On the open sea, a small wooden boat sliced through the thick darkness, heading steadily toward the distant shore.
As the hull scraped against the shallow waters, a ninja leapt down lightly. He appeared to be around forty years old, with an exaggerated mustache that lent his face a naturally fierce look. His attire carried the distinct style of the Land of Wind, and a Sand Village forehead protector rested firmly on his brow.
There was no doubt about his identity.
He was the One-Tails' Jinchuriki, Bunpuku.
Contrary to the intelligence Konoha had obtained, Bunpuku did not appear on the main battlefield. Instead, he had directly entered the territory of the Land of Rivers.
This did not mean the intelligence was entirely wrong, only that the order of operations had shifted. Bunpuku's priority was now clear. He was to destroy Konoha's extended supply lines first, then withdraw toward the battlefield and begin systematic hunting.
From Sunagakure's perspective, Konoha's greatest weakness lay in logistics. Supplies had to be transported from the Land of Fire into the Land of Rivers, then distributed in batches to the forward garrison. Passing through three countries created a long and fragile supply route, filled with opportunities for ambush.
Since his target lay in the Land of Rivers, Bunpuku avoided the risk of crossing enemy-controlled territory. Instead, he chose the safer waterway, entering by sea.
Whether the Third Kazekage made this adjustment on a whim or deliberately accounted for the possibility of leaked intelligence was unclear. Regardless, the results were undeniable.
At this moment, Hayashi, who had been dispatched to intercept Bunpuku, was still stuck in the Land of Wind, quite literally eating sand.
From a practical standpoint, this was not the ideal moment for Bunpuku to infiltrate the Land of Rivers.
Konoha had spies, but Sunagakure did as well. The movement of two thousand Konoha reinforcements was impossible to conceal. Once those forces reached the Land of Rivers, Bunpuku would have to retreat immediately. In a country that small, locating a single individual with the combined strength of two thousand ninja would not be difficult.
But war was never ideal.
When neither side held absolute superiority, missions had to be executed regardless of timing or conditions.
After concealing the boat, Bunpuku immediately headed toward a confirmed supply storage site.
This location had already been verified through intelligence. In addition, Sand Village scouts had identified three major transportation routes, all of which were designated targets for this operation.
After twenty minutes of rapid movement, just as Bunpuku was about to exit the Gobi terrain, his sharp hearing picked up approaching footsteps.
A four-man enemy squad.
Hiding in a cave was no longer an option. The Land of Rivers consisted largely of open desert. Aside from scattered boulders that provided minimal cover, the terrain was completely exposed.
That meant there was only one reliable option.
Eliminate the enemy before they realized he was there.
Killing them was not the goal. Silence was.
Any noticeable noise in the stillness of night could attract nearby patrols. Exposure itself was not fatal, but if the supply storage point was alerted prematurely, the mission would be compromised.
Bunpuku positioned himself behind a large rock. Despite the clear moonlight, he did not peek out. Instead, he judged distance and formation purely through sound.
He waited for them to step into range.
Then he heard voices.
"Captain, is it true that the front line achieved a major victory under Lord Orochimaru?"
"It is," the captain replied. "A friend of mine just withdrew from the battlefield. He said it was more than a victory. Lord Hayashi nearly captured Sunagakure's commander alive."
"Does that mean the war might end early?" another ninja asked, hope evident in his voice.
The captain remained silent, but a different voice spoke up.
"Stay alert. We are still on patrol. Sand Village ninja could infiltrate at any time."
"Relax," someone answered casually. "A large-scale operation just ended. Even if they wanted to attack again, it would take time. Besides, no one would infiltrate the Land of Rivers."
Bunpuku listened calmly.
Someone had guessed correctly. There really was an infiltrator.
But chatting openly during patrol was careless. Sound carried far in the night.
Did these Konoha ninja truly believe they were safe just because they were far from the battlefield?
As the conversation continued, they stepped into his range.
Bunpuku moved.
His body surged forward like a released arrow. His fist struck first, slamming into the lead ninja before he could react, sending him crashing into a rock.
"It's a Sand Village ninja!"
One of them leapt back and hurled a kunai, while the other two flanked from both sides.
Metal clashed sharply.
With a kunai in one hand, Bunpuku deflected every incoming blade. In the same instant, his form blurred and slipped past the pincer attack.
The three remaining ninja froze.
"Freezing in battle is a bad habit," Bunpuku said coldly.
He appeared beside the farthest ninja and drove a punch into his cheek. The impact sent the man flying like a rag doll.
"Damn it!"
The last conscious ninja hastily formed hand seals, but before he could finish, pale hands burst from the ground and seized his ankle, dragging him down.
An earth clone, hidden beneath the sand.
The final ninja panicked and reached for a flare.
Too late.
Bunpuku appeared in front of him. A flash of steel, and a kunai cut cleanly across his throat.
The entire encounter lasted only seconds.
After confirming there were no survivors, Bunpuku erased all traces and vanished into the night, his hunt officially begun.
…
One day later, at Konoha's base in the Land of Wind.
Footsteps approached the central command tent.
"Orochimaru-sama."
Orochimaru lifted his head as a scroll was presented.
"Intelligence from the Land of Rivers confirms sightings of the One-Tails' Jinchuriki," the ninja reported.
"The Land of Rivers?" Orochimaru frowned.
"Yes. From the night before last through yesterday, four squads have lost contact. The supply depot in Xiaocang City was attacked and suffered heavy losses. Witnesses confirm the attacker matches the Jinchuriki's description."
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
So the intelligence had been incomplete.
After a brief silence, he spoke calmly. "Notify Hayashi. Inform him that the Jinchuriki has appeared."
"Yes, sir."
…
Elsewhere, within the shade of a narrow canyon, a man and a beast stared at each other.
"Are you going to lead the way or not?" Hayashi asked helplessly, wiping sweat from his brow.
"You still have the nerve to ask?" a shrill voice snapped. "Do you know how long you sealed me inside that scroll?"
Hayashi said nothing.
The beast was Shukaku, reduced to the size of a cat.
Years ago, after Kumogakure captured Kushina and used Shukaku's chakra clone as a detection tool, Hayashi had sealed it inside Dabai's body. Four or five years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Shukaku was furious.
"I just wanted to see Kurama, then visit Gyuki, maybe stir up trouble in Sunagakure," it complained. "Instead, you forgot about me!"
"As expected," it muttered. "Humans are all liars."
"I told you," Hayashi said calmly. "I will let you see Kurama this time."
"I do not believe you!"
"Think about it. Your real body is still sealed in the Jinchuriki. Help me find him, and I will break the seal."
Shukaku hesitated.
After a long moment, it burst into laughter, rolling in the sand.
"Hehe… fine. One last time."
Hayashi sighed.
"You are not secretly planning to lead me straight back to Sunagakure, are you?"
Shukaku froze.
"And you are not thinking about running away either, right?"
Shukaku bristled. "Despicable human!"
Hayashi lifted it effortlessly.
"Behave. I will keep my word."
Shukaku struggled, then dissolved into sand and tried to escape.
Hayashi calmly unrolled a scroll marked with the character for gold.
Adamantine Sealing Chains erupted from it, wrapping around Shukaku's neck like a leash.
"Damn it!"
"Enough," Hayashi said. "Be good."
As he finished reading Dabai's message, the snake peeked out curiously.
"What are you looking at, stupid snake?" Shukaku snapped.
Dabai only blinked shyly.
"Stop teasing it," Hayashi said, placing Dabai back on his shoulder. "Let's go."
He tugged the chain gently.
^_________^
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