*Chapter 8: The Lives of Those in Power Are Always Worth a Little More*

As the signal flare was launched into the sky, Yuyuri and the Hozuki team, who had been causing chaos in Futada Village, began their swift retreat.

A few minutes later, Yoru regrouped with the others.

Following the escape route that Yukiko had planned in advance, they proceeded with the withdrawal.

The chakra-infused mist hindered any form of biological surveillance, rendering the tracking abilities of ninja dogs and bugs useless.

With the Byakugan activated, the Konoha ninja could see nothing but empty space, leaving them confused and forced to clean up the area and assess their losses.

"Heh, so this is Konoha, huh? Not so tough after all."

Under a towering tree, several kilometers away from Futada Village, Yuyuri wiped the bloodstained ninja sword at her waist, grinning. "I don't know what the idiots on the front lines are doing, but apparently, they've attacked more than ten times and still got pushed back by Konoha. What a bunch of useless fools!"

"Konoha is no small fry. If it weren't for Yukiko's red-eye ability disrupting their Byakugan, combined with Lord Yoru's massive diversion, we wouldn't have succeeded so easily," Hozuki Mangetsu said, shaking his head, his wrist trembling slightly.

During the recent battle, Mangetsu had encountered a highly skilled Uchiha.

Whether in ninjutsu or taijutsu, the guy was extremely powerful, and with the added boost of his three-tomoe Sharingan, if Mangetsu hadn’t had the help of his subordinates, he might not have made it out of Futada Village alive.

Yoru’s gaze lingered briefly on the damaged ANBU vest Mangetsu wore, covered in obvious burns from Fire Release and slashes from wires and kunai.

"Mangetsu, it seems you faced quite the formidable opponent."

"Yeah, a three-tomoe Uchiha. I almost died back there," Mangetsu nodded. There was no reason to hide this, and after thinking about it, he frowned and said, "Actually, I think he could have killed me, but it felt like he was holding back, like he was concerned about something."

"Could have killed you? Are there really monsters like that in the village?" Yuyuri muttered in disbelief.

Although she didn’t always get along with Mangetsu, both had been personally recruited by Yoru, so she knew him well and acknowledged his strength.

Mangetsu was regarded as the greatest genius of the Hozuki clan, mastering incredibly strong Water Release techniques and possessing an almost perfect hydration ability.

But what truly set him apart was his swordsmanship!

Even Lord Yoru praised Mangetsu's sword skills, and with the right sword, Mangetsu could even spar with Yoru himself.

There were only a handful of people in the village who could decisively defeat him in a fight—apart from the Mizukage, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and Yoru.

Yet this elite jōnin-level ninja, Hozuki Mangetsu, had nearly died during the recent operation?

Ringo Yuyuri could hardly believe it. The jōnin she faced weren’t even as strong as the ones back in the village. She had killed several of them effortlessly, using the Hidden Mist technique.

"If I’m not mistaken, that guy must be Uchiha Fugaku, the current clan leader of the Uchiha," Yoru said in a low voice. "You're lucky to have survived. He's one of the most formidable forces that the Third Hokage sent to the front lines—an incredibly difficult opponent."

If Fugaku activated the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would easily be one of Konoha's top three fighters!

"The leader of the Uchiha Clan, huh?"

"Yoshino and the others... they all died at his hands," Mangetsu said, his expression somber.

Yoshino had been a member of Mangetsu’s team. Due to the special Blood Mist policies issued by the Third Mizukage, relationships between Kirigakure ninja had grown distant, but the bonds within the ANBU First Squad were different.

All four of them had been personally selected by Yoru, and the team leaders were handpicked by the squad captains.

Now, with the entire First Squad wiped out, Mangetsu, as the team leader, couldn't help but feel some emotional turmoil.

"Lord Yoru!" Mangetsu’s expression shifted to one of seriousness. "During this mission, my entire team was lost. I couldn’t bring them back, so it’s highly likely that Konoha will extract information from their bodies."

Konoha's intelligence-gathering methods were second to none in the ninja world.

They had ninja beasts, bugs, and the Byakugan, all of which allowed them to quickly collect battlefield information. They could even extract intelligence from captives or corpses.

"Once you're on the battlefield, it's only a matter of time before information is exposed. Besides, while our intel may fall into their hands, Konoha’s secrets are no mystery either," Yoru reassured him.

As he spoke, Yoru pulled out a scroll and handed it to Mangetsu.

"This is…?"

"It’s Konoha's detailed troop deployment for the front lines. Mangetsu, I need you to deliver this to Lord Yagura as fast as you can. We need to gain the upper hand before Konoha realizes what’s happening."

Konoha’s front-line troop deployment?! Everyone's expression grew serious at the mention of it. No one had expected Yoru to secure such valuable information!

If used correctly, this scroll could easily change the course of the battle on the front lines, but it had to be delivered quickly.

Once Konoha caught on, the information in this scroll could turn into a trap rather than a victory.

"Understood, Lord Yoru!" Mangetsu, suppressing his emotions, solemnly took the scroll, tucked it securely into his vest, and vanished with a Body Flicker.

In the era before giant mechs, war wasn’t just about two sides clashing head-on—except for that brutish Third Raikage.

Resources, intelligence, top-tier combat power, and the threat of tailed beasts—those were the real drivers of war!

"Everyone, rest here. Yumi’s team, begin treatment. In one hour, we’ll strike again. We must completely draw the Konoha ninja’s attention to us."

"Yes, Lord Yoru!"

The group rested, while Yumi’s team quickly treated the wounded.

Although their ambush had been successful, it wasn’t enough to fully divert the enemy’s attention.

To ensure the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had the space they needed, Yoru had to make an even bigger commotion.

The Konoha ninjas in Futada Village needed to feel an overwhelming threat, so much so that they’d call for reinforcements from the front lines.

After all, it wasn’t just any battlefield—they were up against the head of the Uchiha Clan and the son of the Third Hokage!

The lives of those from such prestigious clans were indeed precious...

(End of Chapter)