Rustle, rustle, rustle...
Four figures moved swiftly and cautiously through the dense forest, remaining hyper-aware of their surroundings.
Those figures were none other than Veigar, Nanaki Hyuga, Jun Inuzuka, and Shikatsu Aburame.
Their mission was clear, conduct reconnaissance ahead of the advancing vanguard forces and gather vital intelligence.
They had arrived at Mount Kikyo.
One of the tallest peaks along the border, Mount Kikyo was the strategic location Konoha had chosen to construct a military fortress and establish a forward command post.
With its naturally defensible terrain, the mountain was nearly impregnable. Once a stronghold was established here, it would serve as a guaranteed safe zone for reinforcements once war broke out.
This was a location every military strategist would fight to control.
At the mountain's base, the team came to a halt.
Veigar turned to Nanaki and said calmly,
"Nanaki, I'm counting on you."
According to their intel, several Suna-nin were currently positioned on Mount Kikyo. Their objective was to locate and identify these hidden enemies to pave the way for an assault by the vanguard led by Orochimaru.
"Understood."
Nanaki nodded slightly, then activated his kekkei genkai.
Byakugan.
"Activate."
With a soft exhale, veins surged around Nanaki's eyes as the pale pupils of the Byakugan flared to life, giving his otherwise calm face a fierce edge.
After a moment, Nanaki spoke without shifting his gaze.
"Captain Veigar, no Sand shinobi detected within a five-hundred-meter radius."
With confirmation that no enemies were nearby, Veigar gave a quick signal.
"Shikatsu. Jun."
Both men nodded simultaneously.
"Roger that."
The moment the words were spoken, they split off to either side. Shikatsu extended his hand, releasing swarms of chakra-infused insects into the air. Meanwhile, Jun began laying scent trails and territorial markers with the help of his ninken, Benimaru.
As Shikatsu and Jun carried out their sweeps, Veigar and Nanaki continued pushing forward.
One ahead, one behind, they climbed steadily toward the summit of Mount Kikyo.
Their flanking teammates, Shikatsu on the left, Jun on the right, advanced in tandem from their respective positions.
Midway up the mountain...
"Movement."
Nanaki's voice was a whisper, but his message cut through the air like a blade. With his Byakugan still active, he had caught the faint traces of enemy activity.
Rustle.
Both Veigar and Nanaki stopped atop a thick branch, gazing into the tangled foliage ahead. Veigar asked,
"How long can you maintain it?"
Keeping the Byakugan active for long stretches placed considerable strain on Nanaki's chakra reserves.
Having confirmed the Suna-nin's presence, they knew an encounter was likely inevitable.
Veigar needed to know if Nanaki could hold the technique long enough to see the mission through.
"For now, I'm fine."
Nanaki's voice was calm, but firm.
Rustle.
Seeing their teammates pause, Shikatsu and Jun regrouped swiftly, moving like shadows across the treetops.
"Deactivate your Byakugan for now," Veigar instructed.
"We're moving to the next phase."
Nanaki nodded, deactivating the dojutsu. He wiped sweat from his brow as Veigar continued:
"Using the Suna-nin location Nanaki pinpointed as our boundary, we'll first chart the terrain surrounding Mount Kikyo."
"Then we identify the weakest point in their defenses and begin..."
Veigar swept his gaze over the team—Nanaki, Shikatsu, Jun—and then declared in a low, steady voice:
"Infiltration reconnaissance."
The moment the words left his lips, the other three responded in unison, voices solemn:
"Understood."
Infiltration recon was one of the most dangerous missions a scout could undertake on the battlefield.
One slip, one misstep, and survival became almost impossible.
All of them knew the risks. Their expressions turned grim, focused.
The real test of their abilities was just beginning.
"Move out."
Each of them possessed exceptional reconnaissance capabilities.
In short order, the four had mapped the entire terrain from the mountain base to its midpoint, and more importantly, they had located a critical weak spot in the Sand shinobi's defenses.
Beneath the southern waterfall of Mount Kikyo...
Having swallowed a ration pill, the team rested for a brief five minutes, allowing their chakra and stamina to return to peak condition.
After exchanging a look, they slipped beneath the surface of the river and began their infiltration.
Above the waterfall, two Suna-nin kept a watchful eye on the surrounding terrain from opposite riverbanks.
But neither noticed the four shadowy shapes darting silently through the water beneath them, bypassing the enemy's gaze entirely.
Their infiltration was only possible because the Sand forces stationed at Mount Kikyo had yet to finish setting up a defensive barrier. For now, the perimeter relied entirely on manned patrols.
Once the chakra barrier was completed, sneaking in would be far more difficult, if not impossible.
They moved upstream.
Finding a suitable landing spot, Veigar cautiously surfaced. He scanned the area with his eyes before ducking into the cover of a large tree.
The others—Shikatsu, Jun, and Nanaki—followed without hesitation, disappearing into the shadows.
Now that they had breached the enemy's interior, the likelihood of encountering a Suna-nin patrol had skyrocketed.
Every step had to be taken with utmost care.
Even communication was reduced to tactical hand signals.
"Byakugan. Activate."
With his dōjutsu re-engaged, Nanaki slowly turned his head, scanning the entire area in full 360 degrees.
One. Two. Three…
Using precise hand signs, he relayed everything he observed to the group, while Jun noted it all down in a scroll.
Benimaru sniffed the air, constantly gathering olfactory data, while more of Shikatsu's insects dispersed to monitor the terrain.
Once Nanaki deactivated his Byakugan, a full mental map began forming in Veigar's mind.
Enemy numbers, stronghold locations, supply caches, the main command post, every key detail their recon was meant to uncover was slowly being pieced together.
They advanced further.
There was no doubt now: when it came to reconnaissance, the Hyuga clan's kekkei genkai was an unparalleled asset.
Thanks to Nanaki's presence, the team moved like shadows, evading one Suna-nin patrol after another, unseen and unstoppable.
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