New Orders

Meanwhile, the Akatsuki organization's influence grew within the Land of Rain, gradually drawing the attention of its leader, Hanzo.

Subsequently, Iwagakure dispatched over a thousand ninja to attack the Land of Fire, igniting a war that would be etched into the annals of the ninja world: the Battle of Kannabi Bridge!

After the war, the ninja world lost a passionate youth who loved helping old ladies cross the street, and gained a certain ninja who enjoyed reading Icha Icha.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen sent by Kirigakure to ambush Konohagakure were annihilated. According to rumors from an unknown source, they were all wiped out by a single Konoha genin, causing a massive uproar.

Although this genin also paid the ultimate price, the various villages, after their apprehension towards Konoha escalated, were forced to re-evaluate their impression of "Konoha genin."

Kirigakure offered to pay a ransom and temporarily cease hostilities to reclaim the seven ninja swords from Konohagakure.

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However, Konohagakure responded that only four of the swords were found at the scene. The uniquely powerful Samehada and the Lightning Blade, along with the intimidating Kubikiribōchō, were nowhere to be found.

Kirigakure felt Konohagakure was treating them like fools. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen operated as a unit; how could four swords be found while the two most powerful ones were missing? This was unbelievable.

Amidst Kirigakure's outrage and the subtle machinations of an old dancer lurking underground, Rin, the chosen vessel—the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails—was prepared to be sent to Konohagakure to detonate, thus enacting revenge.

As a hand crackling with lightning pierced the young girl's chest, two bug-level Mangekyo Sharingan were born...

Iwagakure and Kumogakure's assaults on Konohagakure continued unabated, with constant overt and covert actions. The smaller nations, serving as buffers between the great powers, suffered greatly.

Konohagakure also sensed the stirring of Sunagakure.

At the border between the Flowing River Region and the Land of Fire, Sunagakure forces had been massing for days.

In the capital of the Flowing River Region, on the highlands that once housed Valley Hidden Village, rows of neat stone houses had been erected, with a towering spire piercing the clouds in the center.

From the summit of the tower, one could directly observe a similarly tall mountain peak on the opposite side. From this peak, the movements within the Flowing River Region could also be monitored.

Thus, the importance of this mountain peak was evident, and its name was Kikyo Mountain.

"Ouch, we've been stationed here for so long, why hasn't the signal to attack come from above yet?" On the highland platform, two young Sand Ninja squatted on the ground, bored.

It wasn't their shift, so they were quite relaxed.

"Sharpening your sword before battle makes it faster. You should spend your time refining more Chakra..." a long-faced man in a Sand Ninja uniform teased his companion.

"Then why don't you?" the other, a simple-looking Sand Ninja, retorted.

"I'm already this old, there's not much room for improvement in my Chakra capacity. You're different, you're several years younger than me!" The long-faced man took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Refining Chakra is too boring... I'd rather hone its nature transformation and become a Jonin soon!" The simple-looking Sand Ninja's eyes lit up with longing when he mentioned Jonin.

"Save your energy! Perfecting Chakra's nature transformation is much harder than refining it. We're just ordinary people, and we don't have any Kekkei Genkai..." the long-faced man said with a chuckle.

"That's not true. Weren't Pakura and Lord Souya also from commoner backgrounds? Lord Souya is even a few years younger than me, but when it comes to Magnet Release, he's not inferior to Lord Rasa." The simple-looking Sand Ninja argued defensively.

"That's because they possess exceptional talent. You don't..."

"Talent is important, but effort is also indispensable. Lord Souya's daily training regimen is terrifying, and his schedule is very regular!" The simple-looking man turned his gaze towards a three-story stone house next to the tall tower, his eyes filled with admiration.

"That's true. No wonder he possesses such terrifying strength at his age..." The long-faced man's face was obscured by smoke, his tone filled with a sigh, whether of admiration or melancholy.

"But life is short. For a high-risk profession like ours, especially during wartime, our lives are precarious... there's no need to work ourselves to the bone!" The long-faced man spoke, a cigarette dangling from his lips, puffing out smoke rings.

"It would be nice to get injured and recuperate in the village hospital..." The simple-looking man's tone changed slightly, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Oh? You heard about it too?"

"You mean that girl Lord Souya brought back earlier? I heard she's exceptionally beautiful and elegant, and takes meticulous care of every patient. Is it true?" the long-faced man's interest was piqued.

"Of course, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" The simple-looking man's voice grew excited.

"Really? Then I'll have to go see her when I get back to the village!" A small spark flashed at the corner of the long-faced man's mouth.

"It's about time, we need to go for our shift!" The long-faced man glanced at the sky, then stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.

"Oh, okay!" His companion quickly followed.

"It's good to have someone to chat with like this. I heard about some unlucky guy who was assigned to guard a key point alone for over ten days. He eventually started talking to plants and trees."

"What's so strange about that? The plants and trees talked back to him..."

The two walked side-by-side towards the edge of the highland.

"Lord Souya! The Kazekage has a new order!"

Inside the third-floor stone house, there was nothing but a desk and a wooden bed.

Souya, seated behind the desk, was reading the document his subordinate had just handed him. Behind him hung a map of the ninja world, with various locations marked by different colored dots.

"So, they couldn't hold back any longer?" Souya let out a sigh after reading the document, his brow furrowed.

The document contained only one piece of information: to launch an attack while Iwagakure and Kirigakure were still engaged with Konohagakure, aiming to seize a piece of fertile land on the Land of Fire's border.

Souya had previously advised the Third Kazekage against this, but it seemed that to the ambitious and greedy higher-ups, the territories of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds were too narrow.

Although resting and recuperating was the best course of action now, this reason wasn't strong enough to convince those people.

He couldn't just say that if they waited a little longer, the Nine-Tails' attack would erupt in Konohagakure, and the Yellow Flash, Konoha's great enemy, would die in that war. That would be the optimal time to attack Konohagakure