A few days later.
Four in the morning.
The night was at its darkest, and all was silent.
At the border of the Land of Wind stood a forward outpost codenamed "Eye of the Scorpion."
Atop the towering watchtower, two sand ninja leaned against each other, half-asleep.
"Hey, how much longer do you think... we'll have to stay here?" one young ninja asked with a yawn.
"Who knows?" The older one shrugged helplessly. "Ever since the Third Shinobi War ended, there hasn't been a single battle here for nearly ten years. It's even more boring than guarding the gates back in the village."
"Exactly. You can't even see a rat..."
The young ninja did not finish his sentence.
Pfft!
A nearly inaudible sound rang out.
A black kunai shot precisely into his open mouth and pierced through the back of his skull.
The expression on his face instantly froze, and his body crumpled limply to the ground.
"Enemy—"
The older ninja's pupils suddenly contracted as he opened his mouth to sound the alarm.
A nimble figure had already appeared before him.
Scarlet Three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spun in the darkness.
"Illusion Technique: Descent into Darkness."
A cold voice sounded beside his ear.
The older ninja's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes instantly turning vacant. As if he had witnessed something utterly terrifying, he collapsed soundlessly to the ground.
Below the outpost.
Dozens of dark figures, like ghosts blended into the night, silently infiltrated every corner of the outpost.
At their head was Uchiha Kenji.
Behind him followed the Uchiha Twelve Guards, along with more than a hundred carefully selected elites.
A member of the Hyuga Clan gave Uchiha Kenji a hand signal.
"The Byakugan sweep is complete. There are thirty-eight people in the outpost. Thirty-two are asleep, and all six guards have