The southwestern part of the Ninja Continent is a seemingly endless desert.
Perennially lacking water and rain, the climate changes drastically. Severe dust storms and gales—strong enough to sweep away entire camps—are frequent occurrences.
The yellow sand is covered with various strange, complex sand dunes and ridges. They rise abruptly from the ground, resembling gigantic golden dragons resting on the earth, making this vast, remote desert utterly mysterious.
Within this ocean of sand lies the Land of Wind, a nation known for its tough and resilient people. And within the Land of Wind's territory is Sunagakure (The Village Hidden in the Sand), one of the five Great Ninja Villages on the continent.
Sunagakure occupies an extremely large area. To call it a "village" is more accurately to call it a city. Walls reaching over ten meters high surround the settlement like the arms of a giant, protecting the massive interior from the encroachment of the sandstorms.
Inside the village, rows of buildings are laid out neatly like pieces on a chessboard, forming a vast, man-made work of art.
It was another beautiful clear night in the desert. The moon, like a golden pearl dish, hung high in the sky, casting a bright, watery moonlight over all of Sunagakure.
Screech!—
A sharp, high-pitched eagle cry suddenly rang out, echoing continuously above Sunagakure and lingering for a long time.
"Hmm?" Inside the Kazekage Tower, the tallest building in Sunagakure—shaped like a giant basketball—a shadow completely shrouded in a Kage robe heard the sharp cry, uttered a puzzled murmur, put down the documents in his hand, and looked out the window.
Suddenly, a knock—"Thump, thump, thump—" came at the door.
The shadow, wearing the Kage robe, moved back to his desk and assumed a dignified posture before saying, "Come in!"
A ninja wearing the standardized Sunagakure uniform walked in. The gray-yellow and black ninja attire was as simple and humble as the character of the nation's people.
The ninja stopped about a meter from the desk, knelt respectfully on one knee, and held up a small paper tube with both hands, saying in a low voice, "Lord Kazekage, a message has arrived from the Land of Rivers! A team led personally by the Hidden Leaf's Kage-level strongman—Sarutobi Hiruzen—along with eighteen elite Leaf ninjas, has arrived in the Land of Rivers!"
The Kazekage, clad in the Kage robe, stood up, walked around the desk, took the paper tube from the ninja, and carefully read the information.
After reading it several times, the Kazekage finally put down the small paper scroll. Before he could formulate a response, another sharp knock—"Thump, thump, thump—" came at the door.
Another Sand ninja walked in, knelt before the Kazekage, and held out a small, encrypted scroll with both hands.
The second ninja said, bowing, "Lord Kazekage, urgent encrypted intelligence from the Land of Rivers stronghold!"
The arrival of two consecutive messages concerning the Land of Rivers struck the Kazekage as slightly odd, and he immediately sensed a bad omen. Sure enough, after cracking the encryption and opening the scroll, his face instantly darkened.
The air in the Kazekage's office seemed to instantly become thick and heavy, like mercury. Taking a breath required enormous effort.
The two Sand ninjas kneeling on the floor dared not even breathe, feeling anxious and uneasy.
After a long while, the Kazekage, still wearing the Kage robe, took a deep breath. The heavy atmosphere and the suffocating air instantly returned to normal.
The Kazekage turned, hands behind his back, and looked out the window, his gaze deep and vast.
The night sky, which had been clear and filled with moonlight, gradually gave way to a hazy wind and sand—the sign that a great storm was approaching.
The kneeling Sand ninjas dared not move, respectfully awaiting the Kazekage's further command.
After a long pause, the Kazekage turned around, his tone calm, steady, and resolutely decisive: "Recall all ninjas dispatched to the Land of Rivers! Tell Hanzō to struggle on his own—Sunagakure will not be participating any further!"
"Yes, Lord Kazekage!" the two kneeling men replied.
After the two Sand ninjas left, the Kazekage sat back down in his chair, lost in deep thought.
Creak!—
The door opened without a knock.
The Kazekage looked up, surprised at the newcomer, and greeted them with humble courtesy: "Lady Chiyo!"
"Heavy losses in the Land of Rivers, correct?" The person referred to as Lady Chiyo was, surprisingly, a woman. Her firm tone, however, carried a strength and wisdom rare even among men.
"Yes. This time, I certainly miscalculated; I did not anticipate Sarutobi's strength reaching that level. However, it's not too late to pull back our forces now," the Kazekage said, his tone remaining composed and calm as he analyzed his mistake. "As long as we gain control of that formidable supernatural power, all difficulties will vanish into thin air."
A hint of appreciation showed in Chiyo's eyes. After the Kazekage finished speaking, however, she frowned slightly and offered a quiet admonishment: "The Ninja World has gained another 'player' on the board. You shouldn't put all your hope in external power, either. Even if we manage to seal that power, the difficulty of controlling it will be immense."
The Kazekage nodded.
Chiyo silently withdrew, leaving the Kazekage alone once more, plunged into deep thought.
...
The following morning, the Hidden Leaf forces were all in high spirits and morale.
Sarutobi seemed to have sensed something, or perhaps he had his own idea, as he did not bring the group of wandering ninjas under Maeda Take. He only took the Hidden Leaf ninjas as they rushed toward the third stronghold.
Orochimaru, positioned just behind the Jōnin, followed closely behind Sarutobi. The group's speed was moderate. After running steadily for three hours, they finally reached the third stronghold, located near the northern part of the Land of Rivers and currently under the control of Hanzō of the Salamander.
The moment they emerged from the forest, the view opened up dramatically.
This was a sprawling, well-watered wetland with lush grasses and numerous water birds. A crisp, cool breeze mixed with moist air rushed toward them, bringing the rich, penetrating fragrance of various aquatic plants and wild flowers.
The sky was high and clear, the clouds pure white like snow. White water birds constantly circled high above, occasionally diving into the river to snatch a fat fish.
Two long, gently flowing turquoise rivers passed through the area, encircling a small river island a few acres in size. Houses built in the style of stilt-mounted bamboo huts stood together on this island, forming the third stronghold.
As if sensing the arrival of outsiders, a powerful, towering presence—straight and imposing—suddenly surged up from the stronghold.
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