In the blink of an eye, the Konoha assault force—more than a hundred shinobi moving as one—pierced forward like a sharpened blade, sweeping through a Sunagakure outpost in a single, decisive strike.
But there was never just one outpost.
Nor a single barrier.
"Enemy attack!"
The alarm rang out, and in an instant the entire Sunagakure encampment erupted into motion, like a nest of disturbed ants thrown into chaos.
At the same time, the Konoha shinobi positioned in the center of the formation had already completed their hand seals. A uniform wave of fire-release techniques burst forth, scattering across the enemy camp like hundreds of blazing fireworks.
Explosions roared in rapid succession.
Flames surged skyward, their brilliance painting half the heavens in flickering orange light.
"Move! Keep up!" Nagayama shouted, and under his command, the force pressed deeper into enemy territory. Ahead, the assault unit had already shattered the second line of Sunagakure's temporary defenses.
"Another round of fire-release attacks!"
Moments later, the "fireworks" bloomed again—more violent, more consuming. A second wave of flames engulfed the camp, throwing the enemy ranks into deeper disarray.
The number of shinobi killed outright by the fire techniques was, in truth, limited. Their true purpose was destruction—crippling the camp's structure and sowing confusion so that Sunagakure could not organize an effective counterattack.
After all, Konoha's force numbered only around seven hundred.
Here, they faced more than two thousand.
"Advance!" Nagayama bellowed again, though his eyes had already caught sight of danger. Behind them, a coordinated enemy force had begun to form, moving in to intercept.
"Enemies at five o'clock and seven o'clock—don't let them break into the center of the formation!"
The rear guard reacted instantly, forming ranks and launching volleys of kunai toward the approaching enemy.
One minute later, the assault force broke through yet another defensive line.
"Another round of ninjutsu!"
Flames erupted for the third time, devouring what remained of the enemy's order.
But Sunagakure was no weak opponent. They were one of the Five Great Nations.
Even amid the chaos, Shimizu's sharp eyes caught movement ahead—a blocking force of at least three hundred shinobi had already formed. If they collided head-on, Konoha's losses would be severe.
So fast… he thought. They've already organized a counterforce in this short time.
"Nagayama-senpai, have the assault unit halt—we'll change course," Shimizu said as he moved to the very front.
Nagayama turned, startled. "Shimizu, what do you mean—?"
Shimizu didn't answer.
Instead, he bit his finger, blood welling at the tip, and formed a rapid sequence of hand seals.
Boar. Dog. Rooster. Monkey. Ram.
Summoning Jutsu.
"Boom—!"
A massive impact shook the earth, the sheer force of it silencing both sides for a heartbeat.
As the dust cleared, illuminated by the surrounding firelight, all eyes fell upon the creature that had appeared—
A colossal snake.
Thirty meters long, its scales a deep, dark brown, its body coiling with a terrifying, oppressive presence.
Panic rippled instantly through the Sunagakure ranks.
The beast had descended directly into the center of their formation.
"Hiss—!"
With a sudden, violent motion, the giant snake opened its cavernous jaws and swallowed an entire watchtower in one bite—along with the two unfortunate shinobi inside, who had only just managed to hurl their kunai in a futile attempt at resistance.
Nagayama recovered first.
He understood immediately—this was Shimizu's doing.
"Quick—go around!" he shouted.
"We'll hold here."
"Understood. I'll return as quickly as I can."
Shimizu cast one last glance at the giant snake rampaging through the Sunagakure camp, its massive body tearing through structures and scattering enemy forces like leaves in a storm.
Then he turned—
And vanished into the mouth of the tunnel.
"Hold the line!" Nagayama roared.
"Yes, sir!!" came the unified response, voices burning with resolve.
Nagayama stood at the entrance, watching as the enemy camp burned fiercely in the distance. The raging northern wind fanned the flames higher and higher, amplifying their destruction. So far… everything was proceeding smoothly.
For a fleeting moment, it even seemed as though this mission might truly end in perfect success.
Then—
Something struck him.
The wind…?
His eyes widened slightly.
The north wind… it's winter.
His gaze snapped upward, toward the distant sky, where a small black dot—barely visible—was already vanishing into the horizon.
"That means… that hawk is flying with the wind…"
His heart sank.
"It'll reach the southern side faster than usual…"
"Shimizu…"
...
Inside the tunnel, despite the extensive lighting Sunagakure had installed, the passage did not run straight.
Instead, it twisted and turned unpredictably…
Inside the tunnel, the passage twisted unpredictably, bending sharply at irregular intervals. Each sudden turn forced Shimizu to rein in the speed he had only just managed to build, his momentum broken again and again by the tunnel's unnatural design.
Three minutes passed.
For the fifth time, Shimizu released a seal from his scroll. In an instant, more than a hundred thousand explosive tags spilled out, piling together like a small hill within the confined space.
Another portion of his chakra drained away.
Still more than half left… enough to finish the task, he calculated quickly, though the margin was tightening. But I'll have to move faster.
Next point.
He was just about to set off again when something reached his ears—
Voices.
And beneath them, the dull, grinding sound of wheels crushing against the ground.
His heart skipped.
This…
A moment later, he saw it—and for the first time since entering the tunnel, something truly unexpected.
At this exact moment, a Sunagakure transport unit was moving through the passage, escorting a shipment of supplies.
Damn it.
There was no alternative.
Kill them.
Two kunai shot forward in rapid succession, aimed at the leading pair of shinobi.
"Clang! Clang!"
Both were deflected instantly.
"Who's there?!"
"Show yourself!"
That reaction speed—these were no ordinary genin.
Without hesitation, Shimizu followed up. Two shuriken flew out, but the moment they collided with the enemy's weapons, a sharp whistle cut through the air—
Eight fine needles burst outward, scattering like a deadly storm.
"—Ah!"
Several cries rang out at once.
"He's using concealed weapons!"
Two more kunai followed, their surfaces flickering faintly with blue light.
"Watch out!"
"Boom! Boom—!"
In his perception, only three enemies remained standing.
Lightning Release: White Lightning.
Twin arcs of lightning shot forth like bolts from the heavens, piercing through both men and cargo alike, leaving nothing untouched in their path.
The relentless barrage forced the last surviving shinobi to cower behind a slab of rock, too afraid to lift his head.
But fear could not save him.
When he finally dared to glance outward, his eyes caught a glimpse of a Konoha forehead protector.
Why… is there a Konoha ninja here…?
It was the last thing he ever saw.
"Ha…" Shimizu exhaled heavily, his breathing rough. In that brief clash, he had unleashed six lightning techniques without forming seals—a burst even he found taxing.
Less than half his chakra remained.
But more pressing than that… was time.
He had lost nearly a full minute here.
Gritting his teeth, he abandoned any thought of collecting the fallen—those chakra-infused weapons, priceless as they were—and instead dashed deeper into the tunnel toward the next point.
Misfortune, it seemed, never came alone.
By the time Shimizu reached the far end of the passage, his chakra was nearly depleted. Still, as long as he released the final seal and blocked off the exit, the mission would be halfway complete.
As for time—he had memorized the route on his way in. The return journey should be faster.
Four minutes left…
It's enough.
Just as he reached for the final seal within the scroll—
A blade of wind sliced through the air.
Body Flicker Technique!
Dozens of wind blades followed in rapid succession, tearing toward him like a storm unleashed.
Damn it—I let my guard down!
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A shimmering blue barrier surged up before him—but now, streaks of crimson seeped through its surface, staining the water with blood.