Time slipped quietly into early February, and the temperature continued to drop.
Across this boundless expanse of yellow earth, sand swirled endlessly in the wind, and vegetation was almost nonexistent. Only by setting foot here could one truly grasp how harsh and unforgiving nature could be—a reality that none of the Konoha shinobi had ever experienced before.
How had Sunagakure managed to survive in a place like this?
It was almost unimaginable.
"Does it ever snow here in the Land of Wind?" someone in the group suddenly asked, the question sparked by idle curiosity.
Back in the Land of Fire, this time of year would already be covered in frost and snow. But here, where the air was so dry and rainfall scarce throughout the year…
"It has," Orochimaru replied, his voice low and slightly hoarse.
The group turned toward him in surprise.
"Once, during a mission with the White Fang, we saw snow fall here."
"We've arrived!" a scout suddenly called from the front.
Everyone lifted their heads and looked into the distance. At the far edge of the endless yellow wasteland, there appeared a patch of green—an oasis where the people of the Land of Wind had built their village amid the desert.
That… was Sunagakure.
Shimizu Uzuki studied the still-bright sky, then glanced at the group behind him. After days of relentless travel, not one of them showed signs of exhaustion—instead, their spirits burned brighter than ever.
These people…
They looked like they couldn't wait to tear Sunagakure apart with their own hands.
A faint smile appeared on Shimizu's lips. "We'll rest for half a day. Make sure you're all in peak condition."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"We move at dawn."
"Also, gather the captains—we'll finalize the battle plan."
After a brief pause, he added, almost as an afterthought, "And bring Amane along as well."
…
...
......
A crescent moon hung high in the sky.
As night deepened, the desert grew colder by the minute.
At a watchtower overlooking Sunagakure—one of the highest vantage points in the entire village—two shinobi stood guard, faithfully carrying out their duties. From here, most of the village could be observed at a glance.
"Hey, Ishida… do you think Lord Kazekage and the others will succeed?" one of them asked, breaking the silence.
"With Lady Chiyo, Pakura-senpai, and so many of the village's elites out there… there's no way they'd fail," the young shinobi named Ishida replied.
"I guess so…" the other man murmured, before lowering his voice conspiratorially. "But… didn't you hear the rumors today?"
"Toriyama, just say it already. Don't keep me hanging," Ishida said impatiently.
"…Alright, but don't spread this around."
"Just tell me."
"…This morning, that old monk—the One-Tail's jinchūriki—came back. And he was covered in injuries!"
"What?! That's impossible! He's a jinchūriki!" Ishida exclaimed in disbelief.
"It's true, I swear! He said he was defeated by a Konoha shinobi!"
Just then—
Drip.
A faint sound echoed.
Toriyama paused, instinctively lifting his head toward the deep blue night sky.
Was it raining?
Drip.
Another drop.
"Rain at this time of year… that's rare," he muttered, extending his hand beyond the edge of the watchtower.
But there was no rain.
Frowning, he turned back—only to find Ishida still frozen in the same shocked expression.
Had the guy been scared stiff?
"Ishida, cut it out. We're still on duty," Toriyama said, irritation creeping into his voice.
But Ishida didn't respond.
Something felt… off.
Toriyama's frown deepened as unease began to stir within him. Joking around was one thing, but this had gone too far.
They were still on assignment.
Reaching out, he gave Ishida a push. "Hey, have you had enough—"
Ishida's body collapsed instantly, as if it had lost all support, falling limply to the ground.
Toriyama's pupils shrank.
Behind Ishida… stood a young boy.
On his forehead protector—
the symbol of Konohagakure.
"En—"
His voice cut off abruptly.
Those blood-red eyes… the twin tomoe within them spinning rapidly—
And in that instant, Toriyama's world fell into endless darkness.
"Where is the One-Tail's jinchūriki?" the boy asked coldly.
"I… don't know."
A sharp thrust.
The short blade pierced straight through Toriyama's heart.
The boy flicked the blood from his blade in a clean arc before sliding it smoothly back into its sheath.
"Finished?" a middle-aged man's voice came from behind him.
The boy gave a small nod.
"As expected of a genius of the Uchiha Clan," the man praised with a low chuckle. "Shisui, your mastery of the Body Flicker Technique is truly something else."
"You flatter me, Aoyama-senpai," Shisui Uchiha replied calmly, neither arrogant nor overly modest. "But I just obtained some important intelligence—the One-Tail's jinchūriki is currently inside Sunagakure."
"What?! Where exactly?" Aoyama asked at once, tension creeping into his voice.
"For now… I don't know."
Aoyama clicked his tongue, then made a quick decision. "Alright, Shisui—you're the fastest. Go inform Uzuki-senpai immediately. I'll continue with the mission here."
"Understood."
The moment the words left his lips, Shisui vanished, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
…
......
......
Shisui darted through the streets of Sunagakure at incredible speed, his figure flickering like a phantom in the night. He had to report back as quickly as possible—his teacher needed to know that the One-Tail's jinchūriki was inside the village.
The operation had begun at midnight.
His Seventh Battalion had taken the lead, first dismantling the outermost barrier before systematically eliminating every watch post on the village's perimeter.
If everything proceeded smoothly, the Fifth Battalion would infiltrate the village and plant explosive tags, targeting all critical structures. Meanwhile, the Sixth Battalion would scour Sunagakure for anything of value—intelligence files, gold, and other strategic resources.
As for the First through Fourth Battalions—four elite units comprising over forty jōnin—they were reserved for the final act.
A slaughter.
Their mission was to delay—or even crush—the village's defensive forces, buying enough time for the Fifth and Sixth Battalions to complete their objectives.
The Eighth Battalion remained stationed on the outskirts, ready to provide support at any moment should the situation change.
But now…
The One-Tail's jinchūriki was inside the village.
Shisui's expression darkened as he recalled what his teacher and Orochimaru had once said—the One-Tail, Shukaku, possessed unparalleled control over sand, along with a frightening sensory ability tied to it.
That meant—
Shukaku could monitor movements within a certain range through the sand itself.
If their infiltration had already been detected…
Then Sunagakure might have been prepared all along.
And if that were true—
The consequences would be disastrous.
After all, they only had eight battalions—288 people in total—not an army of thousands.
And this…
This was the enemy's home ground.
No amount of caution would be excessive.
"I am Shisui Uchiha! I have urgent intelligence!"
…
......
......
Deep within Sunagakure's prison.
At the very end of a heavily guarded corridor, inside a massive iron cage, an old monk sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, as still as stone.
Hey, old monk… a lot of people just entered the village, a voice echoed within his mind.
It was his only companion—
The One-Tail, Shukaku.
"Could it be that Lady Chiyo and the others have returned?" the monk wondered silently.
Would your fellow villagers sneak back in like thieves at a time like this? Shukaku sneered.
"…So they're enemies. Who are they?"
I sense two familiar chakra signatures… those two snakes.
"…Konoha shinobi…" the monk murmured inwardly. "I'll alert the guards."
Hah. You've just come back injured, and they've already locked you up in this place—yet you still help them? Shukaku scoffed.
"I am, after all, a member of this village," the monk replied quietly. "And I believe that one day, someone will truly understand both of us… It's just a pity that I do not possess the power of the Hagoromo Otsutsuki… otherwise…"
…Tch. Do as you like.
"Guards! There are enemies!" the old monk suddenly shouted.
"Huh?! What did you say?!" The two Sunagakure shinobi stationed outside the cell had been dozing off, but at the word enemy, they jolted awake instantly. "Where?!"
"A large number of Konoha shinobi have infiltrated the village."
In an instant, all traces of sleep vanished from their faces. They sprang to their feet, alarmed. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I sensed them through the sand—"
His expression suddenly changed.
"Watch out!"
Two flashes of cold light sliced through the air.
In the next instant, two headless bodies collapsed to the ground.
The monk's pupils shrank.
It was him.
That young, white-haired Konoha shinobi—
The one who commanded a crimson, single-eyed serpent.
The man stepped forward, glancing around before his gaze settled on the massive cage. A faint, mocking smile curved his lips.
"Not bad," he said casually. "You're being treated quite well in here."
...
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