Chapter 116: Gathering Clouds
The next morning, Sakura was summoned to the command tent before she'd barely woken up.
When she arrived, she found Sasuke, Kiba, and Shino already there.
Jiraiya was not his usual languid self. He sat at the head of the table, expression serious, watching them.
"Good timing, Sakura."
He handed her a mission scroll as she stepped in.
She unrolled it and read. Her expression tightened.
"Our intelligence sources have located Kumogakure's supply depot," Jiraiya said. "It's positioned in the northern region of the Land of Frost. This information was bought with a spy's life to get it back to us."
Sakura pressed her lips together.
Too convenient.
They'd discussed targeting the enemy's logistics just yesterday, and today the location fell into their laps.
She wanted to say something, but there was nothing concrete to say.
"You're sending the four of us on something like this?"
She looked at Jiraiya, brow furrowed.
Destroying an enemy supply depot — that was comfortably an S-rank assignment. And what did she have to work with? Sasuke was tokubetsu jōnin-level, a genuine combat asset. Kiba and Shino were chūnin.
Even if Sakura herself could carry the mission, if Kumogakure spotted them in the middle of a warzone, she couldn't protect all three.
Honestly — if things went truly sideways and past saving, she'd grab Sasuke and run.
Everyone else could die. Not Sasuke.
"Hey, what's with that face?" Kiba bristled, catching Sakura's expression. "You don't think we can handle it?"
Sakura ignored him and kept her eyes on Jiraiya, waiting for an explanation.
Jiraiya didn't deflect.
"Last night, Kumogakure abandoned their previous quiet. Large-scale movement across the board."
"And we've identified their commander. He's one of the Third Raikage's former lieutenants — an advisor known as Dodai. His personal combat ability is middling, but his strategic mind is not something we can dismiss."
Sakura's expression stayed grave.
She knew who Dodai was. In the original story, he was the one who'd faced Madara Uchiha's Tengai Shinsei — willing to sacrifice others to protect a single shadow clone of Naruto's. Clear-headed, pragmatic, the kind of man who made hard calculations and didn't flinch from them.
"Kumogakure's forces number roughly seven thousand. Every single unit began moving simultaneously last night."
"I have to consider the possibility that they intend to open with a decisive engagement."
Sakura exhaled slowly through her nose.
"Understood."
There was nothing more to push on. Pressing further would be questioning Jiraiya's judgment in front of his officers — undermining his authority, putting him in an awkward position. That helped no one.
Jiraiya watched her accept the scroll, then addressed all four of them.
"Sakura leads this mission. Everyone follows her orders."
His gaze settled on Kiba specifically.
"Especially you."
Kiba had no real choice but to lower his head and grunt in acknowledgment.
Sakura left the tent with the other three in tow, something weighing on her mind.
She turned and gave them a brief look.
"Go back and gear up. Full combat kit. Ten minutes — meet at the camp entrance."
She walked off first.
Kiba watched her pink-haired figure disappear and clicked his tongue.
"What's her deal. Acting like she's so important."
Sasuke, who had been about to leave, stopped.
He looked back over his shoulder at Kiba, voice flat.
"I don't care what your problem is."
"But if your attitude gets Sakura into danger —"
"I'll deal with you myself."
He left.
"What the — Sasuke!"
Kiba's leg was already bouncing with irritation. He was about to fire back when Shino adjusted his glasses and spoke quietly.
"Kiba. This isn't the village. This is a battlefield."
"No room for ego here."
"If you want a reason — war doesn't care."
Kiba watched his friend walk away too, and let out a long breath.
"Yeah, yeah. You're all right, I get it."
"I'll behave."
The sky hung low and grey.
Snow had started falling again at some point — soft and relentless. Through the pine and cypress forest, four white-cloaked figures moved fast and silent between the trees.
Sakura wore a white wind-and-snow cloak with goggles to shield her eyes and the hood pulled forward over her distinctive pink hair. The others were dressed identically.
To avoid Kumogakure's scout range, Sakura had chosen a long way around — practically hugging the border of the Land of Frost.
Four years in ANBU had taught her one thing above all: better to accomplish nothing than to make a mistake.
One slip, and Kumogakure might realize their supply lines had been compromised. That would squander intelligence someone had died to deliver.
Two days of travel later, the temporary squad had reached the edge of Kumogakure-controlled territory.
From here, any mistake could sink the mission.
Careful. More careful. Then more careful than that.
Sakura glanced back at the three behind her and signaled with her hands.
Find cover. Rest for thirty minutes.
She moved off alone to find a position with clear sightlines and adequate concealment, and took over watch.
They had crossed paths with several Kumogakure ninja on the way — but Shino's insect scouts had a wide enough detection range to spot them early, even wider than Sakura's Heaven Concealment Array. Every time, they'd rerouted and avoided engagement entirely.
Sasuke chewed on a tough piece of field ration and let his gaze drift briefly toward the lone figure keeping watch, then pulled it back.
Sakura stared out over the vast white forest, the unease that had been sitting in her chest since they departed refusing to lift.
Too convenient. Far too convenient.
She had to plan for the worst case.
Which was: a White Zetsu had already infiltrated Konoha's camp. The Akatsuki, gleefully pouring oil on the fire, had sold the intelligence directly to Kumogakure. The leak had come from within. That was how the location had surfaced so cleanly, so fast.
But that was speculation. She couldn't prove it. Couldn't prove any of it.
The only way to know was to see what was actually waiting at their destination.
If it turned out exactly as she feared —
Then this war had a great deal more ahead of it.
The Akatsuki would never pass up a chance to bleed the Five Great Nations dry.
Thirty minutes passed.
Sakura moved her team forward, and they slipped into enemy-held territory.
From here, there was no moving the way they had before. A single thread out of place and they'd be surrounded.
(Chapter End)
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you