As the full-scale war between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire broke out, tensions between the Land of Wind and the Land of Water also grew more and more intense.
The Land of Wind had once been poor and backward, but after years of careful development and stockpiling resources plundered from the Land of Earth, it had become wealthy enough to make its neighbors covet it.
On top of that, old grudges between the Land of Wind and the Land of Water remained unresolved, and the pro-war faction within the Land of Water had gradually gained the upper hand.
Land of Wind, Rōran Lake.
This had once been a desolate expanse of yellow sand and ruins. But an earlier Dragon Vein disturbance had unexpectedly connected it to numerous underground waterways, turning the sinkhole into a vast natural lake.
At dawn, a layer of mist covered the lake, its hazy breath stretching over the water weeds along the shallows.
The water weeds swayed freely with the waves. A few clouds reflected on the lake drifted across the horizon, and as they shifted and changed, sunlight melted into the water, scattering a brilliant golden sheen across its surface.
Beside the lake stood a lone wooden cabin on a carpet of green grass. Though plain, it was spotlessly clean inside, clearly the home of someone who had lived there for a long time.
The blue lake was like a polished mirror, reflecting the sun's radiance.
Yet the young woman sitting in a recliner seemed untouched by its rays.
She sat quietly beneath a parasol, holding a fishing rod and staring blankly at the lake.
Suddenly,
a figure wearing a grotesque mask appeared at the young woman's right. He knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Lady Chiyo!"
"Lord Kazekage has