The Iwa Jonin's facial muscles twitched violently as he watched his own Ninjutsu backfire, turning into a tomb for his comrades. Rage and disbelief surged through him, threatening to drown out all reason.
Then—
A sharp whooshing tore through the canyon air.
From the opposite cliffside, four figures burst forth, shrouded in wind and sand. Their flak jackets gleamed faintly beneath the dust—Sunagakure headbands flashing as they fanned out, cutting off the last escape route of the two surviving Iwa Ninja.
Trapped between two fronts, the Iwa duo's eyes hardened with the wild gleam of cornered beasts. Without hesitation, they abandoned the Konoha shinobi in front of them and lunged at the Sand-nin who had just landed.
"Hmph."
The leading Suna Jonin snorted, unflinching. His left hand shot out, seizing one attacker's wrist in mid-swing—then twisted.
A sickening crack followed, the kunai clattering uselessly to the ground.
His right leg snapped out instantly, striking the other Iwagakure Ninja at the knee.
"Ugh—! Ah!"
Twin cries split the canyon. One shinobi dropped to his knees, wrist bent at an unnatural angle, while the other staggered, struggling to regain balance.
The Sand-nin moved like a gust. He stamped down on the fallen man's back, pinning him to the sand and stone. Behind him, two others swiftly restrained the remaining enemy, yanking his arms behind him and binding them tight.
The Suna Jonin's eyes shifted toward Roshi.
"Konoha shinobi," he said evenly, "why are you clashing with Iwagakure forces here?"
Roshi straightened. "This is the Land of Rivers. Konoha was conducting a mission when we encountered an Iwagakure ambush. Why are you here?"
"Our patrol unit received intelligence that Iwagakure activity was detected in the area," the Sand-nin replied. "The village sent us to investigate."
"I see." Roshi's tone was calm, his expression unreadable. "I am Roshi, Jonin of Konoha. The Land of Rivers' Daimyo commissioned us to eliminate rogue shinobi reported nearby. We didn't expect them to be Iwagakure forces—thus the engagement."
He lied without so much as a blink.
"Jonin…" The Sunagakure leader, who had introduced himself as Kazemaki, repeated the word thoughtfully. "Then that explains it. According to our intel, several Iwagakure squads are still active in the vicinity."
He crossed his arms. "Our orders are to neutralize them. If our objectives align, why not cooperate as allies?"
Roshi's gaze drifted over the corpses strewn across the battlefield, then toward the bound prisoners. He smiled faintly.
"Of course. The enemy numbers are considerable—it's always welcome to have allies willing to lend a hand."
He gestured to his men. "Dispose of the bodies."
As his subordinates moved to work, Roshi kept his focus on Kazemaki, while subtly watching the Sand-nin behind him.
"Kazemaki-san," he asked lightly, "any estimate of Iwagakure's strength here?"
"The exact number's unclear," Kazemaki said. "At least five squads, perhaps more. Our special-jonin unit has already eliminated two."
Nearby, Anko approached the crude stone coffins that had entombed their enemies. She squatted beside the blackened stains leaking from within and murmured, "Tsk… what a terrible way to die."
Her hands, however, moved with fierce energy—slamming down chunks of shattered rock with deliberate force, dust rising in thick clouds.
A Sunagakure shinobi guarding the prisoners glanced sideways at her. His brow creased, then smoothed as he turned away, pretending to check the Iwagakure Ninja's tool pouch.
Roshi noticed—but his expression never changed.
"Understood," he told Kazemaki coolly. "Let's move. We still have a long way ahead."
Genma met Roshi's eyes briefly and muttered a quiet, "Mm," the senbon in his mouth unmoving.
He elbowed Iwashi lightly, then glanced toward Raidō.
Raidō's grip on his black blade tightened. Iwashi gave a barely perceptible nod.
Once the battlefield was cleared, Kazemaki turned. "Please follow me. Our outpost is just ahead. You can rest there for a while."
This time, Roshi deliberately took the lead, with Anko and Itachi flanking him—one to his left, one to his right.
Genma, Raidō, and Tatami fell behind in silent coordination.
The "temporary outpost" wasn't far—just a few minutes' run at ninja pace. A hollow backed by a towering rock wall came into view, dotted with a dozen tents camouflaged against the sand.
But barely a hundred meters from the camp, Roshi stopped.
Kazemaki and his men froze too, turning in unison.
The ropes binding the two Iwagakure captives had vanished. Their wrists were free—one of them flexed his once-broken hand, glaring murderously at the Konoha team.
The Sand-nin quietly spread out, forming a half-circle. Kunai and shuriken caught the faint light, glinting like the eyes of predators.
The air grew sharp, heavy with killing intent. The canyon wind howled, carrying fine sand like a whisper of death.
Kazemaki's tone lost its earlier civility.
"Jonin Roshi," he said, lips curling, "why stop here? Please—keep following us."
Roshi's gaze swept over the scene—the unbound prisoners, the loose formation, the nearby camp—and his voice turned cold.
"This is far enough. Any closer, and I'd be insulting my own judgment."
He met Kazemaki's stare.
"Why would Sunagakure betray its alliance with Konoha?"
Kazemaki gave a low chuckle. "Betrayal is such a harsh word. We're merely… ensuring the mission is completed alongside our Konoha allies."
Roshi smiled thinly. "That's reassuring. Still, if it's just your unit, I'd suggest surrendering. It'll be faster that way."
He wasn't oblivious to the setup—he had placed Genma's team at the rear precisely for that reason. What he needed now was confirmation: had Sunagakure truly joined hands with Iwagakure?
If so, the entire western front was at risk.
Kazemaki's sneer deepened.
"The earlier ambush," Roshi said calmly, "was composed of one Jonin and seven Chunin. Forgive me, but if one of my comrades happened to kill your Jonin, do let me know—I'd like to record the achievement properly."
"As for your squad," his eyes narrowed, "besides you, there's an Iwagakure Jonin among them… and the rest are Chunin. Correct?"
He tilted his head slightly. "So tell me—will you still take your chances?"
Kazemaki's composure cracked. "Arrogant brat!" he roared. "That's exactly why we despise you Konoha dogs!"
His chakra flared, wild and sharp. "We chose this place to save effort—don't flatter yourselves!"
He gestured sharply, eyes blazing. "Open your eyes and see clearly—the alliance between Iwagakure and Sunagakure will crush Konoha once and for all!"
He raised his kunai, his voice echoing through the canyon—
"Your doomsday begins now!"
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