Late at night, deep within the valley.
*Whoosh...*
A cool breeze swept through, causing the two Kumogakure shinobi stationed at the outpost to instinctively pull their cloaks tighter around themselves.
One of them suddenly asked, "Huh? Did you hear something?"
The other focused his hearing for a moment, then shook his head. "Just some insects and birds chirping. Why, did you hear something else?"
At that moment, a dark figure suddenly darted into the outpost, pouncing on the two Cloud shinobi with lightning speed.
"Who's there!?"
They only had time to utter a short cry before both collapsed beneath the cold gleam of a blade.
The dark figure stepped forward to check their pulse and breathing. After confirming both were dead, he slowly stood up. Standing at the edge of the outpost, his gaze shifted toward the secret warehouse at the far end of the valley.
Moonlight spilled down, illuminating his features.
The figure was none other than Hyuga Kagami, who had been assigned to draw away Kumogakure's outer perimeter guards.
After infiltrating the valley, he quickly realized the Cloud shinobi had heavily fortified the area. Even far from the warehouse, there were guards posted every ten paces and sentries every five.
Such tight security led Hyuga Kagami to suspect that a vast amount of supplies was stockpiled here.
However, after carefully observing with his Tenseigan, his frown deepened.
There were at least 150 guards visible in the open. Factoring in hidden forces, the total number of Cloud shinobi in the valley likely exceeded 200.
This was far beyond Team 11's expectations.
Based on their intel, they had anticipated 50 to 100 enemies, and their battle strategy was built around that estimate.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out from the other end of the valley.
Shouts and the sound of combat echoed, jarring in the stillness of the night.
Hyuga Kagami turned toward the noise and murmured, "That direction... must be Guy. Did he get discovered already?"
Team 11's plan was simple.
First, Hyuga Kagami, Shisui, and Guy would infiltrate the valley separately and quietly eliminate the perimeter guards. If discovered, they were to retreat and draw away Cloud forces, thinning the defenses around the warehouse.
Then, team leader Kakashi would launch a surprise attack directly on the secret warehouse at the valley's deepest point.
Finally, the four members of Team 11 would regroup at a designated rendezvous point and return to Konoha together.
But the plan was based on facing no more than 100 enemies. With the current numbers, that assumption was clearly wrong—an ominous feeling stirred within Hyuga Kagami.
Before long, the noise faded into the distance.
Guy had clearly followed the plan and drawn off a group of Cloud shinobi.
But his exposure also put the rest of the valley's defenders on high alert. Squads of Cloud shinobi spread out, scouring every inch of the terrain.
Seeing that they were approaching his position, Hyuga Kagami didn't hesitate. He hurled over a dozen kunai wrapped with explosive tags.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
A series of violent explosions tore through the valley.
Using the smoke and chaos as cover, Hyuga Kagami, wielding the Kusanagi-maru, moved like a phantom among the panicking Cloud shinobi.
"Who's there!?"
"Where did that come from...?"
"We're under attack!"
His blade flashed again and again. Concealed by the smoke, he ruthlessly cut down the enemy, felling three or four in mere moments.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
One of the squad leaders among the Cloud forces quickly responded, dispersing the smoke with a gust of wind.
With his cover blown, Hyuga Kagami's silhouette emerged in plain view.
"It's a Konoha ANBU! Stay alert!" the squad leader shouted.
The unit—composed of chunin and genin—immediately signaled the main base and surrounded Hyuga Kagami.
By plan, Hyuga Kagami should have retreated at this point.
But the overwhelming number of guards left him no choice but to stay and draw more attention. Otherwise, Kakashi wouldn't be able to get close to the warehouse.
Elsewhere, Shisui launched his own assault.
Activating his Body Flicker Technique, he dispatched a four-man Cloud squad in an instant, then made a show of rushing toward the warehouse.
Along the way, he avoided prolonged engagements and left a trail of confused enemies behind. But as he neared the warehouse, a group of Cloud jonin intercepted him.
With Hyuga Kagami and Shisui attacking fiercely, the entire valley was thrown into chaos. Explosions, shouting, cries of pain, and calls for help echoed throughout.
Hidden in the shadows, Kakashi silently observed. It wasn't time for him to move yet.
Soon, both Hyuga Kagami and Shisui were forced to withdraw from the valley.
But the Cloud shinobi weren't about to let them go. Almost immediately, they dispatched two groups to pursue them.
"Guy drew off eight. Kagami drew off sixteen. Shisui drew off twelve..."
From his hiding spot, Kakashi mentally tallied the number of enemies each teammate had distracted while also noting changes in the warehouse's defenses.
Combined, over 50 enemies—nearly 14 full squads—had been neutralized or drawn away. By any measure, that was a solid result.
The larger-than-expected enemy force didn't faze Kakashi.
If anything, it reinforced his belief that the warehouse held vital supplies.
"Now's the time."
He exhaled softly and formed the hand seals: Ox, Hare, Monkey, Horse, Rabbit.
*Zzzzt...!*
The piercing chirping of birds filled the air.
Bathed in crackling lightning, Kakashi surged forward with Chidori toward the heart of the valley.
While retreating, Hyuga Kagami heard the familiar sound of Chidori and knew Kakashi had launched his final assault.
He glanced behind him. Sixteen Cloud shinobi were in pursuit—four full squads, including at least two jonin. The number of chunin was unknown but definitely no less than four.
"Can't let these guys follow me to the rendezvous point. I have to take them out here."
Having made up his mind, Hyuga Kagami stopped in a clearing and slowly drew the Kusanagi-maru from his waist.
The Cloud shinobi spread out, surrounding him. One of their jonin leaders sneered, "Just a kid, yet you had the guts to sneak in here. You've got nerve, I'll give you that."