Before long, the full fighting force of 29 ninja had already moved far north to set up their ambush.
As for why they were hiding so far away, it was to avoid alerting the Hidden Sand's sensory ninja—any slight anomaly might put the enemy on guard.
"Will this work?" Rakusui asked.
"Maybe. No one can say for sure." Even Shimizu didn't know whether their plan would succeed.
The Ninth Division had left only a small number of Hidden Sand corpses on the original battlefield. Most of the Sand bodies—and even the remains of their fallen Konoha comrades—had been moved within the blast radius of the explosive tags. They staged a fake "aftermath of a fierce battle."
Because time was limited, the fabricated battlefield looked somewhat rough and chaotic.
No one could guarantee it wouldn't be exposed.
But under the cover of night, there was still a chance the deception would work.
As long as the enemy believed it and sent a considerable number of ninja into the trap zone to inspect and handle their comrades' bodies…
The nearly 200 explosive tags would deliver them a massive "surprise."
"I think it'll work," Mercury analyzed. "The Hidden Sand knows the scale of our forces here. The destruction of an entire division will definitely make them wary—but even more, it will make them angry. Because they know our numbers can't possibly exceed theirs…"
"Not much time passed between the signal flare and their arrival, yet that Sand division couldn't even hold out for that short window. To them, it's a disgrace."
"Strong negative emotions can cloud a commander's judgment. They'll be eager to investigate intelligence about us to restore their honor. And detailed information can only be obtained from the battlefield…"
Shimizu couldn't help but glance at Mercury again.
Her fierce Byakugan was fixed intently on the movements of the Hidden Sand ninja 1.5 kilometers away.
"That makes sense," Bunshi nodded. "It seems the odds of success are quite high."
"They're alert," Mercury whispered. "Their main force is staying on the perimeter. They've sent a single squad into the trap first... they must suspect something."
Everyone held their breath.
"...It seems they've cleared it. More ninja are entering the trap zone now."
A collective sigh of relief swept through the group.
"Half of them have taken the bait…"
Perfect, Shimizu thought. Just a few more squads and we can spring the net.
Suddenly, Mercury's voice became urgent. "No! They've discovered it! They're retreating—detonate now!"
The moment he heard the warning, Bunshi didn't hesitate. He triggered the explosive tags immediately.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Nearly 200 explosive tags detonated almost simultaneously. The violent blasts echoed through the canyon, and blazing firelight illuminated the entire night sky.
"What's the damage?" Bunshi asked, desperate to know the results of their gamble.
"Still standing… 49 Hidden Sand ninja!"
"Move out!" Bunshi ordered decisively.
Though the Sand still held a numerical advantage and were regular troops, that advantage wasn't overwhelming when facing a force comprised entirely of Konoha Anbu elites of Chunin rank and above. Among those 49 Sand survivors, a significant portion were likely Genin.
They had sacrificed the bodies of their own comrades for this... if they were going to get revenge, this was the only chance.
"If possible, capture a few alive. Don't kill them all this time," Shimizu reminded.
The 29 of them immediately rushed toward the explosion site at full speed.
…
.........
............
This Hidden Sand force had originally consisted of three fully staffed divisions—a total of 108 ninja. They had a complete medical squad and sensory squad, and even a puppet master in command.
In short, it was a scaled-down but fully structured regular Sand military unit.
They had also been the main force that fought against Konoha's ANBU Third Division. In order to swiftly annihilate the Konoha ninja, they had already suffered some losses.
By the time they noticed the signal flare and arrived here, they had 81 ninja remaining.
What they hadn't expected was to be greeted by a field littered with Hidden Sand corpses—
And this explosive tag trap…
Their commander, Rashamon, had indeed been careless. No matter how he thought about it, he could never have imagined that after annihilating one of their divisions, another Konoha ANBU Division would still have the strength—and the audacity—to launch an attack against them.
By the time the sensory squad detected something unusual, it was already too late. They paid the price with 13 lives, and another 18 were severely wounded.
"Medical team! Quickly! Treat the survivors at once!"
"Sensory team, watch for enemies that may appear around us!"
"All remaining squad leaders, count your members! Maintain high alert and be ready for battle at any moment!"
Suppressing the pain in his heart, Rashamon calmly issued his latest orders.
The losses were devastating. His carelessness had cost them dearly.
But what mattered more now was how to respond to Konoha's counterattack. His instincts told him that since Konoha had laid such a large-scale trap—and they had indeed fallen into it—
There was no way Konoha would let this opportunity slip by.
Fine. Let's see who ends up as the hunter and who as the prey!
"Konoha ninja approaching from the north! 29 in total! Distance: 500 meters!" reported a member of the sensory squad.
Nearly a full division... Rashamon thought. How can they still have so much combat power after such a violent engagement?
"Enemy approaching from the north! Everyone, assume defensive positions! Establish a line! Engage at will once they enter range. Puppet Masters, await my further orders!" Rashamon commanded.
Soon, the remaining 49 Hidden Sand ninja efficiently established a defensive formation, waiting for the Konoha forces to arrive.
300 meters… 200 meters… 100 meters…
At this distance, figures could already be seen faintly moving at the edge of the forest.
50 meters…
Under the moonlight, the outlines of the Konoha ninja became clearer.
The kunai and shuriken in the Sand ninja's hands were poised to strike.
30 meters…
"Attack!" Rashamon gave the order.
Dozens of weapons shot forward like arrows released from a bow, streaking toward the Konoha ninja at high speed.
Substitution Technique!
Thud, thud, thud!
The weapons hit home—but in the blink of an eye, every single target turned into a wooden log.
"They're in the trees!" the Hidden Sand sensory ninja immediately reported.
The Sand ninja swiftly redirected their focus.
One of them rapidly formed hand seals. His target was a lone Konoha ninja perched in a tree. The opponent seemed completely unaware of being targeted…
A golden opportunity. First blood is mine!
Seals complete!
Wind Release: Vacuum... Serial... Waves?
Suddenly, he felt a chill brush across his neck.
Is the night air really this cold?
Behind him stood a Konoha ANBU member, holding a kunai and wearing a red-and-white cat-faced mask. The tip of the blade was stained with specks of crimson.
It was his blood…
He could feel his life slipping away.
Having lost his strength, he also suffered the backlash of his failed ninjutsu.
His thoughts gradually slowed.
With a dull thud, he collapsed to the ground.