After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shikuro turned to Veigar and asked:
"Veigar, do you think Sunagakure will launch their assault tonight?"
Veigar responded with unwavering certainty:
"They will."
"And it's happening soon."
"If they weren't going to strike tonight, we wouldn't have encountered Suna forces this deep in our territory."
"After all, every minute they delay increases the risk of being exposed."
While Veigar, Shikuro, and Yamashi discussed within the tent, the command center at the frontlines was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a special jōnin from the Hyuga clan.
"Hizashi-sama, we've spotted signs of the Suna forces."
Upon entering, Shinji Hyuga immediately reported the discovery of enemy movement.
Hizashi's eyes gleamed sharply. He turned to the other Konoha jōnin present and issued his command:
"Everyone, as per the original plan, prepare for battle!"
The jōnin responded in unison:
"Yes, sir!"
Hizashi then turned to Shinji Hyuga:
"Report the situation. Give us the intelligence you've gathered."
Under the gazes of Hizashi and the assembled jōnin, Shinji remained calm and composed as he relayed:
"Beyond the defensive line, we've detected nearly a thousand Suna shinobi. They've concealed around three hundred of their number underground using puppets, but they couldn't fool my Byakugan."
...
Outside the Konoha frontlines, just beyond a low hill near the border with the Land of Rivers, a group of puppets emerged stealthily from beneath the earth.
Shrouded by the darkness of night, they were about to bare their fangs.
"Captain, we've reached the target zone. We're just waiting for the frontal assault to begin."
A jōnin-ranked puppet master from Sunagakure spoke to the leader of the puppet detachment, Masaka.
Staring at the Konoha defenses along the border, Masaka muttered:
"Perfect. Everything is ready. All we need is the final push."
"Konoha won't even see the surprise we've prepared for them tonight."
"Once the main force attacks and we link up, we'll catch them completely off guard."
A smirk of mockery crept across his lips.
...
Back at the Konoha camp, Hizashi Hyuga, upon confirming the enemy's approach, didn't forget about the three resting shinobi, Shikuro, Yamashi, and Veigar. Personally leading a unit, he hurried to their tent.
The commotion outside roused not only the three but also other resting shinobi, including Shikatsu Aburame.
As soon as the trio exited the tent, they saw Hizashi accompanied by four Konoha jōnin, one of them being Shinji Hyuga.
"Hizashi, is it true? Are the Suna forces approaching?" asked Shikuro.
Hizashi nodded.
"Yes. They're making their move."
Shikuro pressed on:
"What do you need from us?"
Hizashi's tone grew stern.
"Shikuro, in my capacity as field commander, I am issuing you a mission order."
The three men instantly straightened, standing at attention. Shikuro responded crisply:
"Understood."
Though both Hizashi and Shikuro were elite jōnin, Hizashi had command authority in this battle, giving him full rights to assign missions.
"Do you see the unit behind me?"
"That's the last reserve force we could muster, 150 shinobi strong."
"I need you to lead them. Once combat begins, you'll function as our strike team, your task is to intercept a Suna shock unit."
"Their numbers are approximately three hundred."
"Shinji will brief you on the specifics."
Realizing the gravity of the task assigned, Shikuro responded without hesitation:
"Understood."
"I'll see it through."
Seeing his swift acceptance, Hizashi allowed a rare softness in his voice:
"Then I leave it to you, Shikuro."
"Shinji and the others will remain to support you."
"Don't let us down."
With time of the essence, Hizashi soon departed, moving on to oversee the broader battlefield.
Shortly after, Shikuro, alongside Yamashi, Veigar, Shinji Hyuga, and four other jōnin, led a covert force of 162 shinobi away from the frontlines, heading toward the border with the Land of Rivers, the hiding place of the three-hundred-strong puppet corps.
Moments after Shikuro's unit moved out, the main Suna force, over 700 shinobi, began their approach toward the Konoha frontlines.
"For the Land of Wind! For Sunagakure! Advance!"
The cold, murderous order rang out from the Suna commander, Dōzan.
With a thunderous battle cry, over 700 Suna shinobi surged toward Konoha's defenses.
"Kill!"
"Kill them all!"
"Kill every last Konoha shinobi!"
The sheer volume of noise alerted Konoha's patrols, who immediately raised the alarm.
"Enemy attack!"
"Enemy attack! Suna is attacking!"
Within the Konoha camp, bonfires were rapidly lit. Dōzan gazed at the defenses ahead, but unease gnawed at his heart. Though they were the attackers, something felt off, as if they were the prey.
And soon, his instincts were proven right.
Hizashi had prepared a brutal surprise.
Unknown to Dōzan, their every move had been observed, tracked relentlessly by the all-seeing eyes of the Hyuga clan.
What happened next tore through Dōzan's soul.
The Suna assault met little resistance. They surged easily into Konoha's outer defenses, as if the Konoha had retreated in panic.
But then—
BOOM!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!!
Thousands of explosive tags erupted beneath the feet of the Suna shinobi. Nearly five thousand tags, an entire stockpile sacrificed by Hizashi.
"AARGH!"
"AAAHHH—!"
"AAAARRRGHHHH!!"
In an instant, countless Suna shinobi were wounded or obliterated in the chain detonations. The screams of the dying echoed through the night.
Blood and fire raged, mixing with sand and broken corpses. The shockwaves thundered through the battlefield.
In just thirty seconds, the blast ended.
Of the seven hundred Suna attackers, more than half were annihilated. Barely three hundred escaped the deadly trap laid by Hizashi.
The rest lay broken across Konoha's battlefield, dead, maimed, or dying in agony.
"KONOHA!! I'LL SLAUGHTER EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!!"
Dōzan's roar tore through the carnage, his voice ragged, his eyes wide with sorrow and rage.
He had walked into a massacre.
-------
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