The mission Hayashi and Mikoto accepted came with a clear requirement, one of the enemy had to remain alive.
Not for interrogation.
The purpose was infiltration.
They needed a living Sunagakure shinobi to serve as an entry key into the Sand Village forward base, possibly even deeper into the battlefield command structure.
Of course, not in his current state of mind.
Any shinobi who rose to the rank of jonin, regardless of village, possessed unwavering loyalty. Sunagakure shinobi would die for the Sand just as Konoha shinobi would die for the Leaf.
To achieve their objective, control was necessary.
And control required powerful genjutsu.
After careful consideration, the task naturally fell to Hayashi.
He crouched before the last surviving elite jonin.
"I need a small favor from you," he said calmly. "I trust you will not refuse."
The terrified look in the Sand shinobi's eyes faded into emptiness.
Hayashi's Three Tomoe Sharingan rotated slowly.
A few seconds later, the shinobi's pupils regained clarity, but the clarity was hollow.
The mind inside no longer belonged entirely to itself.
"Your genjutsu is incredible," Mikoto said softly as she descended from the canyon ridge.
There was no jealousy in her tone, only quiet admiration.
She too had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Yet controlling an elite jonin so completely was beyond her current reach.
Even among members of the Uchiha clan, genjutsu ability varied greatly.
It was not merely about possessing the same stage of Sharingan. It depended on ocular power and, at a deeper level, Yin Release.
Hayashi's illusion techniques were refined and oppressive, supported by unusually strong eye power.
At times, he could even sense a ceiling above his current state, as if the Three Tomoe Sharingan was not the true limit. There was something beyond it, something waiting.
But that barrier required a catalyst.
For now, it remained just out of reach.
"Captain, shall we return?" the controlled Sand shinobi asked obediently.
"Of course," Hayashi replied.
He unfolded a scroll marked with the character for corpse and sealed the two fallen bodies inside.
With no traces left behind, Hayashi and Mikoto performed the Transformation Technique, taking on the appearances of the deceased Sunagakure shinobi.
The three figures left the canyon and advanced deeper into the desert.
An hour later, guided by Orochimaru's intelligence and subtle subconscious suggestions implanted within the controlled jonin, they approached the Sand Village forward base.
Their infiltration encountered almost no resistance.
From a certain moment onward, the original surprise attack squad no longer existed.
In its place were two Konoha shinobi walking calmly into the enemy's heart.
The Sand shinobi had chosen their base location well.
Massive natural dunes shielded the camp from the worst sandstorms. The terrain cast wide shadows that cooled the area considerably.
Compared to Konoha's exposed desert camp, this location felt almost comfortable.
For a fleeting second, Hayashi thought that if circumstances were different, it would not be unpleasant to remain here longer.
But such thoughts were distractions.
He maintained absolute vigilance.
They were surrounded by thousands of enemy shinobi.
Even a warrior as powerful as the Third Raikage would struggle to survive if completely encircled in such numbers.
The first phase of their mission was complete upon entry.
The second phase did not involve reckless destruction.
Sabotage inside the camp would be suicide. Even Orochimaru would not assign a mission that guaranteed death without strategic value.
"Lord Shinra."
A passing Sand shinobi greeted Hayashi respectfully.
He responded with a simple nod.
According to intelligence, the quasi Kage level captain he was impersonating, Shinra, was taciturn and ruthless. A solitary figure with no close associates. His personality was perfect for infiltration.
Few people would question his silence.
His strength alone discouraged suspicion.
Mikoto's task was even simpler.
Stand quietly. Say little.
Let the disguise speak for itself.
The Sand shinobi who greeted them clearly knew Shinra's temperament. After giving a brief directional gesture, he departed without further conversation.
"It seems the main tent is ahead," Mikoto murmured quietly.
At the end of the path stood a tent taller than the rest.
Hayashi paused briefly before walking forward, adopting Shinra's steady stride.
Unlike Konoha's bustling command center, the Sand headquarters was unexpectedly quiet.
Documents and supply lists lay scattered across a large table.
Inside, only one figure remained.
The nominal commander of the Sand forces.
Rasa.
The last time Hayashi had seen him was during the Chunin Exams in Konoha four years ago.
Back then, Rasa had been proud, impulsive, and openly hostile toward Konoha.
He had spoken boldly of defeating the Leaf.
And then he had lost to Minato.
At that time, Minato had not yet displayed the brilliance that would later define him. In Rasa's eyes, Minato had likely seemed insignificant.
Now, four years later, Rasa stood seventeen years old.
His features were beginning to resemble the man Hayashi would one day recognize as the Fourth Kazekage, though traces of youth remained.
Youth meant inexperience.
And inexperience meant vulnerability.
Hayashi's eyes lingered on him briefly.
In Sage Mode, even suppressed beneath transformation, his perception remained sharp.
Rasa was strong.
But not yet at his peak.
The thought surfaced quietly.
Should he eliminate him now?
If Rasa died here, the future of Sunagakure would shift dramatically.
The war's trajectory might change.
But such an act would also carry immense risk.
Hayashi remained still, maintaining the role of Shinra.
For now, the answer remained unspoken.
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