71 Chapter 71

Tsuchikage's office, Iwagakure

"Another failed ambush! What kind of intel-gathering team are you guys running? We don't even know the most basic information about the so-called Ghost Squad. Who the hell even came up with such a moniker?" Tsuchikage was fuming in his office, yelling at the elders and other officials representing various departments.

"Tsuchikage-sama, I believe it's just a rumor that the Leaf Village is spreading to keep you tethered to the village because we outnumber the Konoha forces three to one, and the Senju princess is their last line of defense. They are afraid she might fall if you go to the frontlines. I say..." An elder who was part of the logistics team was sharing his opinion, unaware of how ugly Onoki's face was becoming. Before the elder could finish, a folder hit him right across the face.

"Rumor! Just a rumor! Look at the damn report, you moron! How are you going to explain all these losses if they were just rumors? They started by burying close to five hundred of our elites in the most gruesome way humanly possible. And till date, they have hit close to a dozen supply depots—all high-profile targets. They have destroyed more than three dozen outposts. And if these were not enough, they have taken down more than fifty high-profile targets within our own borders. They have practically crippled our entire logistics—all this in a span of just five months. And you still have the audacity to say it's just a rumor!" Tsuchikage wanted nothing but to rip the moron to pieces, but he knew that wouldn't help his current predicament.

The Ghost Squad had single-handedly tilted the balance of the Iwa front towards Konoha. The Senju princess was reaping Iwa lives like weeds in a garden; even Han couldn't act as a deterrent against the Senju War Goddess. The Tsuchikage, for the second time in his life, had to issue an order for the Iwa shinobi to retreat if they faced Tsunade while carrying out a mission during war. Han was now just a long-range turret, keeping Tsunade from moving too far into Iwagakure's ranks.

Tsuchikage felt so ashamed because he was losing to Konoha's forces, even though he had a three-to-one advantage and a Jinchuriki deployed. He understood he could turn the tides if he joined the Konoha Front, but the looming threat of the infamous Ghost Squad had essentially pinned him to defend his home.

Even the Kumogakure front was being affected because the Eight Tails and the Raikage had started to actively harass their lines. Although Roshi was handling the current situation, it might deteriorate any second. The war had progressed for almost a year now, and all the advantages that Iwa had started with had completely vanished into thin air. Although Iwa still held control of Takigakure, they had lost complete control of Kusagakure. Now, the Leaf Village had almost reached their borders.

"The ghost squad is just one of the many problems we have on our hands right now. We have been receiving requests from the Daimyo asking us for explanations and compensation for failing to fulfill our end of the contract. Not just that, they are even threatening to withdraw their support if we fail to fix the situation. The last thing we need right now is a civil war. And now, thanks to these goons, we are cornered with our backs to the wall. What's worse is that we can't even use Kinjutsu anymore, and the defense line with Kumogakure is hanging by a thread. The Raikage has already moved the eight tails, knowing that I am pinned down here," Onoki continued venting his frustrations.

The elders and officials in the room were silent, realizing the gravity of the situation. Onoki's frustration was palpable, and the failures against the Ghost Squad were taking a toll on Iwagakure's morale and strategic position. The Tsuchikage took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

"We need a solution, and we need it fast. I don't care if it's a rumor or a real threat; the Ghost Squad is decimating our forces and disrupting our plans. We can't afford to let this continue," Onoki declared, his voice stern and determined.

One of the military advisors cautiously spoke up: "Tsuchikage sama, we have been exploring the option of seeking external help. There are skilled mercenaries and rogue ninjas who might be willing to assist us in dealing with this threat. We can discreetly hire them to complement our forces and increase our chances of capturing or eliminating the Ghost Squad."

Onoki eyed the advisor with a mix of skepticism and consideration. "External help? We've always prided ourselves on Iwa's strength and self-reliance. But if that's what it takes to overcome this menace, then so be it. Find capable individuals or groups willing to work with us. We'll pay any price to put an end to this ghost squad. And also check if someone is willing to hunt down that Senju bitch."

The officials nodded in agreement, and the room became a hub of discussion as they began strategizing on how to recruit external help and tackle the Ghost Squad. Onoki knew that time was of the essence, and desperate measures were necessary to salvage Iwagakure's position in the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, deep within the hidden cave near Iwagakure's borders, Kazuki and his Squad members were unaware of the turmoil they had stirred in the enemy's ranks. The elusive nature of their operations had created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, leaving Iwagakure grasping for effective countermeasures.

"Ryu-sama, are we really going to do this? We already know it's a trap, so why are we still targeting this outpost?" Tora couldn't help but ask because the target they had picked was an important relay outpost that housed quite a few elite Jonin. From their investigation, they had discerned that Iwagakure had laid out an elaborate trap to either catch or kill their ghost squad.

"Worry not, Tora. I am not someone who makes a rash decision. Destroying this target means sending Iwagakure and Onoki a statement. No matter how well prepared he thinks he is, we will strike, and there is nothing he can do to stop us. We have made ample preparations to finish this mission." Kazuki shared his opinion regarding the team's concern about attacking the rigged base.

"Don't worry, guys. As long as we follow the plan, even if something unexpected happens, we can retreat without any issue," one of the ANBU Jonin, who was part of the squad, said with full energy because he was confident in Kazuki's abilities and planning.

With that said, the team completed their preparations and stealthily left the cave, moving towards their new target. It took them two hours to reach the outpost they had planned on destroying. The outpost had close to two hundred Iwa Shinobi stationed, and it was an important relay point for intelligence exchange for the Iwa army. It also had a medical camp adjoining the outpost, which Kazuki knew was simply a bait Onoki had thrown to attract the Ghost Squad and make the target more appealing.

"The Tsuchikage sure is cruel, even to his own men. Is he willing to throw these vulnerable Shinobi at the mercy of their enemies just so he can capture us?" Torune couldn't help but ask. He knew people in the Shinobi world could resort to underhanded tricks, but this was something new to him. The outpost had more than a hundred injured Shinobi, along with the medical ninja of Iwa. Medical ninja were an asset to any village, so throwing them out as bait showed that the Tsuchikage was ruthless.

"Hehe, you guys should be more worried about ourselves. Think about what would happen to us if one of us were to fall into enemy hands," Kazuki couldn't help but comment mockingly. However, this only made the others feel gloomy, thinking about why their leader was mentioning such a thing so casually.

"Mushi, are they ready?" Kazuki's demeanor completely changed, and everyone realized that the time for banter was over. Their leader was initiating the assault on the outpost. Torune quickly took out a scroll from his pouch and laid it down. Undoing the enclosing technique, he released almost a hundred thumb-sized horn beetles. Upon closer inspection, each beetle was packed with fuinjutsu all over its body. With Torune's expert control, these beetles moved to form a formation around the outpost and the medic camp adjoining it. The Iwa sensor ninjas were not aware of the incoming danger.

"Seriously, how long do you think we have to wait? For all we know, the so-called ghost squad must have left and returned to their village. I'm sure they already know this is a trap that we've set for them."

One of the Iwa Jonin couldn't help but share with his colleague because they had been waiting for the ghost squad to strike for almost three weeks now. They had even moved a medical camp near their outpost to attract the enemy.

"Shut up! Do you know how much loss we have incurred at the hands of this enemy? And you still have the audacity to be so casual about it." Another Iwa ninja, who was patrolling alongside him, couldn't help but berate his friend.

"Oh yeah, about that, I heard that the bastards of the ghost squad had deployed the exact same number of Kinjutsu attacks in the past months on Iwagakure as the same number of Kinjutsu attacks that we used during the attack on the Konoha army on the Kumogakure front. I hope I can get my hands on them so that I can torture them thoroughly and repay them for all that they have done to us," the first Iwa ninja fumed in anger because this had become a humiliation for their entire country.

During the attack on Konoha, Iwagakure used quite a large number of large-scale Kinjutsus to make the Konoha army suffer. However, after the Ghost Squad had become active, they had retaliated in kind. In the past few months, they have used the exact same number of large-scale kinjutsu that Iwagakure has used. Only after that had the Kinjutsu attacks stopped. But everyone in Iwagakure knew that if they tried something similar, then the retaliation would be even worse. They had to eliminate this menace if they wanted to pay back for all their humiliation.

"Wait!" With a shout from the Iwa squad leader, the dozen or so ninjas quickly stopped. The leader found something unusual and approached a tree nearby, starting to carefully examine it, while his deputy walked next to him.

"What happened? Did you notice something?" The Iwa Jonin questioned their captain, who was keenly watching a beetle that lay on the tree.

"This beetle—at first I thought it was a coincidence, but now I feel something's wrong. Don't we have a member from the Kamizuru clan? Call him quickly." The Iwa captain commanded, and with a gesture from the deputy, an Iwa ninja quickly moved towards the tree to examine the beetle.

The Kamizuru clan shinobi first approached the beetle. Although at first it seemed normal, this species was not indigenous to the area. Upon close inspection, the Iwa Shinobi realized that the beetle was packed with fuinjutsu. If he hadn't tried to observe it in such close proximity, he might have never guessed it. He quickly drew his kunai to destroy the beetle, and seeing his actions, everyone with the Iwa squad unsheathed their weapons and were on alert.

"Tch, I guess working hastily on so many of those beetles did leave some flaws." A soft whisper echoed within the forest, and the source of the sound was right above the Iwa shinobi, who was examining the beetle. The Kamizuru member instinctively wanted to release his bees to attack and send out a message, but a blade pierced right through his spine, severing it.

Everyone from the Iwa squad was frozen in shock, as no one knew how the enemy had killed one of their own; none reacted to that speed. At last, they realized they had finally come into contact with the infamous ghost squad member. The enemy ninja was alone and of short stature, wearing a high-grade black flak jacket, a Kitsune Anbu mask covering his face, and a crystal-clear black blade in his hand. It didn't even retain the bloodstains from the recent kill because they could see that the blade had absorbed every last drop of blood that had stained it.