The puppets and corpses were all sealed into a space scroll and put away.
Kiyo quickly dealt with the scene, then used the Body Flicker Technique along with his Propulsion Technique to leave the area without a trace.
---
In a cave not far away.
Looking at Tetsuya's unconscious body, Uchiha Kiyo let out a relieved sigh.
Fortunately, he had managed to control the intensity of his attack. The wound on Tetsuya's throat had been precise—fatal, yet not beyond saving.
After setting up an isolation barrier, Kiyo immediately began treating Tetsuya's injuries.
Time was running out.
He needed to finish his preparations before his shadow clone arrived at the battlefield.
---
On the plains not far away.
More than a dozen Konoha shinobi were struggling to resist the Sand shinobi's relentless attacks.
From a strategic perspective, it was clear that the Konoha squad wasn't trying to retreat toward their camp. Instead, they were pushing forward—toward a building.
A granary.
This was one of Sunagakure's critical supply stations.
The Konoha shinobi had been tasked with destroying it, but they had severely underestimated the number of enemy forces guarding it. Now, they were trapped, vastly outnumbered.
Strictly speaking, this was a suicide mission.
If Uchiha Kiyo had known about this earlier, he would have cursed.
"Danzo, you old bastard! Are you even human?!"
Sending a squad of expendable soldiers on a mission doomed to fail—then ordering Kiyo to 'rescue' them when they were on the verge of annihilation?
He scoffed internally.
Who are you trying to fool?
The worst part?
Danzo hadn't ordered him to save these men.
No, his mission was to eliminate the threats that stood in Konoha's way.
But now that Kiyo knew what was happening, could he really ignore these men?
Of course not.
Which meant his role had shifted.
Instead of merely 'rescuing' them, he was about to complete their mission for them.
---
Sand Shinobi forces outnumbered the Konoha squad two to one, and there was no telling whether more enemies were lying in ambush.
If those Konoha shinobi were killed here, it would reflect poorly on him—after all, he had been sent on a 'rescue mission.'
And if he failed to protect them, it would be considered his fault.
Either way, he was being set up to take the blame.
How annoying.
---
To buy his real body more time, Kiyo's shadow clone had intentionally traveled at a slower pace.
But despite his efforts, the body still hadn't finished preparing.
It had already been more than three hours.
By now, the shadow clone had arrived at the battlefield.
The moment he appeared, a desperate Konoha shinobi shouted,
"Uchiha Kiyo!"
Instantly, the battlefield froze.
The Konoha shinobi were surprised.
The Sand shinobi were… disturbed.
"What?! Uchiha Kiyo?"
"The Blood-Eyed Shura?!"
A wave of murmurs spread through the Sand shinobi ranks, but their initial fear quickly settled.
They had dozens of shinobi.
Would they really fear one enemy?
The shadow clone narrowed his eyes.
Great.
Just by announcing his name, that fool of a shinobi had turned him into the center of attention.
Now, instead of helping from the shadows, he was a prime target.
"This is such a pain."
Was that Konoha jōnin an idiot?
No… something isn't right.
Kiyo scanned the battlefield.
The jōnin who had shouted his name stood calmly. He didn't look particularly anxious or surprised.
The other jōnin seemed indifferent as well.
Only the chūnin and genin on the Konoha side looked hesitant. Some had even appeared as if they wanted to say something, only to hold back.
Suspicious.
"Jōnin are generally considered high-ranking personnel. They wouldn't be sent on suicide missions like cannon fodder."
So why are these two here?
Kiyo's thoughts raced.
Could it be…?
If they weren't cannon fodder, then the only explanation was—
They were Danzo's people.
Sent to monitor him.
They had an escape plan in place. If they lost, they could always retreat and conveniently 'disappear' into the Root organization.
His shadow clone made a decision.
These two cannot be trusted.
---
A nearby Konoha chūnin quickly ran over, looking desperate.
"Master Kiyo! Our mission is to destroy Sunagakure's supply station."
He gritted his teeth. "But the enemy forces here are far stronger than we expected! We can still hold out for now, but we're trapped. Please, we need your help!"
His voice was sincere.
The shadow clone sighed.
So this is what 'moral kidnapping' feels like.
But then…
An idea formed in his mind.
A dangerous idea.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"If I make things even more dangerous, won't that suit my goal better?"
His plan took shape in an instant.
He turned to the Konoha shinobi.
"I'll handle the supplies. You all focus on surviving."
Before anyone could respond, he disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, he had crossed hundreds of meters, already moving toward the granary.
On the way, he flicked his wrist, sending a kunai spinning through the air.
A Sand chūnin barely had time to react before the blade buried itself into his throat.
The other Sand shinobi froze.
Silence.
Then, a realization struck them all at once—
This man kills effortlessly.
Even the most bloodthirsty among them hesitated to charge in.
Kiyo didn't waste the opportunity.
Using the Body Flicker and Propulsion Technique, he pushed forward at high speed.
By the time he had crossed a kilometer, the granary was within reach.
One hundred meters more… then I can burn it all down.
Just as he prepared his jutsu, a voice called out—
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A sudden gust of wind howled toward him.
Kiyo clicked his tongue, stopping his movement just in time to avoid it.
Then, from the surrounding grass and mounds, more than thirty Sand shinobi emerged.
Among them—
An elite jōnin and three regular jōnin.
Clearly, they weren't just any ninja.
Their combat power was high.
One of the jōnin laughed.
"Haha! Looks like the intel was true!"
"The Blood-Eyed Shura has walked right into our trap!"
Kiyo's eyes flickered.
Talkative enemies… die first.
The elite jōnin must have felt the same way, because he interrupted them.
"Enough. Kill him."
Kiyo smirked.
"You should've kept talking."
As he finished forming one-handed seals, a massive wave of fire erupted from his mouth—
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
At the same time, he expelled a second jutsu—
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The firestorm, fueled by the violent wind, turned into an unstoppable inferno, racing toward the granary.
The flames roared.
The supply station caught fire instantly.
From the distance, the Konoha shinobi's morale surged.
"As expected of Lord Kiyo!"
"The granary is burning! Now we just need to destroy the rest of the supplies!"
But Kiyo wasn't celebrating yet.
The real battle was just beginning.
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