122-124

Chapter 122: Teamwork 

Nightfall. 

Moonlight poured down like silver silk, outlining the towering trees, each over ten meters tall, in sharp clarity. 

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... 

Standard ninja sandals pounded against the thick trunks of giant trees as fifteen shadowy figures darted through the endless primal forest at breakneck speed. 

Arashi led the charge, short blade in hand, his black cloak billowing behind him like bat wings. 

Ahead, dangling branches and vines blocked their path. 

He flipped his blade. 

Zing! 

A flash of cold steel sliced through the air, cleanly severing the obstructing vines and branches. Yugao Ryoma and Cho followed close behind, slipping through the path Arashi cleared, occasionally using their sensory skills to adjust their course. 

The team’s toughest defender, Iwakuma, brought up the rear, ever-ready to handle sudden threats. 

Boom! Rumble! 

About five hundred meters to the right rear of the tactical squad, the ground quaked, trees toppled, and wild beasts fled in panic. If the team hadn’t been leaping through the treetops, they’d have had to deal with a stampede. 

Cho vaulted through the forest, her sky-blue chakra tracing rippling patterns in the air like plucked strings, spilling outward and carrying a flood of information back to her mind. Especially from that noisy right flank, where a petite figure wreathed in crackling lightning was flattening everything in her path. 

After three days of grinding, they’d finally found a rhythm. 

The key? Let Hikari operate solo on the team’s right wing. 

Her wide-range sensory abilities ensured she wouldn’t lose track of them, and her raw power meant she feared no danger. The rest of the team could skirt her position, moving stealthily from the opposite side. 

Cho, Yugao Ryoma, and Hikari’s sensory skills blanketed the area, creating two teams—one overt, one covert. If either hit trouble, the other could rush to support. 

Best of all, Hikari’s distance meant her trail didn’t need cleaning up, saving the team a ton of work. 

This makeshift squad was finally clicking. 

“Hold.” 

Yugao Ryoma signaled, and everyone froze in place, awaiting orders. 

He pulled out a map, releasing his insects to gather environmental data and cross-check it with their route. Satisfied, he confirmed, “We’re about ten kilometers from the Land of Lightning’s border.” 

“Thunder Drum Mountain is roughly two hundred kilometers east of the border. If we push through the night, we’ll arrive by morning. A day’s plenty to blow the mines to bits,” Arashi said, mentally calculating the distance. The goal was so close. 

“No need,” Cho cut in, shaking her head. 

“Thunder Drum’s got a massive ore vein, and Cloud Village runs five mining sites there. Intel says those mines are critical to them, so security’s likely tight. The mines aren’t going anywhere. We should rest up, infiltrate tomorrow, and plan based on what we find.” 

Yugao nodded quietly. As a fellow sensory ninja, he agreed Cho’s cautious approach was smarter. 

Their team looked strong, but only Hikari, Arashi, and Iwakuma were built for head-on fights. The rest were fragile. Charging in blind risked walking into a trap and getting crushed. 

Plus, Danzou had given him more than just this mission. He needed the team to stay combat-ready afterward. 

Crunch! Snap! 

As they hashed out the plan, a sharp sound of breaking branches came from the right. Heads turned to see a silver-haired girl in an owl mask strolling toward them. 

“Done moving?” Hikari asked. 

“We’re camping here tonight,” Yugao Ryoma decided. “We’ll hit Thunder Drum Mountain tomorrow, scout first, then plan.” 

“I’ve checked the area. It’s clear,” Hikari said. 

Cho released her hand seal, her chakra ripples fading. The others didn’t need orders—they split up and got to work, each handling their tasks with practiced coordination. 

In pairs or trios, they erased their tracks, their efficiency noticeably sharper now. 

No matter how skilled or strong a ninja was, a team needed time to gel to achieve that synergy where one plus one equals more than two. 

In the ninja world, four-man squads were the standard combat unit, with specialists in command, support, close combat, and ranged attacks. Together, they could take down enemies far beyond any one of them’s individual strength. 

Thanks to the Root’s brutal training, these ninjas lacked personal will, limiting their potential as standalone powerhouses. But their teamwork was eerily flawless. 

Rumble! 

Iwakuma raised a stone hut from the earth, flattening the grassy ground and erasing their footprints and traces in one go. 

Arashi slipped off alone. 

Minutes later, he returned lugging a headless deer corpse, hot blood dripping from its cleanly severed neck. He carefully placed it before Hikari, mindful not to splash her with gore. 

Without a head, Hikari couldn’t tell the deer’s species. It was as big as a boar, with a thick mane of grass-like fur around its neck. 

She casually pulled spices from a sealed scroll. 

Hikari gathered chakra in her palm, cycling through wind, water, and fire attributes to prep the meat. 

Candlelight flickered inside the stone hut. 

Clack! 

A stone table and five stone benches rose from the floor. Arashi, practically glowing, scrambled to claim a seat. Yugao Ryoma and Cho were already seated across from him, waiting. 

Smack, slack, smack! 

Hikari patted the cleaned deer meat, her touch gentle, almost soothing. Orange-red flames from her palm seeped into the meat, and soon, a savory aroma filled the air. 

Ever since she’d impulsively used her Sky Rending technique combined with Fire Release to roast a boar two days ago, her role had shifted from deputy captain to head chef. 

And it was an upgrade. 

Her status in the squad had skyrocketed. Even the iciest member, Yugao Ryoma, praised her cooking. After every meal, the team’s morale visibly glowed brighter, their bond growing by the day. 

Sizzle! 

Dripping fat hissed on the ground, the air thick with an irresistible meaty scent. 

The twelve teens removed their masks and sat in a circle around Hikari as she grilled. Their faces stayed blank, but their eyes betrayed their hunger. 

They might’ve lost most human emotions, but primal instincts still lingered. 

“Dig in,” Hikari said. 

The twelve lined up, slicing chunks with kunai and wolfing them down. 

From task-driven machines to beasts with raw desires—this had to count as progress, right? 

Hikari carried the sizzling deer meat into the stone hut. 

“Thunder Drum has five mines: one at the summit’s east and west, three around the mountainside. Before we move in, I’ll send my marked bugs to scout. You all stay at the base of the mountain and lay low—don’t get spotted.” 

Normally tight-lipped, Yugao Ryoma was now laying out the battle plan in detail. 

“I’m going with you,” Hikari offered, setting the meat on the stone table. 

Yugao’s bugs could slip through anything, but their simple minds couldn’t relay much detail. Secondhand intel was no match for her Byakugan’s direct view. She wasn’t betting her safety on his bugs. 

This body was just a shadow clone, but it carried the Root’s Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and the secrets of Otherworldly Kami’s genjutsu. The former let her tap into Root’s resources freely; the latter held the mysteries of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the ultimate illusion. 

If she could unravel how Otherworldly Kami worked, she might bypass the Mangekyo’s limits and force the technique out another way. 

There was precedent. 

From Root’s scavenged Uchiha texts, she’d been stunned to learn Izanagi, the technique that turned illusion into reality, was once a Mangekyo ability. A prodigy had reverse-engineered it for regular Uchihas to learn, leading to its later abuse. 

Her main focus was on cracking the Eight Gates, but Otherworldly Kami had been shelved. If the Sharingan could filter impurities from life force, her priorities might shift. 

“Your moves make too much noise,” Yugao said. 

“Unless I’m going full speed, I can control my strength. No issues,” Hikari replied, tearing off a leg of meat and handing it to him. 

“Fine.” 

Yugao took the meat, thought it over, and agreed. Not because of the food—her sensory skills were legit, and she could fight. fight. Two elite jounin, one for offense, one for support—they’d have the edge, whether they fought or fled. 

Chomp, chomp. 

Tactics settled, Iwakuma and the others demolished the table’s roast. The deer was tastier than boar, and Hikari’s precise chakra control made the flavor peak perfection. 

Everyone’s lips curled into faint smiles. Good food really did lift spirits. 

“Nar—Ikuma!—where’d your last story leave off?” Hikari asked, chewing, eyeing Iwakura’s stony face. 

Eating and bunking together had thawed their bonds. 

They’d started swapping stories during downtime. 

“Something about avenging your dead family?” Arashi said, gnawing meat, curiosity glinting in his eyes. 

This guy, who’d been a brutal instructor when Arashi joined Root, was now a rock-solid, almost gentle teammate. It was like he was two different people. 

Cho and Yugao Ryoma kept munching, faces neutral, but their perked ears gave away their interest. 

Iwakuma chewed slower, his tawny eyes distant, then spoke. “Yeah, I got my revenge.” 

The room went quiet. 

“That’s it?” Hikari asked. 

“Yep.” 

“What kind of story is that?” Arashi swallowed, his voice jumping an octave. 

“What do you want, then?” Iwakura’s tone stayed low and steady. 

“Like, how you described your enemy’s evil before. Or go into how you pulled off the revenge, how you joined Root,” Hikari said, practically coaching him on wrapping a tale. 

“…Alright, lemme think. After training, I went for revenge. Failed, fled, and ran into Lord Danzou. He saved me. Said he’d help me get revenge if I served him and trained his ninjas the way I trained myself. I agreed.” 

Iwakuma finished in one breath, then tore into his meat, grease glistening. 

“So Lord Danzou killed the ninja for you?” Arashi pressed, hungry for details. 

“No. He caught her and gave her to me as a gift.” Iwakuma gripped his meat tighter. “I turned her into this. Ate her for a long time.” 

Chomp… 

Hikari and the others slowed their chewing. 

“Sometimes curiosity’s better left alone, huh?” Cho shot Arashi a glare, her fragrant meat now tasting like wax. 

“Fair,” Arashi conceded, shrugging and diving back in. Two bites later: “Hey, Cho, how’d you join Root?” 

“Ugh.” 

Cho groaned, at a loss with this clueless teammate. 

“If it’s like his and ruins my appetite, don’t bother,” Hikari said, crunching bone. 

Her teeth, influenced by her Kaguya bloodline, were as tough as steel, despite not being skeletal bone. 

“I’m not that dramatic,” Cho said flatly. “I was an Anbu. Root needed sensory ninjas. Lord Danzou got a transfer order from the Third Hokage, and here I am.” 

“Lame,” Hikari said. 

Cho’s story was logical but dull. Iwakura’s was way better—it even clued her into who’d cooked up Root’s crazy training. 

“Eh, it’s fine by me,” Arashi said. “I was Anbu too. Saw Lord Danzou’s epic deeds in a mission scroll and volunteered for Root.” 

“You’re the real weirdo here,” Hikari muttered, unable to hold back. 

“Lord Danzou’s sacrificed so much for Leaf. Back in the Third War, his eye and right—” Arashi—” 

“—Arashi!” Iwakura cut him off sharply. 

Arashi bit his tongue, the cursed seal there silencing him. 

“Ryoma, you recall anything about that thing I asked you about?” Hikari pivoted fast. 

She didn’t want to dig into Danzou Danzou. The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal locked down all leaks—speaking or even thinking about spilling triggered paralysis. 

“Nope,” Yugao Ryoma said, icy as ever. 

Then, his eyes sparked. “Yato, can you do me a favor?” 

Hikari licked grease off her lips. “Depends. What’s it?” 

“Find someone.” 

The room stilled. 

“That’s… it?” Hikari asked, after a long pause. 

“Yep.” Yagao nodded, dead serious. 

“So the clue’s clue ‘he’s a person’?” Hikari raised an eyebrow. Talk about vague. 

“He loves to laugh.” 

“Quit with the fluff, gunk, give me something solid!” she snapped. 

“Pfft!” Cho snorted. Arashi and Iwakuma cracked faint smiles. 

Yugao was Danzou’s right-hand man—only Hikari’s strength let her jab him like that. 

“He’s… different. His smile’s like sunlight,” Yugao said, trying. 

“Still fluff!” useless!” Hikari shot back. 

As they bickered over clues, the others piped in with tips. 

The candlelight danced, casting their silhouettes around the table, lingering late into the night. 

Chapter 123: The Storm Approaches 

At the peak of Thunder Drum Mountain, Mining Site No. 1. 

Miners with yellow woven baskets on their backs adjusted their hard hats. Sturdy Cloud Hidden ninjas hefted cutting machines embedded with thunderstones, forming a winding line toward the deep, dark mine. Their formation resembled a giant python coiled on the mountainside. 

Dressed in a mesh bodysuit, his yellow hair tied into a ponytail, Darui stood with his hands behind his back on the barren slope, gazing up at the sky. 

Above, dark clouds churned, thunder roared, and pitch-black storm clouds blanketed the heavens. It was just past noon, when sunlight should have been at its peak, yet not a single ray pierced through. 

Thunder Drum Mountain saw thunderstorms at least twenty days a month, but today’s clouds were unusually dark, the air heavy with moisture. It made Darui’s once-broken arm itch faintly. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

A shadowy figure leaped nimbly from the cliffside lookout below, landing before him in moments. 

“Lord Darui!” 

The ninja, clad in a tight combat suit with a long blade strapped to his back, reported: 

“As per your orders, most of the guard ninjas from Site No. 1 have been reassigned to the other four mining sites. Now, only the ninjas tasked with mining and polishing thunderstones remain here.” 

Darui nodded slightly, hands still clasped behind him. 

“Has the word spread?” 

“Yes! After reports of people going missing at Sites Two, Three, Four, and Five, we announced that Site No. 1’s guards were being sent to the others to ensure everyone’s safety. The news has calmed the panic at the other sites significantly.” 

“But—” The long-blade ninja hesitated. 

“Speak.” 

“Isn’t this a bit too risky?” the ninja said, doubt flickering in his eyes. “Site No. 1 is the main mining area, with the deepest and most complex tunnels. With most of our forces reassigned—” 

He didn’t finish, but Darui understood his concern. 

“I’ll be entering the mine with everyone else. You head to Site No. 3 without worry.” 

“With Lord Darui protecting them, there’s nothing to fear!” 

Relieved by Darui’s words, the ninja nodded, his doubts vanishing. Darui was one of Thunder Drum Mountain’s two Jonin, the right-hand man of former Anbu captain Yagura, and a formidable fighter. With him guarding the mine, Site No. 1’s safety was assured. 

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

The long-blade ninja leaped away, vanishing among the cliffs in a few bounds. 

From the mountaintop, Darui surveyed the long line of miners below, his blue eyes scanning as if searching for something. 

Soon, he locked onto a burly man wearing a hard hat, his muscular frame towering over the others. The man carried a cutting machine, blending into the crowd, yet his sheer presence stood out. 

Sensing Darui’s gaze, the man looked up, his fierce tiger-like eyes meeting Darui’s with a slight nod. 

This was none other than Yagura, disguised as an ordinary miner. 

This was their plan. 

The culprit’s methods were cunning, leaving no useful clues at the crime scenes. But this also revealed they weren’t some mindless beast driven by hunger. 

To catch a fish, you need bait. 

The previous night, Darui and Yagura had strategized at length. Analyzing the abductions, they found no clear pattern: the victims shared no defining traits or connections. 

This ruled out revenge or a specific motive. The only leads were the enemy’s need for large numbers of people, thunderstone ore, and their recent increase in activity. 

Based on these clues, they devised a trap. They reassigned Site No. 1’s personnel to the other sites, creating the illusion of bolstering defenses to deter the culprit. In reality, they were funneling the enemy toward Site No. 1, which now appeared safer. 

Darui and Yagura would then enter the mine with the miners. Darui would act as bait in the open, luring the enemy to attack, while Yagura, hidden among the crowd, would strike with a decisive blow the moment the enemy revealed themselves. 

Confirming the plan was in motion, the two exchanged a glance—one in the open, one in the shadows—and followed the miners into the cave. 

Meanwhile, unnoticed on the mine’s rocky wall, a tiny, needle-sized insect, dark brown with a hard shell, clung upside down. As Darui and Yagura entered the cave, its shell split, revealing wings, and it buzzed swiftly outward. 

Bzzz! 

The insect’s wings blurred as it soared, overlooking the stream of miners below. It circled to the mountain’s far side, darting toward a secluded ravine. 

Rounding a jagged, steep rock wall, it reached the shadowed ravine. There, two figures stood, their hearts pulsing with immense chakra—one tall, one short, both cloaked in hoods and masks, exuding an eerie harmony. 

The insect carefully avoided the tall figure’s unnatural purple chakra, landing on its master’s fingertip. Pheromones formed a unique communication channel between bug and ninja. 

What a hassle. 

Watching Shino Aburame and his insect exchange information with agonizing slowness, Haku activated her Byakugan to its fullest, scanning the mountaintop. 

After resting overnight, they’d raced from the Lightning Country’s southwestern border forest to Thunder Drum Mountain without pause, arriving at the base by 10 a.m. 

As planned, Kiba, Hinata, and others rested in a hidden spot at the mountain’s base, awaiting Shino and Haku’s reconnaissance before proceeding. 

From the base to the peak, Shino’s insects and Haku’s Byakugan worked in tandem, flawlessly scouting Sites Two through Four without incident. 

Sites Two to Four had roughly 200 ninjas combined—miners and guards. One Jonin, a dozen Special Jonin, and the rest were standard Chunin and Genin, whose combat strength was negligible. 

If Site No. 1 lacked high-level forces, they’d move to crush it outright. 

Haku’s Byakugan enveloped the peak, piercing through Site No. 1 in an instant. She even saw through the mountain’s surface, revealing the narrow mine tunnels and bustling miners. The workers, hauling thunderstones, moved like tireless ants shuttling food. 

“Confirmed,” Shino said, finally finishing his insect’s report. “Site No. 1, including the mine’s interior, has 60 ninjas with chakra signatures. Fifty-two are non-combat miners and polishers, six have Chunin-level chakra as guards, and one Jonin entered the mine with an elite Jonin hidden among the crowd. Site No. 1 has fewer people but two high-level threats.” 

“My intel matches yours,” Haku said, peering through the earth at the elite Jonin in the mine. 

She wondered who that ninja with the glaringly bright chakra was hiding from. Was there another faction at Thunder Drum Mountain? Or had their Root mission been exposed? 

That shouldn’t be possible. Root’s Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal wasn’t a joke. Unless someone else had infiltrated Root with a Shadow Clone, like she had, and maintained it long-term, it was unthinkable. Her deception worked only because of the Nine-Tails chakra’s unique transferability—something no ordinary ninja could replicate. 

If their mission was compromised, the enemy should know their team’s composition. Yet Site No. 1’s defenses were too weak for that. 

Haku glanced at Shino’s calm face. “Their strongest ninja disguised as a miner suggests they don’t know we’re here. There might be a third party involved.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Shino said, his voice cold and emotionless. But Haku sensed he was hiding something. He knew about this third party—or perhaps it was his true objective. 

“Can I know the real mission?” she pressed. 

“Destroying the mine is the mission.” 

“I want to know the other part,” Haku said, staring intently. This mission was shadier than she’d thought. 

Feeling her burning gaze, Shino evaded. “The rest is my concern, not yours.” 

What a cryptic jerk! Haku clenched her fists. If they weren’t in enemy territory, she’d have decked him. 

Shino’s insects sensed her hostility. Pointing to Site No. 1 above, he said, “The enemy’s defenses are clear. Only Site No. 1 poses a threat. Head down, gather the team, and prepare for a full assault.” 

“You go,” Haku replied. 

Shino narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?” 

Haku watched miners emerge from the cave, carrying baskets of polished, charged thunderstones to a massive central warehouse. Her Byakugan pierced the warehouse door, revealing a small mountain of shimmering thunderstones. 

After half a day at Thunder Drum Mountain, she’d learned their purpose: enhancing machinery and aiding Lightning Armor training. 

Lightning chakra mode required destroying one’s cells with lightning chakra, selecting those resistant to electricity, and infusing them with chakra to evolve. This created the all-purpose Lightning Armor. 

The process drained chakra heavily. Even with her Nine-Tails-enhanced recovery and Byakugan precision, Haku could only train four hours before exhaustion. Normal ninjas might manage one or two hours daily. 

But the first half of the process—cell selection—could use external electricity, saving chakra for cell growth. She’d seen a Cloud Jonin at Site No. 2 use thunderstone currents for this, conserving energy. 

Her main body constantly funneled chakra to her clone and supported her Ice Release, leaving her strapped. She couldn’t pass up these stones. Luckily, she’d brought extra sealing scrolls, perfect for “borrowing” some thunderstones as a gift for her main body. 

“I’ll handle this. You take Kiba and the others to clear the other sites.” 

“Site No. 1 has fewer people, but an elite Jonin. Can you handle it alone?” 

“More than enough,” Haku said confidently. 

Her Byakugan had already sized up the ninja in the mine—a typical Lightning Armor user like Yagura. But her strength had grown immensely. After absorbing Nine-Tails chakra and training under Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, her Wind Release had skyrocketed. Lightning chakra mode offset her agility weakness, and her perfected Air Slash—good enough to grill meat—was ideal against Lightning Armor users. 

“Attack in sync in thirty minutes. Be careful. Don’t die,” Shino said, turning to leave. 

He trusted Haku’s strength. She was Root’s top frontline fighter, destined to face that elite Jonin sooner or later. An extra Jonin wouldn’t change much. 

As for the regular ninjas, neither he nor Haku considered them threats. Ninja ranks weren’t rigid—Jonin to Special Jonin, or Special Jonin to Chunin, had small gaps. But Jonin to Chunin was a chasm, especially for elite Jonin like them. Chunin were disposable. 

If Haku could pin down the two up top, Shino would handle the lone Jonin below. Kiba, Hinata, and Choji’s Jonin-level strength could crush the other sites’ ninjas. Then, they’d reinforce Haku, outnumbering the enemy for an easy win. 

Drip! 

As Shino’s figure vanished, wet spots appeared on the ochre ground. A cool breeze brushed Haku’s cheek, her silver hair fluttering as she looked skyward. 

Crack! 

Thunder roared, a silver dragon dancing across the sky. The inky clouds churned, turning the heavens into an ocean. 

Drip! Drip! 

The clouds could no longer hold the heavy rain. A few fat drops fell, then stopped, but the air brimmed with pent-up tension. 

Not yet. 

Suppressing her excited chakra, Haku eyed a tent in the camp marked with a “Thunder” symbol, her Byakugan locking onto a clock by the bedside. The second hand ticked steadily. 

Outside Thunder Drum Mountain, in a massive yellow-green ravine, water pooled in the low terrain, fostering lush vegetation. Thick yellow-green plants carpeted the ground like lichen. 

“Perfect weather, right, Samehada?” 

“Growl! Growl!” 

The bandaged greatsword Samehada wriggled excitedly on his back. Kisame Hoshigaki patted it, his golden pupils gazing skyward. His shark-like gills quivered, sensing the air’s moisture. 

The stormy sky flashed with lightning, striking Thunder Drum Mountain in the distance. Even from afar, he felt the dampness and rumble. Once the rain poured, this would be his domain. 

“Looks like it’s up to you,” Itachi Uchiha said, feeling the wind and humidity. 

Observing weather and terrain before battle was a mandatory lesson for Leaf ninjas. As a top academy graduate, Itachi had ingrained it into his instincts. 

Kisame blinked, realizing his new partner, a pure Fire Release user, hated rainy days. 

“No worries! I can handle it solo,” Kisame said, patting his chest. 

But he noticed Itachi’s eyes, now crimson, staring at the peak. Following his gaze, Kisame looked up. 

Unnoticed until now, thick fog had begun to spread across the mountaintop. Amid the thunder and lightning, the peak was nearly invisible. Beneath the black clouds, a hazy white mist enveloped Thunder Drum Mountain’s summit like a sea of clouds. 

“Itachi, something’s off,” Kisame said. As a Mist ninja, fighting in fog was second nature, stirring his memories. 

“I see it,” Itachi replied. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun, forming a unique shuriken pattern, fixed on the fog-shrouded peak. 

The dense mist swirled around the mountain, blending with the black clouds. A mysterious purple chakra lurked within, writhing like a dragon ready to strike. 

Chapter 124: Perfect Infiltration 

Bzzz! 

The high-speed grinding wheel sent sparks flying. A young ninja polishing a raw thunderstone, still carrying the earthy scent, focused intently, his brown eyes reflecting the crystal’s shimmer. 

Thunderstones were hard but brittle. One wrong move during polishing could crack the stone, reducing its ability to store lightning and making it prone to exploding when discharged. The warehouse keepers affectionately called such stones “scrap.” 

“Hey, Saru, did you see Lord Yagura yesterday?” asked a colleague sitting beside him, setting down a finished stone and stretching his stiff body. He was clearly curious about Yagura, who had arrived a month ago but stayed hidden in his tent. 

Saru had once been just as curious. 

“Yeah, I saw him,” Saru replied, not glancing at his nosy companion. He carefully ground away the stone’s yellowish-brown shell. After rinsing it with water, the deep blue crystal gleamed. In the overcast weather, its color was somber, but under sunlight, it would sparkle sky-blue. 

Thunderstones weren’t just functional; they made great decorations. Saru’s six-year-old sister would love something this shiny and practical. Thinking of her, giggling as she showed him her missing front tooth after a fall, Saru’s lips curved into a faint smile. 

“Is he really as grumpy and forgetful as they say?” 

“Pretty much.” 

Recalling the imposing man meditating in the tent, Saru’s eyes gleamed with admiration. The Cloud Village’s obsession with strength was in his blood. 

“One day, I’ll definitely become Raikage!” he declared, his bold dream echoing in the air. 

He braced for the usual barrage of mockery from his peers, but instead, there was silence. Dead silence. 

This caught Saru off guard, unprepared for the lack of jeers. 

Had everyone suddenly changed? 

The zzz of the grinding wheel filled his ears, sparks bursting as the thunderstone blurred before him. 

Stopping the wheel, Saru rubbed his bleary eyes with the back of his hand and looked up, confused. 

Misty tendrils of fog swirled around him, enveloping everything in a white haze. 

“Goi? Goi?” he called, his voice echoing in the fog. No response came. The eerie quiet made it feel like he was the only one left in Site No. 1. 

Gulp. 

His throat tightened as he realized something was wrong. 

“Release!” he shouted, disrupting his chakra flow, his voice edged with panic. But the fog remained thick, showing no signs of being an illusion. 

Breathing in the damp air, Saru’s heart pounded. The endless fog blocked out the sky, and even the thunder’s flashes eluded him. 

Following his memory of Goi’s workstation, Saru cautiously stepped forward. 

Thud! 

Something tripped him, and he fell to his knees. 

“Ow—damn, that hurts!” he hissed, clutching his bruised forehead. His hand felt slick against the ground. 

Looking down, he saw a stream of crimson blood pooling in the ochre dirt. 

Goi, the tough but lazy ninja, lay there, his face split in two like blooming petals, a gash between his eyes. Saru could still see a trace of familiar mockery in those lifeless eyes. 

How could this happen? 

Staring at his dead friend, Saru sat in the blood, overwhelmed by grief, fear, and confusion. 

No. I have to report this to Lord Yagura. 

The image of Yagura’s lightning-clad figure gave Saru strength. Fighting back tears and terror, he tried to stand, only to find his body unresponsive. 

The world dimmed, his mind foggy, everything tilting until it flipped upside down. 

Saru collapsed, his eyes straining to see a headless figure standing blankly nearby. 

Who… is that? 

Bzzz! 

The fog warped and rippled. 

The headless body froze, red cracks splintering across it like shattered porcelain. It crumbled, mixing with Saru’s severed head on the ground. 

So, it was… 

The world plunged into darkness. 

Tap… tap… 

A petite figure moved through the fog, wisps swirling around her like a mythical mist maiden. 

Haku calmly walked toward the thunderstone warehouse. 

Bzzz! Bzzz! 

Wind threads pulsed outward from her, stirring the fog. Nearby, a faint pink mist emerged. 

Blood flowed down the slope. 

Behind her, countless severed limbs soaked in pools of blood, the air thick with a metallic stench. No living thing remained in her wake. 

The power gap was too vast. 

Haku’s Byakugan locked onto every ninja in the site. Her Wind Release, unleashed from her pores, cut them down effortlessly. 

Combining Wind Release with Rotation, she turned the modest Gentle Fist into a deadly detector. Whether it was the two seemingly elite Chunin guards or the miners polishing stones, they were all the same to her. 

Those lacking perception or defense were lambs to the slaughter, unable to even approach her before her invisible wind sliced them apart. 

Her ninja boots left deep prints in the ground, blood pooling in the neat grid of her footprints, reflecting a haunting black-red hue. 

Unhindered and undetected, Haku stepped over the scattered limbs at the entrance and entered the warehouse. 

A small mountain of thunderstones glowed faintly, brimming with latent lightning. 

Haku picked up a stone, channeling Lightning chakra into it. The stored current erupted instantly, arcs crackling outward. 

Good stuff. 

The Leaf Village’s power grid was advanced, but using raw electricity to temper the body risked overloading and burning out the system. Thunderstones solved that problem. 

With this many, she could build a training room, using their currents to refine her body. Paired with her Eight Gates’ limitless vitality, she could create a perpetual cycle of growth. 

No time to waste. 

Haku pulled out her prepared blank sealing scrolls. 

Seal! 

Boom! 

It took two one-time-use scrolls to seal the entire pile of thunderstones. A “Thunder” symbol slowly appeared at the center of the sealing formula. 

Bzzz! 

A sudden electric hum filled the warehouse. 

Haku froze, sensing a trap triggered. Hidden runes on the walls and door flared to life. 

Zzzzt! 

Blue electric light surged, forming a cage of lightning that trapped her inside. 

“Well, that’s a neat trick,” Haku remarked, eyeing the laser-like thunder bars connecting floor to ceiling. Tucking the scrolls away, she unleashed her invisible Wind Release to strike. 

Zzzap! 

The moment her wind hit, the thunder bars erupted with fierce current, repelling her Wind Release, which was supposed to counter lightning. 

Narrowing her eyes, Haku focused all her Wind Release into a single point, slashing wildly at the thunder bars. 

Crack! 

Arcs scattered as the bars struggled against her cutting wind. Finally, the lightning snapped under her relentless assault. 

But then— 

Whoosh! 

As her wind tore a small gap in the thunder bar, flames burst out from within, igniting her delicate wind threads and burning away their form and nature. 

Zzzzt! 

The lightning re-encased the flames, locking Haku in the laser-like cage once more. 

“A Lightning-Fire combination sealing technique!” Haku said, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Her Byakugan zoomed in on the runes, searching for a way to break them. 

Meanwhile, in the underground mine… 

“The fish has taken the bait!” 

Darui closed his eyes, sensing his warehouse seal activate. A smug smile spread across his face. 

Before fishing, you set the trap. 

The enemy targeted both miners and their hard-earned thunderstones. Based on this, Darui and Yagura had crafted their plan. 

Reassigning guards to other sites increased their defenses, forcing the enemy to target Site No. 1—a calculated move. 

Darui and Yagura entering the mine, leaving the surface vulnerable, was the second layer of bait. If the enemy took the bait and raided the warehouse for thunderstones, they’d trigger the seal, falling into the third trap. 

One ring linked to another. 

They hadn’t ignored the miners’ safety either. Past abductions left no signs of fighting or blood, suggesting the victims were likely alive, taken deep into Thunder Drum Mountain. The surface miners were probably safe. 

Letting the culprit continue hiding in the mine would only lead to more disappearances. Stopping them at the source was the key to everyone’s safety—and might even rescue the missing. 

With the Lightning-Fire seal locking the enemy in the warehouse, Darui rushed to Yagura, who was disguised as a miner cutting stones. 

“Captain!” 

No words were needed. Yagura dropped the cutting machine, tossed his hard hat aside, and both men flared with lightning, shoving through the crowd toward the surface. 

The wind howled in their ears as they sped through the rugged tunnels, unimpeded. In moments, they burst out of the mine, plunging into the thick fog at the peak. 

“What a fog,” Yagura muttered, scanning the haze. His vision was clouded, and the sticky mist clung to his hand, reeking of dampness. 

He took a breath. The unnaturally humid air carried the stench of rust and entrails, like breathing evaporated blood. 

“Darui.” 

“On it!” 

Their long partnership needed no commands. Darui began forming hand signs, his rare mastery of Wind, Fire, and Lightning Releases ready. He knew what Yagura needed. 

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! 

Whoosh! 

A gale burst from Darui’s mouth, scattering the sky-obscuring fog and clearing their view. 

Boom! 

Lightning cracked above, the fog’s muffling effect gone. Thunder roared in their hearts. 

Blood. Endless blood. 

The mine entrance, the slopes where miners worked, the unpolished stone piles—everything was drenched in crimson. 

Severed limbs littered the ground. Familiar faces rolled down the slope, machines were smashed, tents torn, even the hard earth cracked unnaturally. 

Site No. 1 was like a shattered cup, trembling with cruel scars and undeniable malice. 

“How could this happen?” Darui’s pupils shook, his mind reeling with emotions. 

He couldn’t have miscalculated. The mysterious figure in the mine had never killed directly or left such devastation before. 

They went to great lengths to abduct people alive, likely needing them for some purpose. Slaughtering valuable human resources like this defied logic. 

Was this retaliation for his plan? 

Guilt gnawed at Darui. 

Zzzzt! 

The screech of Lightning Armor, like a thousand chirping birds, snapped him out of it. Yagura, cloaked in thunder, his black hair bristling like steel needles, glared with uncontainable fury. 

“Captain—!” 

Boom! 

The ground quaked as Yagura’s bear-like frame, wreathed in lightning, shot toward the warehouse like a cannonball. 

With a final glance at the carnage, Darui’s blue eyes burned. Clenching his teeth, he chased after Yagura. 

The scattered body parts formed a twisted arrow, guiding them. No words were spoken—the roaring thunder above echoed their rage. 

Stepping over the blood-soaked mud at the warehouse entrance, Yagura kicked the door open. 

Clang! 

The iron door smashed against the wall. The two stormed inside. 

The sight froze them. 

The mountain of thunderstones was gone. Layered runes glowed on the empty spot, a massive laser cage trapping the culprit. 

A petite, black-clad figure crouched, studying the floor’s runes. Silver hair draped over her shoulders, glinting dully under the lightning’s glow. 

Sensing their arrival, the figure looked up. 

A small face wore a stark white “Cuckoo” mask, red-black patterns framing the eyes. The eyeholes revealed only terrifying darkness—no whites, no pupils—paired with the eerie mask, it was chilling. 

“Are you from the Mist’s Anbu?” Yagura asked. 

“Something like that,” came the girl’s crisp voice, echoing in the warehouse. Emotionless, it carried a chilling calm that pierced the soul.