Through the trials of actual combat, Byakuya had developed a sharp sense for the flow of battle.
He could just leave without getting involved. But his tracks would be exposed. Whether the Rock ninja survived or the Sand ninja survived, they would report intel about him to their respective villages.
He had to remember that he was currently near the border of the Land of Wind. The probability of being hunted down was extremely high.
After all, a mysterious ninja appearing in the Land of Rivers who belonged to neither side was naturally a sensitive variable.
Even if he wasn't a Leaf ninja, it would be worth intercepting him just to verify his identity.
He adjusted the Shuten-doji mask on his face and drew his katana.
Although he didn't know where these four Sand ninja found the courage to counterattack while being chased, Byakuya made up his mind.
"My orders were for a covert operation. However... I can't just watch my comrades get slaughtered by the enemy."
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Three Byakuyas sprinted toward the seven Rock ninja.
The Sand ninja, their blood boiling and faces twisted in ferocity, were moved.
Since he put it that way, they had to risk their lives to wipe out all the enemies! Only then would they be worthy of this comrade's righteousness!
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
A mud dragon head rose from the ground in front of a Rock ninja, spitting mud projectiles at Byakuya.
Byakuya was fast, his reactions sharp. He dodged the barrage.
"Earth Style: Stone Spikes!"
Dozen of sharp rock spikes suddenly erupted beneath the feet of the four Sand ninja. They were prepared, however—some dodged to the side beforehand, others leaped high into the air.
Close quarters combat.
Byakuya's Kenjutsu had been upgraded. His moves were simple and efficient. Upon first contact, the Rock ninja closest to him—already drained of stamina and sluggish—left an opening. Byakuya seized it. In a flash of electricity and steel, his katana severed the man's neck.
Blood sprayed.
"Nice kill! As expected of our Sand ANBU!"
Based on Byakuya's estimation, these Rock ninja were Chunin level.
And killing Chunin felt... not that hard.
A few breaths later.
The second Rock ninja died under his blade.
He side-stepped a kunai effortlessly. His Shadow Clone deflected incoming shuriken. The main body grabbed a Rock ninja's right arm, and the third Shadow Clone slammed a kunai into the man's mouth.
"Retreat!"
Seeing the "Sand ANBU" reinforcement kill three of their own in such a short time, the remaining Rock ninja threw smoke bombs to cover their escape.
Byakuya retreated immediately.
Using Storm Style Body Flicker, he appeared behind everyone.
He formed the seals.
"Storm Style: Torrential Lightning."
To maximize the power, he poured his chakra into the jutsu.
A river of lightning suddenly engulfed the Sand ninja and the Rock ninja who hadn't managed to flee yet.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave."
"Lightning Style: Earth Flash."
Immediately after.
Byakuya ordered his two Shadow Clones to finish the job, executing every single ninja from both the Sand and Rock sides.
He looted the bodies.
Unfortunately, because he had gone all out, most of the items on the ninjas were destroyed.
He picked out the usable tools.
He dispelled the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Byakuya immediately fled the scene, heading for the Land of Fire.
"Back in my hometown, we have a saying: all is fair in war. You trusted me, your enemy. Don't blame me for being ruthless."
He now had a better gauge of his true combat power.
Close to Jonin level.
But the rule remained: Lay low. The ninja world was full of dangerous snakes.
Although Root missions were unpredictable and perilous, they were still somewhat better than the meat grinder of the front lines.
Byakuya refused to believe he'd run into a Kage-level monster like Pakura on every single mission.
---
Two hours later.
The Rock Village Jonin, Kitsuchi, arrived with two subordinates.
Seeing the seven Rock ninja dead, along with the Sand ninja who had coincidentally spotted them, he was momentarily confused about what had transpired.
They inspected the battlefield and analyzed the intel.
"Lord Kitsuchi, it was Lightning Style and Water Style ninjutsu."
"Hmm. Strange. That person wasn't a Sand ninja. Could it be someone from the Leaf?"
"But why would a Leaf ninja be here? Shouldn't they be defending against us and the Cloud? Does the Leaf know we're diverting elite forces to launch a surprise attack on the Sand?"
Kitsuchi looked like a simple, honest man, but his eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
The intel was sparse, but they needed a conclusion fast.
He shook his head. "This operation is top secret. The Leaf is scrambling on two fronts; they definitely don't have the spare attention to spy... No, wait. I heard Danzo Shimura of the Leaf leads a mysterious organization. If it's them, it's possible."
"Lord Kitsuchi, what should we do? Continue with the plan, or pause for safety?"
"Let's go. We report this to the Tsuchikage first."
"Understood."
Carrying the bodies of their comrades, Kitsuchi frowned deeply.
The battlefield analysis confirmed Lightning and Water Style, and likely only two opponents.
But something felt off. Like he was missing something.
"Wait."
"Lord Kitsuchi?"
Kitsuchi inspected the wounds on the bodies. "Send these to the Analysis Team."
In the ninja world, even the dead hold value.
"The Analysis Team was urgently reassigned by the Tsuchikage to the front lines against the Leaf."
"When did that happen? Why didn't I know?"
"Yesterday noon, while you were scouting ahead of the main force."
"Why didn't you report it?"
"I tried twice, but you cut me off. You said, 'Unless Leaf ninja are knocking on the Land of Earth's door, don't disturb my judgment of the intel gathered'..."
Kitsuchi scratched his head. "Looking at the timeline... even if the Leaf detected our movement, they wouldn't have had time to deploy. Plus, the Leaf is stretched thin on multiple fronts."
Suppressing his doubts, Kitsuchi led his two subordinates back to the surprise attack force targeting the Hidden Sand.
Ever since the Sand started scouring the world for the missing Third Kazekage, the first to lose patience was the Cloud.
The Third Raikage led an elite force to invade the Land of Wind.
Instead of crushing them, it cemented Rasa's reputation as a hero.
To divert internal dissatisfaction over the failure, the Cloud declared war on the Leaf.
Although the Third Raikage had contacted the Rock beforehand hoping to drag them into the war against the Leaf, the Rock had their own plans.
The Rock had long coveted the fertile lands and rich resources of the Land of Fire. How could they pass up this golden opportunity? They followed the Cloud's lead and declared war on the Leaf as well.
As for the plan to flank through the Land of Rivers and surprise attack the Sand? That was the Third Tsuchikage exploiting the Sand's weakness exposed by the Cloud's attack.
The disappearance of the Third Kazekage had caused ambitious factions within the Sand to rise up.
To resist the Cloud, they had briefly united.
But for Rasa, the hero of the hour, to secure his seat as the Fourth Kazekage, he needed to purge the ambitious power-holders within the village. This directly weakened the Sand's strength.
Onoki had accurate intel: the Sand's high command was in a state of panic and paranoia, and their forces were scattered across the Land of Wind suppressing rebellions.
Thus, Kitsuchi's surprise attack squad was born.
Of course, failure didn't really matter. The hatred between the Rock and Sand went back years anyway.
"I'm worried the Leaf might use this incident to ally with the Sand against us."
Kitsuchi wrote this sentence on a scroll and handed it to a Rock ninja. "Get this to the Tsuchikage as fast as possible."
"Yes, sir!"
Time waited for no one.
Kitsuchi adjusted his gear, stepped out of his tent, and shouted, "Troops, assemble! We have enough intel on the Land of Wind. It's our turn to attack!"
---
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (4 Days): Survive in the Wild for 4 Days (4/4)
> Status: Complete.
> Reward: Minor increase in Vitality.
Byakuya felt the subtle changes in his body as he lit a campfire inside a cave.
He recalled the crucial intelligence the Sand ninja had blurted out.
"Danzo, you old goat. I'm definitely asking for Tobirama's Water Severing Wave now!"