"It's finally here!"

Uchiha Shisui twitched his fingers, and the dancing Sky Sword plunged into the heart of the Cloud ninja from behind, before swiftly retracting, bringing with it a spray of blood. The blade returned to Shisui's hand, but he didn't even glance at the dying Cloud ninja. Instead, he lowered his eyelids and focused on the voice echoing in his mind.

The voice conveyed Sōgen's order.

The command was simple.

They had found the location of the Cloud ninja command center, and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was also there. Shisui's mission was to take out the command center, causing the 10,000-strong—perhaps even 20,000—Cloud ninja army to lose its command structure, leaving them blind, deaf, and disoriented, like a tiger with its senses blocked!

As the saying goes, when people reach a number in the tens of thousands, it becomes a vast, unmanageable crowd.

Especially due to the way ninjas fight, with the battlefront stretched out long, thousands of ninjas scattered in various locations. Without unified leadership, the army would quickly descend into chaos, with each acting on their own. At that point, the Cloud ninjas would no longer be a real threat but a mere paper tiger.

On the contrary, Konoha, with fewer troops, wouldn't face this problem. Even if their command center was attacked, as long as Sōgen, Jiraiya, or Hyūga Hiashi stepped forward, it wouldn't be difficult to reestablish a new command system. Sometimes, having fewer soldiers wasn't a disadvantage.

Before the war erupted, Sōgen had thought about how to topple the enormous Cloud ninja force. Could he rely on his personal strength? His Susanoo in full power mode was certainly capable of sweeping through the battlefield, but Sōgen wasn't planning to reveal all his cards just yet.

Cloud was only a temporary enemy.

The true adversaries were still lurking in the shadows!

Moreover, the Cloud ninjas weren't fools; they would retreat if they sensed the tide turning.

Thus, Sōgen considered crippling the Cloud ninja's command system. However, this plan was not fully formed, just a rough idea in his mind. Only a few people knew about his thoughts, and though it was discussed in internal meetings, due to the many uncertainties, the plan was placed as a backup option.

Of course, Konoha wasn't the only one who understood this strategy. The Cloud ninjas were also aware.

To safeguard their command center, the Cloud ninjas not only left the Two-Tails Jinchūriki to defend it, but also kept the command center mobile to avoid being detected by Konoha. Since the beginning of the battle, it had constantly shifted locations to evade capture.

This tactic indeed posed a challenge for Konoha's search teams, confirming the strategists' concerns.

However, once Sōgen noticed the Fourth Raikage personally entering the front lines, he immediately acted on his rough plan. While continuing the battle, he ordered the dispatch of a highly elite team led by Yakushi Nonō. The team consisted of Hatake Kakashi, ANBU member Jūri, Uchiha Chisato, and Ringo Ameyuri—five elite members in total.

Nonō was a legendary spy with top-tier infiltration and intelligence-gathering skills, and she was also an excellent medical ninja. Hatake Kakashi, son of White Fang and a future renowned copy ninja, was a versatile warrior, adept in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, with strong command abilities. Jūri, a former member of Root and now an ANBU elite, possessed the secret technique of Super Beast Imitating Drawing, acting as the squad's sensor and providing aerial mobility. As for Uchiha Chisato and Ringo Ameyuri, the two girls were formidable fighters with deceptive appearances hiding immense power!

They moved through the skies on the ink eagle drawn by Jūri, soaring above waves of Cloud ninjas. Occasionally, sensors detected chakra in the air, but without aerial combat capabilities, the ground forces could only watch as the intruders disappeared from their range.

Some persistent ninjas attempted to track them from the ground, but once discovered, Uchiha Chisato and Ringo Ameyuri quickly eliminated them, allowing the team to continue their mission of locating the Cloud ninja command center.

Eventually, the elite team successfully pinpointed the command center while Jūri relayed the intelligence back to Konoha using her secret technique.

Sōgen, still locked in battle with the Fourth Raikage and nearly a thousand Cloud ninjas, didn't personally act to destroy the command center. Instead, he passed the order to Shisui, trusting that with Shisui's skills, dismantling the Cloud ninja command structure would be no issue, even with the Two-Tails Jinchūriki guarding it.

The clouds overhead grew darker, casting an oppressive gloom.

On the battlefield, stretching for dozens of kilometers, Konoha ninjas and their allies clashed ferociously with the Cloud ninjas. Countless explosive tags detonated across the field, while masters of Fire Release ignited massive blazes. Jiraiya unleashed a sea of flames, and the Mist ninjas eagerly used Water Release to flood the area.

To make matters worse, the weather was growing stormy.

Now, snowflakes, as thick as goose feathers, began to fall.

"Sister Nonō, how much longer do we have to wait? Can't we act yet?"

Uchiha Chisato asked the same question for the third time.

Her impatience was evident. Sneaking around the rear of the Cloud ninja command center was incredibly dull. Had she known the mission would be this boring, she would've preferred to be fighting on the front lines. But orders were orders, and she couldn't refuse.

This only made her more frustrated.

"Chisato, be patient. We've already sent the message to Lord Sōgen. Once reinforcements arrive, we can strike. You and Ameyuri will lead the charge," reassured Yakushi Nonō, trying to calm the young girl's agitation. Handling such straightforward personalities wasn't difficult for the former orphanage director.

She patted Chisato's head, and the cat-like girl quieted down for the time being.

Actually, Kakashi, Jūri, Chisato, and Ameyuri had been assigned to this squad primarily to assist Nonō. They had already worked together in the Land of Earth. Over time, Chisato had grown closest to Nonō.

Kakashi, being the sharp-minded type, was easy to work with but not so easy to befriend. Nonō wasn't particularly fond of Jūri, given her former affiliation with Root. As for Chisato and Ameyuri, the two girls were simply battle-crazed, making them easy to get along with if you knew how to approach them.

Despite their fierce appearances, they were easygoing once you cracked their code. That said, Ameyuri was from the Mist, which made Chisato the one Nonō bonded with the most.

"Captain Nonō, I'm afraid we can't wait for reinforcements any longer."

Jūri suddenly spoke.

"What's going on?"

"My creation touched the barrier. I didn't expect that, even though the Cloud Ninjas' command center is constantly moving, they would still spend the effort to set up a barrier. No, they must regularly deploy barriers to block information and prevent being tracked. I was careless... Anyway, the Cloud Ninjas have already detected our presence. They've sent people over, and in about a minute, they'll find where we are now." Jūri clenched the brush in her hand with frustration.

"Have we been discovered?"

Yakushi Nonō frowned but didn't blame Jūri for the oversight.

While it would be ideal to complete the mission smoothly, she knew that unforeseen variables couldn't be completely eliminated. Accidents are unpredictable and hard to avoid. Besides, Jūri's performance up to this point had been excellent. Criticizing her now would serve no purpose and would only make Nonō seem petty as a leader.

"Senior Yakushi, what should we do next? The Cloud Ninjas will be here in fifty-two seconds," Kakashi asked.

At this moment, they really had only two options. One was to stay and fight the Cloud Ninjas head-on, hoping they wouldn't be wiped out before reinforcements arrived. The Cloud Ninjas' command center had nearly a thousand soldiers, including the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. Honestly, they couldn't take on that many Cloud Ninjas. If they could, they wouldn't need to wait for reinforcements and could just charge in.

The second option was to retreat for now and avoid direct conflict. But doing this could result in losing track of the Cloud Ninjas' command center, and even when reinforcements arrived, it might be useless. Finding the command center again would be even more difficult than the first time.

"Jūri, how many Cloud Ninjas are coming?"

Yakushi Nonō didn't answer Kakashi's question; instead, she asked Jūri for more detailed information about the Cloud Ninjas. The question itself showed that she had already made her decision. If they were to retreat, they would just run in the opposite direction from the Cloud Ninjas' command center. After all, protecting the command center was the priority over tracking spies.

Kakashi pushed up the headband covering his left eye, revealing the scarlet, ever-active Sharingan.

"Fifteen!"

"Fifteen? Probably four or five of them are Jōnin. That's not too many..." Yakushi Nonō mused for a moment, then turned her gaze to Uchiha Chisao and Ringo Ameyuri. These two girls, despite their beauty, were formidable fighters. Nonō herself didn't think she could take either of them. Probably only Kakashi could match them.

"Chisao, Ameyuri, don't get bogged down in combat. Take out the easier ones first, then handle the tougher ones."

At these words, the girls' eyes lit up!

"Don't worry, Sister Nonō! I promise I'll finish off all the targets quickly."

"And me too! Chisao, half of them are mine."

"... But there are fifteen people; how are we supposed to divide them evenly?"

"Then let's decide by rock-paper-scissors who gets which ones."

While the girls bickered, they had already picked up their weapons. Kakashi, standing nearby, hesitated for a couple of seconds before putting the shuriken he had ready in his left hand back into his pouch. However, he didn't lower his headband again, nor did he put away the kunai in his right hand. The first wave of enemies probably wouldn't be his to deal with, but there would definitely be more for him later—after all, the Cloud Ninjas' command center had hundreds of people.

The battle erupted suddenly!

Uchiha Style: Gale Sword!

Lightning Release: Giant Serpent Star!

The two girls charged forward together, cutting a literal path of blood through the enemies. They moved so fast that the Cloud Ninjas couldn't react in time, even though they were as prepared as they could be.

But Uchiha illusions were notoriously hard to defend against. Not everyone could fight without making eye contact with their enemy.

Even the Jōnin had difficulty resisting Uchiha illusions. Once caught, before they could struggle free, Uchiha Chisao's Grasscutter Sword: Vacuum Blade sliced through the air, severing a Jōnin's head with ease, like plucking fruit.

On the other side, Ringo Ameyuri fought even more brutally!

She moved so fast that even the Cloud Ninjas, who also specialized in Lightning Release, could barely keep up. Her twin Thunder Swords: Kiba, spinning like windmills, tore through the Cloud Ninjas, leaving a trail of blood and carnage behind.

In less than a minute, all fifteen Cloud Ninjas were dead. Uchiha Chisao and Ringo Ameyuri had handled it all on their own.

"The Cloud Ninjas' command center is moving," Jūri said, holding a scroll. Frowning at the newly received intel, she glanced at the mangled bodies. "These people weren't necessarily sent to capture us. No, that's not quite accurate. If we were easy targets, their mission was to eliminate us. If we were difficult, their job was probably just to delay us."

"Captain Yakushi, we need to keep up. We'll likely encounter more Cloud Ninjas blocking our way. We have to end the battles quickly, or we might lose track of the command center."

"I understand."

Jūri was clear in her assessment, and Yakushi Nonō understood perfectly.

"Jūri, focus on tracking the command center. We'll handle the fighting."

"Yes," Jūri agreed readily.

"Kakashi, Chisao, Ameyuri, you heard what Jūri said. No more hiding. But don't let these battles drag on, especially you two, Chisao and Ameyuri. Stop competing for kill counts and focus on fighting! Just kill the enemy with everything you've got and leave the rest to me!"

"Kakashi, you and I will hold the line. Keep Jūri safe."

Yakushi Nonō quickly assessed the situation and assigned tasks based on everyone's strengths and personalities.