High up in the misty mountains of the Land of Bears, a dark cave opened into the rock face.
Inside, the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. More than a dozen captured missing-nin and rogue shinobi huddled together, bound by chakra ropes that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Their faces were pale, eyes wide with terror, as they stared at the boy standing in the center of the cave — the one who had captured them all.
To them, this boy named Chen Xing was a demon in human form.
Before him lay a corpse — split open, organs scattered, bone fragments visible, and streaks of red and white smeared across the stone floor. Even among criminals who had seen countless deaths, this sight made them retch. Some fainted outright.
They tried to scream, but no sound came. A strange chakra seal bound their vocal cords, leaving only silence and trembling.
"I failed again," Chen Xing muttered, frowning as he looked at the mangled body. His tone was disappointed but calm — he had long grown used to scenes like this.
"Urgh—!"
Several of the captured shinobi vomited again, unable to bear it.
Chen Xing ignored them. He stepped toward one of the prisoners and pressed his left hand against the man's head. A dark violet light flared from his palm, and intricate curse marks began to spread across the man's skin — from his face down to his neck, chest, and finally his entire body.
The symbols pulsed once with sinister energy… then sank beneath the skin and vanished.
"Ah—!"
The man's body suddenly exploded into a mist of blood and flesh. The spray stopped short of touching Chen Xing, as if blocked by an invisible chakra barrier.
For months, Chen Xing had been experimenting — capturing bandits and missing-nin to perfect a new curse seal technique. Now, he had finally succeeded in creating a functioning version, though not yet a perfect one.
Once applied, this binding curse seal allowed Chen Xing to completely control the victim's life. With a single thought, he could detonate the mark, causing instant death.
Cruel, yes — but in a world where strength ruled, it was necessary.
If the Hidden Star Village (Hoshigakure) was to grow strong quickly, it needed manpower and intelligence. This curse seal was the key to both.
The seal's design resembled the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal once used by Konoha's Root Division to control its operatives. However, Chen Xing's version was unstable; it couldn't fully restrain high-level shinobi yet. Still, for his current plans — building an intelligence network from the ground up — it was enough.
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Chen Xing's goal was to establish an intelligence organization modeled after the major villages' spy networks and the Underground Exchange — the vast black market that traded bounties and information.
But unlike the Underground, his network would be loyal only to him.
To grow quickly, he needed both funds and operatives. The money, he already had — earned from countless bounty missions. What he lacked were trustworthy agents. The curse seal would solve that.
He divided the future organization into four departments:
1. Information Collection Division – scouts and spies to gather intelligence.
2. Information Trade Division – brokers to buy, sell, and manipulate data.
3. Transmission Division – couriers to transport intelligence safely.
4. Combat and Enforcement Division – the organization's protective force.
Ordinary shinobi couldn't always be trusted — some could betray or flee. But with the curse seal binding their lives, disobedience became impossible.
Chen Xing's long-term vision was clear. From wandering shinobi to rogue mercenaries, anyone who could be useful would become part of his expanding network.
When Chen Xing presented his early plans to the Third Hoshikage and Summer Star (Natsuhoshi), they were astonished by both the curse seal and his strategic foresight. They saw in him the future of the village — the successor to the Hoshikage title.
The Third Hoshikage gave him full authority over the village's dormant intelligence assets, something Chen Xing hadn't even known existed. Hoshigakure might have been small, but its hidden potential was vast — "a small bird with all five organs complete," as the old saying went.
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Chiba City, Land of Bears
In a quiet courtyard within the country's busiest city, Chen Xing handed a folder to Natsuhoshi.
"Natsuhoshi-senpai, this is the preliminary framework for the organization. What do you think?"
The young woman sighed, rubbing her temples with a tired smile. She had been personally assigned by the Third Hoshikage to assist Chen Xing with administrative work.
"I don't know what goes on inside that little head of yours," she said with a laugh. "But to think someone your age could come up with such a flawless plan—it's unbelievable."
Chen Xing smiled. "Then I'll leave the internal setup to you. I'll be away recruiting the first batch of members soon."
He meant, of course, that he would find powerful wandering ninja — and use the curse seal to bind them into service.
"Alright," she nodded. "I'll handle the paperwork and logistics here. Just make sure you bring them back alive."
With Natsuhoshi handling the internal affairs, Chen Xing finally felt relieved. Hoshigakure's foundation might be small, but his vision for it was growing — piece by piece.
---
Time passed quickly.
Another year went by. Chen Xing turned thirteen.
By Konoha's calendar, it was now Year 57, early February.
In that year, his curse seal became far more refined. Across the nations, missing-nin began to vanish mysteriously. Some became Chen Xing's test subjects; others became his unwilling subordinates.
Under Natsuhoshi's management, Hoshigakure's intelligence network expanded rapidly. Within months, they had infiltrated smaller networks, annexed several black-market cells, and extended their information lines into the Five Great Nations.
The organization now had over a hundred operatives. Though Chen Xing's methods were ruthless, he ruled not through fear but efficiency. Those under his control were given freedom outside missions. They served loyally — or died instantly if they betrayed him.
At this point, Hoshigakure's intelligence network could easily destroy the old village structure if Chen Xing willed it.
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Somewhere in the Grasslands
A dense forest swayed in the wind.
"Rustle! Whoosh—!"
A tall, thin middle-aged man sprinted through the trees, panting hard. His face was pale with terror, as if he were being chased by death itself.
"Gah—!"
From above, a massive peacock-shaped chakra avatar swooped down, tearing through the canopy. Its wings smashed trees in half as its talons seized the fleeing man.
"Argh!" The claws pinned his shoulder without striking a vital point, then slammed him into the ground.
"Why?! Why won't you let me go?! I'm not even on the bingo book!" the man shouted, trembling as Chen Xing descended from the fading chakra form.
Chen Xing formed a seal, dispersing the Peacock Form, and placed his foot firmly on the man's chest.
"Why?" Chen Xing repeated coldly. "Because this world is built on the law of the strong. You should already know that."
He looked down at the man. "Your chakra is well-developed. For a wanderer, you've trained hard. It's… impressive."
The man struggled, glaring up. "What do you want from me?! Kill me if you're going to!"
Chen Xing's expression didn't change. "I don't need your life. Just your service — five years. Work for me, and you'll walk away free afterward. Refuse… and you die now."
The man's eyes widened as realization dawned. "You're forcing me into servitude… Aren't you afraid I'll betray you or run away?"
Chen Xing's lips curved faintly. He raised his left hand, dark purple chakra swirling around it.
"That's simple," he said. "Because of this."
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