Chapter 20

Satōmaru 4 closely followed Fugaku 2 as they entered the warehouse.

"Hyūga Tazumo, remain vigilant of the surroundings. The other 2 Jōnin may patrol this area at any moment. Quickly place Explosive Tags everywhere," Fugaku instructed.

"Understood."

Although Fugaku's intelligence didn't mention any patrols, it was expected that as one of Sunagakure's supply warehouses, there would be regular patrols. During critical moments, they couldn't afford to be careless.

Okasawa Ōno approached and examined the seal in the warehouse closely.

"Captain, Sunagakure's Fūinjutsu is quite rudimentary," Okasawa Ōno remarked. "Cracking the seal won't be difficult. Just give me a moment."

Fugaku nodded. Currently, the most proficient countries in Fūinjutsu in the Ninja world were the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Fire. The Senju Clan and Uzumaki Clan were closely related, and after the establishment of Konoha, Fūinjutsu from the Land of Whirlpools was extensively introduced and improved upon.

Konoha's Fūinjutsu had already surpassed that of the other four countries.

Prior to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, the other ninja nations only had a superficial understanding of Fūinjutsu, which was not given much consideration by Konoha. It was only after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools that more advanced Fūinjutsu techniques began to spread to various countries.

Okasawa Ōno formed seals continuously in his hand and placed them on the seal.

"There you go."

The seal symbols surrounding the tent gradually distorted and disappeared.

"Excellent," Fugaku nodded. "Let's go inside and see what Sunagakure intended to seal here."

Okasawa Ōno took the lead, lifting the curtain and entering the small warehouse. Inside, there were wooden boxes neatly arranged.

Okasawa Ōno attempted to open one of the boxes but was stopped by Fugaku. He had to be cautious, considering the ancient proverb, "Beware the enemy who pretends to be a friend." There might be traps set by the enemy waiting for them. Today, everyone had to proceed with extreme caution.

"Hyūga Tazumo, come in," Uchiha Fugaku called as he stepped out of the small warehouse. "Use your Byakugan to examine the contents of the boxes."

Hyūga Tazumo activated his Byakugan and scanned the surroundings, ensuring no sudden appearances of Shinobi could catch them off guard.

Following Fugaku's instructions, Hyūga Tazumo entered the sealed small warehouse. Rows of boxes lay in front of him, but something seemed amiss.

"These boxes aren't ordinary," Hyūga Tazumo's eyes narrowed, and he pondered. "Many of them are rigged with explosive devices. Once opened, they will explode. If even one box detonates, it could trigger a chain reaction, obliterating the entire warehouse and everyone inside."

"Well-planned," Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but admire Sunagakure's strategic command. No one would suspect that a seemingly innocuous sealed warehouse would actually contain a volatile arsenal. Whether it was an internal traitor or an outsider, they would all meet a dead end.

"Attach the Explosive Tags here," Fugaku ordered. "Use your Byakugan to search for any hidden items."

Fugaku didn't want to leave any loose ends before they retreated. They had to ensure the mission was completed successfully.

Hyūga Tazumo nodded and continued moving through the warehouse, observing its structural layout as he went.

"Captain," Satōmaru suddenly spoke up. "We've run out of Explosive Tags. It's doubtful we have enough to destroy all the supplies here."

Fugaku nodded. He had already anticipated the shortage of Explosive Tags, but he didn't expect that Sunagakure's warehouse wouldn't store any. However, discovering Sunagakure's intentionally placed explosive traps was an unexpected stroke of luck.

"All the supplies are here, and no hidden compartments have been found," Hyūga Tazumo reported.

"Prepare to retreat," Fugaku solemnly declared. "The next phase of our operation will test us severely. Remember the escape route."

"Yes."

The Shinobi selected to perform missions in the Land of Rain were considered elite members of Konohagakure. They had already accepted the risks associated with life and death.

Fugaku's hand flashed, his chest swelled, and a flame burst forth from his mouth, heading towards the grain stores in the warehouse.

A bag of grain caught fire, and an Explosive Tag was attached to a nearby tent. Once the flames reached the tag, the entire warehouse would be obliterated in a chain reaction of explosions.

"Transform into Suna Shinōbi and retreat as quickly as possible," Fugaku commanded. "Prioritize retreating over engaging the enemy."

In quick succession, several figures morphed into a team of elite Suna Shinōbi. They left the tent and began retreating along the planned escape route.

The sky was enveloped in darkness, aided by the continuous heavy rain. The faint glow of fire pierced through the tent, with rainwater dousing the flames, creating a veil of mist.

The fire in the warehouse caught the attention of numerous Sunagakure personnel. The alarm echoed throughout the stronghold, and a team of Suna Shinōbi swiftly made their way toward the warehouse.

Explosions resounded, reaching Fugaku's ears. The previously set Explosive Tags were fulfilling their purpose, but it remained unknown if they had caused any casualties among the Suna Shinōbi.

Accompanied by four Sunagakure Chūnin, Kurosawa appeared before Fugaku.

The fire in the warehouse seemed to be diminishing under the relentless rain. Many Suna Shinōbi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the damage wouldn't be significant. However, just then, a massive explosion shook the warehouse.

A series of explosions ripped through the warehouse, tearing it apart and sending it soaring into the sky as a colossal fireball.

Fugaku realized that Sunagakure's traps had been triggered, but the magnitude of the explosion exceeded his expectations. If there had indeed been a spy, sacrificing the entire warehouse and its supplies to eliminate them was a debatable decision.

In the place where the warehouse had once stood, a large crater now remained, and the stronghold's supplies had vanished completely.

"Kurosa, it was you all along," Kurosawa shouted angrily, his typically calm demeanor now flustered and furious.

With the supply point destroyed, Kurosawa, as one of the Shinobi responsible for its security, had witnessed the infiltrator slipping past him. He bore a significant share of the blame for the loss, especially with Ishida, who was in charge of the warehouse, now deceased.

Now, Kurosawa believed that capturing Kurosa would relieve him of his guilt.

Kurosawa's hands danced through the air, conjuring a powerful gust of wind. It was Wind Release: Daitōppa. The stormy winds merged with the pouring rain, aiming to sweep Fugaku away.

The rainwater on the ground was whipped up by the fierce wind, hurtling toward Fugaku and his companions.

"Keep moving, and don't let the enemy's ninjutsu delay us," Fugaku instructed, reverting to his proper form. With both hands forming seals, he prepared to unleash his own jutsu.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Three consecutive fiery dragons erupted from Fugaku's mouth. The Great Fireball Technique was considered a powerful B-Rank Fire Release jutsu within the Uchiha Clan, known for its formidable strength.

The three fire dragons collided with Kurosawa's Wind Release.