"What the hell is Gengetsu trying to do?"
"Who told him to charge that fast?"
"Who told him to scream like that?"
Fuguki Suikazan felt the entire operation crumbling around him.
The figures appearing over the dunes weren't Pakura—they were just ordinary Sand ninja.
Fuguki's plan had been precise: send the suicide squad to quietly approach and ambush these scouts. Then, with the help of the traitor within the Sand ranks, they would lure Pakura out to investigate.
The ten suicide soldiers would engage and distract her.
While she was occupied, Fuguki, Juzo Biwa, Jinin Akebino, and Kushimaru Kuriarare would lead the elite forces to encircle her, creating a perfect kill box from which she could not escape.
But now, thanks to "Gengetsu Hozuki" screaming his lungs out, the plan was shot to hell.
The Sand ninja were immediately alerted.
Even if they didn't fully believe the nonsense Gengetsu was shouting, their instinct would be to turn and run.
Gengetsu's aura was too intense.
And the name "Hozuki" carried weight. Even without specific intel, any enemy would be wary of a Hozuki charging at them.
Worse, Gengetsu had shouted way too early. There was still a massive distance between them and the Sand scouts. The enemy had plenty of time to turn tail and flee, and the remaining nine suicide soldiers—sprinting as hard as they could—had no hope of catching them.
Sure enough, the Sand ninja turned and ran.
"Gengetsu Hozuki" chased after them.
The other nine suicide soldiers chased after "Gengetsu Hozuki."
Meanwhile, Pakura, having received word that her scouts were under attack, was rushing toward the scene.
From his hiding spot, the Sand traitor watched the chaotic positioning of the Sand scouts and the Mist suicide squad and froze in confusion.
"What is happening? The location is wrong."
"Did the Mist change the ambush site?"
"Do they not trust me?"
Juzo Biwa approached Fuguki, his brow furrowed deep.
"Fuguki, what's going on?"
Fuguki's face was dark as a thunderhead. "That Gengetsu kid must have brain damage. The sand signal hadn't even hit the ground before he bolted."
"And he was screaming the whole way."
"He didn't listen to a single word of my orders."
"Those Sand scouts heard the commotion and ran immediately."
Jinin Akebino chimed in.
"Did you tell them Pakura wasn't among those scouts?"
Fuguki's eye twitched.
"Do I need to explain every detail to fodder? They're a suicide squad. Their job is to die when I tell them to. Does he honestly think he has a chance to kill Pakura and steal the glory for himself?"
"With his strength? Is he worthy?"
Jinin's question rubbed Fuguki the wrong way.
Was he seriously blaming this mess on him?
Jinin spoke flatly. "It's obvious Gengetsu thought Pakura was there. That's why he shouted those things."
Fuguki narrowed his eyes.
"Jinin, what are you trying to say?"
Juzo stepped in to mediate before the two could start arguing.
The moment Rasa saw Pakura appear in the distance, he shouted again.
"Lord Fuguki! Lord Jinin! Lord Juzo! Come out quickly! We've caught Pakura!"
Rasa turned his gaze to Pakura.
"Pakura! Today, I, Gengetsu Hozuki, will take your life!"
"KILL!!!"
The nine other suicide soldiers, caught up in the momentum, didn't even look back as they charged forward.
Rasa lagged at the very back.
Pakura's expression hardened. She began to retreat while simultaneously ordering her subordinates to signal the main Sand army for reinforcements.
Watching from afar, Fuguki was incandescent with rage.
"This Gengetsu is mentally deranged!"
"You caught Pakura?"
"You caught her where?"
"You think you can catch Pakura?"
If Fuguki thought there was a slim chance of salvaging the ambush before, that hope was now completely dead.
Ambushes relied entirely on timing.
First, Gengetsu had practically handed the Sand scouts an escape route on a silver platter.
Now, he had given Pakura ample warning to retreat and call for backup.
The pre-selected ambush site was useless.
Encirclement was now impossible without taking significantly more time—time they didn't have.
They were dangerously close to the main Sand army, but far from their own Mist forces.
This meant one thing:
If the Sand main force arrived before they could kill Pakura, the hunters would become the hunted. The Mist ambush team would be surrounded and crushed.
Reinforcements from the Mist wouldn't make it in time.
Could they kill Pakura before the Sand army arrived?
Looking at the current situation, Fuguki saw zero possibility of that happening.
"It's ruined!"
"The plan I spent so long preparing... completely ruined!"
"All destroyed by this idiot Gengetsu!"
Fuguki stared at "Gengetsu Hozuki's" distant back, his eyes practically dripping with murderous intent.
He wanted nothing more than to kill Gengetsu himself right now.
"Are the Hozuki really this stupid?"
Juzo asked, "Fuguki, what do we do now?"
Fuguki's eyes flickered.
"Retreat!"
Juzo hesitated. "We don't even try?"
Fuguki shook his head.
"There's no point. The plan has failed. Forcing it now will only put us in danger. Relay my orders: Retreat immediately. Everyone, move at top speed."
Juzo pointed toward "Gengetsu" and the suicide squad.
"What about them?"
"We can't worry about them now. Besides, they're a suicide squad. They were already dead."
Fuguki hoped Gengetsu would die. His only regret was that he wouldn't be the one to do it.
Following Fuguki's order, the Mist ninja began a mass retreat.
But they were too late.
Pakura's reaction and the Sand reinforcements arrived faster than Fuguki had anticipated.
"Kill them!"
"Chase them down!"
Hearing the shouts, Fuguki looked back and his face paled.
"Run! Faster!"
There were too many of them. The sheer number of Sand ninja pursuing them was overwhelming.
Even as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Fuguki didn't like the odds of three Swordsmen against an army of that size.
Even the Third Raikage had eventually fallen to the Hidden Stone's human wave tactics.
Were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen stronger than the Third Raikage?
That man possessed the "Strongest Shield" and the "Strongest Spear."
In the eyes of many, he was the strongest Kage of his generation.
Fuguki's hatred for "Gengetsu Hozuki" deepened.
"That Gengetsu is seriously sick in the head! A complete lunatic!"
Fuguki ground his teeth in frustration.
As he ran, he watched helplessly as the slower Mist ninja were overtaken and slaughtered by the pursuing Sand forces, their blood spraying out and dyeing the desert sands red.