Early the next morning, the sun's ruddy face had just peeked over the horizon.
Some of the early-rising farmers in the Land of Rivers had already shouldered their hoes and prepared to head out to the fields.
After all, besides providing for their own families, they also had to pay taxes to the country to maintain a peaceful life.
Otherwise, the ninjas of the Land of Rivers would come to their homes and "collect" them in person.
Fortunately, the taxes in the Land of Rivers weren't outrageously high. Though most ordinary people there lived on tight budgets, they were already quite content compared to people in countries ravaged by war.
Valley Hidden Village stood atop a tall mountain in the middle of the Land of Rivers. The terrain had been cleared into a level village, with a raised tower at its center. On top of the tower was a device resembling a magnified telescope.
With this device, they could observe nearly the entire country. If anyone invaded, the person assigned to watch through the telescope would sound the alarm.
Short on manpower and lacking the strength to establish a barrier, Valley Hidden Village had no choice but to rely on this rather primitive warning system.
Ever since they'd latched onto the Land of Fire, Valley Hidden Village had enjoyed a long stretch of peace. The warning system had never once been needed.
But today, the tower in Valley Hidden Village suddenly blared a series of piercing alarms. Flocks of birds roosting in the mountains were startled by the noise and flapped into the sky.
"Intruders! Intruders!"
"They're ninjas from Sunagakure!"
"Quick! Send a distress signal to Konoha!"
"They've reached the foot of the mountain!"
People shouted one after another.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
The quicker-acting ninjas had already taken up advantageous positions along the mountain's edge, ready to hold off the enemy from above.
Some had even summoned an eagle on the ground. After tying a written request for help to its leg, a middle-aged ninja gave the bird a gentle pat.
"Caw!"
The eagle let out a piercing cry, spread its two-meter-wide wings, and shot into the sky at astonishing speed.
Several people had gathered beside the middle-aged ninja. They watched the black eagle with hopeful expressions, all too aware that their tiny village couldn't stand against the Five Great Nations.
Even the weakest of the Five Great Nations had enough strength to crush a small country like theirs!
They were close to Konoha. If they could hold out until Konoha's reinforcements arrived, there was still hope!
But the hope in their eyes was crushed the very next moment.
Just as the eagle reached the sky, a thick chain of gold dust whipped up from the ground like a stout arm.
The gold dust moved like a nimble rope, crossing over itself as it wrapped around the eagle.
A moment later, a figure suddenly rose into the air atop a cloud of gold. A rod that looked like an iron staff was slung diagonally across his back.
"I didn't expect you to have a Cloud Piercing Eagle as a summoned beast. Good thing it's still young, or I might not have been able to stop it!" The young man raised one hand, and the rope binding the eagle floated in front of him.
The Cloud Piercing Eagle had glossy black feathers and a pair of keen, golden eyes. A tuft of snowy-white feathers on its head lent it a valiant air.
It shrieked again and again, struggling violently, but the ropes of gold dust only tightened around it.
The young man's voice wasn't loud, but the ninjas below heard every word.
Their hearts clenched, and their bodies tensed. From the aura radiating off this young man, they could tell he was beyond anything they could handle.
Worse, he had the rare ability to fly, a power seldom seen in the Ninja World!
That plunged them into despair. If a powerful enemy could also fly, then they could forget about escaping!
Crack!
The young man slightly curled his hand. The gold-dust rope around the Cloud Piercing Eagle suddenly tightened, and the immense force burst its body apart.
Blood, organs, and black feathers rained down from the sky.
"Surrender..."
"Or die!"
The young man floated in the air atop his cloud of gold, looking down at the ground with an indifferent expression. His cold voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of every ninja in Valley Hidden Village.
"Don't be afraid!"
"Sunagakure is brazenly invading another country's territory. Konoha won't stand by and do nothing. Don't forget, Konoha has the Yellow Flash!"
"With Konoha's intelligence network, even if they haven't received our distress signal, they'll discover what's happening soon. Once Konoha sends the Yellow Flash, we'll definitely be rescued!"
"This is the land our ancestors have lived on for generations. We can't let outsiders take it from us! We must hold our ground, defend our country, and wipe out the enemy!"
An elderly man of evidently high standing raised his arm and shouted.
"That's right!"
"The village chief is right!"
"There's nothing to fear from Sunagakure!"
"This is our country! Why would we hand it over to a bunch of foreign ninjas like you? Dream on!" the ninjas shouted furiously.
The more hotheaded ones hurled a few Kunai and shuriken, then unleashed Fire Release Ninjutsu.
But the young man clearly didn't consider their attacks a threat. He shifted his position slightly and dodged them with ease.
"Earth Release: Rock Lodging Collapse!"
Along the mountain's edge, the Valley Hidden Village ninjas had spotted the Sunagakure Ninja and were the first to use their techniques.
The layer of rock and earth near the mountain's base instantly fractured into huge chunks that came crashing down.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A ponytailed male ninja from Valley Hidden Village formed Hand Seals and spat out a fireball as large as a house. This guy had a considerable amount of Chakra.
The bright-red fireball caught up with the falling rocks, enveloping them in its heat.
The rocks became blazing boulders, flames licking their surfaces as they hurtled toward the advancing Sunagakure Ninja.
One of the Sunagakure Ninja had just leapt upward and couldn't dodge in time. The boulder struck him in the abdomen, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Thud!
The flaming boulder slammed him into the ground. Its scorching flames showed no mercy as they licked over his body and set him ablaze!
"Ah! Ah!"
The Sunagakure Ninja let out a bloodcurdling scream.
His gruesome death instantly ignited the Sunagakure Ninja's fury.
"Shunsuke!"
A young ninja appeared beside him in a flash.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The young ninja rapidly formed Hand Seals and summoned a powerful gale, blowing away the boulder crushing Shunsuke. The flames above it roared in the wind, but their intensity weakened considerably.
But when he saw the figure beneath the boulder again, his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets!
The body below was charred black, its original features completely unrecognizable. A foul, scorched stench wafted from it.
"Shunsuke...! I'll avenge you!" the young man snarled through clenched teeth. His body trembled, and blood vessels appeared in his eyes.
That was how easily hatred was born: all it took was for someone to feel pain...
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