"Immediately get the head of the Intelligence Division here!"
So many people disappearing at once was no coincidence, but did Konoha really have such great capabilities?
Could they have wiped out everyone without a single message being sent out?
The most bizarre thing was that no battle fluctuations were felt.
Although the surroundings were filled with mist, logically, Konoha's movements should have been hampered, making a surprise attack impossible. However, the Third Mizukage was still on guard, with Sensor Ninja stationed all around the camp. As soon as an enemy crossed into their area, they would immediately be detected.
If Konoha had such power, they wouldn't have waited until now to act.
Some things become more confusing the more you think about them, and such was the case for the Third Mizukage.
He analyzed constantly, but in the end, it only led to more and more questions swirling in his mind.
"Lord Mizukage!"
The head of the Intelligence Division, who had quickly received the notification, arrived at the command center. Konoha's Head of Intelligence Division could only remain in the village, but the Hidden Mist Village's followed along.
The Hidden Mist Village didn't need to fight on three fronts like Konoha, so there wasn't much complex intelligence to handle. Going into battle allowed them to gather more useful information, putting themselves in a superior position.
Intelligence was crucial for war.
"Has anything strange happened at the Konoha camp from yesterday until today?!"
Planting spies in high positions was difficult, but the lower ranks were easy, and infiltrating enemy ranks was also simple, especially for Konoha.
Each Great Ninja War led to countless war orphans, and Konoha would adopt as many as possible, even if it often led to situations where they shot themselves in the foot.
For the Hidden Mist Village, planting spies was difficult due to the challenging transmission of news across the continent, coupled with the fact that Hidden Mist Ninja rarely appeared outside, maintaining a self-imposed isolation. Therefore, it was very hard to infiltrate them with spies.
Thus, in the war against the Hidden Mist Village, Konoha was at a disadvantage in terms of intelligence.
To put it bluntly, saying they were completely ignorant wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Yet, the enemy was able to grasp their basic information, and this intelligence put Konoha on the defensive.
The Head of Intelligence Division paused, not expecting the Third Mizukage to ask about such information.
Normally, this information would be analyzed by the Intelligence Division, and only if deemed valuable would it be reported.
For example, Rong Lin selecting five Sensor Ninja and leaving the camp with a squad was considered a mediocre piece of news, so the Intelligence Division hadn't reported it.
Since the war began, Rong Lin had done nothing but stay in a patrol squad in the Hidden Mist.
Coupled with the Third Mizukage's overconfidence, believing Uchiha Rong Lin was nothing special, this led the Intelligence Division to relax their focus on Rong Lin. That's why his departure was known by spies, but the intelligence wasn't taken seriously.
"Aside from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist being obstructed and five of them killed, there hasn't been any other major activity. However, this news still needs verification."
The Head of Intelligence Division thought for a moment before answering.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist being taken care of by a single Genin was unbelievable not just to Konoha ninja, but to everyone in the Hidden Mist Village.
What kind of joke was this? The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who were specifically cultivated, taken down by a mere Konoha Genin? Then what was the point of this war?!
If Konoha had five or six tens of thousands of Genin, they would have long since overthrown all the great nations.
So when the news arrived, no one took it seriously. Although the Intelligence Division investigated further, there were no results yet.
"Is that all?"
The Third Mizukage, seated at the head, raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
"Yes, Uchiha Rong Lin of the Uchiha Clan selected several Sensor-type Ninja and left the camp, their whereabouts unknown."
You have your strategem, and I have my own way. The Hidden Mist Village had spies in Konoha, but they could only obtain basic information.
For example, a special squad directly commanded by Tsunade. Spies knew about this squad, but were completely unaware of their mission or destination. This led to situations where infiltrators were intercepted and annihilated by the enemy, allowing Konoha to recoup some losses.
Rong Lin's large-scale selection of people and departure from the camp surely couldn't be kept a secret, but it was impossible for spies to find out the squad's destination or mission.
"Uchiha Rong Lin?"
The Third Mizukage was startled. Could today's events be related to him?
But even if Uchiha Rong Lin's strength was extraordinary, he shouldn't be able to achieve something of this magnitude.
The Third Mizukage pondered. He knew Uchiha Rong Lin possessed a special ability, information they had received from the Land of Wind.
From the very beginning, the Third Mizukage believed it wasn't that Uchiha Rong Lin was too strong, but rather that the Land of Wind was too weak.
How strong could a ten-year-old child be, no matter how gifted?
Therefore, the Third Mizukage's first reaction was that it was impossible.
"Send people to investigate. We must grasp this intelligence as soon as possible to maintain an undefeated position. The advantage on the Land of Earth battlefield is gradually expanding; Konoha will surely be defeated eventually!"
Despite his suspicions, the Third Mizukage ultimately didn't connect Rong Lin to the events, choosing instead to investigate further.
If Rong Lin knew, he would surely burst into laughter. Investigate away, send more people, my great sword is already thirsty for blood.
The next day, the special squad woke up early, ate some dry rations, and set out again.
"Captain, the enemy doesn't seem to be trying to infiltrate our rear anymore."
Two hours later, they hadn't encountered any enemies.
"It's normal not to. Over a hundred people suddenly disappeared, with no intelligence sent back and no clues found. Everyone vanished into thin air. If the Hidden Mist Village continued to send people, that would be the real problem."
Rong Lin wasn't worried; instead, he teased:
"If that were the case, I'd be curious what's in the Third Mizukage's head. Before they investigate further, I don't think we'll encounter any enemies trying to infiltrate our rear."
"Then what do we do? Retreat?"
The few felt a bit regretful. It was only the second day, and the Hidden Mist Village wasn't sending any more people. It was a shame. They had originally thought they could earn more war merits, but now it seemed hopeless.
While feeling regretful, the few didn't dwell on it too much.
Yesterday's haul was enough to cover their war merits for a long time of reconnaissance. It had only been one day, and it was worth it!
And they also got to witness Rong Lin's astonishing display of strength. It was so worth it.
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