In the Forest of Birdsong, the trees are sparse, allowing more light to filter through compared to a typical forest. This brightness makes ambushes harder and traps more likely to be spotted.
However, knowing the enemy's movements, there's no way they'd miss the opportunity to set traps.
The traps are mainly trigger-based, consisting mostly of concealed weapons and explosive tags. Some traps are crueler, with large shuriken, while simpler ones scatter spiked caltrops on the ground. High-level traps use jutsu-based mechanisms.
Trigger traps operate similarly to alert traps, though angle choice is crucial.
Ye Zi led numerous Rain ninja, setting up trigger traps guided by White Zetsu. They used thin lines as triggers, selecting shuriken as the weapon. Compared to kunai, shuriken are lighter, giving them more power when launched by the trap.
As someone trained in Root, Ye Zi excelled at trap placement and finished quickly. He looked into the distance, seemingly able to see the approaching Konoha shinobi.
"Sakumo Hatake..."
If Sasori agreed, Ye Zi would prefer to face Sakumo alone. But since Sasori insisted, he'd have to fight alongside him—after all, he didn't believe Sasori could defeat Hatake on his own.
As for a two-against-one scenario, he felt no guilt. This was a life-or-death battle between enemies.
"Lord Ye Zi, the traps are ready."
"This side is done too."
"All set."
After a short while, they finished setting up all the trigger traps. They decided against explosive tags, as the Hyuga's Byakugan in Konoha's forces would spot them easily.
Here, in the bright light, the goal was to make the enemy trigger the traps unintentionally. The lines were set in concealed spots, reducing the chances of accidental activation.
"Jūzō, have you memorized the trap positions?" Ye Zi asked, nodding at the Rain ninja before turning to Jūzō.
"Got it." Jūzō, carrying his executioner's blade, nodded slightly.
Ye Zi's gaze turned cold. "The light here is bright. Using the Hidden Mist Jutsu to obscure their vision could improve the traps' accuracy and potency. Timing will be key, so I leave it to you."
Jūzō grinned, baring sharp teeth. "No worries, these traps won't go to waste."
"Good. Sasori, what about your weapons?" Ye Zi then looked at Sasori.
They had acquired rare magnetic ore from the Land of Stone to craft special spikes for Sasori, which he could control freely with his Third Kazekage puppet.
Initially, this attack was a hidden tactic. However, to maximize the trap's initial impact, Ye Zi instructed Sasori to scatter the spikes around the area.
"All set." Sasori replied, summoning the Third Kazekage puppet from his storage scroll in a puff of white smoke.
Ye Zi scanned the group sternly. "The enemy has the numbers. Make sure the traps succeed; this is our best chance to close the gap."
Hearing this, the group nodded with determination.
"Follow the plan. Scatter!"
Upon Ye Zi's command, the ninja dispersed in an arc, each taking a prearranged position except for Sasori and Jūzō.
"White Zetsu, what's the enemy's position?" Ye Zi asked after the Rain ninja had moved out.
"Two kilometers away, same path," White Zetsu replied.
Ye Zi nodded. "You can hide now."
"Understood." White Zetsu merged into the trees, disappearing underground.
The trap-focused strategy aimed to weaken the enemy and lay the groundwork for victory.
As soon as the enemy reached the trap area, Jūzō would use Hidden Mist Jutsu to obscure their sight, increasing the likelihood they'd trigger the traps. With their vision impaired, the enemy would likely stop in their tracks to dispel the mist.
During this brief pause, Sasori would unleash spikes from all sides, forcing the Konoha shinobi to evade.
At that instant, the area would be filled with flying spikes and shuriken. Without instant defenses, evading solely by taijutsu would be impossible.
This would be the first wave of attacks. During the enemy's distraction, a second Hidden Mist Jutsu would further split their ranks.
Ye Zi, equipped with his Dragon Armor to withstand the projectiles, would break through the zone of flying weapons, singling out White Fang. Sasori would then join him, while the remaining Konoha shinobi would be left to Jūzō and the wood clones.
The trap's core concept was to pressure the enemy into triggering it. However, with the Hyuga's Byakugan, detection was inevitable, making their positions crucial.
In a forest setting, opposing ninjas would generally maintain a minimum 200-meter distance in a standoff, while the Byakugan's range could reach up to 800 meters.
How could they make the enemy halt and engage in a standoff instead of attacking right away?
By feigning weakness and baiting the enemy with an apparent numbers disadvantage.
Ye Zi instructed the Rain ninja and wood clones to stay a kilometer back, just beyond the Byakugan's range.
Then, he, Sasori, and Jūzō openly stood in the trees, two hundred meters from the traps, waiting for the Konoha group to approach.
With the Byakugan, the enemy could easily tell if there was an ambush. Seeing only three of them openly standing would invite them closer.
This tactical trap plan could only hope to yield some success, as this was just the first step. The second would be to swiftly eliminate White Fang.
Ye Zi's group set up two hundred meters from the traps, now waiting for the enemy to arrive, while Kotoe's traps were also ready.
Unlike Ye Zi's group, the Sand shinobi didn't have the Byakugan, so their traps were more diverse, including trigger-based explosive tags. All the Sand shinobi's concealed weapons were coated in toxic plant poisons, able to kill with just a scratch.
Unbeknownst to the advancing Sand and Konoha ninja, the enemy had White Zetsu, who could constantly track their movements. Nor did they know that traps awaited them.
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 367 - Putting Ideas into Action