Chapter 26: Mist Ninja Ao
Even a vague target was better than no direction at all.
Now that their movements had already been exposed, investigating Kirigakure's true strategic goal could no longer be done through conventional means. It was very likely that Mist had dispersed scouts monitoring every critical route. Their best bet now was to use the pursuit of the enemy's goal as a pretext, weaving through enemy lines in a more covert manner to gather intelligence.
With Kakashi and Phosphor's assessments presented one after another, Black Hawk finally made his decision. Instead of wasting time floundering around aimlessly, it was far more effective to proceed to Rōran. Even if they found nothing, it wouldn't be worse than their current stalemate or chasing shadows.
Black Hawk gave a firm nod and said, "Then we move out to Rōran."
"Yes!"
With a chorus of sharp affirmations—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The four figures vanished from their location one by one, looping around their current path before setting off toward Rōran.
---
Meanwhile...
Several hundred miles away from Kakashi's team, in a massive sand pit surrounded by arid desert:
Scorched black stones jutted out of the ground, mingled with scattered pools of blood, shattered kunai and shuriken. A thick stench of iron still hung in the air—evidence of the intense battle that had just concluded.
"Is the area fully secured?"
Standing at the edge of the pit was a tall young man, likely in his mid-twenties. His spiked, steel-blue hair jutted skyward, and his expression was grim as he addressed a short-haired Mist ninja nearby.
"Yes, Lord Ao. All fifty Sand ninja were eliminated. We've confirmed that none of them had time to send out distress signals before we struck."
The short-haired Mist ninja answered respectfully.
Despite his youth, the man before him—Ao—was already a jōnin, and a trusted aide to Master Genji. Even the Mizukage placed considerable trust in him. This current campaign saw over a thousand Mist ninja mobilized, and nearly 400 of them were under Ao's direct command. Per orders from the Third Mizukage, Ao was the acting commander of the southeastern front.
"Good. Then establish a forward base here and send word to Lord Jūzō and Lord Raiga. Tell them to proceed according to plan," Ao said with satisfaction.
Yes—this Ao was that Ao.
At this point in time, he was still in the prime of his youth, not yet the veteran with a Byakugan eye. That legendary dōjutsu, after all, wouldn't become part of his legacy until later in the Third Shinobi World War. Right now, Ao was still a driven young elite—fighting not just for his village, but also for his own future.
"Yes, sir!"
The short-haired ninja bowed and left swiftly to carry out the order.
Not long after—
"Lord Ao! Urgent intel from Lord Hanrin in the rear!"
A purple-haired Mist ninja with a slightly effeminate expression flashed into view beside Ao.
"What is it?" Ao asked, frowning slightly.
"While clearing out the remaining Sand forces, Lord Hōzuki Genren encountered a squad of Konoha's ANBU. He managed to transmit a distress signal, but by the time reinforcements arrived, he had already been killed. Lord Hanrin arrived moments too late, and the Konoha ANBU escaped. Hanrin suspects this team may be the advance reconnaissance unit of Konoha—there's a chance Konoha is already aware of our movements."
Konoha.
Even though it no longer had the two legendary Sannin leading the charge as it once did decades ago, within the shinobi world, the Hidden Leaf remained a dominant force—unquestioned in terms of both numbers and individual strength.
No shinobi village dared to underestimate Konoha.
Not even the Four Kage.
And certainly not Ao.
The moment the words left his subordinate's mouth, Ao's pupils shrank sharply.
Konoha's ANBU? Here!?
Could it be… our entire operation's already exposed?
The thought struck him instantly, but Ao quickly shook his head, forcing it away.
No—this plan had been formulated and executed in an incredibly short window. Even knowing how cautious Konoha could be, Ao couldn't imagine they'd strike preemptively like this.
He understood the policies of the Third Hokage all too well.
Konoha under Hiruzen Sarutobi was conservative—slow to act, reluctant to commit until absolutely necessary. Before launching their invasion, Kirigakure had conducted thorough analysis and reached a conclusion: even if Konoha discovered the operation, they would likely stay neutral—unless their core interests were directly threatened.
Until then, all Kirigakure had to worry about was deceiving and dismantling Sunagakure strategically.
For all its internal chaos and declining strength, the Hidden Sand was still one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, and had stationed hundreds of troops along its southeastern border. At this early stage of the operation, any premature discovery would spell disaster.
So far, everything had gone smoothly.
Sunagakure still believed this to be a repeat of previous years: a minor harassment campaign by a small Kirigakure unit. They had no idea over a thousand Mist ninja had already broken through the southeastern sector in a three-pronged pincer maneuver—eliminating every last Sand ninja in their way.
Time was critical.
Sooner or later, Sunagakure would notice the silence on the frontlines and send reinforcements. But by then, the Mist's strategic objective would be complete.
Ao understood the deeper meaning behind the orders of both the Mizukage and Master Genji:
They had no interest in toppling the Hidden Sand.
The target wasn't the country, nor the village—it was control of the coastline.
It was complete monopolization of the Land of Craftsmen.
It was choking out Konoha's southern access, securing more routes for future invasions into Fire Country itself.
This wasn't about endlessly clashing around the ruins of the Whirlpool Country or the Land of Waves.
This was war with purpose.
And in this plan's first critical stage, Ao could not allow a single deviation.
Not just for his mission—but for the future status he aimed for within the village.
"Relay this to Lord Hanrin—there's no need for him to regroup with us yet. Increase personnel. Launch a full sweep. I want every trace of Konoha's presence in this area tracked. We will uncover what they're planning."
[Note: Land of Craftsmen = Land of Artisans = Takumi Village]