The night was as thick as dark ink, shrouding the world in a deep abyss.The Sand Ninja logistics camp, nestled in a valley, resembled a lurking giant scorpion—silent and dangerous.Several bonfires flickered weakly on the outskirts of the camp, their faint light reflecting the deep fatigue on the faces of the Sand Ninja guards.The ease of the past few days, like a slow-acting poison, had gradually eroded the vigilance of these Sand Ninjas.
Under the cover of moonlight, a small team of dark shadows moved swiftly through the night, silently approaching the camp's perimeter without disturbing anyone.Hatake Sakumo, as swift as lightning, led his team members like ghosts merged with the night, cleverly avoiding the Sand Ninja patrols and sentries.Years of carrying out assassination missions had honed his senses, making him as keen as a predator—no hidden danger could escape his grasp.
"Ahead is the Sand Ninja watchtower, there should be two guards up there."Hatake Sakumo lowered his voice, quickly arranging tactics."Itoshiki, you and I will take care of the guards on the tower, the others stand by."
Furukawa Itoshiki nodded without unnecessary words. The chakra within him flowed slowly, like a gentle spring rain, merging seamlessly with the surrounding environment.He could feel the subtle sound of the breeze brushing against the grass, the faint pulse coming from the depths of the earth. This resonance with nature gave him an unparalleled advantage in stealth and concealment.The two moved swiftly, like two black lightning bolts, disappearing into the night, making almost no sound as they silently approached the base of the watchtower.
Hatake Sakumo gestured, signaling Itoshiki to coordinate their actions.Sakumo tapped lightly on the tower's structure with his feet, his figure nimble as a monkey, scaling it in a few graceful leaps.At the same time, Furukawa Itoshiki formed a hand seal with one hand, gently pressing the other against the wooden structure of the watchtower.Wood Release chakra surged in an instant, and several thick vines, like dormant giant pythons, slowly extended from the top of the tower, wrapping around the unaware guards.
The Sand Ninja guard on the top of the tower was yawning listlessly, completely unaware of the impending death.Suddenly, a sharp blade of light, like lightning splitting the sky, cut through the silence of the night.One guard's throat was instantly slashed, blood spurting out and staining the cold night red. The other guard didn't even have time to scream before being tightly entangled by the vines.The vines tightened, and the sound of his bones cracking echoed through the air. After intense pain, his consciousness faded into endless darkness.
"Clean up the traces, prepare to enter the camp."Sakumo's voice was low and calm, without a trace of emotion.Itoshiki nodded, forming hand seals with both hands.Wood Release chakra surged once more, and two vines extended, gradually forming wooden clones identical to the Sand Ninja guards.The traces of the battle were erased, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
The team quickly rejoined, and under Sakumo's leadership, they pressed forward, moving swiftly like a sharp knife, deep into the heart of the Sand Ninja camp.Inside the camp, the atmosphere was quieter than expected. Most of the Sand Ninjas were already asleep, leaving only a few guards still patrolling aimlessly, their steps unsteady.
"According to the map, the supply warehouse should be in the central area of the camp."Sakumo pointed to a red dot on the map, his voice low."We must find the warehouse as soon as possible and destroy the supplies. This is the core of our mission."
The team split into several small groups, spreading out like a web, carefully searching the camp.Furukawa Itoshiki closely followed Sakumo, the two walking side by side, vigilantly observing everything around them.Suddenly, Itoshiki stopped, his brows furrowing.He felt a faint, unusual aura in the air—an indescribable sense of danger, like a snake flicking its tongue, sending chills down his spine.
"Captain, be careful, there's a trap."Itoshiki warned in a low voice, his senses sharper than most. He had detected the subtle anomaly.Hearing this,Sakumo immediately stopped, his eyes narrowing as they sharpened like a hawk's.He carefully surveyed the area but didn't see anything obviously out of place."Itoshiki, are you sure? It looks normal here." A team member asked with doubt, having not noticed anything unusual."Trust me, there's definitely something wrong here."Itoshiki's voice was firm, his intuition guiding him—danger was near.Sakumo paused for a moment, before nodding in agreement.He trusted Itoshiki's judgment. Wood Release ninjas had an innate ability to sense the environment far beyond ordinary people.
"Stop advancing, search the surrounding area carefully, and be cautious."He issued the order, signaling the team to be on high alert.
The team members spread out, carefully searching the surrounding area with heightened caution.Soon, one sharp-eyed member noticed faint traces on the ground—almost invisible thin lines camouflaged so well that they blended into the earth itself, requiring the keenest of eyes to spot."Captain, there are tripwires here!" The team member hissed in a low voice.
Sakumo immediately moved forward, his sharp eyes confirming the find. Thin, hair-like lines lay hidden across the ground, connected to the surrounding trees and structures—clearly the trigger mechanisms for some kind of trap."It's a tripwire trap, be careful!" Sakumo's expression darkened as he realized they had unwittingly stepped into an enemy trap circle.
Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them trembled slightly, followed by the sudden eruption of countless sharp wooden spikes that shot up from the earth, striking toward them like a rain of arrows."Not good, it's a mechanical trap! Defend!" Sakumo barked a warning, his figure blurring as he dodged the oncoming spikes with incredible speed.
Furukawa Itoshiki's reaction was instantaneous. He formed hand seals in rapid succession, his voice cutting through the air with authority."Wood Release: Wooden Dome Wall!"
In an instant, sturdy wooden pillars surged from the ground, intertwining to form a massive, impenetrable barrier. The wooden spikes slammed against the dome with force, making a dull thud but failing to pierce the solid wall of defense.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"A series of deafening explosions suddenly rang out, followed by clusters of scorching flames erupting from the ground. The firewaves rolled, instantly engulfing everything in their path.
It became clear that in addition to the mechanical traps, a large number of explosive tags had been buried beneath the surface, triggered by the tripwires. The resulting explosion created a devastating chain reaction, amplifying the destruction.
"Damn it, it's a chain trap!" Sakumo's expression grew grim. He hadn't anticipated such a complex setup by the Sand Ninjas. It seemed they had been preparing for this moment."Captain, we're surrounded!" A team member quickly reported, panic creeping into his voice as Sand Ninjas began to appear on rooftops and treetops, surrounding them from all sides.
"Calm down, don't panic!" Kakashi's voice rang out, firm and commanding. He scanned the situation, calculating the disparity in numbers and strength. They were outnumbered, and the odds were rapidly shifting against them."Itoshiki, use Wood Release to secure the flanks. Follow me—we'll break out first!"
Furukawa Itoshiki didn't hesitate. In a fluid motion, his chakra erupted with raw power, surging like a volcano as he formed hand seals with precision."Wood Release: Tree Boundary Wall!"
The ground beneath their feet trembled violently as massive trees shot upward, their trunks entwining and spiraling into formidable walls. Within moments, two enormous wooden barriers rose from the earth, cutting off their sides and protecting the team.A path opened between the walls, leading directly toward the outskirts of the camp. Buildings that once stood firm crumbled under the relentless surge of the trees, disintegrating into rubble.This was the true power of Wood Release—altering the terrain, shaping the battlefield to their advantage.
"Stop them! Abandon the flanks, intercept them head-on!"The Sand Ninja commander, a young Jonin, shouted hoarsely. His face twisted with anger and disbelief.The Sand Ninjas surged forward like a rising tide, ninjutsu flying at them from every direction.
Sakumo waved his short sword with fluid precision, leading the charge as the sharpest arrow, slicing through incoming attacks and unleashing lightning-fast Lightning Release ninjutsu. His strikes tore through the tide of Sand Ninjas, each one cutting a swath of destruction.Furukawa Itoshiki, using his Wood Release, continued to create barriers and launch the trees into battle, throwing the Sand Ninjas off their pursuit. The trees whipped and crashed through the enemy ranks, buying precious time for the team's escape.
Together, Kakashi and Itoshiki pushed forward, cutting through the enemy encirclement like a razor-sharp blade, but the sheer number of Sand Ninjas made their breakthrough difficult."Captain, this won't work! We're being dragged down!" A team member gasped, breathless. They had been fighting for what felt like an eternity, and their chakra reserves were running dangerously low.
Sakumo's face tightened. He knew the team was in a perilous state. If they kept fighting at this rate, they'd soon be overwhelmed.Time was running out, and he had to find a way to escape before they were trapped in a death spiral.
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