The Sand Village's plan for the upcoming surprise assault on Konoha was anything but random.
When forming the small strike squads, the criteria were clear and strict: exceptional chakra control and outstanding taijutsu ability. These were non-negotiable requirements.
Shiraishi, appointed as Captain of the Fourth Mobile Unit, reviewed the personnel files and quickly noticed a common trait—every member of his squad had only recently been promoted to chūnin.
"Most of them are civilians or from minor families," Shiraishi muttered, adjusting his glasses. "But their actual combat ability is solid."
Ebizo had clearly put thought into this lineup.
That said…
There was one person in particular who made Shiraishi's eyes ache just from looking at him.
"Let's assemble," Shiraishi said.
At an abandoned training range near Kikyo Pass, five figures gathered.
Shiraishi, as the squad leader, calmly assessed his future teammates—those who would be fighting beside him in the coming battles.
The first two were female chūnin, both with unremarkable appearances.
Their names were Saki and Haruka.
They weren't especially beautiful—certainly not compared to Roll—but the faint, lingering scent of blood clinging to them told its own story. These were women who had killed before.
Both specialized in assassination-oriented taijutsu, with nearly identical proficiency in throwing weapons and ninja tools. Their chakra nature was Wind Release.
The third member was a fifteen-year-old male chūnin, a broad-shouldered, dark-skinned youth named Fukuyama.
His chakra affinities were Earth and Wind, and he came from a small Sand Village household. His family technique was a specialized Earth Release hardening art.
Compared to Iwagakure's stone-based combat styles, Fukuyama's technique was slower and more rigid, lacking mobility—but within a squad, he was an irreplaceable frontline anchor.
And then there was the final member…
Despite being roughly the same age as Shiraishi, he looked like a flirtatious older brother, dripping with charm...
Kitajima.
A civilian-born ninja with Wind Release, specializing in lethal taijutsu and possessing flexibility rivaling that of a kunoichi.
Dressed in a black cheongsam, Kitajima looked soft, elegant—almost feminine. But the moment one met his eyes, that illusion shattered.
There was a queen-like dominance in his gaze.
And when he looked at Shiraishi?
Pure affection.
From the squad's data alone, it was clear: Kitajima was the strongest taijutsu user in the unit, second only to Shiraishi himself.
Despite his humble origins, he had carved out a reputation on the battlefield through sheer resolve.
"These are special soldier pills I developed myself," Shiraishi said, distributing them. "They'll help replenish your chakra."
The squad accepted them without hesitation.
After a brief pause, Shiraishi continued,
"From now on, we'll focus on coordination and combat rhythm. That means sparring extensively."
Weapon techniques.
Hand-to-hand combat.
Fundamental reinforcement.
All of it was necessary to build trust and synchronization.
"Captain, I want to spar with you first," Kitajima said, swaying his body dramatically.
Saki and Haruka burst out laughing.
Fukuyama looked utterly confused.
Only Shiraishi remained expressionless, pushing up his glasses.
"Fine."
The instant the words left his mouth—
Kitajima moved.
His body tightened like a drawn bowstring—then released.
The ground shattered beneath his feet as he launched himself forward like a living arrow.
Even as a man, his movement stunned Fukuyama, who had never seen Kitajima fight before.
That speed.
That reckless, flamboyant motion.
Against the incoming storm, Shiraishi merely stepped back with his right foot, smoothly dispersing the force and grounding his stance.
Their fists collided in rapid succession.
As they exchanged blows, Shiraishi casually unleashed multiple Wind Blades from a single hand, forcing Kitajima to retreat. The pressure stung Kitajima's face.
"So strong," Kitajima purred. "This is making me excited."
His aura shifted.
The softness vanished.
Power, killing intent, and chakra compressed inward—then exploded outward like a beast awakening.
Shiraishi struck down instantly—
—but Kitajima vanished, splitting into overlapping afterimages.
"So strong…" someone murmured.
In the next moment, Kitajima's muscles swelled violently, veins bulging as chakra surged. His skin darkened with a stone-like sheen.
Even Fukuyama had to admit it—
Kitajima now looked stronger than him.
A true King Kong Barbie.
With a grin, Kitajima lunged forward, arms spread wide.
"Captain, you're adorable!"
The figure he grabbed shattered—
A clay clone.
Shiraishi appeared behind him, calm as ever.
"Your strength is impressive," he said. "Let's continue."
Using the clone to evade the grappling kill, Shiraishi chose to continue the taijutsu exchange.
After all—
This King Kong Barbie was an excellent sparring partner.
Soon after, intelligence spread to Konoha.
Sunagakure had allegedly obtained a new Kirigakure technique capable of blocking sensory perception.
Orochimaru idly toyed with the report, a faint smile curling his lips.
"A large-scale sensory suppression technique?" he mused. "Impossible."
He had plenty of methods to disrupt perception himself, but something that could be widely deployed?
No such jutsu should exist.
Kirigakure specialized in assassination and sensory interference, yes—but those tricks worked on ordinary ninja, not elite sensor types.
If Sunagakure truly possessed such a technique, they wouldn't have suffered so badly at Kikyo Pass.
Still, Orochimaru was a scientist.
Dismissing information without verification wasn't his style.
Then new reports arrived.
A small Sand Village strike team had infiltrated a Konoha medical unit, severely wounding several medical ninja before withdrawing.
It was a minor clash—
—but the sensory division had detected nothing beforehand.
That was when Orochimaru stopped smiling.
Over the following days, Sand Village raids struck multiple Konoha zones every night.
And every time—
The sensory unit detected nothing.
Slowly, inevitably, Orochimaru began to take that report seriously.
Or perhaps—
It wasn't belief that grew within him.
It was curiosity.
What kind of method could allow Sunagakure to bypass Konoha's sensory network so completely?
And more importantly—
Who had created it?
Note: This Kitajima is the distant cousin of the previous one
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