considering that the Third Division lacked fighting strength, and that she herself specialized in Genjutsu, Senju Toka had largely settled on her approach: use Genjutsu to confuse the enemy, while the unit's small contingent of combat personnel struck at them.

Although she did not know what route the enemy would take, Senju Toka was certain that ninja skilled at operating in secret would never use the main roads. That went against the principle of concealing their movements. Even a large ninja force would not do so; they would most likely split into small squads and regroup near their objective.

Thus, Senju Toka also divided the Third Unit into several squads. With her own squad at the center, the others spread out in a fan formation while maintaining a set distance. The ninja from the Hyuga, Aburame, and Tsuka Family in each squad would scout the area and immediately send back intelligence upon discovering any trace of the enemy.

Although Kazemori Masaki did not possess an exclusive Secret Technique like those clans, his Sage Art offered its own unique means of perception. Previously, he had been unable to sense other people, but after training, he could now do so.

As they gradually approached the area Tobirama and the others had predicted, Kazemori Masaki sensed other people nearby. There were far more than one or two. Though dispersed, they remained within a certain distance of one another. A group of this size could only be the Kumogakure Ninja force.

At the same time, reports came in from the other squads, allowing Senju Toka to determine the enemy force's approximate position. There were roughly two hundred enemy ninja, seemingly fewer than the Third Unit. But judging by their surprise-attack tactics, those two hundred were likely elites with exceptional fighting strength. The Third Unit lacked the ability to face them head-on.

"I don't think anything more needs to be said. Follow the plan we agreed on," Senju Toka told each squad leader. "Kill anyone you can, but don't make a sound and alert the others. If you can't kill them, focus on keeping them occupied. All you need to do is hold them up. Delay their discovery of us as long as possible. If you understand, go."

The other squads departed with their orders, while Senju Toka prepared to lead her own squad into battle. Kazemori Masaki and Satomi had served under her before, so naturally they were part of her squad this time as well. Danzo, another of Tobirama's students, had also been transferred in. Their assigned scout was Hyuga Qi, who had once belonged to the same squad as Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu and had also been assigned to the Third Unit.

Senju Toka's squad would have Hyuga Qi locate the enemy first, then have Senju Toka cast a powerful Genjutsu. Kazemori Masaki, Satomi, Danzo, and the other members would then move in for the kill. It was a very simple battle plan.

The group slipped into the forest, and Hyuga Qi immediately activated his Byakugan. Veins bulged beside his eyes, and in an instant, his surroundings entered his field of observation. As a member of the branch family, he had a small blind spot, but it was so small that it generally posed no hindrance.

The Byakugan had a range of one kilometer, so Hyuga Qi spotted the Kumogakure Ninja ahead well in advance and quietly informed Senju Toka. She nodded. "Good. Everyone else, get ready. We're engaging now."

Senju Toka's skill with Genjutsu was enough to astonish even Kagami Uchiha. Those who had never witnessed it before now truly grasped their commander's strength.

The first to appear was a five-man squad. Every member had brown skin and a powerful build. Just looking at them, one could sense the tremendous strength contained in their bodies. To a Genjutsu specialist, however, that was not what mattered most.

The Kumogakure squad leader was advancing toward their objective. Time was paramount in their surprise-attack tactics. They could not afford to slacken for even a second; they had to advance at full speed.

As he ran, the Kumogakure Captain suddenly sensed that something was wrong. His instincts as a ninja warned him of danger. He quickly scanned his surroundings but found nothing unusual.

"Captain, what's wrong?" one of the men behind him asked.

"I don't know, but it feels like something..." Although the captain had found nothing, his vigilance as a ninja was exceptionally keen. He ordered the others to stop and prepare to send a signal to alert the force immediately if anything unusual occurred.

After waiting a while, the captain still found nothing. The other squad members grew anxious. If they fell behind schedule, they would be punished upon their return. They hurriedly urged him to get moving if he had not found anything.

The captain fell silent for a moment, then nodded. Just as he was about to set off, he suddenly saw a figure flash between the trees. Though he had caught only a fleeting glimpse, he was certain the figure was dressed for ninja operations. His heart jolted. Had ninja from Konoha Shinobi Village arrived?

Although he could not be sure the person he had seen belonged to Konoha Ninja Village, their appearance was clearly abnormal. Moreover, the captain was under considerable pressure during this surprise attack. Whether the stranger was an enemy or not, he decided to treat them as one.

"Send the signal!" the captain hastily shouted to the men behind him, keeping watch on his surroundings as he spoke.

Yet he heard no signal flare launch. Puzzled, he looked back, only to find no one behind him. In those few brief moments, his squad members had vanished.

Startled, the captain swiftly looked around. Densely packed trees stood before him, seemingly without end. The scene had looked the same before, but now everything about it seemed wrong.

Had I unknowingly fallen victim to the enemy's ninjutsu? If so, it could only be Genjutsu.

The captain immediately formed the hand seal to dispel Genjutsu. Yet everything around him remained unchanged. Fear welled up inside him. Just how powerful was this Genjutsu...?

Before he could think any further, his vision suddenly began to sway and slowly blurred. Dizziness swept over him. Unable to utter a word, he lost consciousness.

"Nicely done," Senju Toka praised softly.

The five members of the squad now lay on the ground, no longer breathing. Each bore only a single wound. Trapped in Genjutsu, they had all been killed without offering any resistance.

Kazemori Masaki and the others had not expected it to be so easy. All they could say was that Senju Toka's Genjutsu was terrifyingly powerful. She truly lived up to her reputation as a ninja capable of competing with members of the Uchiha Clan in Genjutsu.

"Keep this up, but don't assume everything that follows will be easy," Senju Toka said. "The stronger a ninja is, the less Genjutsu will affect them. There's no guarantee they'll fall under it at all. In short, stay careful."

"Understood."

The group set off again. Despite Senju Toka's warning, none of the enemies they encountered so far could withstand her Genjutsu. Some failed to react at all, while others managed a slight response, but all were killed before they could pass on any information.

Senju Toka's squad encountered no problems, but the other squads drew the Kumogakure Ninja's attention. At last, the Kumogakure force discovered that Konoha ninja had arrived.

Upon realizing this, they immediately reorganized and prepared to counterattack. This time, the Konoha and Kumogakure Ninja would truly begin to clash.

(End of chapter)