To encircle and eliminate the Umino Unit, the Sand ninja continuously reinforced their troops, eventually merging with the forces led by Satetsu Arashi and his wife. Their numbers swelled to over 500.
Meanwhile, the Sand ninja forces from the eastern Shinobi Forest Mountain front, after crushing a 200-strong Uchiha allied unit, swiftly pursued the Umino Unit. Though this detachment only had 300 shinobi, it was led by none other than Ebizō, an elder of Sunagakure.
Clearly, after over a month of recovery, Ebizō had fully healed from his injuries.
His unit consisted mostly of elite puppeteers—out of the 300 ninja, more than half were specialists in puppet techniques. Even by the most conservative estimates, Ebizō's pursuit force included:
- At least 200 genin
- Nearly 100 chūnin
- Around 20 special jōnin
- Close to 10 full-fledged jōnin
- And most crucially, Ebizō himself—a low Kage-level combatant.
In contrast, the Umino Unit had fewer than 100 genin, just over 20 chūnin, and barely five special jōnin.
Among them:
- Raido Namiashi, Genma Shiranui, and Midare Yūhi were confirmed special jōnin-level fighters.
- Fūjin and Raijin, along with Akatsuki Kurumi, were unpredictable—normally chūnin, but in certain situations, they could unleash jōnin-level power, placing them roughly at special jōnin overall.
- As for full jōnin, only Hagane Kotetsu and Uchiha Shun qualified.
- Might Dai was a wild card—if he opened the Sixth Gate, he could briefly reach quasi-Kage-level strength.
- Umino Sasuke himself was also an anomaly—normally a jōnin, but with the right tactics, he could push beyond his usual limits.
By comparison, Ebizō's pursuit force alone outmatched the Umino Unit by at least three to four times in overall combat power.
The Umino Unit's only real advantage was their aerial reconnaissance via Daibā (the giant white hawk), which had helped them eliminate the Sand's scouts. Beyond that, they were at a severe disadvantage.
Unlike Satetsu Arashi's cautious advance, Ebizō was brimming with confidence, driving his forces forward at breakneck speed.
After another half-day, Ebizō personally scouted ahead and finally spotted the Umino Unit's trail.
"Fishing and cooking? It seems this Konoha remnant force is truly running low on supplies."
Using his Sand Eye technique, Ebizō observed the Umino Unit in a river valley below, busy catching fish and preparing meals—the scent of roasting meat even reached his position.
"White Blood Demon… This time, I'll make sure you pay in blood."
Ebizō's face twisted with hatred, his killing intent palpable.
His fury was understandable. Not only had Umino Sasuk's Dust Explosion Technique annihilated his elite puppet corps, but the man had also slaughtered Ebizō's three prized disciples. This grudge had festered in his heart, tormenting him daily.
Still, as Sunagakure's elder and intelligence chief, Ebizō hadn't lost his rationality to vengeance. He quietly led his forces toward the valley, closing in undetected until they were less than two kilometers away.
"We're in trouble! The Sand ninja are here!"
"Run for it—!"
Panic erupted in the Umino Unit. Abandoning their meals, they scrambled to flee—all except Umino Yoru and Might Dai, who stayed atop Daibā, attempting to hold off the Sand's advance.
But under a barrage of coordinated ninjutsu, Daibā was forced to ascend higher, rendering their resistance futile.
Two kilometers meant little to shinobi speed—within minutes, the Sand forces would be upon them.
"Now's our chance! Cut them down!"
Ebizō's excitement surged, the thrill of imminent revenge coursing through him.
His sensory ninja had confirmed: no explosive tags lay in wait. There was no escape for these Konoha stragglers.
Just as the Sand forces entered the valley, poised to strike—
BOOM—!!!
A deafening roar erupted from upstream.
The fleeing Umino Unit suddenly halted, and a squad of chūnin simultaneously formed hand seals, unleashing a combined Earth Release—a massive earthen dam sealing the valley's exit.
The Umino Unit swiftly regrouped, each shoving high-grade soldier pills into their mouths.
"This is bad—it's a trap!"
Too late, Ebizō realized the truth. This wasn't a routed army—it was a meticulously planned ambush.
The cost of his reckless advance and lack of scouts became brutally clear.
Upstream, a thunderous deluge of water, mud, and debris surged forth—like dozens of Great Waterfall Techniques combined—barreling toward them.
"Earth Release defenses—NOW!"
Ebizō barked orders, but sensing the danger, he also commanded his puppeteers to prepare their Thousand Puppet Formation.
The Sand forces reacted swiftly, a team forming hand seals for a combined Earth Release barrier—
"Tremor."
A shadow clone of Umino Yoru unleashed a subsonic shockwave, effortlessly disrupting their jutsu.
"Just as I feared!"
Ebizō's face paled. Even expecting it, he couldn't believe someone could interrupt a joint technique from such a distance.
Thankfully, he had a backup plan.
"Thousand Puppet Formation—DEPLOY!"
Countless puppets stacked together, forming a multi-layered defensive wall akin to Multiple Earth-Style Walls, bracing for the flood.
Meanwhile, Umino Yoru—perched on a cliff upstream with Daibā—swallowed a yellow curry-flavored soldier pill, followed by several honeyed energy blocks.
Then, he formed hand seals, creating 10 new shadow clones—bringing his total to a staggering 25.
"Damn it!"
Ebizō saw the clones preparing a massive water-style technique, clearly intending to amplify the incoming flood.
He broke away from his unit, charging toward Yoru—
Only for Might Dai, his body now wreathed in the Sixth Gate's emerald aura, to intercept him with a devastating kick. Ebizō barely blocked with a defensive puppet but was still sent flying.
With the tsunami-like surge almost upon them, Ebizō had no choice but to retreat into the Thousand Puppet Formation, reinforcing it with every puppet at his disposal.
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