Chiyo would have loved it if the Konoha shinobi hiding in the Shinano River Forest came out to die on their own.
If they could completely annihilate these Konoha ninja, wouldn't that tear open the left flank of Konoha's Shinano River defense line?
If that happened, they wouldn't have to worry about supply lines or retreat routes anymore. They could fully coordinate with the main Sand army to encircle and crush Konoha's forces.
Even if a full encirclement wasn't possible, just breaking the Shinano River left flank would turn the tide of battle. They could even strike at Konoha's rear supply lines from the left wing.
From then on, the offensive and defensive dynamics would flip.
If Konoha wanted to stabilize their front, their only option would be to send reinforcements and retake the Shinano River left flank. Otherwise, to protect their supply lines, they'd have to retreat from the fertile Shinano Plains and rebuild their defenses in the eastern mountains of the Land of Rivers.
That would leave the rich Shinano Plains wide open to Sand's advance. Even if they couldn't push into the Land of Fire's heartland, occupying the Shinano Plains—the most prosperous region in the Land of Rivers—would still be a massive windfall for Sunagakure.
So, for this strategy to work, they had to take this mountain pass.
Once they secured it, they could march straight into the Shinano Plains and stab Konoha's forces in the back. Even if Konoha managed to reinforce and reclaim the left flank, the Sand could still loot several towns and recoup their losses.
But taking this pass wouldn't be easy—especially before Konoha's reinforcements arrived.
The Gourd-Shaped Pass
The pass was the lowest and widest point in the Shinano River Forest mountain range, shaped like a large and small gourd.
The inner, wider section could hold a thousand troops with ease. The narrowest sections, particularly the two choke points near the rear, only allowed two people to walk side by side.
The towering mountain ridges on either side were like natural fortresses, blocking the Sand army's path. The only quick way through was this gourd-shaped pass.
If they weren't in a hurry, ninja could scale cliffs and navigate the treacherous mountains—despite the poisonous insects, toxic miasma, and wild summoning beasts lurking within.
But time was of the essence. They had to push through before Konoha's reinforcements arrived.
If only the summoning beast breeding grounds hadn't been wiped out by Konoha's ANBU… With flying summons for aerial support, they'd have an advantage. Now, they had no choice but to sacrifice lives for speed.
Konoha's Defensive Dispute
Inside the pass, every available Konoha ninja had gathered.
Tenju Urame, captain of the Shinano River Forest's third-layer defense patrol, immediately questioned Yoru Umino's shadow clone:
"Umino Yoru, why is your unit still so intact? Did you flee from battle?"
Hagane Shirogane, sensing Urame's ulterior motive, cut in:
"Captain Urame, our priority now is holding off the Sand. The fact that Captain Umino preserved his forces is a good thing."
"Hmph!" Urame snorted, making his stance clear. "I know this valley pass best. I will take command. Who agrees? Who objects?"
It was obvious—Urame saw Umino's forces as the most intact and feared he might seize authority. So he struck first.
Without waiting for Umino or Shirogane's response, Urame immediately exercised his self-declared command:
Shirogane's unit was sent to the front of the pass—the wide opening at the "gourd's base." Umino's unit was stationed in the middle section. Urame's own unit was labeled the *"mobile support team"*—but in reality, they were positioned at the rear.
In other words, Shirogane and Umino's men would take the brunt of the attack, while Urame's unit would only fight after the others were wiped out.
Without giving them a chance to argue, Urame led his men toward the back of the pass.
A Smarter Defense
But Umino Yoru didn't blindly follow orders. After discussing with Shirogane, they decided to abandon the first line of defense entirely and focus their forces on the middle section.
"Better to concentrate our strength than be picked off one by one."
If they followed Urame's plan, Chiyo alone could break through their defenses.
"You're a real one, brother." Shirogane was moved—he even promised to introduce Umino to his sister once they returned to Konoha.
Soon, Umino's shadow clone and Shirogane's men set up their defenses in the middle section. Fortunately, Konoha had prepared for this scenario, pre-building numerous fortifications.
The Sand Army Advances
The Sand forces pushed in aggressively, but before entering the pass, they sent elite squads to check for traps. Once cleared, they assembled in the open area of the gourd-shaped valley, forming an offensive formation.
"Attack!" Chiyo commanded.
Dozens of Sand elites prepared to unleash a combined ninjutsu assault.
But then—
"Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!"
Umino Yoru's real body, riding the desert eagle "Shiro", launched another harassment attack.
This time, after releasing the shuriken, he unsealed a scroll, dropping large sacks toward the Sand army below.
The Sand, prepared, countered with a combined Wind Release, easily deflecting the attack.
But the sacks burst open from the wind, scattering flour and iron powder across the entire valley.
(The flour was looted from Sand's smuggling operations, while the iron powder was leftover from Spiral Hollow Wave training—originally meant to be sold for scrap. Now, it had a better use.)
The cloud of flour and metal dust spread like a Hidden Mist Jutsu, impossible to block. The Sand's own wind techniques only made it worse, blowing the particles everywhere.
"Pah! Pah! Bastard! Using such a disgusting tactic—"
Even Chiyo wasn't spared, her robes now dusted with flour and iron.
The powder itself wasn't harmful—but the insult was undeniable.
Then—
"Oh no."
Chiyo's heart dropped as she realized something: those sacks had been packed with explosive tags.
Though the tags had been scattered by the wind and wouldn't directly hit the Sand forces, a Konoha jonin wouldn't do this without a plan.
By then, Umino was already speeding away on Shiro, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the valley.
"Explode."
He formed the Tiger Seal.
BOOOOOOM—!
The earth shook as a cataclysmic force erupted from the gourd-shaped pass.
The blast was so massive it sent tremors through the entire Shinano Mountain Range.