Chapter 24: Objective and Pursuit

Chapter 24: Objective and Pursuit

It quickly became apparent that the pursuing Mist ninja stood no chance of catching up to Kakashi and his team. Despite their numbers, they were far from an elite unit—and more importantly, not a single one of them specialized in sensory-type jutsu. Without such a specialist, tracking and locating a squad like Kakashi's was simply impossible.

Across all the major ninja villages, certain roles—medical, sensory, sealing, and barrier-type ninja—were exceedingly rare. The last three especially required tremendous innate talent, to the point that most ordinary shinobi couldn't even begin to comprehend them, let alone master their techniques.

As a result, on any battlefield, ninja with such roles were considered invaluable. It was no mystery why the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan was so coveted by rival villages. Beyond its low compatibility issues for transplants, its strategic utility made it priceless.

In fact, Konoha's ambush rate was significantly lower than that of the other Great Villages precisely because of the Byakugan. As long as there was a Hyuga clan member with even average proficiency in a squad, ambushes could practically be eliminated. No concealment technique could hide from those piercing white eyes.

And it wasn't just Byakugan users. Even the Aburame or Inuzuka clans—who could offer a more rudimentary substitute—were rare in other villages.

Sensory-type ninja were even more uncommon. So it was no surprise that this Mist unit didn't have one. Without such a presence, tracking Kakashi's team was hopeless.

A few evasive maneuvers later, Kakashi's squad had easily shaken their pursuers. But that didn't mean they were done.

Once they confirmed no enemies were on their trail, they paused briefly to rest. Soon, they would double back. After all, their mission wasn't simply to evade the Mist—they were here to uncover why the Mist had come and how the Sand was responding.

They needed answers.

"Captain," said Foxhound after swallowing a ration pill, his tone heavy, "with that many Mist ninja moving around, even if they weren't elites, it looks like the Mist really is preparing for a major offensive against Sunagakure."

Ninja warfare took many forms, but broadly fell into two categories:

Small-scale, elite infiltration.

Large-scale, army-level assaults.

The former emphasized hitting enemy weak points, using speed and power to overwhelm and retreat. These squads typically consisted of a dozen or so high-level ninja—no one below elite chūnin need apply. A classic example was when the Fourth Raikage, still in his youth, infiltrated the Land of Fire with Killer Bee, his freshly appointed Jinchūriki, and clashed with Minato Namikaze.

Such operations demanded compact, powerful teams.

No genin. Not even average chūnin. The slightest weak link could doom the whole unit.

Kakashi's squad had just encountered a group of Mist ninja that clearly didn't fit that mold. But that didn't necessarily mean the Mist was preparing for a full-scale invasion either. It could all be a ruse.

Black Hawk, their squad leader, shook his head lightly.

"We still don't have enough intel," he said. "It's too early to jump to conclusions. We need to know more before making any assumptions. Phosphor—bring out the map."

"Yes, sir," Phosphor replied, immediately pulling a yellowed scroll from his pack.

As he unrolled it, a detailed map of the Land of Wind was revealed. The layout marked known locations of Suna's scout and defense outposts, especially near the borders—information that Konoha's ANBU had painstakingly gathered over the years. Of course, it only represented what they knew. Suna undoubtedly had secret strongholds too.

Black Hawk studied the map.

"We're here right now," he said, pointing to a spot on the terrain. "It's all open plains around us. Suna doesn't have any outposts in this region—it's always been a blind zone for them. For the Mist to mobilize such a large force here, there has to be a target. They came from the south. To the east is the Land of Rivers. That only leaves the north… or the west."

He frowned slightly, muttering to himself as he analyzed the terrain. The known movement patterns of the Mist ninja so far barely scratched the surface—and there was a chance that what they'd seen was only a fragment of the full operation.

But unless he had solid proof, Black Hawk couldn't make any assumptions.

What if this was just a decoy unit?

One wrong move, and it could all fall apart.

The more important the intelligence, the less room there was for error.

How many Mist units had entered the Land of Wind? What were their real objectives?

Even Black Hawk found himself hesitating, uncertain of the answers.

After all, not everyone had the strategic brilliance of the Nara clan.

Their squad had only four members. They couldn't split up. They had to choose one direction to investigate—and that choice had to count.

The rest of the team, including Kakashi, had been listening quietly. Now their eyes drifted to the map as well, replaying what they'd just witnessed and considering the possibilities.

But it was Kakashi who saw something the others didn't.

His gaze fixed on a small, almost overlooked region wedged between the Lands of Fire, Wind, and Rivers. It was tiny—about the same size as the Land of Waves.

But its name stood out like a beacon.

The Land of Rōran.

Even though his memory of the anime had faded over time, certain keywords still sparked recognition.

And Rōran was definitely one of them.

If he remembered right, the story arc involving Rōran took place around the time of the Third Shinobi World War.

He stared at the map. Strategically, Rōran sat in a prime location.

Was it a coincidence?

Or was this Mist movement tied to Rōran?

A bold idea struck him.

"Captain," Kakashi said, breaking the silence, "do you think their target could be… here?"

He pointed to the map.

"Rōran."