Nine figures moved like ghosts through the thick forest, feet brushing over muddy ground sheathed in chakra, silent as death.
Uchiha Fugaku led the formation. Minato and Tetsu flanked him closely, with Hyūga Kō providing central coordination. The five newly assigned Chūnin covered the rear and sides.
Though the group moved in perfect synchrony, the atmosphere was taut—tinged with unease.
"Hey, I gotta ask..."
At the rear, a scar-faced Chūnin named Kaitō leaned close to his teammate, voice hushed."I get why Uchiha's in charge—he's clan elite, whatever. But why the hell is that Genin brat hauling all the tactical gear?"
His eyes stayed locked on the oversized backpack slung across Tetsu's back. It carried nearly all the squad's Explosive Tags and custom ninja tools.
"Shh, quiet," the other whispered, glancing nervously toward Fugaku. "It's the leader's direct orders."
"Sure, maybe he's just testing the rookies—but this is an S-rank mission!" Kaitō hissed. "What if that kid freezes? Or soaks the tags? We'll all be corpses!"
"And that Minato too—two fresh Genin calling the shots? 'Brains and fangs,' my ass."
The Chūnin exchanged looks. None spoke openly, but the contempt in their eyes was obvious.
To them, war respected only power. Letting two greenhorns run the core tactics of their unit felt like suicide.
If not for their fear of Fugaku's cold Sharingan—and the Uchiha clan's brutal police rep—they might've protested already.
Fugaku heard every word.
He didn't pause. Didn't even look back. But a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
Doubt? Expected.
In the world of shinobi, only results shut mouths.
He didn't need to defend the boys. They'd prove themselves in due time.
"Hold."
Hyūga Kō's sharp voice cut through the rain.
Fugaku instantly raised a fist, and like a well-oiled machine, the squad halted and disappeared behind trees and rocks.
"Contact?" Fugaku asked, turning to Kō.
Kō formed a seal. The veins around his temples bulged—the telltale sign of fully-activated Byakugan.
His gaze pierced the curtain of rain and trees ahead.
"Two o'clock, 1.5 kilometers out."
His voice was calm, mechanical."Detected twelve chakra signatures. Four up front are sensory ninja. In the middle... camouflaged wagons? No, puppets. That's Sunagakure's vanguard puppet squad—they're clearing the route."
"Also…" His brow furrowed."Chakra flows underground. Earth Release ninja scouting the terrain."
"Puppeteers and Doton scouts?" Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "They're being cautious."
He turned to Tetsu. "You heard that. What's the plan?"
The surrounding Chūnin immediately shot Tetsu doubtful looks.
Kaitō couldn't hold back. "Commander, they've got sensors and underground scouts. Let's just hit them fast before they notice us—"
Fugaku shot him a cold glare. "Did I ask for your opinion?"
Kaitō froze. Those spinning three tomoe locked onto him like a predator. Cold sweat beaded instantly. He shut his mouth.
Tetsu ignored the tension. Calmly, he pulled out his notebook and ran a few calculations.
"A direct assault is reckless. Suna puppeteers are masters of poison. A frontal clash risks dragging us into a drawn-out exchange. And if even one Earth Release ninja escapes, Hanzo's main force will be alerted."
He pointed toward a low-lying swamp visible in the distance."Hyūga-senpai, is that area saturated with underground water flow?"
Kō glanced again and nodded, slightly surprised. "Yes. Converging subterranean streams. Soil's loose and unstable."
"Perfect."
Tetsu pulled several metal rods from his pack and handed them to Minato.
"Minato—sorry, but I'll need your help again."
"What are these?" Minato asked, examining the rods.
"High-frequency vibration generators. Basically, decoys."
Tetsu explained,"Earth-style scouts use ground vibrations to detect enemies. You'll circle behind them and plant these near the swamp's edge. They'll mimic the footfalls of a large unit."
He turned to Fugaku.
"When the enemy senses that, they'll assume we've got a major force flanking them. Their Doton-nin will surface to confirm—or ambush."
"And the swamp?"
Tetsu pulled out several vials of purple liquid—neurotoxins distilled from Rain Country's poisonous flora.
"Once we pour these into the swamp and trigger it with Lightning Release..."
He turned to the Chūnin, eyes on one carrying a blade humming with lightning chakra.
"Think you can handle frying a few fish in a puddle, senpai?"
For the first time, Fugaku let out a smile—cold and full of promise.
"Diversion, bait, purge. A classic triple-kill setup."
He faced the still-confused Chūnin.
"Understood? Follow his plan. If any of you fall behind..."
"Y-yes, sir!"
The Chūnin swallowed their complaints. Even if they still doubted "that kid's strategy," no one dared defy Fugaku's orders.
…
Ten Minutes Later
The Sunagakure vanguard crept cautiously through the rain-soaked jungle.
"Stop!" the lead puppeteer raised a hand."We're detecting movement underground—two hundred meters right, by the swamp. Large tremors. Possibly Konoha's main force!"
"Two hundred? That close?!"
"Send the Earth Unit to confirm. If it's an ambush, we're screwed!"
The ground shifted. Four mounds burrowed toward the swamp.
But the moment their heads poked out—
"Now!"
From the canopy above, Tetsu's voice cut the air.
The Lightning Release Chūnin, still skeptical but well-trained, thrust his chakra blade down into the swamp without hesitation.
"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"
ZZZZZHHHH!!!
Blue lightning exploded across the swamp, conducted by the poison-laced waters.
Under normal conditions, that jutsu wouldn't be fatal. But the swamp had become a perfect conductor—and the scouts had exposed themselves.
"AAAAARGH—!"
Their screams ended as quickly as they began.
The lightning tore open their skin, and the neurotoxin flooded in. None even managed to form hand seals. Their eyes rolled back. Bodies twitched. Floated. Turned violet.
"What?!"
The lead puppeteer paled."The scouts are dead?! It's a trap! Fall back! Deploy poison fog!"
"Trying to run?"
The voice came from above.
Fugaku stood atop the canopy. His crimson Sharingan glowed like a devil in the dark.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
A storm of flaming shuriken rained from above, sealing every path of retreat in an instant.
"Go!"
At Fugaku's command, the Konoha strike force surged forward like an avalanche.
Kaitō, watching the one-sided slaughter ahead, swallowed hard. He glanced at Tetsu—still perched calmly, scribbling battle notes—chills crawling up his spine.
They took out the enemy's underground recon without losing a single man. All with some rods and a few bottles of poison...
This kid… is this really his first battlefield?