The premise was clear:
Because of Root, the enemy definitely knew that Hyūga Yu was in Team 10. Furthermore, the enemy was unaware that the convoy carrying the Explosive Tags was a decoy.
Thus, Yu's plan was to destroy the fake convoy right under the enemy's nose. Once the Kirigakure surprise attack force lost their primary bait, they would immediately shift their focus to the secondary target.
By doing so, he would draw all the enemy's fire toward himself.
Before this, he had prepared a smoke bomb to signal Team 10 to "rescue him." This was a calculated move to ensure that when the enemy focused their attention on the decoy convoy, Team 10 would already be clear of the danger zone.
The plan wasn't overly complex; the difficulty lay in the timing. However, for Hyūga Yu, who possessed detailed intelligence, this wasn't an issue.
Yet, as he implemented the first phase of this plan, an unexpected variable emerged. Despite the Third Shinobi World War dragging on for nearly three years and resources being at an all-time low, Konohagakure had actually managed to send a staggering 200,000 Explosive Tags to the Mist front.
At that moment, roughly 10 kilometers away from the explosion site in the Forest of Crows, two ninjas from the Inuzuka Clan were talking.
"I really didn't expect the village to actually pull together the supplies the front line needed."
"Tell me about it. I heard the Interrogation Force captured a spy from Kagerō Village hiding in the Leaf. They tortured the locations of Explosive Tags hidden all over the village out of him. It took a lot of effort to collect them all."
"Kagerō Village?"
"It's a ninja village that Konoha wiped out during the Second Shinobi World War. A survivor named Gennō infiltrated the village and planted tags everywhere, planning to blow Konoha sky-high in one go."
"But it wasn't actually Konoha that destroyed Kagerō back then—it was Takigakure. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, the village made a deal with him. They dropped the warrants and the pursuit in exchange for this stockpile of supplies."
"That's... quite a story. Honestly, transporting this stuff has me on edge. I really hope this war ends soon—"
The Inuzuka ninja patted the massive scroll strapped to his back. He stopped mid-sentence, his heart suddenly leaping into his throat. "Kuromaru is dead!"
"Wait, the convoy is under attack!"
"What's going on over there?" The other Inuzuka ninja froze. But almost immediately, a blinding flash of light erupted from the front. His expression shifted violently as he barked in horror:
"The Explosive Tag scrolls over there have been detonated! Quick, we need to move now!"
7:33 AM.
Ten minutes after the detonation, inside an unnamed forest.
At the assembly point for the Kirigakure surprise attack force, Ao, serving as the unit's vice-captain, received the report from the Mist outposts immediately. In truth, he didn't even need a report; he could see it with his own eyes.
Ao stood with a furrowed brow, staring at the mushroom cloud lingering over the Forest of Crows. His expression was grim.
Beside him, Kushimaru Kuriarare, who was holding his longsword, Nuibari, stood down from his defensive stance and asked tonelessly:
"It seems... someone is helping us? Who is it?"
Ao shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "At this point in time, there are too many possibilities. It could be Sunagakure, Iwagakure, or even Kumogakure."
"The Suna front is nearing collapse. Iwa has been moving massive amounts of supplies recently, appearing ready to launch an attack somewhere. And while Kumo is in internal chaos, their stance toward Konoha remains hostile."
Ao thought it over but couldn't fathom that this was simply a battlefield blunder. However, his expression softened slightly, and a smirk played on his lips. "Regardless, this solves our biggest concern."
Within the surprise attack force, a cold, indifferent voice that seemed bored with everything asked:
"So, what do we do next? Did we just come here for a field trip?"
Ao turned around to look behind him. Six Mist ninjas, each wielding a unique, legendary blade and possessing a grotesque or eccentric appearance, were all staring at him. Under their collective gaze, a bead of sweat rolled down Ao's forehead. He turned toward the front of the group, looking at an orange-haired figure as massive as a tiger, clad in a grey overcoat.
Fuguki Suikazan, wielder of the greatsword Samehada. He was the captain of the Mist Hunter-Ninja Corps and held the highest rank among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Theoretically, Fuguki was the commander of the surprise attack force. However, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were famously prone to internal conflict; in a group setting, they were just as likely to kill each other as the enemy. It was for this very reason that the Third Mizukage had appointed Ao as the unit's vice-captain.
Ao knew he was only there as a "buffer," though he had no idea how he was supposed to mediate between these freaks. Wiping the sweat away, he looked up respectfully at the leading figure and offered a suggestion:
"Despite the commotion in the Forest of Crows, we can't be certain those were all the Explosive Tags Konoha had in stock."
"How about I take a few men to investigate the situation in detail?"
"As for the other matter—the Hyūga kid specifically requested by the Third Mizukage—I'll leave him to you all?"
This proposal served two purposes: it removed him from this suffocating, volatile atmosphere, and it invoked their common superior, the Third Mizukage, to remind them they still had a mission to complete.
At the mention of the "Third Mizukage," the seven eccentrics holding their ninja blades all stiffened simultaneously, as if recalling something terrifying. Fuguki Suikazan's expression tightened briefly. He thought for a moment before nodding. He swung Samehada onto his shoulder and asked coldly:
"Where is the Hyūga brat?"
"Team 10."
Ao pulled out a map and pointed to the sector assigned to Team 10. "According to the intel from our agents inside Konoha, the boy is currently in Team 10, carrying out a mission with three other Leaf brats."
"Hoh?" Fuguki Suikazan cocked an eyebrow and chuckled. "He did something like that, and the Hyūga Clan didn't drag him back to the village?"
Ao explained, "Supposedly, Hyūga Hizashi suppressed the matter. The evidence trail was logical enough that the Main House had no immediate reason to move against the boy."
"Besides, doesn't this fit the Third Mizukage's plan perfectly?"
Fuguki narrowed his eyes, pondering. He felt like something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.
"Ao, are you certain you saw it with your own eyes? That the brat completed a Byakugan transplant and cracked the Caged Bird?"
Ao nodded, then signaled to Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi, who were standing nearby. "Confirmed. And they both saw it as well."
Fuguki looked at the "Heartless Duo." His mouth twitched as if he wanted to curse—wasn't this just giving him more work for no reason?
Finally, despite his suspicions, he nodded.
"Fine. Let's move—"
Right then, to the right of the unnamed forest—opposite the direction where the surprise attack force was tracking Team 10—a signal went up.
Two black spheres were launched high into the sky, colliding with a sharp crack.
Immediately after, a "Pop!" echoed.
High in the air, a plume of purple smoke drifted upward!
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)