Following the nearly vertical rock face they had come from, Shin'un and his companions used Chakra absorption techniques to run along the rock face.
Although the torrential rain slightly slowed their progress, it did not hinder Shin'un and the others from reaching the summit.
Within minutes, Shin'un and the others had already stepped onto the mountain peak they had jumped down from.
Shin'un took a few steps forward, steadied himself, and glanced back.
After confirming that both of his teammates were safe and sound and had caught up with him, Shin'un turned around and continued walking forward.
Suddenly, a Konoha Chunin the torrential rain, ran straight towards Shin'un.
After standing still, shout loudly:
" Jonin Hirakawa, your squad's camp is over there."
Following the direction the Chunin was pointing, Shin'un indeed vaguely saw a tent that was significantly larger than the others in the pouring rain.
Shin'un wasn't too surprised to see his tent set up.
Now, he is, after all, the commander of this force of nearly a thousand men. Although his rank is not as high as that of Nara Shikahito down the mountain, he still has these privileges.
Moreover, the messenger squads that accompany the commander are responsible for helping him handle these trivial matters.
"Okay, thank you!"
Shin'un stepped forward, patted the ordinary-looking Chunin on the shoulder, and thanked him.
"Also, take inventory of all the ninjas in our team and hand the list over to the Jonin Nara of the mountain."
" The Jonin Nara will select two hundred ninjas from our team. Once you receive the list of selected ninjas, remember to inform them that they will be following the Jonin Nara's orders."
Upon hearing Shin'un's words, the Chunin immediately stood up straight and loudly replied, "Yes, sir!"
"By the way, inform everyone in the team that we will depart in four hours and head back towards the Sand Ninja Village front. Let everyone get some rest during these few hours."
"Yes!"
"Alright, go ahead." Nodding, Shin'un waved for the Chunin in front of him Chunin leave.
With a slight bow, the Chunin turned and left.
Immediately afterwards, Shin'un and his group braved the torrential rain and headed towards their squad's large tent.
Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
The torrential rain continues, and after three days of relentless downpour, the thick, dark clouds show no sign of dissipating.
Clearly, this torrential rain, a rare sight even in the Land of Rain, will continue for some time.
Beneath thick, dark clouds, impenetrable to sunlight, lay a plain that had begun to flood.
Amidst the clatter of numerous hurried footsteps Water Walking through the water, hundreds of Konoha Ninja were running rapidly across the plain.
At the very front of the group, Shin'un placed his hands behind his back and led the group forward quickly.
Suddenly, a Chunin standing next to Shin'un quickened his pace, ran to Shin'un's side, and reported loudly.
"Report, Lord Hirakawa, we're almost at the Sand Ninja Village front."
Upon hearing the Chunin's words, Shin'un nodded to indicate that he understood.
Maintaining his running pace, Shin'un paused for a few seconds, then turned his head to look behind him and said to a Jonin who was displaying his Byakugan:
" Jonin Daisuke, you will lead three reconnaissance squads to the front lines. Report back immediately upon discovering any enemy activity."
"Clear!"
Upon hearing Shin'un's words, Jonin Daisuke, closed his eyes, and Byakugan had already activated.
Then, Jonin Daisuke led the three reconnaissance squads behind him and vanished from everyone's sight in Body Flicker Technique.
Watching the three teams disappear from sight, Shin'un withdrew his gaze, quietly focusing his consciousness on refining Chakra within his body, slowly adjusting his body to a state suitable for battle.
At the same time, he took out a Senju Secret Medicine from the ninja tool pouch on his thigh and swallowed it directly.
As Shin'un swallowed the secret medicine, a warm current circulated throughout his body, making his eyes brighter and relieving some of the fatigue from three days of travel.
We're close to the front lines now, and we could encounter some unruly Sand Ninja at any moment, so it's best to get ready as soon as possible.
As a ninja, only caution can ensure longevity.
After all, you never know whether an accident or tomorrow will come first.
"Um?"
A figure appeared in the direction the group was heading, causing Shen Cloud Ninja in surprise.
Frowning, he realized that the figure belonged to Jonin Daisuke, who had just left.
Seeing the solemn expression on Jonin Daisuke's face, Shin'un knew that this Hyuga Clan Jonin must have discovered something ahead with the reconnaissance team.
"How..."
Seeing that Jonin Daisuke was gradually approaching his side, Shin'un was about to ask what had happened ahead when he was interrupted by a sudden loud noise.
"BOOM!!!"
As if affected by the loud noise, Shin'un noticed that the raindrops in the surrounding air seemed to tremble for a moment.
"This is... an explosion?"
Shin'un stopped and stood still, looking into the distance. He could vaguely make out that the loud noise was some kind of explosion, but it didn't seem to come from Explosive Tag. Instead, it seemed to be a huge airburst caused by some large-scale Wind Release Ninjutsu.
" Jonin Daisuke," Shin'un asked, looking at the Jonin Daisuke who had walked up to him.
What happened?
"Release..." Jonin Daisuke paused for a moment, then continued, "They're Sand Ninja Sand Ninja, more than twenty of them are ahead."
"And then?" Shin'un frowned and asked.
"There were more than twenty Sand Ninja in total, including one Jonin, seven Chunin, and the rest were all Genin."
After saying that, Jonin Daisuke paused for a moment, then continued:
"These Sand Ninja are fighting against our Konoha ninja."
"There are forty-two of us ninja ahead: two Jonin, eleven Chunin, and the rest are all Genin."
After speaking, Jonin Daisuke's expression turned somewhat serious.
"However, although we have a large number of ninjas, we do not have the advantage; instead, we can only passively defend."
"Also, a new type of giant Sand Ninja puppet, the kind mentioned in Lord Orochimaru's intelligence report, has appeared ahead."
"A giant puppet?" Upon hearing that a giant puppet he was curious about had appeared ahead, Shin'un immediately asked.
"What kind of puppet is it? Beast-shaped, humanoid, or fortress-shaped? How tall is it? What are its specific attack methods? Was the explosion we just heard from a giant puppet? Since we outnumber it, why are we still being suppressed? Is it because of the giant puppet?..."
Time was of the essence, and their own ninjas were fighting the enemy ahead. Shin'un took a step forward, leading hundreds of Konoha Ninja behind him as they ran, asking the Jonin Daisuke who was following behind them for advice.
"Uh..." Upon hearing the series of questions posed by Shin'un, Jonin Daisuke for a moment, organizing his thoughts in his mind before answering.
"As for its appearance, the puppet in front is clearly a tiger-shaped puppet, resembling a tiger."
"It's about ten meters tall, shorter than the over twenty-meter-tall humanoid giant puppet described in the intelligence."
"It walks on four legs, with sharp claws half a meter long at the tips of its paws, broad and thick limbs, and an unusually thick tail ending in a slender metal piece resembling a meteor hammer..."