The night was deep, and all was silent.
In the vast mountain range of the western Land of Fire, the chirping of insects and the roaring of beasts had long ceased, leaving only the whisper of wind rustling through the forest.
Countless Konoha shinobi moved silently through the canopy and over jagged rock formations.
Hyūga clan members stood atop vantage points, veins bulging at their temples, their Byakugan piercing the darkness, observing every Chakra fluctuation for kilometers around.
Inuzuka clan members crouched low to the ground with their ninken, sniffing for the faintest scent that didn't belong to this mountain range.
Aburame clan shinobi released swarms of kikaichū, dispersing over every leaf and patch of soil, forming an invisible and all-encompassing surveillance net.
Around them, Perception-type shinobi formed coordinated formations, pushing their Mental Energy to the limit.
Konoha's most elite reconnaissance force had been fully deployed.
They fanned out from the area the Daimyo had marked on the map, carefully inspecting every inch of land.
The operation was tight and disciplined.
All reports were relayed using concise, standardized codes.
"A3 area, clear."
"B5, no abnormalities."
"C1, scent remains unchanged."
Cold, efficient status updates converged and dispersed, as the methodical search continued.
Time passed slowly.
As the first hints of dawn crept into the eastern sky, the faint light of morning began to cut through the darkness.
The high-intensity overnight search had left many younger shinobi mentally and physically drained.
"Captain, are they really... here?" a young Inuzuka muttered, glancing at his ninken, which let out a soft, exhausted whimper.
They had already searched their designated area three times with no results.
"This is the Daimyo's order."
The middle-aged Jōnin leading the squad didn't turn his head, still carefully observing the terrain ahead.
Just those words—the Daimyo's order—were enough to dispel all doubt.
Since last night, those words now carried more weight than even the Hokage's.
Just then, a Hyūga at the front suddenly froze.
In his Byakugan's field of view, behind what looked like an ordinary rock wall, a faint, unnatural Chakra flow appeared.
It was subtle.
But not subtle enough to escape a Byakugan pushed to its limit.
What he saw was a finely constructed genjutsu barrier, masterfully blended with the natural terrain.
If he hadn't been pushing his dōjutsu to its absolute limit, it would have gone unnoticed.
He made no sound, only raised a silent hand signal: Target found.
In an instant, the entire squad entered combat formation.
Their movements were ghost-like, completely suppressing their presence as they began surrounding the rock wall.
But just a few steps in, the Captain suddenly raised his hand to stop them.
His sharp eyes had locked onto something—a withered tree, dozens of meters from the rock wall.
An outpost.
If they attacked the barrier directly, the lookout would immediately sound the alarm.
"I'll take care of him," a shinobi skilled in assassination whispered, drawing a short blade.
"No," the Captain shook his head. "Dawn is almost here. We're out of time."
"We go with Plan B."
"Yes."
The Captain turned to the Hyūga and the Perception-type shinobi.
"You two, pull back immediately and transmit the coordinates back to headquarters."
"This is a top-priority order."
"Captain?!"
"Execute it!"
Grinding their teeth, the two turned and disappeared into the shadows.
The Captain inhaled deeply and gave a final hand signal to the rest of the squad.
Three... two... one... move.
As his hand dropped, his figure vanished instantly.
The Kumo shinobi at the outpost sensed something was wrong and snapped his eyes open.
But what greeted him wasn't a blade.
It was a massive ninken, leaping down from above.
"Fang Over Fang!"
The high-speed spin and fangs of the Inuzuka's ninken forced the outpost to use Body Replacement Jutsu to evade.
But that was just a feint.
The instant the Kumo shinobi reappeared, the Captain was already behind him, kunai in hand.
Pfft!
A single thrust. Blood sprayed.
The Kumo shinobi didn't even have time to scream.
But in the final moment of life, his hand instinctively crushed a scroll hidden in his sleeve.
A faint spark of electric light flickered and vanished.
"Withdraw!"
The Captain barked a command, not lingering a second longer, leading the squad in immediate retreat.
Their mission was complete.
They had confirmed the enemy's precise location.
Meanwhile, deep within the canyon.
The massive Heavenly Transfer Technique operated at full capacity, each pulse of light bringing in dozens of elite Kumo shinobi.
Mabui's face was deathly pale, her body only upright due to the support of medical-nin constantly replenishing her Chakra.
The canyon had become densely packed with people.
Three thousand.
Three thousand bloodthirsty Kumo elites.
Atop a ledge, the Raikage stood, his eyes scanning his troops with intense ambition burning in his chest.
This was his ace. Everything had been wagered on this force.
"Raikage-sama!"
A Kumo shinobi rushed up. He was part of the outer perimeter defense.
"We've been discovered!" he panted. "Konoha's scouts have located our position!"
"Where?" the Raikage asked.
"They're already in the mountain range!" the Kumo shinobi said, panicked. "At their current pace, they'll find the canyon itself by noon at the latest!"
The Raikage's fist clenched tight.
How could they have responded this fast?
By his calculations, Konoha shouldn't have found their approximate location for at least two more days.
His original plan had been to launch the surprise attack the day after tomorrow and shatter Konoha's resistance in one swift blow.
Now, they'd been exposed an entire day ahead of schedule.
That meant Konoha had one extra day to prepare.
The element of surprise was slipping away.
As his mind raced, a deafening alarm suddenly rang out from the canyon's entrance.
Buzz!
A piercing screech split the air, turning every head in the Kumo camp.
Their eyes glinted with killing intent.
"It's the warning barrier at the entrance!" the reporting shinobi's face went pale. "They've found us!"
The shrill alarm obliterated the Raikage's last hesitation.
If hiding was no longer an option, then so be it.
They wouldn't hide.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
He threw his head back and laughed wildly, a mad, suppressed ferocity bursting forth.
"Perfect! They're just in time!"
"Since we've been discovered, we'll start the war ahead of schedule!"
He turned toward the three thousand elite troops now staring up at him.
"Relay my orders!"
"Deactivate the barrier!"
"Mabui!"
He looked at the barely-standing Mabui.
"Before noon, teleport as many of the remaining forces as you can."
"After noon, destroy the formation."
He was all in now.
"Yes, Raikage-sama!"
Mabui bit her tongue, using the pain to force herself back into focus as she began weaving hand seals once more.
A moment later.
Buzz!
The genjutsu barrier covering the canyon disintegrated and vanished.
Three thousand Kumo shinobi.
Three thousand ruthless Chakra signatures.
They erupted all at once.
The monstrous Chakra that had been suppressed for so long surged out like a tidal wave, disrupting sensory balance for miles in every direction.
The advancing Konoha recon unit suddenly froze, overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure.
The Hyūga shinobi at the rear turned around, eyes wide in horror.
Through his Byakugan, he could now clearly see the hidden canyon in the distance.
Three thousand Chakra signatures.
Compressed into one space, radiating pure destruction.
(To be continued.)