"He's still in the Land of Whirlpools?" Hattori Ryuuno's expression darkened—this was completely unexpected!
Logically, as the Hokage's personal disciple, Haruto Saito had caused such a huge disturbance in the Land of Whirlpools. Hiruzen Sarutobi had no reason not to summon him back to Konoha! Keeping him in the Land of Whirlpools would only increase the risk of him being assassinated!
Even if, for some unavoidable reason, Haruto Saito couldn't return to Konoha, he shouldn't be acting so openly!
This was highly unusual!
—
"Report!" A figure flickered into the doorway, kneeling on one knee and speaking rapidly. "Fresh intelligence just arrived! A large number of Konoha ninja have been spotted in the western region of Poison Punishment Forest!"
Hattori Ryuuno's eyes gleamed sharply.
They were here!
The Konoha forces had finally arrived to excavate the treasure!
"How many of them? Who's leading them? Did we get a clear look?" Hattori Ryuuno asked urgently.
"Approximately over a hundred. The leader is Konoha's Anbu Commander, White Fang!"
"Him?" Hattori Ryuuno's expression shifted before a smirk formed on his lips. White Fang was strong, but their strength was about equal—neither held an overwhelming advantage.
However, this time, Hattori Ryuuno had a massive numerical advantage. His entire elite force had been assembled here, with his most skilled warriors deployed. The Mist Anbu were fully mobilized, and the newly reformed Seven Ninja Swordsmen had joined the operation!
If a battle broke out, Hattori Ryuuno's side had an overwhelming upper hand!
"Keep an eye on them! Inform the others—it's time to move out! We leave immediately!" Hattori Ryuuno barked orders as he strode out with his forces.
—
Several hours later—late afternoon.
The Poison Punishment Forest was thick with moisture and haze, the setting sun casting eerie shadows through the dense foliage.
Hattori Ryuuno led over 150 elite Mist ninja, gathered at the base of a small mountain. Around him stood his most powerful warriors, including the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"Report, Advisor-sama! They're sixteen kilometers away—it looks like they're searching for something!"
"Report, Advisor-sama! Our Blue Feather Eagle was spotted by the enemy!"
"Report, Advisor-sama! They've sent out Hyuga ninja to expand their scouting range!"
"Report, Advisor-sama! They've begun digging into the ground!"
The reports came in one after another, containing both good and bad news. However, Hattori Ryuuno remained calm and collected, showing no signs of impatience or frustration.
The worst-case scenario hadn't happened yet—Konoha had only noticed their Blue Feather Eagle, but they hadn't discovered the Mist's forces.
That was the most important thing!
Everything else was secondary. Even if a few Mist scouts or birds were detected, it wouldn't change anything!
Konoha wouldn't abandon the excavation just because of minor suspicions.
After all, it wasn't unusual for Mist scouts to be found anywhere within the Land of Whirlpools. Who would ever suspect that an entire elite strike force from the Mist had gathered here?
Hattori Ryuuno had intentionally positioned his troops at the foot of the mountain to avoid detection by the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan. Keeping their distance and using the mountain as cover ensured they wouldn't be seen.
As for the Blue Feather Eagle, Konoha might have noticed it, but shooting it down was impossible due to its high altitude.
—
BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the landscape, shaking the ground like an earthquake!
"What's going on? Find out immediately!" Hattori Ryuuno commanded.
The explosion had come from over ten kilometers away—but it didn't sound like an ordinary attack.
—
At the excavation site—ten kilometers away.
At the base of another small mountain, a portion of the mountainside had collapsed, forming a steep slope.
Over a hundred cloaked figures were gathered, working under White Fang's command, digging deeper into the ground.
In reality, most of them weren't Anbu—White Fang had disguised them by making them wear black cloaks and masks. This was both a precautionary measure and a security tactic since this was a covert operation.
"That's the thirteenth Blue Feather Eagle we've spotted," a deep voice muttered beside White Fang. The speaker was a Hyuga ninja, his Byakugan glowing faintly.
White Fang glanced up at the sky.
"It doesn't matter. We came here to retrieve the treasure, and we won't leave empty-handed," he said decisively. "Even if the Blue Feather Eagles send intel back to the Mist, by the time they arrive, we'll be long gone."
"True," the Hyuga ninja acknowledged, before adding, "Besides, even if the Mist does show up, they'll need hours to gather enough forces. Unless they can instantly summon an army of top-tier warriors, they won't be able to stop us—even if the Seven Ninja Swordsmen arrive, they'll die here!"
"Exactly!" White Fang nodded, glancing at the sky again.
"Lady Mito's intelligence wasn't precise enough," another ninja commented. He was lean and of medium height.
"Don't worry, Lord Rakuyama," White Fang responded. "Although Lady Mito's treasure map is decades old, the main structure of the vault has been in place for over four hundred years. Even if there were modifications, the entrance shouldn't have changed much. We will find it."
"If you say so!" Rakuyama nodded in agreement.
"Captain! Over here!" A voice suddenly called out from the dig site.
White Fang, Rakuyama, and the Hyuga ninja flashed to the location in an instant.
A massive section of the mountainside had been dug out, revealing a collapsed stone wall!
This wall was clearly man-made!
"This could be a passageway! Dig through it!" White Fang ordered.
Minutes later, the excavation revealed a dark tunnel leading underground!
"You, you, and you—stay here and keep watch! If anything unusual happens, report immediately! The rest of you, follow me!" White Fang commanded.
He led over a hundred ninja into the passage, leaving only a dozen Hyuga ninja behind. Their Byakugan ensured that nothing within ten kilometers would escape their notice.
—
Inside the underground tunnel.
The Konoha ninja gathered before a sealed stone door. Its barrier seal had already been activated—this was the entrance Haruto Saito had discovered earlier. At the time, he had been unable to break the seal and had used a barrier-breaking technique to teleport inside instead.
However, White Fang and his team couldn't bypass the seal that way.
Fortunately, Mito Uzumaki had knowledge of this door, so White Fang had brought along Anbu specialists in sealing techniques. Given time, they could crack the barrier and open the door.
Three sealing experts got to work while the others waited patiently.
"Haruto Saito was here before us—how did he get inside?" the Hyuga ninja mused.
White Fang glanced at him and shrugged. "Who knows?"
—
"Report!" A panicked voice echoed from behind them.
A Hyuga ninja sprinted into the tunnel, his voice filled with urgency.
"Massive numbers of Mist ninja are approaching!
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are among them…
"And… Hattori Ryuuno is with them!"
The entire tunnel fell into dead silence.
White Fang's expression darkened.
The battle for the Whirlpool Treasure had begun!