Boom!
There was a loud explosion.
As the explosive tag attached to the Iwa-nin's Earth Release: Rock Clone detonated, the last Suna-nin perished in the blast. Looking at the stunned expression on the Suna-nin's face before his death, Chao Yanqian felt no emotion.
Habit is a terrifying thing—it can make a person completely numb.
Once you become accustomed to killing, no matter how many lives you take, your heart remains unchanged. It becomes as routine as eating or drinking.
A shinobi is a tool—a weapon forged for battle. Before deciding to become one,Chao Yanqian had already steeled himself for this reality.
"Clean up the scene. We need to move immediately," he commanded, standing atop a tree while tending to a wound.
"Again? Why is it always me?" Hoshinohara grumbled, but swiftly started erasing any trace of their battle.
During wartime, even a low-ranking shinobi might carry classified information. Moreover, battle remnants—blood, weapons, chakra imprints—needed to be erased to prevent the enemy from retracing their steps and gathering intelligence.
A month had passed since the last major skirmish. When news of it reached Sunagakure, the village retaliated by sending a thousand shinobi to the border, launching relentless attacks against Konoha's forces.
However, Konoha was under the rule of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—known as the "Professor" for his mastery of jutsu—and he was not one to back down. As Suna reinforced its numbers at the border, Konoha responded in kind, sending additional forces to counter their aggression.
This marked the complete collapse of the peace treaty signed between the two villages after the Second Shinobi World War, plunging them into open conflict once again.
Uenome, a jōnin of the village, had been reassigned to form another team for high-risk missions. As a result, Mitsuno Tōka was temporarily appointed squad leader, tasked with commanding Hyūga Keita and Hoshinohara in lower-risk duties such as patrolling and escorting supplies.
"The sun's already set. Why hasn't the relief squad arrived yet?" Hoshinohara complained as darkness enveloped the battlefield.
"Be patient. They might've been delayed," Keita Hyūga responded.
"Tch! What could possibly delay them? They're probably just slacking off, trying to squeeze in extra rest," Hoshinohara scoffed. "And if something does happen, we'll be the ones held responsible."
"Enough, Hoshinohara!" Chao Yanqian snapped, frowning. "Don't let such thoughts cloud your duty. Everything we do is for the village—what others do is not our concern."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Hoshinohara muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Wait!" Keita suddenly tensed, activating his Byakugan. "Something's off—the chakra flow isn't right. It's the Transformation Jutsu!"
"Hah! More Suna-nin walking into their deaths," Hoshinohara sneered. "Bet they never expected a Hyūga to be in our squad."
"It looks like the relief squad was ambushed," Keita said grimly.
"Let's eliminate these Suna-nin first. Stick to the plan," Chao Yanqian ordered.
"Understood!"
Keita immediately vanished into the trees, while Chao Yanqian created a shadow clone disguised as an ordinary chūnin, leaving no trace of deception.
Ten minutes later, the Suna-nin, still disguised as Konoha shinobi, arrived at the rendezvous point.
"We'll take over from here. You can go rest," the lead shinobi said with a grin.
"Xiumei, why are you guys so late today?" Hoshinohara complained, feigning frustration.
"Something unexpected came up. Sorry! You can take your time tomorrow as compensation," the disguised Suna-nin replied.
"Alright, let's go, Chao Yanqian," Hoshinohara said, smiling.
"Move out," Chao Yanqian ordered casually.
As they passed the enemy, Chao Yanqian struck without warning. In a flash, he appeared behind a Suna-nin, plunging a kunai into his heart before the enemy could react.
At the same time, Hoshinohara and Keita's shadow clones ambushed the remaining two, attacking with ruthless precision.
"You knew all along?!" one Suna-nin shouted in shock.
"Hah! As if your cheap tricks could fool us," Hoshinohara scoffed. "Now die!"
Boom!
The enemy's shadow clone burst apart, but at that moment, Keita Hyūga struck from behind.
Eight Trigrams—Thirty-Two Palms!
"Die!"
With a flurry of rapid strikes, Keita's Gentle Fist closed off the Suna-nin's chakra pathways and damaged his internal organs. By the time the final blow landed, the enemy collapsed, barely clinging to life.
"Nice teamwork!" Chao Yanqian praised, giving Keita a thumbs-up.
With two down, the last Suna-nin was easily overwhelmed. Within moments, the squad had eliminated the impostors.
"What now?" Hoshinohara asked, frowning. "The relief squad is dead. Do we stay here?"
"No. I suspect Sunagakure is planning something bigger," Chao Yanqian said, deep in thought. "From the Suna-nin we fought earlier to this ambush now, it's clear they've been sending multiple teams after our patrol squads. They must be trying to clear a path for something significant."
"What do you mean?" Keita asked, confused.
"Why would Sunagakure waste so much effort eliminating patrol squads unless they intended to move a large force through our blind spots?"Chao Yanqian reasoned.
"Then what should we do?" Keita pressed.
Chao Yanqian thought for a moment before deciding.
"Keita and I will stay here. Hoshinohara, take the bodies and report back to Lord Orochimaru. See if he can extract any intel from them. If not, bring reinforcements to relieve us."
"Got it! You two be careful," Hoshinohara said before hoisting the bodies and heading back to camp.
"Chao Yanqian, do you really think Suna is planning a major attack?" Keita asked.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Chao Yanqian admitted. "After the losses they've suffered, there's no way they wouldn't retaliate. I think they're preparing for something big..."