Whoosh whoosh...
The blizzard in the Land of Iron could not stop the pace of the suppression force.
Wearing white cloaks, the suppression force sped across the snowy plain against the storm. Since the vanguard force had already engaged the enemy, as reinforcements, they no longer needed to sneak and could march at full speed.
The leading Jonin of this suppression force was a Jonin belonging to the Hidden Leaf Sealing Squad named Ryuichi Takahashi.
There were two vice-captains in the team, a Jonin from the Hidden Mist and a Jonin from the Hidden Sand respectively.
The Hidden Mist Jonin excelled in taijutsu and was specially responsible for dealing with the demon Mōryō's partner, Shinnō, the remnant of the Sky Ninja Village. The Hidden Sand Jonin was a puppet master, proficient in sealing and using poison.
While speeding along, the Hidden Mist Jonin vice-captain asked: "How much longer?"
Ryuichi Takahashi replied: "Maintaining current speed, about thirty more minutes!"
The Hidden Mist Jonin frowned slightly: "Can the vanguard force hold out?"
The Hidden Sand Jonin vice-captain beside him said: "Before departure, I checked the personnel configuration of the vanguard force. Excluding logistical support personnel like the Reconnaissance Squad, Communications Squad, Intelligence Squad, and Medical Squad, there were over sixty combat personnel, a full dozen tactical squads. Holding out for a few hours shouldn't be a problem!"
Ryuichi Takahashi nodded gently: "Correct, the Intelligence Division in the headquarters has calculated it. With the configuration of the vanguard force, it is enough to entangle the enemy for at least half a day!"
The Hidden Mist Jonin breathed a sigh of relief and grinned: "So, we just need to arrive smoothly according to plan and clean up the mess?"
Limited by chakra reserves, ninjas were often strongest at the beginning of a battle. Once entering a stalemate and dogfight stage, a ninja's combat power would gradually decline with chakra consumption and physical fatigue. Even a Jinchuriki could not avoid this point.
So compared to the vanguard force, the follow-up support suppression force obviously had an advantage.
The Hidden Sand Jonin smiled: "As long as we can eliminate Mōryō and Shinnō, these two official members of the Akatsuki organization, the special merit awarded by the Five Kage will be ours!"
Hearing this, Ryuichi Takahashi's eyes also lit up: "Let's work hard, everyone!"
The 'special merit' mentioned by the Hidden Sand Jonin was exactly the special reward proposed by the Five Kage to increase the enthusiasm of their ninjas in the ninja war.
The condition was also simple: as long as one could kill or capture an official member of the Akatsuki organization, one could obtain this 'special merit' awarded by the Five Kage.
And those holding 'special merit' could apply to any of the Five Great Ninja Villages for one 'S'-rank ninjutsu or three 'A'-rank ninjutsu.
This was just the most superficial reward.
Obtaining 'special merit' also had implicit rewards. For example, within the Hidden Sand, it had been explicitly stated that a ninja army commander who obtained 'special merit' could enter the council of elders and become one of the village elders after the war, provided they passed a loyalty review.
Although other villages didn't have similar explicit regulations, various rumors had also spread.
Actually, this was normal because those who could become ninja army commanders were basically all Jonin, and most likely the outstanding ones among Jonin.
These people already had considerable prestige in their respective villages, so once they obtained 'special merit' in the ninja war, it was only natural for them to go a step further and step into the village's management level.
Take Ryuichi Takahashi's suppression force for example.
Ryuichi Takahashi himself wasn't famous in the Hidden Leaf, but as long as he could eliminate Mōryō and Shinnō and get the 'special merit', he had a high probability of becoming the next leader of the Hidden Leaf Sealing Squad.
As vice-captains, the Hidden Mist Jonin and Hidden Sand Jonin had a high probability of entering the elder level of their respective villages.
And because there were only so many official members of the Akatsuki organization, the Ninja Village Alliance didn't have to worry about the problem of 'special merit' proliferation.
In a tense and agitated mood, the three captains and vice-captains of the suppression force braved the blizzard on the ice plain and finally arrived in front of that snow peak at Target Seven.
"Eh!?"
Ryuichi Takahashi looked around and uttered a soft sound of surprise.
According to the plan, there should be ninjas near the target to receive them. But their main force had arrived, yet the receiving ninjas hadn't appeared for a long time.
The Hidden Mist Jonin pointed to the cave entrance on the distant snow peak: "That seems to be Target Seven! The cave entrance connects directly to the mountain belly. Could the vanguard force have already attacked completely inside?"
Hearing this, the Hidden Sand Jonin was somewhat anxious: "Damn it, there seems to be a Sealing Squad in the vanguard force. Mōryō and Shinnō wouldn't have been taken out by them already, right! Captain, let's attack!"
Ryuichi Takahashi hesitated: "But..."
The Hidden Mist Jonin also persuaded: "Even if the vanguard force has been completely wiped out, we have no way back, so there is nothing to hesitate about!"
Hearing this, Ryuichi Takahashi felt it made sense, so he waved his big hand: "Attack!"
Soon, the entire suppression force deployed the attack formation trained long ago, attacking into the snow peak from the cave entrance sequentially.
They thought they would encounter an ambush in the narrow cave passage, but the suppression force marched halfway, and the foremost vanguard squad was almost entering the mountain belly without encountering any attacks. Ryuichi Takahashi suddenly felt a sense of disappointment, worrying like the Hidden Sand Jonin whether Mōryō and Shinnō had already been dealt with by the vanguard force.
After passing through the cave and entering the mountain belly, Ryuichi Takahashi immediately felt a warmth. This warmth undoubtedly emanated from the hot springs located inside the mountain belly, making the temperature inside the mountain belly much higher than the snowy plain outside where ice and snow mixed.
However, the blowing warmth could not suppress Ryuichi Takahashi's currently chilling heart.
As the field of vision widened, everything inside the mountain belly came into his view. It was just that what he saw was not the busy scene of the vanguard force cleaning up the battlefield, but severed limbs and broken arms everywhere, and the leading Jonin of the vanguard force sitting on a high pile of corpses, looking at him with a teasing face.
Ryuichi Takahashi was momentarily speechless: "You..."
The leading Jonin sitting on the pile of corpses stood up slowly, looked down at his own body, and complained: "This body is still too weak. Why couldn't you send some stronger guys over?"
Ryuichi Takahashi realized instantly.
The one on the pile of corpses was none other than their target this time, the demon Mōryō. This demon had obviously occupied the body of the leading Jonin of the vanguard force at this moment.
As vice-captains of the suppression force, the Hidden Mist Jonin and Hidden Sand Jonin's eyelids twitched at this moment.
They didn't expect the vanguard force not only lost, but lost so completely, which was completely contrary to the headquarters' deduction.
Ryuichi Takahashi instructed: "Notify the temporary camp, the vanguard force is defeated and wiped out, our suppression force takes over the battle!"
"Yes!"
An Intelligence Division ninja in the team responded and quickly sped towards the outside of the cave.
Bam!
As a result, just as that Intelligence Division ninja approached the cave passage, he was hit head-on by a punch from a black figure and blasted back into the mountain belly...