"Target area ahead. Stay sharp."
Akira Hyuga's low voice broke the silence. The 17th Squad had reached the designated suspicious area. Akira activated his Byakugan, his piercing gaze cutting through layers of obstacles to scan the valley from a distance.
Simultaneously, Shibi Aburame silently released a swarm of kikaichu bugs. The insects dispersed into the surroundings, gathering information. Night and Nawaki flanked the two scouts, guarding them vigilantly.
A moment later, the intel was consolidated. According to Akira and Shibi, this was indeed just an ordinary logistics depot. It matched the intel perfectly. There weren't even any decent guards.
Akira immediately formulated a plan: He and Night would lead the assault, while Nawaki and Shibi provided support from the flanks.
The three nodded in agreement. Only Night couldn't shake the vague unease in his heart. Even though his Mind's Eye of the Kagura scanned repeatedly, he found nothing unusual.
As the operation began, Night deliberately lagged a step behind. Unnoticed, he hid a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God formula in the brush.
The squad infiltrated the valley like ghosts. With precise intel, they took out the perimeter sentries effortlessly.
After neutralizing the guards, the entire camp failed to organize any meaningful resistance. They took the base without a hitch.
It went so smoothly it felt unreal.
"Confirmed. All personnel in the camp have been eliminated." Shibi paused, then added, "These ninjas... their skills don't feel like regular forces from the Five Great Nations."
Before Night could speak, Nawaki chimed in, "Whatever they're planning, we just need to blow this place sky-high."
No one objected. That was standard ninja procedure. No matter the trap, explosives usually solved it.
Explosive tags were quickly set. The squad retreated to a safe distance.
Night threw a kunai with a tag attached. It triggered a chain reaction, and the entire camp was engulfed in a massive explosion.
Almost simultaneously, a roar of pure, unadulterated rage erupted from the flames, deafening them.
"ROAR—!!!"
With the sound of a massive seal shattering, a behemoth appeared. Its body blocked out the sun, casting a shadow that instantly engulfed Night's squad.
Even though they had retreated dozens of meters, the beast felt like it was right in front of them.
"A Tailed Beast? It's the Five-Tails!" Akira's face went pale as he stared at the colossal beast that had just broken free and was roaring at the sky.
No orders were needed. Survival instinct drove everyone to retreat at full speed.
Only now did Night understand where his sense of crisis came from.
This was a setup. A trap meticulously prepared for Konoha ninjas. An open conspiracy! As long as Konoha detected the anomaly in the valley, they would send someone to investigate. And once they stepped in, the trap was sprung.
The guards Night and the others had killed—those lacking professional skills—were likely wandering ninjas or fodder from small villages, prepared specifically to die.
Whatever happened next, the fact remained: Night's squad had released the Five-Tails. The Stone Village was unharmed, and they could now claim the moral high ground and accuse Konoha of unleashing a Tailed Beast.
Understanding everything in a flash, Night scanned the surroundings. He was certain the Stone's plan didn't end here.
Sure enough, at the edge of his sensory range, a group of ninjas was closing in fast. Leading them was none other than Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage.
"Retreat! This is beyond our pay grade! It's a trap!" Night shouted at his squad as fast as he could.
During their brief exchange, Kokuō (the Five-Tails), having broken the seal, turned its violent gaze toward them. It roared and charged with a speed that defied its massive size.
"Steam!" Night's expression turned grave. His memories of the Five-Tails were sparse, mostly knowing it was captured by the Akatsuki and its Jinchuriki was Han, the "Steam Ninja."
Knowing the beast was fast, they didn't dare stop. Fighting a Tailed Beast head-on was suicide. Even Akira, the strongest among them, would be like a toothpick poking an elephant with his Gentle Fist.
At this rate, the Five-Tails would catch them in seconds. Night couldn't hold back anymore.
"Eight Gates Released Formation! Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain — OPEN!"
Dark green chakra erupted like steam. Night's speed skyrocketed. He grabbed Nawaki and Shibi, turning into a green blur as he put distance between them and the beast.
As for Akira Hyuga, being a taijutsu specialist, he was fast too. But Night only had two hands. He couldn't carry everyone. He could only hope the Jonin was lucky.
Just as it seemed they might escape, the Five-Tails' gaze turned dangerous.
Perhaps to the simple mind of a Tailed Beast, humans were all insignificant bugs, and three bugs were better than one. Its speed increased again, ignoring Akira and charging straight for Night's trio.
"Are you kidding me?! Why are you so fixated on me today?!" Night cursed.
Luckily, Night's speed barely matched the Five-Tails. He could go faster if he dropped the others.
But dropping Nawaki meant feeding him to the beast.
And Shibi's bugs, perhaps not fully matured, were completely suppressed by the Tailed Beast's chakra pressure. Shibi, whose power relied entirely on his bugs, was effectively useless right now.
Their only hope was for the main camp to notice the commotion and send Orochimaru. Anyone else would just be adding to the body count.
During the chase, the Five-Tails seemed to get impatient. Scorching steam hissed from its mouth.
Night's alarm bells rang. The scent of death was overwhelming.
He didn't need to look back. His Mind's Eye of the Kagura clearly "saw" massive amounts of chakra gathering inside the beast. It slowed down and stopped.
But this wasn't giving up. The Five-Tails was charging its ultimate attack.
A pitch-black sphere of dense chakra formed in its mouth. A second later, carrying world-destroying power, it fired straight at Night and his teammates.
"Holy sht! Is that necessary?! Using a Tailed Beast Bomb on a mosquito?!"