Above the endless expanse of the sea, the setting sun hung low, casting a warm, fiery glow over the tranquil waves. The water mirrored the sky's hues, creating a breathtaking scene where the boundary between sea and sky blurred into an ethereal red.
Despite the natural beauty surrounding them, the Konoha ninjas stationed along the coastline couldn't afford to relax.
The past half-month had seen Kirigakure launching several probing attacks on their defenses. Though each assault had been repelled, the intent behind these skirmishes remained unclear. The uncertainty gnawed at the nerves of those on duty, keeping them on high alert.
The painful lesson from the previous attack still lingered fresh in their minds. During that encounter, Konoha had suffered heavy losses due to Sasori's treachery, his deadly poison nearly decimating their forces. The source of the attack had been traced not to the front lines but to the forest several kilometers behind the camp.
In response, Konoha had expanded its perimeter, setting up sentries at strategic points to ensure there would be no repeat of that tragedy. Vigilance was paramount, and no one dared let their guard down.
As night fell, the temperature dropped sharply. The once-warm air turned biting cold, and the border coastline became eerily silent save for the rhythmic crashing of waves against the shore.
Swish, swish, swish!
Figures darted from the Konoha camp, heading toward the forest. The teams of three moved swiftly and quietly, each assigned to monitor specific areas along the defense line.
In one of the teams, Obito reached into his pack and pulled out a white cloak, offering it to Rin. "Here, Rin. It's getting cold."
Rin blinked in surprise, a soft smile forming on her lips. "Thank you, Obito," she said warmly, accepting the cloak.
Obito's sudden thoughtfulness was out of character, and Rin couldn't help but feel a little amused. Usually, Obito was carefree and impulsive, rarely concerned with such details.
"Hold on a moment," Rin said, pausing. Obito and Kakashi stopped beside her, curious about her actions.
"I came prepared for this," Rin continued, removing her backpack and pulling out two additional cloaks. She handed one to Kakashi.
"Thanks," Kakashi muttered, his tone subdued.
Rin's gentle smile seemed to dispel the cold around them, her presence a beacon of warmth in the dark forest.
The trio donned their cloaks and resumed their mission, their footsteps blending into the ambient noise of the night.
Elsewhere along the defense line, several Hyūga sentries stood vigilant. Their Byakugan activated, their piercing gaze swept across the area, covering a radius of one kilometer each. Together, the sentries created an overlapping network of vision, making infiltration seem impossible.
But in the ninja world, nothing is absolute.
Unbeknownst to the sentries, the ground beneath their feet began to ripple, as though disturbed by unseen forces. From the shifting earth, pale, gnarled hands emerged, stretching toward the unsuspecting guards.
"Who's there!?" one of the Hyūga shouted, his Byakugan flaring in response.
Before he could react further, the white hands passed through his feet and melded into his body. His vision blurred, and his limbs grew heavy as if sinking into an invisible swamp.
One by one, the Hyūga sentries were silently overwhelmed. Their bodies were pulled into the earth, leaving behind no trace of struggle. The entire sequence happened so swiftly and silently that no signal was sent to the Konoha camp.
The seemingly impenetrable defense line was breached.
In the forest, Kakashi, Rin, and Obito moved in a V-formation, their senses heightened as they scanned their surroundings.
"Clan Leader Fugaku's being overly cautious," Obito muttered, his voice tinged with irritation. "With the Hyūga Byakugan covering the area, there's no way anyone could sneak past us."
Swish!
Before Obito could complain further, Kakashi appeared beside him, his expression stern.
"Quiet," Kakashi said flatly. "You'll give away your position."
Obito rolled his eyes but complied, resuming his focus. As Kakashi vanished back into the shadows, Obito's black eyes turned scarlet, his two-tomoe Sharingan spinning slowly.
Kakashi returned to his post, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. Suddenly, the trunk of a nearby tree began to ripple, the surface shifting unnaturally.
A pair of pale white hands emerged from the tree, reaching toward him.
"Who's there!?" Kakashi shouted, leaping into the air as his instincts kicked in. He spun mid-flight, hurling a volley of shuriken toward the source of the disturbance.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
The shuriken embedded themselves in the tree, but the figure that had attacked him was gone.
"Kakashi, what happened?" Rin and Obito appeared beside him, their eyes darting around for any sign of the enemy.
Kakashi frowned, his gaze fixed on the tree. "Someone's here. They just attacked me."
Obito activated his Sharingan fully, scanning the area for chakra signatures. "I don't see anyone," he said, his tone skeptical.
Before Kakashi could respond, the area around them exploded in smoke, the thick cloud enveloping them instantly.
"A smoke bomb?" Kakashi muttered, his grip tightening on his blade.
"Protect Rin!" Obito shouted, his Sharingan picking up faint chakra signatures within the smoke. He gritted his teeth and charged forward, kunai in hand.
"Obito, wait!" Kakashi called out, but it was too late. Obito had already disappeared into the haze.
Kakashi cursed under his breath, torn between chasing after Obito and staying to protect Rin. "Rin, send the signal!" he commanded, glancing at her briefly.
Rin nodded, then took out a flare from her arms. In front of her, Kakashi drew his sword and looked extremely alert.
At this moment, the ground beneath the feet of the two people began to ripple like water waves, and a white hand once again stretched out from it
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