Naruto: Reborn in His Younger Self

Ushida kept running, pushing his exhausted body forward through the underbrush.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him and launched a surprise attack.

"Damn it!"

Ushida couldn't react in time. He was struck directly, flying backward and slamming into a large tree, coughing blood.

Kakuzu sneered as he approached. "What a hassle. This would've ended faster if you'd let me handle it earlier."

Deidara, Sasori, Kakazu descended from the clay birds one after another.

Ushida struggled to get up, but Sasori easily flung him aside with one arm. Ushida shuddered as his body suddenly froze in place.

"This is Puppet Mastery..." he gasped.

Sasori smirked. "So, you know a thing or two."

Suddenly, Chūji narrowed his eyes. "Sixty kilometers out, someone's approaching fast."

Deidara grinned. "Must be his comrades. Good. This'll be fun. Sasori, you hold him. Let's go meet the others."

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away, the Allied Shinobi Forces' Surprise Attack Division was advancing swiftly.

Thanks to Sai's ink birds, the entire division moved quickly through the skies.

Captain Kankurō stood at the front of one of the ink birds. At their current speed, they would breach enemy territory in minutes.

He glanced to his right. "Sai, prep for descent."

Sai nodded in response.

Turning to his left, Kankurō noticed Omoi lost in thought again. "Omoi! Omoi! Hey! OMOOOI!"

After three loud calls, Omoi snapped out of it.

"Huh? Sorry, Captain."

Kankurō narrowed his eyes. "We're entering enemy territory. Stop spacing out!"

Omoi nodded, then hesitated before asking, "Captain... can I ask something?"

Kankurō sighed. "What now?"

"Well… you look about the same age as me. Is this your first time in a war like this? Aren't you scared? Don't you feel the pressure?"

Kankurō's eyes turned cold. "You've never seen mass death in Kumogakure, have you?"

Omoi blinked. "No, I haven't. But you have?"

Kankurō looked ahead, his voice solemn. "My little brother is Gaara of the Sand. When he was a child... the fear he brought was worse than war itself."

He remembered the blood, the lifeless bodies, and the terror Gaara once represented. Compared to that, war didn't faze him. Those experiences tempered his nerves far beyond Omoi's.

Omoi fell silent.

Soon, they reached the designated zone. Sai landed the birds, and with a quick seal and swipe of his scroll, sealed them away.

Kankurō clapped his hands. "Everyone, gather up!"

The squad assembled quickly.

"We're deep in enemy territory now. Hostiles can appear any moment, anywhere. We need to set up a small-scale forward camp to use as a base of operations. Radius: 10 meters. Entry and exit at 2 o'clock and 6 o'clock.

Omoi, you handle the remaining perimeter. Set traps and explosive tags."

Omoi nodded lazily. "Alright."

Kankurō's face hardened. "Focus! This is a battlefield, not a training mission."

Chastised, Omoi straightened. "Yes, sir!"

Kankurō turned. "Sai, maintain aerial reconnaissance. Ittan, use Earth Style to dig trenches. Dango, deploy the chakra communication antenna. Sensor Nin and patrol squad: monitor the surroundings. Tō and I will review the next engagement plan. Everyone clear?"

"Yes!" the group answered.

Kankurō allowed a rare smile. "Good."

Sensing the tense air, the sensor-nin Hotarubi chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Relax, everyone. I'm here. No one's sneaking past me!"

Ittan, the grizzled Iwagakure veteran, glared at him. "Don't get cocky. Underestimating the battlefield is a fatal mistake. It's fine to be lively, but never drop your guard."

Hotarubi scratched his head. "Understood. I'll be careful."

Ittan nodded, satisfied. "Good. It's experience talking. Don't take it personally."

"Not at all! In fact... any other advice, senpai?"

Kankurō interjected, voice grim. "Yes. One thing. According to intel, Kabuto is using Orochimaru's Forbidden Technique—Edo Tensei."

Gasps echoed.

"This jutsu summons the dead by binding souls to immortal bodies. You can't kill them with normal attacks. To stop them, you have to defeat and then seal them.

Defeating the summoner doesn't cancel the jutsu. The resurrected shinobi will just keep coming, again and again.

If you don't seal them, they'll slaughter us."

Hotarubi's face paled. "That's... insane. Orochimaru really is a monster."

Tō added coldly, "Actually, that technique was created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama."

Hotarubi went red with embarrassment. "Uh... right... Konoha's legacy. My bad."

Kankurō waved it off. "What's done is done. The plan is simple—if you encounter Kabuto, capture him alive. Apply Genjutsu or other means to force him to cancel Edo Tensei. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Good. Let's get to work."

The team fanned out and began their tasks.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield…

Gaara and Darui continued advancing with their forces.

Darui glanced back and called, "First Division, move out!"

The two divisions split and pressed forward.

Back at the Akatsuki base, Kabuto coiled Anko's unconscious body in a large snake, draining intel from her.

Moments later, Kabuto grinned.

Simultaneously, word came from Deidara's squad: all three Konoha shinobi had been captured.

Satisfied, Kabuto turned and headed back into the depths of the base, Anko in tow.

To Be Continued...

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