No one had expected it.
Though everything had originated in the Land of Wind, and the Cloud-Hidden Village of the Land of Lightning and Iwagakure of the Land of Earth had been the first to launch major moves.
The war erupted first in the Land of Fire.
The battle between Aramaki and one hundred Konoha elite shinobi had caused far too great a commotion.
The shinobi of the other Ninja Villages might not have discovered it immediately.
But after roughly one night, shinobi from various villages began arriving one after another to investigate, then hurriedly sent whatever intelligence they had gathered back to their respective villages.
Especially the Hidden Rain Village, which was closest to the scene.
At the same time.
Just as the undercurrents in the Shinobi World gradually burst forth following Aramaki's appearance.
Over in the Underworld.
This place the people of the Shinobi World called the Pure Land had scenery that was actually much the same as the underworlds of other worlds.
The sky was dim and murky, and clusters of dark clouds floated through the starless night sky.
Yet a faint green light, from some unknown source, filled the air and softly illuminated every corner of the place.
The temperature here, however, was not as scorching as Sea Star's Hell.
Nor was the ground covered in endless white sand like the Underworld of the Giant World.
Instead, vast stretches of soft black earth lay beneath their feet, even carrying a faint fragrance of soil.
The lush, ever-present dark forests did not feel eerie or frightening at all. Instead, they were filled with a tranquil, harmonious atmosphere.
Within these dark forests.
From above, one could see not one, but a vast cluster of wooden buildings that appeared extremely ancient by Shinobi World standards.
It was like a