Nightfall, 14th of the Month, Hour of the Boar, Seven Quarters
Sand Village Monitoring Center
In the quiet of the monitoring center, Dan Yan sat hunched over, wearing a chakra-listening helmet as he concentrated intently on the sounds of every blade of grass and grain of sand within Sunagakure.
"Dan Yan" was not his real name—it was merely a codename, representing the Mao position among the Twelve Zodiac Guardians. His true name was Lu Shu, a top-tier sensory ninja discovered by Karukei at the Moon Lake New Area Ninja Academy.
Lu Shu was a teenager, short and chubby, with beady eyes, a flat nose, a cherry-like mouth, and prominent buck teeth. But what stood out most were his large, fan-like ears, which made him resemble a human-sized rabbit.
His sensory technique was unique. It wasn't the mental perception of the Yamanaka Clan, nor was it the ocular perception of the Hyuga Clan. Instead, it was based on auditory perception—a rare bloodline limit. Lu Shu's ears possessed an extraordinary ability to sense vibrations. Within a hundred-mile radius, the rustle of a single grain of sand or the tumble of a withered leaf could not escape his hearing. Even more remarkably, these sounds didn't blend into an incomprehensible noise. Instead, they formed a dynamic, black-and-white holographic image in his mind, allowing him to pinpoint exact locations based on the village's coordinates.
When Jing Hang discovered such a talent, he was ecstatic. He invested heavily to create a custom-made chakra surveillance system for Lu Shu, enabling his auditory perception to cover the entire Sand Village, including the Copper Man Formation puppet defense system surrounding it.
"They're here!"
Suddenly, Lu Shu snapped to attention. Around him, forty monitoring center staff members immediately focused, awaiting his instructions.
"Two hundred shinobi, approaching from the nine o'clock direction! They're armed and moving fast—approximately one thousand meters away. Estimated time of arrival: one minute. Heh, it must be them. Notify the Security Corps to proceed as planned."
The Feint Begins
Leading her force of two hundred shinobi, Yi Ji leaped swiftly across rooftops, her chakra pushed to its limits. She knew that her team's movements were already being monitored by Lu Shu. The success of their mission depended on capturing the monitoring center within five minutes.
Jing Hang had designed the warning system to respond within five minutes—a hard limit. (Refer to Volume 2, Chapters 67 and 68.) If they failed to secure the center within that window, the Security Corps stationed nearby would react, and the coup would be over before it began.
To buy time and avoid detection, Yi Ji had meticulously planned their approach. The two hundred shinobi had advanced in dispersed formations, regrouping only after bypassing the Security Corps' outposts. Now, they had just one minute to storm the monitoring center, eliminate the forty staff members inside, and shut down the Copper Man Formation puppet system.
When Yi Ji reached the monitoring center, the lights in the second-floor control room were still on. She glanced at her watch—56 seconds. Just in time.
"Leave no one alive! Kill them all!"
Her voice was low but commanding.
The shinobi surged forward, flooding into the building.
"Bang!"
The heavy iron door to the second-floor control room was kicked open.
"Huh?"
The room was empty. Not a single person was inside. Only the equipment continued to hum and operate automatically.
"This is bad! It's a trap! Retreat!"
The two hundred shinobi hurriedly retreated to the first floor, only to find the building's main entrance sealed by a thick crystal wall.
Through the translucent barrier, they could see the Security Corps gathered outside in dense ranks. At the forefront stood Sasori, Guren, and Lu Shu.
"Almost time. Three, two, one... Detonate," Sasori said, checking his stopwatch.
Inside the monitoring center, a faint pop echoed—like an aluminum can being crushed underfoot. Moments later, a purple gas began to spread rapidly throughout the building.
"Poison gas! Quickly, back to the second floor!"
Yi Ji covered her nose with her sleeve and darted upstairs.
The gas spread with alarming speed. Already, over a hundred shinobi had collapsed.
"Did you use enough poison? I only saw you deploy one can," Guren asked.
"More than enough. This is my improved version of the Dokuyama Paralyzing Toxin. Forget two hundred shinobi—even two thousand wouldn't last two minutes in a sealed building like this. If anyone's still standing after that, I'll consider it a failure of my craft," Sasori replied confidently.
"You sealed all the doors and windows, right?" Lu Shu asked Guren.
"Relax. I even blocked the sewers. If a single whiff of gas escapes, I'll consider it a failure of my craft," Guren said with equal confidence.
"Give it another minute. They should be done by then. Everyone, put on your gas masks and prepare to collect the bodies!"
Desperate Measures
"We're out of time! Smash everything—destroy it all! If the equipment can't function, the Copper Man Formation will be useless. You, strip off your clothes! Use them to block the door gaps and slow down the gas!"
Yi Ji barked orders rapidly.
The shinobi scrambled into action. Some stripped off their clothes, others smashed the equipment, and one even attempted to use the Water Release technique to simulate urination when no one else could muster the courage in such a tense moment.
The monitoring center was built like a fortress, with thick concrete walls reinforced by steel beams. Even a cluster of explosive tags couldn't breach it. The second-floor control room had only one large floor-to-ceiling window, but it was sealed shut with crystal.
After half a minute, the gas hadn't seeped through. It seemed the makeshift barriers were working. Yi Ji slumped into the command chair, exhaling in relief.
The shinobi had been efficient; most of the equipment was already destroyed. At least the Copper Man Formation wouldn't be activated. But how was she supposed to send the signal now? Set off fireworks inside the building?
Wait—what was that?
Her eyes darted to the ventilation duct on the ceiling.
No!
Before she could react, a wisp of purple smoke wafted out of the duct.
In an instant, Yi Ji felt her entire body go rigid. She couldn't move, not even to blink, though her mind remained fully conscious.
It was the paralyzing toxin.
The Aftermath
It didn't take long before the control room door was kicked open. A group of shinobi wearing gas masks entered, binding and carrying away the incapacitated rebels one by one.
Three figures approached Yi Ji, likely Sasori, Guren, and Lu Shu.
"Look at this mess. Such a waste of resources," Lu Shu lamented bitterly.
Ignoring him, Sasori and Guren began searching Yi Ji's body.
"Found it! This must be it!"
Guren pulled a signal firework from Yi Ji's robes.
Taking the firework, Sasori waved it mockingly in front of Yi Ji's frozen face.
"Trying to figure out how to set this off, weren't you? Don't worry. I'll do it for you. Guren!"
At his command, Guren dispelled the crystal wall sealing the window.
Sasori opened the ventilation window, glanced at Lu Shu, who nodded in confirmation, and then shouted, "Everyone, head to the basement and activate the backup defense system immediately!"
Half a minute later, everything was in place. Sasori aimed the firework skyward and pulled the cord.
A white flare burst into the night sky, illuminating the darkness.
"Well, that's that. Everything begins—and ends—here," Sasori said philosophically through his gas mask.
He glanced at his stopwatch.
"Right on time."
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