Chapter 22 — Sniping
"Stealthing past them would indeed be extremely difficult. In fact, it's basically impossible for more than a hundred of us to approach without being detected."
Gekkō Ren shook his head calmly as he spoke.
"But that doesn't mean we need to sneak past them at all."
Several of the surrounding ninja frowned slightly at his words.
Ren continued, his tone steady.
"All we need is to get within one hundred and fifty meters of their outpost. How we get there—or whether we're detected along the way—doesn't actually matter."
Hearing this, Gekkō Hoshino looked at Ren with interest.
"You're right that moving such a large group without detection is unrealistic," he said thoughtfully. "Since discovery is unavoidable, tell me your combat plan first."
"The safest method is to attack directly," Ren replied without hesitation. "Force them out of the outpost and let them come to us."
"No."
Hoshino rejected the suggestion instantly.
To him, Ren's answer was practically meaningless—if anything, it sounded worse than saying nothing at all.
For the first time since this mission began, a trace of doubt crept into Hoshino's mind regarding Ren's tactical judgment.
Ren possessed a terrifyingly powerful Bloodline Limit. Hoshino had hoped to nurture him into a strong and independent shinobi.
But this plan?
It was the most dangerous approach imaginable. Launching a direct attack would instantly expose their presence. It would surrender any advantage of concealment.
This valley was the Sand Ninja's territory. The surrounding mountains were filled with traps and prepared defensive positions.
Once the Sand Ninja mobilized, they would already be ready for battle.
With several sensory ninja stationed at the outpost, attempting to lure them into an ambush was nearly impossible.
At worst, the plan could backfire—leaving the Konoha force surrounded and trapped in hostile terrain.
Several nearby Jōnin exchanged disappointed looks.
Ambush tactics could indeed be effective, but only when the circumstances were right. To propose such a reckless strategy only confirmed their earlier concerns.
Ren was still just a twelve-year-old Genin.
Yes, he possessed a powerful Bloodline Limit.
Yes, he had reportedly killed nearly two hundred enemy shinobi.
But battlefield strategy required experience—and that was something Ren clearly lacked.
When the Jōnin had accepted this mission, Orochimaru had already told them that Ren would be responsible for the main assault.
They knew Orochimaru valued Ren's Bloodline Limit greatly. This entire mission—to capture the Sand Ninja outpost—existed largely because of that power.
Yet Ren's suggestion still left them deeply unconvinced.
To call this the "safest method" was almost laughable.
Seeing the skepticism in their expressions, Ren spoke again.
"Capturing the outpost doesn't necessarily mean we have to stand inside it."
He gestured toward the valley below.
"As long as the enemy ninja are eliminated, the outpost effectively falls into our hands."
"And to hold this location, we don't even need to occupy the valley or the outpost itself."
"Our true mission has always been to block the Sand Ninja supply route."
Ren's eyes focused on the narrow valley floor.
"As long as we stop them from passing through here, we've already accomplished the objective."
Hoshino slowly nodded.
"That much is true."
"But I still disagree with your approach," he said calmly. "You haven't fully considered the terrain or the enemy's readiness."
"My plan is actually very simple," Ren insisted.
"If we can't sneak to within one hundred and fifty meters…"
"Then we attack directly."
As he spoke, Ren raised his right arm.
Metallic structures rapidly unfolded across his forearm.
With a mechanical transformation, his arm reshaped into the long, heavy form of a Barrett sniper rifle, the weapon's barrel extending forward like a piece of cold artillery.
Ren stepped beside a thick tree trunk and positioned himself steadily.
His left hand supported the rifle while his body leaned slightly forward, forming a stable firing stance designed to absorb recoil.
This posture had been engraved into his instincts by the technology template itself.
Every movement was precise and natural.
"Direct attack—wait!"
Hoshino quickly stepped forward and pressed a hand against Ren's shoulder.
"Ren, the outpost is more than seven hundred meters away."
"That's far beyond effective combat range."
"Your plan won't work."
"We should discuss tactics first. Just follow our arrangements."
To Hoshino, firing from such a distance wasn't strategy—it was simply foolishness.
It would only alert the enemy to their presence.
"Ren," Hoshino continued firmly, "your plan won't succeed. Leave the tactical discussion to the Jōnin. Once we finalize the strategy, you can follow our orders."
Several other Jōnin nodded in agreement.
For the moment, Ren was completely excluded from the tactical discussion.
But Ren didn't move.
"If I can hit them from this distance and kill them," he said calmly, "then the plan works."
He glanced toward the valley below.
"Seven hundred meters is actually easier for me."
"And once they close within one hundred and fifty meters…"
Ren smiled faintly.
"I have other ways to deal with them."
"You simply don't understand my capabilities yet."
Then he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot shattered the silence of the forest like thunder.
A violent flash erupted from the rifle's muzzle as a .50 caliber round tore through the air at nearly nine hundred thirty meters per second, screaming across the valley like a streak of red lightning.
For a brief moment, the forest fell completely silent.
"Uh…?"
Several ninja stared at Ren in shock.
Others flinched at the deafening gunshot.
A few Jōnin immediately turned toward him with furious expressions.
But before anyone could speak—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four more shots rang out in rapid succession.
---
Sand Ninja Outpost — Valley Floor
Inside the outpost, the evening training session was still underway.
Sand Jōnin Chisaku stood near an open training ground, watching three of his students practicing basic ninjutsu techniques.
A faint smile rested on his face.
Among the three, the boy standing at the far right had caught his attention.
The boy's face was half-covered by a white cloth mask—a common habit among Sand ninja—but Chisaku knew him well.
The boy was named Maki.
Out of all his students, Maki was the most diligent and talented.
"Maki," Chisaku said kindly, stepping forward.
"Your execution isn't quite right. Watch carefully—I'll demonstrate again."
"Yes, sensei."
The boy immediately stopped practicing, his eyes lighting with excitement.
Chisaku raised his hands to begin explaining the hand seals.
But suddenly—
Phut!
"Ma—"
Before the boy could finish speaking, something invisible slammed into Chisaku's head.
The impact was instantaneous.
His skull exploded as if struck by a massive hammer.
Blood, bone fragments, and brain matter burst outward in a horrifying spray.
The red mist splattered across the ground.
Even Maki's white face covering was stained with dark crimson.
For a moment, the boy simply stood there—frozen.
His mind refused to process what had just happened.
Then—
Phut!
A second impact tore through the chest of another student nearby.
A fist-sized hole appeared instantly in the center of his torso.
The force hurled his body several meters backward, sending him crashing across the camp.
Phut!
The third student screamed as his arm was blown completely off.
The severed limb spun through the air before landing heavily on the ground.
"Ahhh!"
The injured boy collapsed, clutching the bleeding stump of his shoulder as he screamed in agony.
At that moment—
Bang!
The first gunshot finally reached the outpost.
The delayed sound echoed across the valley like distant thunder.
For a split second, the entire camp froze.
"Enemy attack!"
A Sand ninja who had witnessed the carnage shouted hoarsely.
But before he could finish—
Bang!
Phut!
A second bullet tore straight through his throat.
His voice stopped instantly.
He collapsed to the ground without another sound.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more gunshots echoed across the valley.
Now the entire Sand Ninja outpost erupted into chaos.
"Enemy attack!"
"Take cover!"
"Where is the attacker?!"
Panic spread rapidly through the camp.
Yet no one could see the enemy.
From this distance, the sniper was completely invisible.
All the Sand ninja could see were their comrades collapsing one after another—killed by an unseen force from somewhere beyond the mountains.
The valley had become a silent execution ground.