“Lord Naoki, the Land of Fire border is just ahead.”
“This is the latest intelligence we’ve gathered.”
“Understood.”
Naoki Kaguya took the scroll from the Anbu ninja and sifted through it, comparing it with the map on the table.
After reading, he nodded and instructed the ninja, “Then, wait for my signal to attack.”
The ninja hesitated, then tentatively asked, “Lord Naoki, what about the rest of the troops’ plans?”
Without looking up, Naoki immediately responded, clearly having prepared for this, “You just follow my lead.”
Hearing this, the ninja looked slightly stunned, swaying a bit but ultimately staying put, repeating the information from the scroll in an earnest attempt to change Naoki’s mind.
“Lord Naoki, there are two Jonin guarding the Fire Country border outpost, along with numerous elite Chunin and Genin. This outpost is Konoha’s primary defense against us.”
“The area around the outpost is flat and open, with no room for ambushes, making a single-man assassination highly impractical.”
“I understand,” Naoki replied calmly, feeling a bit exasperated.
Though he had defeated Orochimaru and obtained the Byakugan, this feat was well-known only to the Konoha ninjas. Due to the Third Mizukage’s tight control within Kirigakure, most regular Kirigakure ninjas remained ignorant.
As a result, Naoki was regarded by most lower-ranking Kirigakure ninjas as someone who had risen through connections and held no real prestige.
Silently lamenting the situation, Naoki thought, It’s because of your attitude that I have to undertake this solo mission in the first place to instill some respect.
Despite Naoki’s calm demeanor, the Kirigakure ninja cautiously voiced his distrust again: “And Lord Naoki, even if a single-man assassination succeeds, the Konoha ninjas at the outpost won’t lose their combat capabilities.”
“They are elites.”
With anyone else as commander, such repeated questioning likely resulted in a swift execution. However, understanding the reasons behind the doubt, Naoki showed unusual leniency.
“I’m aware, but I’m not planning an assassination.”
Naoki paused.
“I will kill them all myself.”
“What?”
The Kirigakure ninja blurted out before quickly bowing his head, realizing their hierarchical positions and feeling internally frustrated.
What kind of plan is this?
This is Kirigakure’s most sudden raid.
The goal is destruction, a massacre, not just a simple assassination.
With so many enemies, it would take days to capture them all, let alone defeat them.
And these are elite Konoha ninjas at the border.
Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would find this outpost challenging without additional troops.
But, as the commander, Naoki’s orders stood. Realizing he couldn’t change Naoki’s mind, the Kirigakure ninja reluctantly left to announce the decision.
Almost immediately after he turned, a series of system notifications flooded in.
【Kaidan Oda’s fate line deviated, identified as Kirigakure ninja, received exchange fragment *1】
Naoki looked up, counting nearly a hundred fragments.
So, this attack I led has saved the lives of many Kirigakure ninjas.
Naoki sighed internally, then activated his Byakugan to scout the nearby border.
This will be the only time I need to push myself. After this massacre, I should earn enough respect to command my loyal forces.
Clearing his mind of distractions, Naoki scanned the terrain.
He detected hidden chakra signatures, likely Kirigakure’s reconnaissance squad, through the forest, even ahead of his vanguard.
Beyond that, sparse shrubbery and flat landmarked the location of the Konoha outpost at the edge of his Byakugan’s range.
Given my Shikotsumyaku heritage, even an ailing Kimimaro could kill 500 Naruto clones. Killing a bunch of elites shouldn’t be too difficult.
Two Jonins are merely more enormous fodder for a Kage-level fighter.
Naoki silently patted his spine, preparing for the upcoming battle.
“Naoki,” a voice called.
“Do you need my help? Going alone might be too risky.”
Mei Terumi closed the door and turned around, her face full of concern.
Naoki responded directly.
“Don’t worry, Mei.”
“You know I need to establish my authority, so I must handle this mission alone.”
“But there are so many of them,” Mei half-heartedly protested, then sighed.
“Never mind. I give up.”
“Someone who could snatch the Byakugan from Orochimaru probably doesn’t consider these ninjas a threat.”
“They likely won’t pose much of a challenge to you.”
Naoki nodded.
“So, Naoki, what’s your plan? I can help you strategize.”
Mei leaned on the table, wrinkling the map with her arm.
“Strategy, huh.”
Naoki thought for a moment.
“I’ll probably just charge in from the front and kill them all.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Mei sighed, shaking her head.
“Do you really need to be so brutally straightforward?”
“I must.”
Naoki pointed to the map.
“Orochimaru is coming.”
“Once he reaches the border, his strength and experience will make it hard to earn any notable achievements.”
“If I haven’t gained the loyalty of the Kirigakure ninjas by then, we risk being pushed back.”
“So, extreme violence is the only way to command respect.”
“Understood.”
Mei nodded but frowned, rifling through the intelligence scrolls beside Naoki.
After a while, Mei asked curiously, “Is it really Orochimaru?”
“Absolutely.”
Naoki touched the scroll containing Kakashi’s intelligence, smiling.
Orochimaru is heading to the Land of Fire’s border to lead the Kirigakure front.
Minato Namikaze will handle naval interceptions, delaying Kirigakure’s movements.
This is why I led an elite Kirigakure force directly here.
Securing a land foothold first will allow us to transport troops at our leisure.
Minato’s impact will be significantly reduced.
Upon receiving this information, Naoki sighed in relief.
If it’s only Orochimaru, that’s manageable.
Naoki truly feared Minato Namikaze. Although Minato’s attacks might not kill Naoki directly, his Flying Thunder God Technique posed a significant threat.
If Minato dragged Naoki across four nations, occasionally dropping him into explosive tag traps or difficult places like the Hidden Cloud’s headquarters, there would be no escape.
Facing Orochimaru without Minato’s interference should yield favorable results early on.
“To think you’ve infiltrated Konoha with a spy.”
“Even the Third Hokage couldn’t do that.”
Mei sighed, then added with a wry smile.
“And your Byakugan—Konoha must know by now.”
“The difference between our villages is stark.”
“So Naoki, as long as you don’t lose badly, you’ll be Kirigakure’s hero.”
Naoki nodded.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Who knows, maybe I won’t lose at all.”
“Alright, Mei, it’s time to disembark.”
—
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