[send power stones please]
"Th-this… is this reinforcements?"
Staring at the massive earth wall that had erupted out of nowhere, Namuki froze for a moment before realization struck him.
But that realization was immediately followed by a sinking feeling.
His original plan had been to reach the Konoha forces stationed at Shouqi Castle and have them relay the intelligence back to the village as quickly as possible. That was all he wanted—information delivery, not combat support.
Because those stationed here were never meant to fight someone like that.
The garrison near Shouqi Castle was made up mostly of chūnin and genin. Patrol units even more so. Sending them into battle against that monster would just be sending them to their deaths.
Yet now—
They had been found.
This was the worst possible development.
But just as Namuki's thoughts spiraled, he frowned.
Something felt… off.
This earth wall was far too large.
And the chakra embedded within it was frighteningly refined.
"This isn't the patrol unit…" Namuki thought grimly. "Then who is it? Passing shinobi on a mission?"
Before he could come to a conclusion, a figure stepped out from behind the wall.
ANBU uniform.
Bird-pattern mask.
Namuki's expression instantly became complicated.
Another ANBU?
Why was there ANBU here?
Nearby mission? Reinforcements sent to meet them? Or had this person simply noticed the disturbance and rushed over?
Before Namuki could speak, the masked ANBU spoke first.
"Are you alright?"
At the same time, the newcomer subtly withdrew some of his chakra—clearly unable to maintain that wall for long.
"I'm Nightingale, Captain of First Division, Third Squad," Hikaru said calmly. "What happened here?"
"Nightingale?" Namuki stared at him in disbelief. "You? Why are you—"
Before Namuki could finish, Hikaru suddenly grabbed his shoulder and leapt backward.
The next instant—
BOOM!
A deafening crash echoed through the forest.
A massive tail spike punched straight through the earth wall Hikaru had erected, skewering the ANBU who'd been standing at the very front clean through his torso.
Hikaru had never taken his eyes off the enemy.
Even while speaking, he'd been tracking every movement.
And only now, at close range, did he realize something else—
He'd stumbled onto a big fish.
During the mad dash here, he hadn't paid much attention. But now it was obvious.
A division captain personally leading the mission.
That alone spoke volumes about how important this operation was.
And there was more.
Off to the side, a group of injured shinobi hadn't moved in to regroup with the others at all.
Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
ANBU weren't the only ones who wore ANBU-style gear.
Root.
Only Root operatives were allowed to move freely into the Land of Wind.
At that moment, everything clicked into place.
"So that's how it is," Hikaru thought. "Interesting."
Just then, the figure manipulating Hiruko—the puppet shell—spoke.
"Interesting indeed," the hoarse voice echoed. "More reinforcements… It seems your mission was worth quite a bit. In that case, I suppose I should get serious."
For the first time, the attacks stopped.
But the figure still didn't emerge from Hiruko.
Instead, he casually pulled out a scroll, clearly marked with the number three.
Hikaru's eyelid twitched.
He immediately drew several kunai, ready to throw—
But thick white smoke suddenly billowed out.
When it cleared, a humanoid puppet stood before them.
Black iron sand floated ominously around it.
And even in death, the face was unmistakable.
Namuki's face turned deathly pale.
"T-that's… the Third Kazekage?!"
He wasn't the only one.
ANBU, Root operatives—and Kakashi, who had just arrived—all stared in disbelief.
The missing Third Kazekage.
Here.
Turned into a puppet.
What kind of monster could do something like this?
"This," Hiruko rasped with unmistakable pride, "is my greatest masterpiece so far. Konoha shinobi—witness my art."
The puppet of the Third Kazekage erupted with terrifying chakra.
Hikaru calmly put his kunai away.
He elbowed Kakashi lightly and spoke in a low voice.
"The people on the side are Root. Take the least-injured one and retreat north. Go straight back to Konoha."
ANBU never split into groups without reason.
Combined with Namuki's presence, the answer was obvious.
Those who hadn't regrouped were Root.
And Hikaru was careful—he didn't call Kakashi by name, didn't mention the kakashi.
This enemy was Sasori.
Kakashi was too important to gamble with.
"…Understood," Kakashi replied without hesitation.
"Wait—what's your plan?" Namuki asked urgently, still trying to process everything.
Hikaru glanced at him.
And said nothing.
Because the truth was simple.
Neither Sasori nor the Third Kazekage puppet were enemies he could defeat.
This wasn't about holding the line.
This was about escaping alive.
Everyone present—ANBU or Root—was already on their last legs.
And worse, Hikaru could tell that most of them had been poisoned.
That was Sasori's signature.
Poison woven into every aspect of combat.
Which meant—
Aside from himself and Kakashi, everyone else was already compromised.
In that situation, Hikaru made the only rational choice.
Preserve the most valuable assets.
This mission was clearly Root-led. Let Kakashi escort one Root survivor back with the intelligence.
As for himself—
Hikaru locked his focus on Namuki.
A division captain might not hold the highest intelligence value, but his institutional weight within ANBU was enormous.
That mattered for Hikaru's future.
Even if Namuki had ties to Danzō.
"I see you've made your decision," Sasori said suddenly. "Then I'll begin."
At once, the iron sand around the Third Kazekage puppet scattered, transforming into countless razor-thin needles.
A storm of death rained down on them.
Kakashi stepped forward instantly, hands flashing through seals.
Lightning chakra exploded outward, bathing the forest in blue.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Stream!"
Crackling arcs spread wildly, intercepting the iron sand head-on.
Hikaru nodded inwardly.
Then he formed seals of his own.
"Water Release: Water Release: Raging Wave"
A massive torrent burst from his mouth, surging toward Sasori.
Lightning and water met—
And the electricity carried through the flood straight toward Sasori.
Hikaru knew full well it wouldn't truly hurt him.
Sasori was already more puppet than human, his real body hidden safely inside Hiruko.
But—
"It's enough."
The moment the technique completed, Hikaru grabbed Namuki and bolted south without looking back.
At the same time, Kakashi disengaged, seized a Root operative, and retreated north at full speed.
The battlefield split in two—
And survival became the only objective.
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