A howling gale swept through, kicking up a skyful of yellow sand.
The yellow dust surged like raging ocean waves, spreading in all directions and blotting out the sky.
As far as the eye could see, everything was a murky yellow. Between heaven and earth, only this withered, monotonous color remained.
Distant dunes rose and fell in endless succession, while the sky was veiled by the sandstorm, turning the once-azure heavens utterly turbid.
Yet the scorching sunlight still pierced through layers of sandy curtains, leaving searing heat upon the yellow sand below.
The entire world resembled an enormous furnace. In this barren yellow world, there was not the slightest trace of life, making it feel oppressive and stifling.
Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, had been built in precisely such a harsh desert environment.
And because of that—
Although the Land of Wind possessed the largest territory among the Five Great Nations, it was also the great nation poorest in resources and weakest in overall strength.
Most of its land consisted of desert where plants could not be cultivated, and both crops and water had to be heavily imported from abroad.
With no way to alter the Land of Wind's terrain and environment, and with the Land of Wind's daimyo unwilling to offer aid—
Rasa, as Kazekage, even had to personally mine Gold Dust in the desert to earn funds.
That was why, after confirming that Konoha had been attacked, Rasa had been the first to step forward and declare war.
Likewise, after experiments revealed that the Gelel Stone actually possessed the ability to alter the environment—
Rasa immediately ordered that fellow named Hyde to be captured and brought back.
The organization Hyde had established was likewise personally annihilated by Rasa.
The cause of the matter was rather