The convoy assembled swiftly.
The escort teams were also chosen — one jōnin would lead four squads as guards, while Tangping himself led another.
Take note: a team consisted of three ninja.
Three-man teams under one squad leader made up a squad of four — which was why Tangping and the others were called the "Third Squad," not the "Third Team."
Tangping was responsible for Honda Taka's team.
Their teacher was also present, though he lay wounded inside a wagon.
This time, the most important cargo in the convoy wasn't the supplies, but the dozens of wounded ninja being transported — casualties accumulated over recent weeks.
Even with two medical ninja in the camp working nonstop and swallowing soldier pills by the handful, they simply couldn't treat them all. Relocation was the only option.
A closer look revealed that the escorting ninja were almost all civilian-born.
Those who understood the system knew exactly what that meant.
Don't be fooled into thinking the higher-ups sent the elite.
This was just another one of those unspoken "rules."
Dangerous, troublesome missions were always assigned to civilian ninja.
After all, when the upper echelons of the village were filled entirely with clan-born shinobi, such arrangements seemed "natural."
Two genin of the same rank — a clan-born one would always crush a civilian one. So when the clan ninja were given priority, it was considered only reasonable.
No wonder, in the future, Minato Namikaze would rise to power. His ascent was the inevitable result of that imbalance — because he was a man of civilian birth.
To ensure stability among the civilian ninja of the village, it was necessary to have a Hokage who came from their ranks.
And given Minato's natural talent, temperament, and the fact that his teacher was already of the Hokage faction, he was the perfect candidate for the Fourth Hokage.
No wonder Orochimaru lost out. (Note this: he lacked the "Will of Fire.")
Some things aren't coincidences — they're destiny.
While Tangping pondered these thoughts, his ears stayed attuned to the orders of the squad commander, Jōnin Kobayashi Hei.
"Squad One will take the front. Squads Two and Three, guard the flanks. I'll stay at the rear with Squad Four. Our top priority is to ensure this convoy returns safely to Konoha!"
As the mission leader, Kobayashi Hei's ability was beyond question.
But he also knew in his heart — the Suna ninja wouldn't let them go so easily.
Especially with so many immobilized, poisoned wounded — it was the perfect chance for the enemy to finish them off.
"Yes, sir!" ×4
Tangping and the other three chūnin responded in unison, acknowledging the orders.
"Move out!"
Kobayashi Hei darted forward toward the departing wagons.
A dozen carriages — that was the entire convoy.
But they had barely left the camp when a massive explosion erupted behind them.
BOOM!
The deafening blast echoed even at this distance — clear and terrifying.
If the attackers pursued, they'd catch up quickly.
Thankfully, their target wasn't the convoy, but the camp itself.
It wasn't a full-scale invasion by the Sand army, but a small strike force of elite ninja.
Among those attackers, one figure shone the brightest — a female ninja charging at the front, surrounded by fiery spheres the size of basins spinning like satellites around her.
Pakura!
Facing her assault, the camp defenders could only use explosion tags and kunai to try to hold her back.
A powerhouse like her was a nightmare on the battlefield.
Without an equal-ranked opponent, the only way to stop her was through overwhelming sacrifice.
After several waves of assault, despite being grazed by kunai and caught in a few explosion tag blasts, Pakura succeeded in scaling the camp wall.
"Scorch Release: Overheated Steam Kill!"
Her Bloodline Limit flared, the temperature around her surging violently.
One after another, Konoha ninja shriveled into dried husks and fell lifeless to the ground.
"Pakura! Don't you Sand shinobi fear Konoha's retaliation?"
Shimura Noritake roared, charging forward.
He had always suspected Suna wouldn't stay quiet — but until this day, he had believed they would never truly start a war.
After all, in raw power, Konoha stood far above Sunagakure.
But the village elders had never understood what it meant for a desperate rabbit to bite when cornered.
Clang!
Pakura blocked his strike with a kunai, eyes resolute.
"What else does Sunagakure have left to lose?"
Those words reflected the heart of every Sand ninja there.
If they were doomed anyway, why not gamble everything?
Win, and they would reclaim glory. Lose, and they'd die — nothing left to fear.
With that mindset, it was no wonder their morale burned so high.
"I won't let you succeed!"
Noritake, for all his selfishness, still had the will to give everything for the village.
But between an elite jōnin and a Kage-class warrior, the gap was an unbridgeable chasm.
Without forbidden techniques or unique secret arts, there was simply no way to close it.
Even while Pakura had to fend off waves of Konoha ninja, she still held the overwhelming advantage.
"Kill them all!"
"Follow Lady Pakura! Slaughter these filthy Leaf shinobi!"
"Charge!"
Hundreds of Sand ninja roared as they surged up the camp walls.
They fought to the death, determined to take as many Konoha ninja down with them as possible.
Even with superior numbers and defenses, the Konoha camp began to crumble.
That's the consequence of lacking top-tier combat power — in small-scale battles, elite strength was everything.
"Damn it!"
Noritake's eyes turned bloodshot as he watched his subordinates collapse one by one, drained to death.
But he didn't have an Ōtsutsuki bloodline — rage couldn't give him miracles.
Barely holding out for ten minutes—
Shhk!
Pakura's kunai pierced his throat.
By then, the border camp had fallen, its grounds soaked in blood.
Only Sand ninja, bathed in the crimson carnage, remained standing.
A banner bearing Sunagakure's insignia rose high above the camp.
"Send word to Iwagakure — it's their turn now."
Pakura's gaze swept over the surviving Sand ninja. A flicker of hesitation crossed her face, but she crushed it down and barked the order.
Yes — even though Sunagakure had thrown themselves into a suicidal gamble, they weren't acting blindly.
Before this, during the Chūnin Exam cooperation, the Third Kazekage and Ōnoki of Iwagakure had already reached a secret agreement — to join forces in invading the Land of Fire.
The only reason it hadn't happened earlier was the Kazekage's mysterious disappearance.
From the time they sent that accusatory letter to Konoha until now, Sunagakure had done nothing but prepare for war — and quietly renew their pact with Iwa.
That, in truth, was how the Third Great Ninja War truly began.
The official story — that Suna attacked Konoha "because their Kazekage disappeared" — was nothing but a fairy tale for children.
With the border camp fallen, the smaller outposts and watchtowers crumbled soon after.
The entire southwestern border collapsed.
This shocking news sent ripples through Konoha.
The first to speak up was the Uchiha Clan.
They declared that since Sunagakure had violated their alliance, the Uchiha would help the village reclaim its honor.
Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen publicly praised their resolve, calling it admirable.
But, he added, compared to Suna, Kirigakure was a far greater threat.
Thus, he "entrusted" the strongest clan — the Uchiha — with guarding against the Mist.
And so, the Uchiha were indeed sent to the front lines… but to face the Hidden Mist instead.
The Mist ninja — the perfect counter to the Uchiha.
Everyone knew that clan specialized in Fire Release, and mist naturally suppressed both fire and the Sharingan.
Sending them against Kiri was practically a death sentence.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi appointed Orochimaru as the new commander, leading two thousand Konoha ninja to face the Sand forces.
As for the convoy that had escaped the border… Konoha made no move to rescue them.
It wasn't that they couldn't — but now that Sunagakure held the entire frontier, the cost of a rescue was too high.
So, those people would have to "sacrifice themselves for the Will of Fire."
Still, if they were destined to die anyway, some in the Hokage's Office argued — their sacrifice should at least serve a greater purpose.
Thus, fierce debate erupted within the Hokage's office.
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