"Then we begin," I said, brushing the sand from my hands, then summoned my Space-Time clone. "Use the Flying Thunder God network to go north and find the other Sand camp. Scout their position, study the terrain, and find a place to serve as an ambush point. Send the memories back as soon as you have them."
The clone nodded once before vanishing in a silver ripple of distortion, leaping into the unseen pathways of my scattered seals. Straightening, I turned to my team. They were waiting, eyes sharp and eager, the weight of the mission having burned away any hint of hesitation.
"While she scouts ahead, we will focus on finding the reinforcements themselves. Orochimaru's map gives us a rough idea, but it's already out of date. We'll need confirmation. Kurenai, your hawk will be our eyes. Send it high and wide; if the Sand are moving in force, I want to see them before they know about us."
Kurenai stroked the hawk's feathers, her lips pressed into a calm, determined line. "Understood. I'll keep it close enough that we can adjust quickly."
I nodded. "Good. We will move north along the border, fast but careful. I'll lay additional Flying Thunder God marks as we go to strengthen our fallback options. Once we locate their column, we'll be able to match our timing against the clone's report and set the ambush."
Asuma's mouth curved into a sharp grin, his eyes bright with excitement. "Finally, a mission that matters. We're not just playing at being shinobi anymore; this is something real."
Guy's fists clenched, his voice ringing with unshakable confidence. "Yosh! Our youth will blaze brightest against impossible odds. Let them come, we will strike like lightning!"
Duy smiled quietly, but there was no mistaking the pride in his eyes. "It will not be easy, but together, we can endure whatever trial lies ahead."
"Then let's move," I said at last, turning toward the desert.
The sun was rising, spilling pale light across the sand. It would be a long, hot day, but every step would bring us closer to the strike that could shift the war itself. Kurenai's hawk gave a sharp cry as it took to the air and then we raced into the desert.
Orochimaru's map was crude but gave us a place to start. From there, I led the group northeast at a steady pace, keeping to the ridges where the wind scoured tracks away quickly, and only dropping lower when we needed to confirm the path. The trail of hundreds was faint but still there, sand churned by carts and the shallow depressions left by countless boots.
The sun climbed higher, harsh and relentless, and we continued to press on. Kurenai's hawk circled far above, her chakra tethering it to her will. Every so often she called it lower to glimpse through its eyes, then have it soar back into the sky. Each time she shook her head as there was still no sign of them.
By late afternoon the desert light had turned golden, and the heat began to distort the air. That was when the hawk gave a piercing cry, diving slightly toward the horizon. Kurenai stopped, eyes unfocused for a moment as she reconnected to the hawk.
"I see them," she said.
"Show me," I said.
With a couple of hand signs, she used her genjutsu to share the vision with me. A column of shinobi stretched across the sands in ordered ranks; three, perhaps four hundred strong just as Orochimaru's message had said. They were still marching north, with no sign of slowing even as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
I narrowed my eyes as she broke the genjutsu. Not strange, exactly, but telling. To keep so many shinobi moving through the night could only mean one thing. The Sand was desperate. They wanted a win, and they wanted it fast, but that made sense if Rasa was feeling threatened by Pakura's rising fame and his recent loss. Time was short, but it was playing out much like Orochimaru had guessed, so this blow could not be at a better time; we just needed to make sure it hurt.
The hawk wheeled overhead, but I barely noticed. A sudden rush of sensation rippled through me as my Space-Time Clone's memories flooded back, sharp and clear. Images unfolded in my mind: the Sand's northern camp bristling with defenses, and just beyond it, a narrow stretch of valley where the terrain funneled like a throat. It was the perfect place for an ambush. Risky, being so close to their stronghold, but there was no better option if we wanted the strike to matter.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the headache fade as the last fragments settled. When I opened them, the decision was already made. "We're moving north," I said, turning to the team. "The clone found the camp, and it found us a place to wait. We don't have time to march there on foot. We'll use the Flying Thunder God network I've made."
Their eyes widened slightly at that, but none of them questioned it.
I summoned my Space-Time Clone again and explained, "First, my clone will take Duy then Asuma. You two will need to protect my clone while she meditates. Once she has refilled her reserves, she'll dispel herself and I resummon her here to bring Guy and Kurenai to the north as well. Once we'll altogether again, we'll start mapping out the ambush."
Guy clenched his fists. "Then Kurenai and I will stand guard here until the clone is ready to return."
"No, I will stand guard while you two rest; sleep is going to be luxury soon. Are you ready to move out?"
Duy was calm as always and simply nodded before stepping closer to my clone. With a ripple of distortion, the two of them vanished, silver light bending and collapsing into nothing. The feedback of memories let me know that they had arrived within five minutes, so I resummoned my clone. Asuma went next. He gave a sharp grin, full of excitement, before my clone seized him by the shoulder and space folded around them.
The world quieted after that. It was costly to transport another person, which was I had my clone do all the work, keeping myself strong and ready for a possible attack. While she meditated by Duy's and Asuma's side, Kurenai and Guy tried to get a bit of sleep, and I kept an eye on the surroundings.
Hours passed, the desert sky bleeding from twilight into full night. The chill set in hard, and I wrapped my cloak tighter, wishing that a fire was practical. After two or so hours, my clone dispelled itself, so I stood up and stretched before I resummoned my clone. Next, I woke up Guy and Kurenai and sent him off with my clone, leaving me alone with Kurenai for a few minutes. She was quiet with her hawk perched on a nearby branch, eyes sharp even in the dim light.
I watched her for a moment before speaking. "Once this mission is done, I'm going to recommend that the four of you start taking assignments under your command. Duy is more than strong enough to support your team, but he is a bit... too honest for his own good. You've already proven that you have the intelligence and ability to coordinate well with the team, so it's time to put it in practice."
Her head turned slightly toward me, surprise flashing in her crimson eyes. "Under me?"
I nodded. "I have too many responsibilities pulling me back to camp, the medical corps, Orochimaru's demands, missions like this one. But you three… you're ready to start standing on your own two feet. You deserve to operate like a proper genin team and get some real experience."
For a long moment she was silent, her gaze searching mine. Finally she asked, her voice low, "Will you still be our sensei?"
I felt the corner of my mouth lift. "Of course; I'll always be here to teach you new techniques and help you refine what you've learned, but you deserve the chance to grow outside of my shadow."
Her expression softened, the faintest shadow of a smile flickering across her face. She looked away, brushing her fingers over the hawk's feathers, but I caught the quiet pride in her posture. Sensing my clone's arrival with Guy, I resummoned my clone to my side and turned to Kurenai.
"Let's go," I said.
Kurenai nodded and coaxed her hawk onto her forearm. With a bit of genjutsu, the hawk's senses were completely dulled, so Kurenai tucked it close to her body. My clone placed a hand on Kurenai's shoulder then all three of us vanished with a flash of silver.
By the time we arrived, the others had claimed a hollow ridge that would serve as our shelter. The ambush site stretched just beyond, a narrow valley where the cliffs funneled the desert floor into a throat of sand and stone. If we could wound them here, right under the nose of the Sand camp, the blow would echo across the warfront and likely cripple Rasa's leadership for good.
We rested through the morning, conserving what strength we could, though none of us truly slept. Asuma sat sharpening his kunai with deliberate strokes, the steady rasp of steel on stone filling the silence. Guy stretched in restless bursts, unable to sit still for more than a heartbeat. Duy, as always, was the picture of calm endurance, seated cross-legged with his eyes closed, his breathing even and deep. Kurenai tended to her hawk, smoothing its feathers with careful fingers; the bird remained eerily still, sharp eyes glinting as if it too understood the gravity of what was coming.
When the sun reached its peak, I gathered them together. The sand was hot beneath our feet as I drew diagrams into the earth, explaining each step of the plan. I showed them how to chain the explosive tags together so that they could all be activated with a few hand signs. I mentioned the cliff edges where the explosions could trigger a landslide, crushing whoever survived the initial blast. And most importantly, I pointed out our retreat path along narrow ridges and twisting gullies; places where we could lose pursuers if they gave chase. Every detail had to be understood as hesitation would mean death.
Asuma leaned forward, memorizing every mark I drew, his brow furrowed in concentration. Guy raised questions about timing and how long they had to stay close before pulling back. Duy asked none; he listened, absorbing the plan in silence. Kurenai watched with a sharp, level gaze, her mind already running through contingencies in case something went wrong.
It was only when night fell that we moved out to start setting up the ambush. We spread out across the valley with all of my clones except for Scorch, as I needed to keep her hidden for quite some time. I sent my Space-Time and Yin Clones to keep watch from the ridges, their senses stretched far and wide, every flicker of chakra reported back to me like faint whispers in the back of my mind. Their vigilance was a weight, but it allowed the rest of us to work without fear of discovery.
Hours passed as we worked, and years' worth of stockpiling was spent, but the trap was laid. As the eastern horizon began to pale with the faintest light of false dawn, we pulled back into the hollow ridge, breaths misting in the cold desert air. No one spoke at first. The silence pressed heavy, as though the valley itself was holding its breath alongside us.
Asuma broke it with a low voice. "We really just turned this whole place into a bomb." He sounded more awed than afraid.
"Not just a bomb," I corrected quietly. "Also a message and warning... and it'll cut deep if they walk where we want them to."
Guy grinned, though there was a tightness in it now, the edge of nerves fraying his usual exuberance. "Then we'll be ready when it happens."
Duy rested a hand on his son's shoulder, steady as always. "Remember, the measure of shinobi is not just strength in the fight, but discipline in the wait. Patience now will carry us through."
Kurenai said nothing, her eyes closed, but her hawk gave a sudden cry and launched itself skyward. She straightened instantly, her chakra tether tightening as she focused through its senses. A long, taut silence stretched before she finally whispered, "They're coming. The reinforcements are moving into the valley."
The words settled over us like frost. My breath slowed, and my hand twitched with anticipation. The valley was empty and long, innocent in its silence, but beneath its sands lay the snare we had buried, but soon, three to four hundred shinobi of the Sand would walk straight into it and our trap.