At this moment, Hayashi could have placed Rasa under a simple genjutsu.
With his current ocular power, subduing the young commander would not be difficult. Killing him would be even easier.
But there was no reason to act on impulse.
Unless Rasa's death could instantly end the war in the Land of Wind, eliminating him here would achieve nothing meaningful.
Wars might begin because of individuals, but they rarely end because of one.
Removing Rasa would only expose Hayashi and Mikoto, ruining their infiltration and wasting a rare opportunity.
After a brief internal calculation, Hayashi abandoned the tempting thought. He stood calmly before Rasa, maintaining the indifferent demeanor of Shinra.
"Senior Shinra, you've arrived."
Although Rasa was the current battlefield commander of Sunagakure, in terms of seniority he was still junior to Shinra. The greeting was appropriate.
"There's no need for formality," Hayashi replied in a cold, steady tone befitting Shinra's personality. "You are the field commander. I am merely a shinobi assigned to assist. Speak plainly."
Rasa suppressed the faint discomfort in his chest. Shinra's reputation for bluntness was well known.
Without further pleasantries, Rasa led the three of them toward a wide desk covered by a detailed map of the ninja world. The Land of Wind was marked meticulously, and Konoha's encampments and supply routes were circled in ink.
"I'll be direct," Rasa said.
He pointed to a location heavily circled in black.
"Yunlu Canyon."
"Our intelligence indicates that Konoha will launch a full assault here in two days."
The canyon's terrain favored defenders. Its narrow passageways and high ridges made large-scale offensives difficult. However, Konoha's attacks had grown increasingly aggressive.
"Our fortifications are incomplete," Rasa continued. "Our current manpower is insufficient to fully secure the canyon before the assault."
He paused, waiting.
"I understand," Hayashi answered without hesitation. "I will handle it."
The words were simple, but coming from a quasi Kage level shinobi, they carried weight.
Relief flickered across Rasa's face.
If his command duties did not require him to remain at headquarters, he would have personally defended Yunlu Canyon. His mastery of Gold Dust, derived from Magnet Release, allowed him to manipulate the desert itself. Within the Land of Wind, his power was amplified significantly.
That strength was precisely why he had been appointed commander.
"Since Senior Shinra has agreed," Rasa said, glancing at Mikoto and the controlled subordinate, "aside from the two you brought from the village, I will allocate additional forces from the camp."
"Much appreciated."
Hayashi's expression did not change.
"I will finalize the assignments tonight. For now, allow me to show you to your quarters. You must be fatigued from your mission."
Hayashi gave a short nod.
They followed Rasa out of the command tent, maintaining perfect composure.
At this point, the mission was halfway complete.
---
Night descended over the Sand camp.
Inside the tent assigned to Shinra, Hayashi rested briefly while continuing to maintain his transformation.
Across from him, Mikoto sat carefully, still fully disguised.
Hayashi coughed lightly.
"Adjust your posture."
Mikoto blinked.
"You are supposed to be a man," he continued quietly. "Men do not sit with their knees together unless it is a formal ceremony. And they do not tilt their legs to one side."
"So how should I sit?" she asked softly.
"Cross-legged. Like this."
He demonstrated casually.
Mikoto imitated him, folding her legs.
"How does it feel?"
"A little strange," she admitted, "but surprisingly comfortable."
"That's good. Endure it for a little longer. Once this is over, you can sit however you like."
There was nothing flirtatious in his tone. Calm, protective, almost brotherly. In his mind, until she was older, Mikoto was someone he needed to look after.
Maintaining a flawless Transformation Technique was not difficult for either of them. The challenge lay in sustaining it continuously while matching the impersonated individual's behavior, speech patterns, and temperament.
After only half a day inside the enemy camp, Hayashi had gained a new appreciation for intelligence operatives.
Some spies survived for years under constant suspicion. Others were exposed within hours. The psychological pressure alone was immense.
He concluded that he was not suited for such work long term.
If Orochimaru had not specifically ordered this mission, he would never have brought Mikoto into such a dangerous environment.
Suppressing the thought, Hayashi bent over the map and began marking observations.
Mikoto leaned forward slightly.
"Are we going to seize Yunlu Canyon?" she asked.
"Not seize," he corrected gently. "Sabotage."
"Then why not bypass it entirely?"
"For shinobi, flanking is possible," Hayashi replied. "For supply lines, it is a disaster."
He tapped the marked supply depot in the Land of Rivers.
"If we detour, the distance increases significantly. The desert terrain and sandstorms would make transport nearly impossible. Our front line would collapse without supplies."
He explained further.
During the Second Great Ninja War, the conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure had taken place largely in the Land of Rivers. The terrain there was relatively flat, making maneuver warfare feasible.
The Land of Wind was different.
Endless desert. Violent sandstorms. Dangerous zones even Suna shinobi avoided.
Over time, Sunagakure had established a relatively stable desert corridor along the border, constructing a chain of defensive positions along it.
By drawing Konoha into the Land of Wind rather than fighting at the border, Suna intended to exploit its geographical advantage and exhaust Konoha's forces.
In the Second Great Ninja War, it had been a war of attrition.
Now, it was positional warfare.
Konoha needed rapid advancement.
Sunagakure aimed to delay.
To secure victory, Konoha would have to push through successive strongholds until reaching Mount Kikyo. Beyond that lay open terrain stretching toward Sunagakure itself.
Hayashi's gaze lingered briefly on the marked mountain.
He knew the name from history.
But such thoughts were secondary.
After recording all necessary intelligence, he bit his thumb and performed a summoning.
In a burst of smoke, Dabai appeared.
Even under transformation, the contract bond allowed Dabai to recognize him instantly. The snake coiled affectionately around his neck before settling.
"Enough," Hayashi said quietly.
He handed over a sealed scroll.
"Deliver this to Orochimaru."
Dabai swallowed the scroll and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Hayashi watched the empty space for a moment.
"Snakes really do like storing things in their stomachs," he muttered.
For a fleeting second, a vague memory surfaced of hiding something unusual inside Dabai before.
He frowned.
"If I cannot remember it, it probably was not important."
He shook his head and refocused on the mission.
Outside, the desert wind howled faintly against the tent walls.
Inside enemy territory, one wrong move meant death.
===
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