In the next instant, one of the sentries among the bandits suddenly felt a pair of hands grip his head.
Crack.
Craack...
Almost simultaneously, all six sentries at the valley entrance had their necks snapped by overwhelming force.
Dead on the spot.
From the shadows, Minato watched as Veigar, with three Shadow Clones, coordinated seamlessly with Kakashi and Shōgetsu to dispatch the six bandits in an instant. He nodded in satisfaction.
Veigar didn't dispel his clones. Instead, he commanded them to use the Transformation Jutsu. All three clones took on the appearances of bandits. One of the transformed clones swaggered into the valley, blending in perfectly.
When it came to reconnaissance in the shinobi world, few techniques surpassed the combination of Shadow Clone and Transformation Jutsu.
Meanwhile, deep within the valley, a group of Sunagakure shinobi were finalizing their next move.
"In that case, begin the operation," declared Sandō, the special jōnin squad captain seated at the head of the group.
"Understood, Captain Sandō. We'll start gathering everyone right away," said Kasuri, a genin seated to his left, with a polite smile.
Beside him, Aoji and Shū Ōmon nodded in agreement.
Seeing their response, Sandō reminded them once more, sternly:
"In any case, proceed with caution. Remember—we're in the Land of Fire, not the village."
"Yes, sir," the three Sunagakure genin chorused, taking his words seriously.
The three of them exited the hollowed-out mountainside chamber. Aoji, acting quickly, turned to a nearby bandit standing guard and ordered:
"Go. Gather everyone from the hideout."
The bandit responded respectfully, "Right away, Lord Aoji!"
He then darted off through the valley.
"Everyone out! Gather at once!"
"Move it! The boss wants us all present!"
Shouting loudly as he ran, the bandit moved through the valley, rallying others.
"If you value your life, don't dawdle!"
Among the crowd entering the valley were Veigar's three Shadow Clones, still in disguise. They exchanged glances and merged effortlessly into the growing mob of bandits heading toward the gathering point.
Outside the valley, the real Shōgetsu Uchiha moved to intercept the messenger bandit, but Veigar held him back with a quick motion.
Veigar glanced at Shōgetsu and subtly shook his head.
The bandit shouted again, "The boss wants everyone present! Get back now!"
Understanding that Shōgetsu had gotten the message and wouldn't act rashly, Veigar rasped out, "Coming!"
Though the bandit found the voice a little off, he didn't question it. He just yelled again:
"If you're not fast enough and the boss gets pissed, don't say I didn't warn you!"
With that, he turned and ran back into the valley.
"Veigar… could it be a trap?" asked Kakashi, his tone calm as he observed the retreating figure.
Veigar replied evenly, "Unlikely. None of my clones have sent any warning signals."
"Let's go in and see."
With that, all three nodded in sync and proceeded into the valley.
From the shadows, Minato Namikaze followed silently, continuing his overwatch.
Soon, the trio reached the heart of the valley, positioning themselves at the rear of a large crowd of bandits. At the front stood three shinobi—Kasuri, Aoji, and Shū Ōmon—facing a hundred bandits.
"Three rogue Suna shinobi?"
The same thought crossed the minds of Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu as soon as they laid eyes on the trio.
Identifying a rogue shinobi was straightforward: a rogue wore a scratched headband—the village symbol defaced with a horizontal slash.
All three Sunagakure shinobi bore such scratched headbands.
Of course, not all rogue nin wore their bands. But among the truly formidable rogues, it was common to wear one with pride—it was a symbol of their reputation and strength.
Just as Kasuri stepped forward to speak, Shōgetsu flashed a silent hand signal:
"Do we strike?"
Veigar and Kakashi nodded without hesitation.
They were perfectly positioned—at the rear, hidden, surrounded by bandits with their backs turned. It was the ideal moment for an ambush.
Crucially, they were confident they could handle the three rogue Suna shinobi—and force out any hidden enemy by attacking first.
Having decided, they moved.
"Today, we—"
The moment Kasuri began speaking, drawing all attention to himself, the three instantly dispelled their Transformation Jutsu.
At the same time, the three Shadow Clones sprang from the crowd—hurtling toward Kasuri, Aoji, and Shū Ōmon.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
"Rasengan!"
Each of Veigar's clones launched a Phenomenal Evil Rasengan—the transformation jutsu now gone, their true forms exposed.
As they surged forward, Kasuri, Aoji, and Shū Ōmon's expressions twisted in shock.
They had seen the Leaf headband on Veigar's clones.
Faced with three incoming Rasengan-wielding clones, the rogue Suna nin abandoned all pretense and leapt back in retreat.
At that moment, the real Veigar and Kakashi jumped high into the air, each pulling five kunai from their gear pouches. Attached to each kunai were explosive tags.
They hurled them into the unprepared crowd below.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Bloom Detonation Technique!"
At the same time, Shōgetsu Uchiha launched his Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu. The fireballs—like blazing fruits—ignited the explosive tags tied to Veigar and Kakashi's kunai.
Thus was born the Fire Release: Phoenix Bloom Detonation Technique.
BOOM!
Boom! Boom! Boom…
In a blinding instant, the explosive tags detonated among the bandits—catching them off-guard and tearing through their ranks with searing flames and thunderous blasts.
"Ahhh!"
"Aaargh—!"
Screams filled the valley as chaos erupted.
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