The Unlucky Cloud Ninja

"So much free time!"

Lying sprawled on the roof, Shuyuan, who had been feeling cooped up for days after several days of snow, was finally basking in the sun.

"Sasuke, Naruto, haven't you had any missions lately?"

"No, the roads are blocked by heavy snow. Even nobles don't go out. Even the most money-loving merchants dare not travel at this time; people will die. Speaking of which, this year's snowfall is particularly heavy. Dozens of houses in the village have collapsed under the weight of the snow. Father and the others are extremely busy right now; the Police Force has almost become snow-clearing experts."

Sasuke lay on Shuyuan's right side, with a thick wool blanket beneath him. The snow on the roof had been cleared away, so apart from the strong wind, he was quite comfortable.

"My dad's been working overtime for two days in a row lately. Not only are the police shoveling snow, but the Root Police Force are also busy rescuing people from collapsed houses. I said I wanted to help, but my mom scolded me and told me not to cause trouble. It made me so angry."

Naruto gets angry just thinking about it. He's been a ninja for a long time, but his mom still treats him like a child and scolds him.

Shuyuan scratched her face, feeling bored and wondering what to do.

After the heavy snowfall, the village's workload immediately decreased by more than 80%, and many people began to stay at home to hibernate.

However, hibernation is a hobby of middle-aged and elderly people. The young people who have just become ninjas are at the peak of their passion and cannot stand staying in the village for a long time without going out.

Having seen a much wider world, they could no longer confine themselves to the narrow sky of Konoha.

At least until I get tired of it, I can't go back to the well-behaved life of my student days.

Unlike the leisurely atmosphere of Konoha, the atmosphere in Kumogakure was exceptionally tense.

Dark, inky clouds hung over the village for a long time, and the blizzard had already submerged the streets. If this continued, some of the low-lying houses would be buried by the snow.

"What the hell is going on?"

Ai was extremely irritable, and the anger in his heart was almost consuming his reason.

The recent string of man-made disasters has already driven him mad, and now natural disasters are piling up on top of that; he's truly had the worst luck imaginable.

Standing by the huge floor-to-ceiling window, watching the snowflakes, each the size of a palm leaf fan, swirling up and hitting the windowpane, a chill suddenly ran through me.

It started snowing at midnight, and in just half a night, the mountains were all white. The misty snow covered the sky and the sun. If this continued, the entire village would be buried by tomorrow.

Shortly after the snow began last night, the Cloud Ninja noticed the heavy snowfall approaching. Ai acted decisively, dispatching a large number of people to clear the snow from the streets and rescue the villagers.

However, even though Kumogakure is located high in the mountains, and all that is needed is to push the snow down the cliff without any extra effort, it is still somewhat powerless against the mighty forces of nature.

The snowstorm was so severe that even ninjas could hardly move freely. Moreover, using Ninjutsu to clear the snow consumed a great deal of Chakra, so they had to take turns every half hour to keep up with the snow-clearing work. Otherwise, the village would have been buried by snow before dawn.

However, this only buys time, and can only delay until tomorrow. If the blizzard continues, the Kumogakure will be buried by the snow.

"Damn it! There's something wrong, definitely something wrong. In the sixty years since the village was founded, there has never been such heavy snow. Even during the Warring States period, although there were a few records of heavy snow, it was never this exaggerated!" Veins bulged on Ai's forehead like small snakes, his anger rising to the extreme, but he had nowhere to vent it.

"Lord Raikage, Lord Hiei has sent word that this heavy snowfall is a man-made disaster, not a natural one, and he has found the source."

The messenger, Cloud Ninja, stumbled into the office, his face pale with cold and his hands and feet trembling.

"Man-made disaster?"

The roar was low and suppressed; in an instant, Ai appeared in front of the messenger Cloud Ninja.

"Tell me, who's behind this?"

"Their identity is still unknown. Lord Xi, with his sensory unit, is still tracking the enemy's trail, heading northwest. He ordered me to inform you that this enemy is definitely not simple, very..."

"Crack!"

Before the messenger could finish speaking, the Cloud Ninja began to speak.

Ai shattered the windowpane and leaped into the blizzard. The biting wind, mixed with frost and snow, poured in through the hole, roaring like a bull. Snow-white papers and snowflakes swirled and danced in the office.

The poor ninja who came to deliver the message had finally managed to brave the wind and snow to get back, but before he could even warm up in the room, the sudden blizzard made his nose and eyes water again.

Braving the howling wind and snow, Ai raced wildly toward the northwest.

Stepping on the ankle-deep snow on the rooftops, and watching the Cloud Ninja working tirelessly to clear the snow from the streets, Ai's eyes grew increasingly filled with murderous intent.

Twenty kilometers northwest of Kumogakure.

This area has already escaped the blizzard's reach, with only fine snowflakes drifting slowly in the cold wind.

On the summit of a solitary peak, a man with black hair and red eyes sat beneath a towering tree, his eyes half-open and half-closed, a three-pointed star slowly rotating in his right eye, his face slightly bluish, and he was wrapped in thick winter clothes like a bear.

"Brother Zen, the Cloud Ninja are here."

"I've noticed it. Leave it to me. Just make sure the blizzard doesn't stop."

"Don't worry, the blizzard has already taken hold, and we don't need to do what we did at the beginning."

Senju Zen on a tree, gazing down the mountain, taking in all the Cloud Ninja running along the mountain path with his Rinnegan.

"Finally found them? The Cloud Ninja are really no good! They can't compare to Konoha. It took them so long to find them. I was worried for them." Senju Zen said, shaking his head.

"Brother Zen, Konoha is now the leader among the Five Great Ninja Villages, having long since left Cloud Ninja and Sunagakure behind. When it comes to sensory techniques, the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan and the Uzumaki Clan's Mind's Eye of the Kagura are the best in the Shinobi World. Cloud Ninja doesn't have such a foundation," Uchiha Genso said confidently.

"Indeed, among the Five Great Ninja Villages, Konoha is the most blessed, possessing two of the Three Great Dōjutsu and the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai!"

Senju Zen remained seated on the tree, chatting peacefully with Uchiha Genso.

Halfway up the mountain.

The Cloud Ninja stopped and stood still, staring in astonishment at the burly figure blocking their way.

"Third Hokage- sama!?"

Xi's eyes widened in shock, and the Cloud Ninja behind him were also in an uproar, their limbs stiffening for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"You scoundrel, how dare you desecrate the remains of the Third Hokage Generation Lord!"

Xi was a smart man after all, and he quickly suppressed his grief and anger. He understood that since the body of the Third Hokage Raikage had appeared here, the strange blizzard must be related to the two missing-nin of Konoha.

"Cloud Ninja, hand over the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, or a blizzard will engulf your village."

The Asura Path spoke, its voice identical to that of the Third Raikage in his previous life, only far too flat and devoid of emotion, sounding more like a machine than a human. (To be continued)