Once the groups were assigned, everyone hid in the dense forest.
Yechen sensed a stifling tension. All the signs suggested that the incoming reinforcements were no ordinary force. Otherwise, the squad leader would never have resorted to delaying tactics.
That only underscored how unusual this interception mission was.
While Yechen's thoughts wandered, a commotion broke out up ahead.
Before anyone could figure out what was happening, a river of yellow sand surged rapidly toward them.
Wherever the sand river passed, the ground was swallowed up and transformed into more sand. Even the trees blocking its path were knocked askew.
At the sight, Yechen grabbed Miyuki and darted aside, leaping onto a large tree before looking ahead.
The sand river seemed determined to cut straight through the forest where they were hiding, clearing the entire area and forcing the Konoha ninja into the open.
At its source, a sturdy young Rock ninja slowly rose to his feet.
He wore a red ninja cap, had a mushroom-shaped nose, and sported long facial hair. He was none other than Kitsuchi, the son of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage.
As Kitsuchi was a well-known ninja in the shinobi world, Yechen had seen his portrait before. That mushroom-shaped nose was so distinctive that he recognized him at a glance.
Kitsuchi might not yet have been as powerful as he would be during the Fourth Shinobi World War, but now that he was over twenty, his strength was already close to elite jonin level.
The ninjutsu he had just used made that clear.
Looking at the force behind him, Yechen saw fewer than a hundred ninja, but even the weakest among them was a chunin. This was clearly an elite unit.
Yechen's expression darkened. He could already imagine how brutal the coming battle would be.
"Kill!"
There