Sakiya's entire team was assigned to Kakashi's First Unit.
Due to the urgency of the situation, Kakashi's troops began their march toward the front lines that very night.
The situation was dire—enemy forces from Iwagakure had already breached the Land of Fire. If they managed to establish a foothold in the central region, they could use it as a staging ground to launch attacks in all directions. The terrain there was highly strategic—ideal for both offense and defense.
Konoha could not afford to lose control of the central mainland.
As the primary unit responsible for the front lines, Kakashi's squad was sent ahead as a vanguard force. Their mission was clear: intercept Iwa's advancing troops and prevent them from fortifying their position.
Since intelligence was crucial in this operation, scout units had been deployed earlier to gather information and coordinate the strategy.
It was worth noting that the head of Konoha's intelligence force was Yamanaka Koichi.
---
Swish…
The dense jungles of the Fire Country rustled as a large group of Konoha shinobi leaped through the trees.
Kakashi led the formation at the front, his movements swift and precise.
Suddenly, a lone figure appeared from ahead, rushing toward them.
Kakashi immediately noticed the Konoha headband on the approaching ninja's forehead. Though cautious, he signaled for his team to hold their positions and not act rashly.
The scout's face lit up upon recognizing Kakashi's unit.
"You're Konoha's reinforcements?!"
Kakashi nodded. "We are."
The scout quickly identified himself. "I'm A."
Without hesitation, he formed a series of hand seals, revealing a special marking on his palm—a code used exclusively by Konoha's scout units.
Kakashi confirmed its authenticity.
Without delay, the scout retrieved a scroll from his pouch and handed it over.
The scroll contained crucial intelligence—detailed maps of Konoha's defensive positions, as well as Iwa's known movements and strategies.
"We're planning to use the base area as bait," the scout explained. "The goal is to lure Iwa's forces into launching an attack. Once they commit, we'll flank them from both sides and crush them in an ambush."
Kakashi studied the plan.
The idea was to make Iwa believe they were attacking a lightly defended outpost. But in reality, Konoha's forces would be waiting in the shadows, ready to strike from behind and encircle them.
It was a high-risk, high-reward maneuver.
Kakashi frowned. "What about the forces stationed at the base? Are they being sacrificed?"
Sensing his concern, the scout quickly clarified.
"The base is mostly manned by shadow clones. Their job is to put up just enough resistance to make the deception believable."
Kakashi nodded in understanding.
For now, all they could do was set up camp, rest, and wait for the signal to move.
That night.
A group of people waited silently in the jungle.
Chihiro led three of them—Sakiya, Tsuchiya Tsukigami, and Sakuragi.
Tsuchiya felt uneasy. He had grown up hearing stories from the previous generations about the horrors of war. Now, standing on the battlefield for the first time, he couldn't shake the nervousness creeping into his mind.
Sensing his tension, Chihiro spoke in a calm, reassuring tone.
"Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of—I'll be right here, watching over you."
Tsuchiya took a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Thank you, Chihiro-sensei. But… I don't think I need protecting. I can take care of myself."
Chihiro chuckled. "You've grown, haven't you?"
Tsuchiya's face twitched. "Sensei, I'm not a kid anymore."
"Hahaha."
At that moment, Sakiya walked over and tossed something toward Chihiro.
Chihiro caught it in one swift motion, examining the object with a puzzled look.
"This is…?"
"A member badge of the Deed of Death?"
Sakiya nodded, her face unusually serious.
"I'm giving you this as a special exception. Don't lose it."
Chihiro smirked, tucking the badge into his vest.
Suddenly—BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the night.
Then another. And another.
Kakashi immediately focused, counting the intervals between the blasts.
That was the signal.
"Everyone, get ready!"
Swish—
The group rose to their feet, already prepared.
"Move out!!"
The plan was set. Now, it was time to split into two teams and execute it.
Konoha Base...
The once-stronghold had been reduced to a burning ruin. The air was thick with the roar of explosions and the cries of battle.
But something felt off.
The Iwa Shinobi began to realize—there were too few Konoha defenders.
No, there were barely any real people at all.
Then—BOOM!
A series of hidden explosive tags detonated across the base. The ambush struck hard, instantly wiping out large numbers of Iwa forces.
Among them, a veteran Iwa Jonin, Kamino Kaya, finally grasped the truth.
"Fall back! It's a trap!"
But it was already too late.
From the shadows, Konoha's real forces emerged, swiftly encircling the enemy.
The trap was complete.
Before the Iwa Shinobi could react, waves of kunai and shuriken rained down on them, cutting through their ranks before they could mount a proper defense.
Chaos erupted.
The first wave of attacks was devastating. Many Iwa shinobi fell before they could even understand what was happening.
Then, finally, their commanders shouted orders.
"Regroup! Break through in one direction!"
The Iwa forces gathered and charged forward, desperate to escape the encirclement.
But in their path stood Sakiya.
She didn't flinch. Instead, she sprinted toward them.
The charging Iwa ninjas spotted her—one lone Konoha girl standing in their way—and smirked cruelly.
A single opponent? This would be easy.
But Sakiya only smiled.
She raised her hand, and in an instant, glowing energy spread from beneath her feet, expanding dozens of meters outward.
The sudden burst of energy sent a chill down the Iwa Shinobi's spines.
Something was wrong.
Sakiya's eyes gleamed as flames ignited in her palms.
"The crimson flames of purgatory…"
She hurled the fire forward.
"Burn it all to ash!"
The ground beneath her blazed red-hot as a massive wall of fire erupted, surging toward the enemy like a tidal wave.
The Iwa Shinobi in the front ranks froze in terror.
The flames devoured everything in their path.
"Is this real…?"
"This technique… from just one person…?"
"Run! We can't stop it!"
Panic set in. The Iwa ranks collapsed as shinobi scrambled to retreat.
But a few among them, veterans who had seen war before, understood—running wasn't an option.
"We can't escape! Everyone, earth-style defense—now!"
They hurriedly formed seals, slamming their hands onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
The earth rumbled as towering stone walls rose to meet the oncoming inferno…
Would it be enough?
A massive earth wall erupted from the ground, blocking the oncoming firestorm.
But the Iwa shinobi had failed to notice one crucial detail—
The moment the wall rose, the fire vanished.
It had been a feint.
More importantly, while they had focused on Sakiya, they had left their flanks exposed.
Konoha's forces took full advantage.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball exploded into their ranks, cutting down scores of Iwa shinobi in an instant.
So much for the legend of the mighty Earth Wall.
Amidst the chaos, Sasuke charged in, his blade flashing.
After spending two days trapped in Sakiya's illusion, his swordsmanship had reached terrifying levels.
Sakiya, watching from a short distance, sighed.
"How does he get stronger just by being locked up…?"
Shaking her head, she grabbed her weapon—a massive club—and sprinted toward the battle.
She didn't hesitate, running straight into the path of an Iwa Jonin.
The veteran shinobi barely spared her a glance.
"A kid? You think you can stand against me?" he sneered.
He had already cut down several Konoha ninja. This would be no different.
Without hesitation, he hurled a kunai at Sakiya.
She raised her club, deflecting it with ease.
Seeing this, the Iwa Jonin dashed forward, gripping his kunai tightly.
No need to waste chakra—he'd finish her with raw strength.
As they closed in, Sakiya swung her club down.
But the Jonin was faster. He dodged to the side, his kunai slicing toward her neck—
Yet, there was no resistance.
No impact.
His blade had missed.
His stomach dropped.
A mistake on the battlefield meant only one thing—
Death.
WHOOSH—
Sakiya's club swung through the air with a deafening roar.
CRACK!
The Jonin's face twisted unnaturally as the force of the blow sent him flying.
He rocketed backward, crashing to the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop.
Groaning, he struggled to rise—
Only to see the shadow of Sakiya's club descending toward him.
His last thought?
Dead.
BOOM.
…
______
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