The situation, now laid bare, was impossible to ignore: Iwagakure had used the dense fog created by the "Hiding in Mist Technique" to conceal their movements, slipping past Konoha's surveillance and successfully infiltrating the Land of Fire.
They had already discovered one Iwa squad here.
But what about elsewhere?
And more importantly… what about last time?
A chilling sense of danger surged through Shimizu in an instant.
"Fugaku-senpai," he asked quickly, his voice tightening, "when you mentioned a few days ago… exactly when was that?"
"About four days ago," Fugaku replied after a brief pause. "Though the scale of that fog was nowhere near as large as this one." He thought for a moment before continuing, "Before coming here, I already asked your subordinate. There haven't been any reported abnormalities recently."
"So my guess is that the previous incident was merely a test. Iwagakure was probing our detection capabilities… trying to confirm whether the Hiding in Mist Technique could evade our sensory-type shinobi."
"And once they confirmed it could deceive our sentries," he concluded, his tone sharpening, "this became their actual infiltration operation."
With that explanation, the situation became much clearer. Shimizu nodded slowly. "I see…"
So he had misjudged them earlier, assuming Fugaku had come here for something underhanded.
The thought made him inwardly scoff at his own pettiness.
But the moment passed quickly, and he cast aside the distraction.
As for why Iwagakure possessed someone capable of using the Hiding in Mist Technique—something that made little sense—that question would have to wait.
There was a far more urgent matter at hand.
There was no way Iwagakure had sent only a single squad into the Land of Fire.
The Lake of Tranquility spanned a vast area. To thoroughly search it in a short time would require considerable manpower.
At first glance, a force of over three hundred shinobi might seem substantial—but once spread thin across such an extensive border, it quickly became inadequate.
And worse still, the enemy might already have pushed deep into the heart of the Land of Fire.
"Oh, right—Fugaku-senpai," Shimizu said, recalling something. "Earlier, you mentioned Explosion Corps from Iwagakure. What exactly did you mean by that?"
Compared to others, his encounters with Iwa shinobi had been relatively few. He wasn't particularly familiar with their squad compositions or combat strategies.
Fugaku explained patiently, "Before launching a full-scale offensive, Iwagakure often dispatches Explosion Corps members deep into enemy territory. Their role is to coordinate with the main force—sabotaging defensive structures and carrying out constant harassment."
So that meant the Iwa shinobi who had infiltrated the Land of Fire were likely already lying in wait, hidden in the shadows, ready to unleash chaos the moment they received the signal—turning the country into a field of 'fireworks.'
What a troublesome way to wage war.
And yet, advantages in war were built piece by piece like this. If Iwagakure's plan succeeded, it would undoubtedly grant them a crucial edge in their impending assault.
Worse still, it probably wouldn't take more than a few hours for the enemy to complete their preparations. After that, a sudden strike from Iwagakure would follow.
For Konoha, this was nothing short of disastrous.
"We must root them out. At the highest possible speed," Fugaku said in a low, resolute voice.
Shimizu immediately unfolded a map and pointed to two locations. "I've established camps here in this valley… and here, along the southern shore of the Lake of Tranquility."
In his assessment, these were the only two viable targets for Iwagakure to launch an attack. Of the two, the camp by the lake was far more likely to be targeted.
The purpose of these temporary camps was to provide rotating shinobi with a secure place to rest, recover their strength, and replenish supplies.
"The lakeside camp is actually larger?" Fugaku asked suddenly, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
By all logic, the defensive focus should have been on the valley.
After all, shinobi movements typically relied on land routes, not waterways. Moving across water made one an easy target once discovered… and it wasn't as though Iwa shinobi were known for their prowess in water-release techniques.
"The Lake of Tranquility covers a vast area," Shimizu explained. "I was already concerned that Iwagakure might use it as a breakthrough point to enter the Land of Fire, so I assigned more personnel there."
But that raised another problem—what if the enemy chose to launch a direct assault from the valley instead?
There was still some distance between the lake and the valley. If the valley came under heavy attack and reinforcements failed to arrive in time, it would be highly likely to fall.
The same doubt surfaced in the mind of one of the Uchiha shinobi, who voiced it without hesitation:
"But, Uzuki-senpai… wouldn't that be too risky?"
"Not really… I'm usually stationed in the valley."
The calm, almost casual tone of Shimizu's reply carried an unmistakable confidence beneath it. Even with only a third of his forces deployed there, he was certain he could handle the situation just as effectively as the larger unit elsewhere.
Fugaku couldn't help but take another, longer look at him, quietly reflecting on how much "Shunshin Shimizu" had grown.
Fortunately… Shisui was already his student.
With that thought, Fugaku voiced his suggestion. "Then we should focus our search around the lakeside camp, while sending word to our comrades in the valley."
Shimizu was just about to agree when Satomi suddenly spoke up.
"Senpai, instead of spending more manpower searching for enemies hiding in the shadows… wouldn't it be better to set an ambush?"
"Oh?" Fugaku turned to her. "What do you mean? Explain."
Satomi gathered her thoughts and spoke steadily. "Right now, we know that Iwagakure has already crossed the Lake of Tranquility and reached the southern side. But we don't know their numbers, nor their exact positions."
"If we commit too many resources to searching for them, and their main force launches a full-scale attack during that time, then even if we're somewhat prepared… our strength will already be divided."
The logic was easy to follow.
If they followed Fugaku's earlier plan and focused on locating the infiltrated Iwa shinobi, then finding them quickly would indeed eliminate the hidden threat.
But what if they didn't find them in time?
If, during that search, the enemy completed their preparations and launched their assault…
Konoha's forces would still be scattered, chasing shadows.
And a divided force was a weaker force.
"So," Satomi continued, her voice firming, "it would be better to concentrate all our strength and set up ambushes at both camps. Since we already know that Iwagakure has Explosion Corps capable of heavily damaging the camps… we might as well abandon them entirely."
"Use a camp that's bound to be destroyed as bait. Once the enemy reveals themselves, we can seize the opportunity to wipe them out."
At first glance, it made a great deal of sense.
The plan was not only bold, but also highly practical.
"…Didn't expect that," Shimizu said, genuinely impressed. "You're pretty sharp."
Unfortunately, that kind of praise wasn't exactly flattering—especially to a girl.
Satomi narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you saying I used to seem stupid?"
"Cough… of course not."
Even if that had crossed his mind before, this was absolutely not the time to admit it.
"Heh… it's a good plan," Fugaku said, nodding in approval. "Earlier, I even thought this young lady from the Hyūga clan was…"
Was what?
Shimizu looked at Fugaku's oddly hesitant expression, as if he were struggling to finish the sentence.
Wait… don't tell me he got the wrong idea?
In truth, Fugaku wasn't the only one. Shimizu and Satomi's frequent private interactions had already attracted the attention of certain "interested parties."
Within the 17th Regiment under Shimizu's command, rumors had long been circulating:
Their commander, "Shunshin Shimizu," was supposedly involved in a rather passionate relationship with a girl from the Hyūga clan.
And when combined with that earlier incident at Konoha Hospital…
If the two of them tried to deny it now—"No," "That's not true," "You're making things up"…
Who would actually believe them?
...
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