The night was pitch black.
Several small, dark boats silently slipped out of the Land of Fire's port, vanishing into the vast darkness.
Mei's special operations team was aboard these boats.
The cold sea wind brushed against her cheeks, and the chill helped calm her chaotic thoughts.
She stood at the bow, gazing into the dark horizon.
At its end lay her homeland.
The very land she was about to engulf in war with her own hands.
"Madam."
Keisuke appeared behind her. Compared to a year ago, he no longer had the naivety of a youth. He had become calm and composed.
"We've entered the Land of Water's waters. Estimated arrival at the designated landing point is in two hours."
"Understood." Mei didn't turn, only gave a soft response. "Have everyone prepare."
"Yes."
Keisuke acknowledged the order and departed.
Watching his steady back, Mei became momentarily dazed.
It felt like she was seeing herself from years ago, full of hope and love for the Village.
But now... she shook her head, brushing away such useless emotions.
She was no longer the Terumī Mei of Kirigakure.
She was now the wife of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and the commander of this special operations unit.
Her only mission was to carry out that man's orders.
At all costs...
…Meanwhile.
On the border of the Land of Earth, within the Land of Grass.
Dozens of dark figures moved swiftly through the forests and mountains, landing silently and blending into the night.
Their speed was incredible, and their movements completely soundless.
Leading them was none other than Hatake Kakashi, the son of the White Fang and now an Anbu squad leader.
A team of elite Anbu, experts in infiltration and assassination, followed closely behind.
They had one mission.
Locate the Land of Earth's most critical granary and plant a coordinate for the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Captain, we've been moving for ten straight hours. Should we rest?" an Anbu member asked in a low voice.
"No." Kakashi replied flatly. "Minato-sensei and Jiraiya-sama's vanguard will launch a feint attack on Iwa's border fortress at dawn."
"We must be in position before then."
"Otherwise, that feint will become a real battle. And many people will die."
His words caused the team's hearts to tense.
They all understood how crucial this mission was.
If successful, they could cripple the Land of Earth's war effort with minimal sacrifice.
If they failed, their comrades would be forced to bleed and die trying to break through Iwa's defenses.
"Everyone, move faster!"
Kakashi called in a low voice, his short silver-white hair fluttering in the night breeze.
"Yes!"
The squad pushed their speed even higher.
...The Land of Earth, the only plain area in the entire country.
Under the moonlight, endless wheat fields rippled like waves, casting a golden hue.
Massive granaries, like stone hills, loomed in the center of the plain.
This was the Land of Earth's lifeline, guarded with utmost vigilance.
Over five hundred Iwa-nin were stationed here.
They were divided into dozens of patrol units, maintaining a constant watch twenty-four hours a day.
Hidden scouts were stationed in the shadows, monitoring every movement.
The defenses were so tight that not even a fly could sneak in.
Atop one watchtower, an Iwa-nin was yawning out of boredom.
"This is ridiculous. Tsuchikage-sama is making too big a deal out of this."
He grumbled to his companion, "Those softies from the Land of Fire can't even get past the border fortress. How could they possibly get all the way here?"
"Exactly!" the other man agreed. "Guarding a pile of grain is just a waste of time."
"Shut it, both of you." The squad leader scolded. "If Kitsuchi hears that, you'll be in deep trouble."
The two begrudgingly quieted down, but the disinterest on their faces didn't fade.
Since the end of the Warring States Era, no shinobi village had ever successfully invaded the Land of Earth.
It was the so-called strongest, the Land of Fire, that had been invaded in all three Great Ninja Wars, even if they had ultimately fought back.
So they didn't believe for a second that anyone could breach Iwa's defenses and reach this place.
But they had no idea...
That dozens of meters beneath their feet, a group of figures was silently approaching.
"Earth Style: Earth Shore Return."
Kakashi performed hand seals and dove deeper underground, his team following closely behind.
This was their infiltration strategy.
Since the surface and skies were blocked, they would go underground.
Among the team, the sensory-nin kept their detection Ninjutsu running at full power.
Though not as precise as the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan, they could still clearly perceive surface-level movements at close range.
Patrol paths, hidden sentry locations, the defensive barrier's range... All of it appeared clearly in their minds.
As they advanced, the sensory-nin continuously adjusted their course, expertly avoiding every trap and detection jutsu.
They steadily closed in on the heart of the Land of Earth.
Time ticked by, minute after minute.
Dawn was drawing near.
Kakashi's heart was tight with urgency.
By this point, the front lines had likely already begun their maneuvers. A full battle was inevitable.
They had to move faster.
Finally.
The sensory-nin at the front halted, signaling that the target had been found.
Kakashi immediately signaled the team to stop and used his own, still-developing, sensory jutsu to confirm.
A spot with a dense, abnormal Chakra reaction appeared before them.
The Land of Earth's central granary.
Their target.
"There it is." Kakashi gestured behind him.
Everyone understood and silently dispersed, moving beneath the granaries.
Each member drew out a special kunai marked with intricate sealing scripts.
The Flying Thunder God Kunai.
They quietly embedded the kunai into the layer of earth below.
Once every kunai was in place, the team gave the signal.
Mission complete. Immediate withdrawal!
The group began their retreat, reversing their route underground.
The entire process was completed without a sound.
Above ground, the bored Iwa guards remained completely unaware of the deadly blade now hanging above them.
They had no idea that danger had already arrived.
The moment Kakashi successfully led the team out of enemy territory.
Thousands of kilometers away, at the Land of Fire's frontline fortress.
Minato suddenly opened his eyes.
He looked out toward the Land of Earth, now illuminated in red by the morning sun, and a soft smile formed on his face.
"Kakashi did it." He said to Jiraiya beside him. "Jiraiya-sensei, it's my turn now."
"Yeah." Jiraiya nodded solemnly. "Be careful."
Then he turned toward the fully assembled Konoha army behind him and raised his arm high.
"Everyone!"
Jiraiya's voice roared through the battlefield as dawn broke.
"Attack!"
"For Konoha!"
"Roar!"
A thunderous roar echoed across the mountains.
Countless Konoha-nin burst from hiding, launching a fearless assault toward the Land of Earth's border fortress.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)