After agreeing on the plan, the three teammates quickly activated the Shadow Clone Technique, leaving behind decoys at the resting site. Without making a sound, the real trio slipped away from the camp and vanished into the forest.
— — —
Once he had put enough distance between themselves and the main group, Hatake Kyūjō led his teammates deeper into the woods for several kilometers. Eventually, they arrived at a spot he had marked earlier with his Infinity sensory ability—a perfect location for what he had in mind.
Only then did Kyūjō turn to face his comrades, finally ready to explain the details of their upcoming mission.
He pointed toward a nameless hillside about two and a half kilometers to the right. "Minato, head to that slope."
Then, he shifted his hand toward a large cedar tree standing prominently to the left—also two and a half kilometers away. "Nawaki, take position on that big tree. Climb and stay hidden in its branches."
"I'll be setting a trap here. With luck, the incoming Sunagakure ninja will trigger it. If you hear signs of combat, detonate the Explosive Tags and make a break for it. I can't guarantee how many of them will be drawn in by the bait—it could be a few or maybe none at all."
"Try to hold out as long as you can. Just... don't die. Leave the rest to me. And if, by any chance, you do fall… don't worry. I'll avenge you."
Kyūjō's words carried a quiet, unshakable resolve. Hearing him speak so calmly, with such seriousness, Nawaki no longer had anything to complain about. He nodded firmly, the fire of determination burning in his eyes.
To Nawaki, Kyūjō now stood as a true warrior—someone willing to sacrifice his life to buy time for Konoha's logistics unit to escape. A comrade who loved the village enough to fight alone against impossible odds.
And even more than that—he had the compassion to say something like, "I'll avenge you," just to ease the guilt of his friends.
Three Jōnin... over twenty Chūnin...
This is what it meant to inherit the Will of Fire!
How could Senju Nawaki possibly betray the trust of someone like Hatake Kyūjō?
Straightening his back, Nawaki gave a deep, respectful bow and declared, "In the name of the Senju clan, I—Senju Nawaki—swear I won't let you down, Kyūjō-kun!"
Meanwhile, Minato simply gave Kyūjō a curt nod. Without saying a word, he turned and disappeared toward the distant hill.
— — —
Once they were gone, Kyūjō didn't bother setting any traps at all.
Instead, he quietly leapt up into a towering tree and hid among the thick branches. Thanks to his Colorless Haki and complete control over his body, he had zero concern about being detected by standard sensory ninja.
And if, by some miracle, someone did find him?
Well… they would be forcing him to switch into "Combat Mode." If they were bold enough to provoke that, they'd better be prepared to face the full might of his Chakra Mode, enhanced by Colorless Haki-infused strikes and swordplay.
As for traps? Kyūjō didn't need them.
His Thunder Eye was more than enough.
That ability—originating from the power of the Goro Goro no Mi—wasn't the same as the over-the-top version in the One Piece world. Here, it had been refined, tempered, and evolved into something logical, something grounded in intense personal training.
After ten years of cultivation, Kyūjō could now generate electrical energy entirely from nothing. And because it didn't rely on Chakra, there would be no trace for enemy sensor types to pick up.
Of course, if he did channel his Lightning Chakra into the Thunder Eye, its offensive power would skyrocket—but it would also leave a trail. That was the risk. That was why he needed Minato and Nawaki to create distractions.
If no enemy took the bait?
Then he would simply deal with them himself—swiftly and without mercy.
If the Chakra from his clone decoy ran out, he'd switch back to the "main account" and activate Combat Mode.
This was Hatake Kyūjō's perfect ambush strategy.
— — —
Elsewhere, leading the Sunagakure assault unit was a Jōnin named Nagatabe Saki—an arrogant man best known for his mastery of Wind Release techniques.
But why would someone as unremarkable as Saki be in command of two other Jōnin and granted full operational authority?
Simple. He had an older sister in high places.
That sister, Nagatabe Hanako, just so happened to be the wife of the Third Kazekage.
With that kind of backing, Saki could cherry-pick low-risk, high-reward missions while flaunting his influence with an obnoxious grin.
And this current assignment? It was the jackpot.
Weak enemies. Detailed intel. An opposing force made up almost entirely of fresh Genin and a single average Jōnin as leader. Plus, their supply rolls were rumored to be packed with valuable gear—kunai, scrolls, rations, and more.
Treasure. Pure and simple.
How could he not take advantage of that?
What were those other Sunagakure Jōnin even doing? Just standing around being strong? Strength alone didn't win in this world.
No, in the ninja world—connections and status were everything!
Today, Nagatabe Saki was going to teach these "peasants" a valuable lesson.
— — —
Walking beside him, another man couldn't take it anymore. His face had soured several times already.
This was Iwayagawa, a veteran Elite Jōnin from the Sunagakure Anbu, and the de facto deputy commander of the operation—the one actually doing the work.
His voice was calm but sharp when he finally spoke. "Saki, according to intel, we're getting close to the Konoha supply unit. Even if they're weak, don't get careless. That attitude of yours... it's not befitting of a shinobi."
But Saki barely flinched. In fact, he snapped back with a condescending sneer.
"How dare you call me just 'Saki'? Iwayagawa, let me remind you again—I'm the captain of this mission. You will address me as such!"
That arrogant, venomous command made Iwayagawa's face twitch between pale fury and red-hot rage.
This bastard was seriously treating him like a nobody?
Did he even know what it meant to be an Anbu squad leader?
Before Iwayagawa could say something he'd regret, another Jōnin quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.
"Captain Saki... and Iwayagawa-san, please. Let's not argue right now. We've got a mission ahead. And let's be honest—we wouldn't even be on this job if not for Captain Saki."
"And besides… Konoha is rich, right?"
As soon as that line dropped, the third Jōnin shut his mouth.
Iwayagawa, for his part, seemed to calm down slightly.
Fine.
He would tolerate this fool... for now.
For the promised rewards, he'd hold his tongue—at least until this mission was done.
Or so he told himself, over and over again.
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