Under the bright moonlight, several pitch-black figures flashed through the forest.
"Pick up the pace!"
A muffled voice came from beneath a white mask shaped like an animal. The figures racing through the woods were completely shrouded in black cloaks and long coats. When the wind lifted the fabric, it revealed tight combat gear and white harnesses beneath.
Led by Kusunoki Naraku, the ANBU squad moved swiftly through the forest, using the cover of night to advance.
They had already crossed the border of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Birds. Their rendezvous point was not far ahead.
…
Whoosh—
A gentle breeze swept across the surface of a clear lake, sending ripples spreading outward.
Morning sunlight poured down, awakening the forest from its night-long slumber. The sounds of insects and birds gradually filled the air.
Shua, shua, shua…
Several figures appeared at a concealed location deep within the forest.
"Lord Dragon!"
"Mm."
Leaving only perimeter sentries behind, Naraku led the ANBU squad to a forest roughly ten kilometers from the mission site, where they halted to await the right moment.
"My lord, after reconnaissance, we've confirmed three shinobi on guard within the target forest. Areas farther out haven't been fully cleared yet—the capital of the Land of Birds is densely populated, making thorough investigation difficult."
That was precisely why they had chosen to regroup in the forest.
Though the capital of the Land of Birds wasn't large, its dense population made it chaotic—far too easy for unexpected complications to arise.
"Rotate shifts for vigilance and rest," Naraku ordered calmly.
"But keep constant watch on the mission site. Our intelligence isn't guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate."
ANBU operations followed strict procedures. As long as those procedures were adhered to, problems rarely arose—unless an unforeseen variable appeared.
That said, assassination missions like this still demanded adaptability and sharp judgment.
Naraku himself had participated in numerous combat operations. After issuing concise orders, he sent the others to rest.
He then personally approached the mission area, carefully surveying the surrounding terrain.
He needed to know the battlefield inside and out—so that if anything went wrong once combat began, he could react instantly.
After finishing his inspection, he returned to the concealed temporary base to rest.
…
The moon hung high in the night sky.
From time to time, the otherwise silent forest echoed with the cries of nocturnal animals.
Shua!
Several figures appeared soundlessly in a relatively open clearing.
The terrain here offered clear visibility, allowing anyone present to monitor all surrounding positions—ideal for preventing ambushes.
The newly arrived shinobi stood silently, alert to every disturbance as they waited.
Time passed slowly.
Just as impatience began to show, a faint rustling sound came from the forest opposite them.
The waiting shinobi instantly tensed, eyes locked forward. Some had already reached for their ninja tools.
Moments later, figures leapt out from the trees.
When they saw the Sunagakure forehead protector worn by the leading figure, the group visibly relaxed.
Still, those who had arrived first were displeased.
"You're late. You almost missed the agreed time."
"Tch. You Iwagakure shinobi are always so rigid. We're not even past the scheduled time yet."
"Enough talk. Exchange the intel."
After a brief verbal clash, the leaders of Sunagakure and Iwagakure each pulled out a prepared scroll.
"On three."
"Fine."
The two simultaneously threw their scrolls toward one another and caught the incoming ones.
Concerned about deception, both immediately unsealed the scrolls to check their contents.
Under these circumstances, a full review was impossible—confirming that nothing was obviously wrong was enough.
"No problem."
"Hmph. Looks like Iwa played fair this time."
The words were meant as reassurance to their respective subordinates.
With the intelligence exchange complete, both sides relaxed slightly.
Next came the real objective—the exchange of supplies.
Each side produced a massive storage scroll, specifically designed for holding large quantities of materials.
Ordinary sealing scrolls for weapons or tools couldn't store nearly as much. Large-scale supply scrolls like these were extremely expensive—far beyond what ordinary ninja could afford or justify using.
These scrolls couldn't simply be thrown.
Instead, each side sent forward one ninja to conduct the exchange.
At the same time, both groups subtly reached toward the weapons concealed at their waists, ready for betrayal.
But just as their attention focused on each other—
"Fire Fist!!!"
A thunderous roar exploded from the pitch-black forest.
BOOM!!!
Scorching flames erupted violently, condensing into an enormous blazing fist that surged forward with a deafening roar.
Even before it struck, the searing heat crashed down upon the Sunagakure and Iwagakure shinobi, causing their expressions to change drastically.
"Wind Release: Turbulent Air Dance!"
Two Sunagakure ninja rushed forward, forming seals at lightning speed.
What should have been a basic, low-lethality Wind Release technique transformed—under their combined effort—into a chaotic gale that swept straight toward the flames.
They intended to blow the Fire Release back!
But everyone had underestimated the violence of those flames.
The raging wind didn't extinguish the fire—it fed it.
The inferno swelled instantly, growing even more terrifying.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Without time to curse the Sand ninja's misjudgment, three Iwagakure shinobi acted together, raising an immensely thick earthen wall in front of the blazing fist.
RUMBLE!!!
The explosion shattered the forest's silence.
The flaming fist pulverized the wall in an instant. The overwhelming impact slammed directly into the shinobi who hadn't managed to escape in time.
"Aaaah—!"
Screams rang out one after another.
"Damn it! Who's attacking us?!"
Barely escaping the blast, the remaining Sunagakure and Iwagakure ninja exchanged a tense glance before immediately turning to flee.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before they could even wipe the blood from their brows, countless projectiles shot toward them head-on.
Several shinobi who failed to dodge in time were instantly riddled with weapons, dying on the spot.
"Bastards!"
They hadn't even seen their enemies' silhouettes—and yet they were on the brink of total annihilation.
Then, horror struck.
Those who had narrowly avoided the barrage realized that explosive tags tied to the weapons were already burning.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A second wave of explosions tore through the clearing.
Flames shot skyward. Debris scattered in all directions. Thick smoke swallowed the battlefield.
"Cough—cough…"
"Someone's still alive?"
Shua!
The attackers finally revealed themselves.
Konoha ANBU stood atop towering trees, gazing down at the smoke-choked explosion site below.
Pshhk!
The sound of steel piercing flesh rang out.
The eyes behind one ANBU mask bulged in shock.
Behind him—at some unknown moment—a Sunagakure ninja had appeared, gripping a katana embedded deep in his back.
"Don't underestimate Sunagakure!"
Bang!
The ANBU operative's body suddenly transformed into a wooden log.
Substitution Jutsu.