Uchiha Sogetsu led the squad, plunging into the dense forest as the night deepened.
No one knew of their departure—not even many in the village.
To maintain secrecy, Shikaku had gone to extreme lengths. But he knew it was only a temporary delay.
News of the Fourth Hokage and the reanimated Uchiha Madara had been seen by too many in Konoha. It was impossible to keep it hidden for long, so they had to act fast!
Fast enough that the Iwa ninja army couldn't react in time. Only then could the strategic plan be executed fully.
According to Sogetsu's plan, this raid would continue for three days without stopping for rest.
The Rain and Sand countries were already blocked by one hundred thousand White Zetsu, so entering the Land of Earth through the Rain Village was out of the question.
Sogetsu decided they would enter via the Land of Fire border, detour through Takigakure, then strike straight into the Land of Earth through the Land of Grass.
On the map, their route looked like a huge circle.
But this path maximized the chance of avoiding detection.
Hyuga Neji and Aburame Shino served as the squad's vanguard.
The Anbu squad covered the rear, erasing their traces. In the forest, Inoichi and Kakashi remained vigilant on both sides of the squad.
The Byakugan, truly Konoha's ultimate war tool, offered near-transparent vision, revealing any traps or enemy movements ahead without obstruction.
Of course, it wasn't without flaws. Shino supplemented the Byakugan's blind spots by spreading numerous insects, providing an even more covert line of reconnaissance.
The squad moved almost entirely through gaps in the Iwa ninja army, skirting the edges of tens of thousands of enemy troops and slipping past unnoticed.
"Wait, stop!"
Hyuga Neji suddenly raised his hand, clenching it into a fist, signaling the squad behind him to halt.
A small, dark insect quietly landed on his shoulder, seemingly waiting for his explanation.
"There are several scouting squads ahead. They're ninja from Iwa Village, around three hundred in total."
Neji reported what he had seen, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Go inform the Fourth Hokage. What should we do next?"
The little insect flew back, heading toward the main force of the squad, roughly two hundred meters away.
"Fourth Hokage, what's happening?"
Kakashi noticed the insect returning and immediately knew something was wrong ahead. He spoke up.
"Neji spotted several scouting squads—ninja from Iwa, around three hundred," Uchiha Sogetsu replied calmly, then turned to the others. "What do you think?"
"Go around them?"
Inoichi Yamanaka suggested. "This is the Land of Grass; we're already close to the Land of Earth."
"No," Kakashi shook his head. "Going around would cost at least an extra day. Time is tight. Wasting a day would only put the main army at greater risk."
"That's right. Kakashi is correct," Uchiha Sogetsu said with a faint smile, looking ahead. "We're not far from the Land of Earth anyway. Why not take this chance to give Onoki a little greeting?"
"You mean… eliminate them?"
Inoichi looked a little shocked, glancing at the group. Less than twenty of them against three hundred?
"Fourth Hokage, that's too risky!" Inoichi still looked concerned. "If we're discovered, Iwa's main forces aren't far. We'll be surrounded quickly. The plan will fail. I think it's safer to waste a day and ensure our safety."
"Kill them all, and there won't be any risk of exposure," Sogetsu said, his gaze meaningful as he looked at the group. "It's time to give Onoki a little surprise."
With the order decided, the remaining task was execution.
The three-hundred-strong Iwa scouting squad was resting in the valley when fog suddenly began to rise around them, thickening until it enveloped the entire valley.
The lead Jonin immediately sensed something was wrong and shouted, "Alert! Alert! Enemy attack!"
In an instant, hundreds of reconnaissance squads were thrown into chaos.
"Ah!"
"Ahhh!"
"No, no, don't!"
"Get away! Get away!"
For a moment, the terrifying cries coming from all directions made the lead Jonin break out in cold sweat.
He immediately realized that the attackers were no ordinary opponents, and their numbers were unknown. Watching the surrounding ninjas fall one by one, he quickly made a decision.
"Everyone, scatter and break through! Get out and inform Lord Akatsuchi of the situation here!"
A streak of lightning flashed through the dense fog like a reaper's scythe.
Almost every blink of an eye, a head would fall.
Anyone who tried to break through the fog's encirclement was struck down by kunai that seemed to come from nowhere.
Even worse, countless others were covered by swarming insects, screaming in terror as life slowly drained from them.
In just over ten minutes, the three-hundred-strong reconnaissance squad was completely slaughtered.
As the fog in the valley gradually dissipated, only corpses remained.
With Kakashi, Might Guy, Neji Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and numerous elite ANBU present, failing to wipe out a mere three-hundred-man squad was unheard of.
Uchiha Sogetsu looked at the corpses, then turned to Shino and the ANBU squad leaders.
"Erase all traces of this place. Leave nothing behind. Then, move on."
They were a raiding squad. After annihilating the reconnaissance unit, they could not rest in place.
On the contrary, they had to accelerate and push further into the Land of Earth, cutting off the Iwa ninja's supply lines before the main army could react.
Elsewhere, Akatsuchi, Kurotsuchi, and Kitsuchi led three separate armies, pressing toward Konoha's borders.
Akatsuchi first sent hundreds of ninjas to probe Konoha's defenses.
Shikaku Nara saw through the plan, luring the enemy into a trap and annihilating them completely, without revealing a single flaw.
"Their commander must be Shikaku Nara, right?"
Kitsuchi glanced at the battle report and sneered.
"This guy's style is too obvious—always cautious and careful."
"Father, what should we do next?" Kurotsuchi asked. "Should we let Akatsuchi's main force advance directly, pressure them, and then break through from the flank?"
"No rush. I've already sent Deidara to scout."
Kitsuchi paused for a moment, staring at the incoming reports of Konoha's general layout.
"I have a feeling… Konoha won't play so straightforwardly. They won't just line up and face us head-on."
*******
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