"Tonight? Isn't that… too sudden?" Matsuo‑san's voice carried hesitation.
Raizen leaned back, a sardonic smirk tugging at his lips. "Hasty? Perfect. That's exactly what we want. The Ueshi clan thinks we'll bide our time. They'll never see midnight coming. Hit them fast, hit them hard, and they won't have a chance to mount a proper defense."
He tapped the map again, eyes glinting like a gambler counting chips. "Taking the Tiannan vein tonight forces their hand. They'll panic, pull back, maybe even freeze in place. Meanwhile, we secure the vein, and by the time they regroup, it'll be too late to strike back."
Miyame studied Raizen for a beat, then nodded, eyes sharp. "Good. Let's plan the details."
"First," Raizen said, pacing, "we strike exactly at midnight. Not 4, not 5 a.m. Midnight. That's when their guard will be groggy, thinking the Amamiya clan won't move so quickly. We'll use the detonating clay to guide our Chūnin straight to the Tiannan mine—ensure no loss, no surprises."
Approval rippled through the room. Assignments were given, logistics checked, and the Amamiya ninja dispersed to prepare. Raizen returned to his quarters to ready the detonating clay and his Flying Thunder God Kunai. One mark remained planted, just like before, a silent promise of teleportation at a moment's notice.
Night fell, thick and immediate. Shadows swallowed the Songshan mine where the majority of Amamiya's forces gathered. Two-thirds of the ninja were assigned to the assault; the remaining third stayed to guard the base.
Raizen's hands moved with practiced precision, shaping eight massive clay birds, each carrying a squad of Amamiya ninja. The giant clay constructs lifted silently into the night sky.
"Convenient," Miyame muttered, sitting atop one of the birds. From above, the Tiannan mine stretched out like a fortress, oblivious to the storm about to descend. Even as a Jōnin, she couldn't hide her awe at the practical genius of the clay birds.
Excitement buzzed among the other Chūnin. They could already imagine smashing through the Tiannan mine gates, cutting down Ueshi defenders, and claiming total victory.
As the birds approached the brightly lit Tiannan mine, Raizen summoned two enormous clay dragons with a flick of his hand.
"Go!" he commanded.
The dragons plummeted, tails flicking, spitting tracking clay bombs as they neared the ground.
"Enemy attack!" shouted a Ueshi ninja as the dragons landed. Alarm bells rang throughout the mine.
Boom!
The dragons unleashed a relentless barrage. Guards fell in droves, screams echoing in the night. Chaos spread instantly.
"Scatter! Watch the bombs!" a Ueshi Jōnin barked, drawing his blade and rushing toward one of the dragons.
"Now!" Raizen signaled. Eight giant birds descended simultaneously. Amamiya ninja leapt from their clay perches, cutting down the stunned Ueshi defenders.
"It's the Amamiya clan! Kill them all!"
Two remaining Ueshi Jōnin caught sight of the Amamiya emblem and froze. Raizen's eyes narrowed. He drew three Flying Thunder God Kunai from his pouch and hurled them toward the Jōnin. Recognition hit—they knew whose mark it bore.
The battlefield had shifted in an instant. The strike had begun, and the Amamiya clan was already a step ahead.
...
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