Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 285 Death Sand Sea
"Sasuke, you've arrived."

Hatake Sagumo slowly opened his eyes. In the dim light, his gaze was still as sharp as a silver blade. "The situation seems to have changed."

"Oh?" Umino Sasuke remained calm.

Hatake Sagumo took out a simple parchment map from his ninja tool pouch, spread it out, and pointed to an area southeast of the Daimyo's residence.

“Sasuke, based on the reconnaissance by the summoning dogs I left along the way, and the intelligence I gathered from several liberated sand people, Chiyo’s elite puppeteer force is moving at an extremely fast speed, heading straight for the southern part of the Daimyo’s capital. Moreover, our frequent activities in this area have allowed her to pinpoint our main area of ​​operation.”

Hatake Sagumo was on high alert. He drew a line on the map with his finger, finally fixing it on a red circle. "I estimate that they will reach the Flowing Sand Pass by tonight at the latest. That is the only way to reach the Daimyo Prefecture of the Wind Kingdom and several major oases in the south. The Flowing Sand Death Sea, which runs east to west, is a natural barrier."

As for this quicksand pass, its terrain is complex, easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it very suitable for puppeteers to deploy defenses and set up ambushes.

I suspect that Chiyo will have laid a trap there, waiting for us to walk right into it.

Hatake Sagumo's voice was calm, but his eyes revealed a solemnity. Chiyo was not Ebizo, nor was she the Sandstorm couple. She was a living legend of Sunagakure, the pinnacle of puppeteers.

With her personally leading the team, along with her elite puppeteer unit, the danger level skyrocketed.

Looking at the map, Umino Sasuke's lips curled into a cold smile: "Quicksand Pass, what a place. It seems that this old lady Chiyo is determined to take revenge and eliminate the two of us right under the daimyo's nose, while also saving face for Sunagakure and giving the daimyo an explanation."

Hatake Sagu pointed to the mark of the quicksand pass on the map and said cautiously, "Chiyo is personally in charge here, along with her most elite puppeteer troops. Once they establish a position there, it would be too risky for us to force our way in. Even if we win, it will completely expose our strength and intentions, and subsequent actions may be subject to many changes. After all, our mission target is the Daimyo Prefecture."

"Yeah." Umino Sasuke remained noncommittal.

Although Aunt Chiyo and her puppeteer squad are strong, they are clearly no match for the two of them. However, Hatake Sakumo is right; there is no need to get entangled with Aunt Chiyo. Completing the mission and silencing the Konoha leadership is the priority.

"Heh! Aunt Chiyo wants to wait for us to fall into her trap, but why should we do as she wishes?"

Umino Sasuke's fingertips traced across the map, landing on the area marked with withered yellow paint and a black skull. He chuckled, "Since she's blocking our way to the Daimyo's capital, we'll just cross over from a place she doesn't expect..."

Hatake Sagumo frowned slightly: "The Sea of ​​Flowing Sand Death? It's rumored to be a forbidden zone for life, with endless storms and a sea of ​​flowing sand that's bottomless. Even the Sand Ninja, who are most familiar with the desert, dare not venture there lightly."

It is said that the ancient city of the Land of Wind, a legendary city with a thousand-year history and endless treasures, is buried beneath it, as well as the remains of countless treasure hunters.

Even for ninjas of our caliber, it would be difficult to remain active in such an environment for an extended period, wouldn't it?

"Precisely because it is dangerous and unlikely to be crossed, it is more likely to be a surprise attack. Moreover, this way we don't have to take a detour, which can speed up the march."

Unfazed, Sasuke Umino's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Aunt Chiyo would never have imagined that someone would dare to cross the quicksand sea of ​​death and plunge straight into the heart of the Daimyo's territory."

If we can seize the opportunity to capture the Daimyo of the Land of Wind and force him to sign a humiliating treaty, this war can end at the lowest possible cost.

As for getting entangled with Chiyo at the quicksand pass, it was indeed unnecessary. It would only be a waste of time and energy, and prematurely reveal our intentions. As for the danger...

With my Flying Thunder God Technique as a final guarantee, plus the help of Great White, the Flowing Sand Sea of ​​Death is not insurmountable.

Then, he paused, revealing a confident smile, "Moreover, I happen to possess a secret technique that can reduce the weight of objects, which will surely allow us to cross this deadly sea of ​​quicksand."

Looking at Umino Sasuke's determined eyes, and then at the area on the map that symbolized the Jedi, Hatake Sagumo finally nodded. As the White Fang of Konoha who had experienced countless life-or-death missions, he knew that high risks also meant high rewards. Avoiding Chiyo's sharp edge and going straight for the mission objective was indeed a better tactical choice.

"Alright, then let's cross the Sea of ​​Quicksand and Death!"

With a low shout, Hatake Sagumo made his decision.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Sasuke Umino immediately formed hand seals.

There was a soft thud.

White smoke rose, and a massive desert falcon appeared before him—his summoned beast, Da Bai.

The majestic white eagle stood atop the sand dune, its sharp eagle eyes scanning the surrounding yellow sand, seemingly perfectly adapted to such a windy and sandy environment.

"Six hand seals in one second? That's incredibly fast!"

Hatake Sagumo's gaze sharpened, his heart trembling, but he said nothing.

Sasuke Umino patted Byakuya's big head and whispered, "Byakuya, it's up to you this time. Cross the quicksand and the Sea of ​​Death, and get straight to the Daimyo's mansion!"

"Wow~"

Big White flapped its wings, its golden eagle eyes showing no fear, but rather excitement.

"Sasuke, your summoning beast is quite extraordinary."

Hatake Sakumo circled the giant white falcon for a long time, marveling, "How could a desert falcon grow this big?"

"The Great White has a good bloodline, but it has shown some signs of atavism. It is only slightly larger than a typical adult Desert Falcon."

Umino Sasuke's words were somewhat perfunctory, offering little explanation, thus revealing the secret of Byakuya's rapid growth.

"Just a little bit bigger?!" Hatake Saiyun shook his head with a laugh. It wasn't just a little bit bigger, it was a whole size bigger! Adult desert falcons are already huge, and now this size is almost as big as Jiraiya's Gamabunta.

No wonder Sasuke didn't summon it for travel before. Besides being too conspicuous and difficult to hide, its size must mean it has an enormous appetite. Summoning it for travel would obviously be too costly and not cost-effective. It would be better to let it forage freely and summon it for battle when necessary, or use it to cross the quicksand sea of ​​death, as it is now.

"Let's go!"

With a quick step, Umino Sasuke landed on Byakuya's head. Hatake Sagumo also used a Body Flicker Technique to sit cross-legged on Byakuya's back. Feeling the hardness beneath him, he couldn't help but stroke the feathers on Byakuya's body.

"Such strong wings! No wonder it's a desert falcon with a bloodline that has reverted to its ancestral form!"

Hatake Sagumo's eyes were full of envy. Although his summoning ninja dog was very good, especially in intelligence gathering, it was still far inferior to this desert giant falcon.

"Senior Zuoyun, I also want to thank you for destroying the Sunagakure's summoning beast breeding base and bringing back the Desert Giant Falcon chick. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to obtain such a good summoning beast."

"Huh? The batch I brought back?!" Sasuke Hatake was stunned. Were those desert falcons injected with hormones? How could they grow so fast! If he had known this, he should have kept a few to raise himself, so that he could have one or two more giant flying summons for Kakashi.

"Senior Zuo Yun, the batch of desert giant falcons you brought back have excellent bloodline talents and growth rates. After the Shoujiu clan retrieved these spirit beasts, they raised them for less than a year, and they have all grown to the sub-bird stage. Although they do not have ancestral bloodlines, their strength is quite good."

Seeing that Hatake Sakumo was a bit rigid, Umino Sasuke kept teasing him. His words were like rubbing salt into a wound, making Hatake Sakumo feel a pang of pain.

However, Hatake Sagumo possessed an absolute Will of Fire, and since the meat was already rotten in the pot, he didn't suffer the pain for too long. If it were anyone else, they would probably be filled with regret.

Instead of continuing to tease Hatake Sagumo, Umino Sasuke quickly formed hand seals and placed them on Byakuya: "Earth Release: Light and Heavy Rock Technique!"

An invisible ripple enveloped the massive body of the Great White. The Great White let out a high-pitched cry and felt its body suddenly become incredibly light, as if it could soar straight into the sky with a gentle flap of its wings.

"Wow~"

With a sudden flap of its wings, and aided by the Light and Heavy Rock Technique, its massive body soared into the sky like an arrow, carrying the two of them straight towards the Sea of ​​Death, a place considered a forbidden zone for life by the world.

As soon as you enter the airspace above the Sea of ​​Death, the treacherous environment and climate come rushing in. Below you are no longer undulating sand dunes, but a vast, boundless ocean of quicksand that seems to be slowly writhing, as if it has a life of its own.

In many places, sandstorms inexplicably surge, forming huge whirlpools that swallow anything that dares to approach.

The gale was no longer from a single direction, but swept in from all directions, forming countless chaotic and violent vortexes of air currents, emitting howling winds like ghosts wailing and wolves howling.

The sky was obscured by endless sand and dust, turning a dim yellow color with extremely low visibility. Only when a sudden sandstorm hurricane tore through the deep, bottomless abyss of quicksand below could one vaguely make out the general outline. Even sound wave-escape ninjutsu was compressed to its limit, only able to detect less than half a mile away.

The ancient city and the greatest treasure of the Wind Kingdom, which are said to be buried here, are now completely covered by these violent natural forces, leaving only endless danger and mystery.

Umino Sasuke and Hatake Sakumo only glanced briefly at the treacherous, deathly sands before looking away. The treasure was tempting, but they had a more important mission at hand and could not afford to be distracted.

With its powerful physique surpassing that of advanced summoned beasts and its keen perception of airflow, Da Bai, aided by the Light-Heavy Rock Technique, struggled to navigate through the raging turbulence.

Sometimes it soars high, trying to break through the blockade of sand and dust; sometimes it glides sideways, avoiding the suddenly formed giant sandstorm tornado. Each flap of its wings seems to be particularly strenuous, and its feathers flutter in the friction of the high-speed airflow and sand.

Umino Sasuke and Hatake Sagumo crouched low, unleashing their Wind Release Chakra Mode to defend against the wind blades and the razor-sharp sand.

Umino Sasuke further used the Super Light Rock Technique to reduce Byakuya's burden, and based on some of the senses from the Sound Wave Release, he commanded Byakuya to precisely adjust its flight path.

Several times, violent updrafts and sudden sandstorm walls nearly overturned and swept them away. Only thanks to Umino Sasuke's insightful command, his exceptional flying skills in broad daylight, and the Flying Thunder God Technique as a last resort, were they able to narrowly avoid them one by one.

After an unknown amount of time, when Big White finally broke through the last thick curtain of sand and dust, a long-lost glimpse of blue finally appeared in the dim yellow sky ahead.

Below, the desolate, deadly quicksand was no longer visible; instead, scattered oasis outlines and traces of human activity gradually appeared.

This area is now within the core control zone of the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Wind.

"We really crossed the Sea of ​​Quicksand and Death?!"

Hatake Sakumo was shocked by what he saw below.

"Senior Zuo Yun, what are you saying?"

Umino Sasuke rolled his eyes. It was as if he didn't believe they could get over it from the start. If it weren't for the Flying Thunder God Technique as a backup, would he have given up on this plan?

"Senior Zuo Yun, we need to be careful to conceal our tracks. Da Bai is too conspicuous, so—"

"untie!"

Sasuke Umino actually canceled the summoning jutsu, teleporting Byakuya back to the Angkor Fortress island chain.

"Sasuke, are you trying to murder your teammate?"

Hatake Sagumo lost his footing and fell from the sky, but he showed no panic and even had the mind to complain about how vengeful Umino Sasuke was.

"Light and Heavy Rock Technique!"

Umino Sasuke hovered in the air and slowly drifted down, intending to see if Hatake Sasuke needed help. Just then, Hatake Sasuke released some wind-style air currents from his mouth and landed safely with great ease, displaying a style reminiscent of Konoha Kazekage Shimura Danzo.

Umino Sasuke teased, "Sakumo-senpai, you have to trust your teammates, otherwise you'll be going back alone once you capture the Daimyo of the Land of Wind."

"No, I have complete confidence in your methods!"

Hatake Sagumo immediately assured him that he would follow his instructions completely in the upcoming tasks.

"That's what you said."

Sasuke Umino's smug expression left Sakumo Hatake speechless. He could only shake his head and sigh at how wonderful it was to be young. Ever since Kakashi came along, he'd been falling behind the younger generation.

"Earth Release: Rock Concealment Technique!"

Sasuke Umino formed hand seals, and his figure began to disappear, leaving only a trail of footprints on the sand.

Not to be outdone, Hatake Saikumo used a camouflage technique, Wind Release: Invisibility, to catch up.

Like chameleons blending into the sand, the two headed towards the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Wind to scout out the area.

"how so?!"

The investigation results were unexpected, causing the two men to frown.

The previous strategy of liberating the oasis and trying to force Daming Prefecture to divide its forces did not work. Daming Prefecture showed an unexpected defensive posture.

(End of this chapter)