Not long after Shimizu Uzuki and Orochimaru led the First and Second Battalions into the Kazekage building, Sunagakure—having hastily regrouped—launched another assault.
As expected, they walked straight into Inohara Amane's carefully prepared "trap package."
A deadly chain of triggered traps erupted one after another, catching the attackers completely off guard and leaving them in utter misery. After several failed charges in quick succession, Sunagakure abandoned the idea of a direct assault and instead switched to a siege strategy.
Their reasoning wasn't wrong.
Given enough time, as more and more Sunagakure shinobi gathered before the Kazekage building, the trapped Konoha forces would eventually be overwhelmed, no matter how strong they were.
But—
While the plan sounded solid in theory, reality proved far harsher.
At the Battle of Kikyo Castle, it had been Sunagakure that carefully plotted against a cautious Konoha.
This time, however, the roles were reversed.
It was Konoha striking first—ferociously—against an unprepared Sunagakure.
Before the defenders could gather sufficient strength to launch a decisive assault, "fireworks" suddenly erupted across the entire village.
In mere moments, nearly a hundred explosions detonated in succession, each one louder than the last. Flames spread wildly, and anguished screams echoed throughout Sunagakure.
The Fifth Battalion's pre-planted explosive tags revealed their true power at last.
The fragile stability Sunagakure had just managed to restore collapsed instantly back into chaos.
The sudden attack inflicted immeasurable damage—not only physically, but psychologically as well.
Even the hundreds of shinobi surrounding the Kazekage building were caught in the blast radius. Their previously airtight encirclement fractured, revealing multiple weak points.
At that exact moment—
The Seventh and Eighth Battalions seized the opportunity and launched a fierce assault from the outside.
Amid the chaos, with coordinated attacks from within and without, the Konoha forces—led by Shimizu and Orochimaru—finally carved out a path to survival, breaking through Sunagakure's encirclement in one decisive push.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Sunagakure immediately dispatched pursuit forces while sending others to assess the damage.
But not long after the enemy entered the Kazekage building—
The towering structure itself suddenly exploded.
Flames roared to life, devouring everything in their path. The inferno blazed so brightly that it lit up half the sky, casting an eerie glow over the entire village.
For a moment, all of Sunagakure could only stare in stunned silence at the sight of their symbolic and historic stronghold being consumed by fire.
It felt—
As though something within them had shattered.
......
After successfully breaking out, the Konoha forces headed north without pause, finally regrouping outside the village as all eight battalions converged.
"Is everyone accounted for?" Shimizu asked, scanning the assembled ranks.
"All except the Seventh Battalion—they haven't fully reported in yet. The rest are accounted for… we've lost sixty-three men so far," Arai replied.
"Have all the bodies been recovered?"
"Yes. All of them." Arai gestured toward several sealing scrolls not far away.
Before the mission began, Shimizu had made one thing absolutely clear—
However many had come, that same number would return.
Even if only as corpses.
They had fought for Konoha's honor.
They had come for vengeance.
To leave their comrades behind in a foreign land—the land of their enemy—was something no one present could accept. Not their families, not their fellow shinobi—
And certainly not Shimizu himself.
After all, this entire operation had been his proposal.
He had led 288 Konoha shinobi into the Land of Wind.
It was only right that he bring them all back—
Back to Konoha.
Back home.
Thus, the sealing scrolls that had once carried explosive tags were now used to bear the remains of fallen comrades.
"They're reporting in now—the Seventh Battalion…" Arai's expression shifted to one of surprise. "Eight Konoha shinobi are missing?!"
During their mission to eliminate Sunagakure's outposts, Squad Five of the Seventh Battalion had first lost four members without a trace. Later, before carrying out Shimizu's orders, they dispatched another unit—Squad Nine—to investigate.
They, too, vanished without a word.
"Where was this?" Shimizu asked.
"On the western side of the village. But that's a civilian district—there aren't many outposts there, and even fewer shinobi…" Arai frowned, deep in thought. "This doesn't make sense."
No one could say what those eight had encountered.
Should they attempt a rescue?
Or abandon them?
For a moment, all eyes turned to Shimizu, waiting for his decision.
By all rights, this mission had been a success.
Though relatively few enemy shinobi had died in the initial assault, the massive deployment of explosive tags, the seizure of Sunagakure's classified intelligence, and the destruction of the Kazekage building had dealt the enemy a devastating blow.
They should have been returning in triumph.
At last, Shimizu slowly loosened his clenched fists and let out a quiet breath.
"Alive or dead… we find them."
Orochimaru glanced at him thoughtfully.
"…You're planning to go alone, Uzuki-kun?"
"The western side is deep within Sunagakure," Shimizu Uzuki said calmly. "If we move as a large force, we'd have to pass through the central district. It's crawling with their shinobi—there's no way we wouldn't be detected."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone steady.
"But if I go alone, and move fast enough, the chances of being discovered are much lower."
At those words, the Konoha shinobi present couldn't help but feel a surge of respect.
A commander who not only possessed overwhelming strength but also upheld his promises—
How could such a person not inspire admiration?
If they made it back to Konoha alive, the name "Uzuki Shimizu" would undoubtedly spread throughout the village.
"And how do you plan to retreat?" Orochimaru asked, his gaze sharp. "Once the chaos settles, Sunagakure will lock down the entire village. What's your plan then?"
"Reverse summoning?"
"Manda is hibernating," Orochimaru replied with a slight shake of his head.
To rely on reverse summoning, Orochimaru would first have to summon Manda, then have him return to Ryūchi Cave to find Ichikishima-hime, persuade her, and only then perform the reverse summoning technique.
It was… complicated.
"Unless Garaga responds to your call," Orochimaru added lightly. "But even if you summon him, do you think you can last half a day? His lair is quite remote."
…Right. No need to say more.
The first thing to do after getting back home would be to make sure Garaga moved—preferably next door to Ichikishima-hime.
"Orochimaru, take the main force and leave first," Shimizu said seriously. "Make sure you bring them all home."
With Orochimaru leading, there should be no issue.
"…Very well," Orochimaru agreed without hesitation.
"Arai, Amane, Shisui, and Hayakumo—you four will come to this point on the western side to meet me," Shimizu said, pointing at a location on the map. "Set up all remaining explosive tags in that area. Amane, you'll prepare another large-scale trap. We only need to stall them for a short while."
"With the speed of the five of us, not many will be able to keep up."
"But… that's the city wall of Sunagakure," Arai suddenly pointed out.
The walls were nearly thirty meters high, reinforced with seals and barriers. Without going through the main gate, they were practically impossible to cross.
"I'll figure something out."
At that moment, Shimizu noticed Megumi standing nearby, clearly wanting to speak but holding back.
He smiled faintly. "Don't overthink it. I'm not going there to die."
"But I want to—"
"You'd only slow us down," he cut her off bluntly.
"…Listen to me."
He reached out and gently patted her head.
Megumi lowered her gaze in silence.
Arai was already a jōnin.
Amane was an escape specialist.
Uchiha Shisui, though only a chūnin, excelled in speed.
And Hayakumo, of the Hyūga clan, was highly proficient in taijutsu and equally fast.
Compared to them—
She simply couldn't keep up.
She understood the gap in strength.
And because of that…
The frustration only burned deeper.
In Shimizu's plan, once they regrouped, the traps would buy them time. With Hayakumo's Byakugan, they could identify a path that avoided the pursuing Sunagakure forces and escape safely.
As for bringing Shisui—
Since he was now his student, it was only natural to temper him through real battle.
If he couldn't overcome a trial like this, how could he ever claim to be a disciple of "Shunshin Shimizu"?
And besides—
What if the Sharingan proved useful?
......
When Shimizu reached the deeper western side of Sunagakure, a powerful chakra signature suddenly entered his perception.
Could this be connected to the eight missing Konoha shinobi?
If Sunagakure truly had someone this strong, why hadn't they deployed him earlier?
Why hide in the shadows like this instead?
Shimizu leapt silently onto the top of a utility pole, observing the target's every move.
A technique capable of erasing memories and controlling another's mind…
The spy Yura…
And finally—
The name "Sasori of the Red Sand."
So that's it… taking advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters.
A clever plan.
With Sunagakure in turmoil, it was the perfect opportunity to plant spies.
Or perhaps—
More than one.
Sasori… an enemy of Garaga.
And most likely—
The one responsible for the disappearance of those eight Konoha shinobi.
Shimizu's gaze sharpened slightly.
You may be an important figure in the future…
But unfortunately for you—
You ran into me.
A faint, cold resolve settled in his eyes.
I have no reverence for so-called "canon characters."
In my world—
Only strength decides who gets to speak.
...
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