Going to Battle

The next morning, the sun had just peeked its rosy body above the horizon.

In the Land of Rivers, some early-rising farmers had already shouldered their hoes, preparing to head out and tend the fields.

After all, beyond feeding their own families, they still needed to pay a portion of their harvest as taxes to the nation to maintain a stable life.

Otherwise, the ninja of the Land of Rivers would personally come to "collect" what was owed.

Fortunately, the taxes in the Land of Rivers weren't exorbitantly high, so while most commoners lived frugally, they were still content compared to those in war-torn nations.

Valley Hidden Village was situated atop a towering mountain in the center of the Land of Rivers, where a flat settlement had been carved out. Among the buildings stood a raised tower, fitted with a device resembling a magnified telescope.

Using this tool, nearly the entire nation could be observed. If anyone invaded, the ninja tasked with watching the telescope would sound the alarm.

Lacking sufficient personnel and the strength to set up barriers, Valley Hidden Village had no choice but to rely on this rather primitive early-warning method.

Ever since the Land of Rivers latched onto the Land of Fire's coattails, they had enjoyed a long stretch of peace, and this warning device had never once been put to use since its installation.

But today, the high tower of Valley Hidden Village suddenly blared with sharp alarm sirens. Flocks of birds roosting in the mountain forests were startled by the noise, flapping their wings and taking to the sky.

"Invasion! Invasion!"

"They're Sunagakure ninja!"

"Hurry! Send a distress signal to Konoha!"

"They've reached the foot of the mountain!"

Voices shouted continuously.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The quicker-reacting ninja had already taken advantageous positions at the mountain's edge, ready to strike down from above and block the enemy.

Some had even summoned a hawk bird on the ground. After tying a written distress note to its leg, the middle-aged ninja gently patted the hawk's body.

"Scree!"

The hawk let out a sharp cry, spread its two-meter-wide wings, and shot into the sky at an astonishing speed.

Several people gathered around the middle-aged ninja, watching the black hawk with hopeful eyes. They all knew well that their tiny village couldn't stand against one of the Five Great Nations.

Even the weakest of the Five Great Nations possessed enough strength to crush these minor countries!

They were close to Konoha. If they could hold out until Konoha's reinforcements arrived, there was still hope!

But that hope shattered in the next instant.

As the hawk soared midair, a chain of Gold Dust as thick as an arm shot up from the ground with explosive speed.

The Gold Sand wrapped around the hawk like a flexible rope, binding it crosswise.

A moment later, a figure suddenly stepped onto a cloud of Gold Cloud and rose into the air. Slung diagonally across his back was something that looked like an iron rod.

"I didn't expect you to have a Cloud Piercing Eagle as a summoning beast. Lucky for me, this one's still young, or I might not have been able to stop it!" The young man waved a single hand, and the rope binding the hawk floated before him.

The Cloud Piercing Eagle had glossy black feathers, sharp golden eyes, and a tuft of pure white plumage on its head that added to its majestic air.

It let out shrill, piercing cries, struggling violently, but the Gold Sand rope only tightened further.

The young man's voice wasn't loud, but every ninja below heard him clearly.

Their hearts clenched, and their bodies tensed. From the aura radiating from this young man, they knew this was an opponent beyond their ability to handle.

And this young man even possessed the rare ability to fly in the Ninja World!

That realization plunged them into an icy abyss. If a powerful enemy also mastered flight, it meant the thought of escape could be abandoned entirely!

Bang!

The young man's hand closed slightly into a fist, and the Gold Sand rope binding the Cloud Piercing Eagle suddenly constricted. The immense force caused the hawk's body to burst apart.

Blood, organs, and black feathers rained down from the sky.

"Surrender..."

"Or die!"

The young man stood on his Gold Cloud, floating in the air, his expression cold as he looked down at the ground. His icy voice, though not loud, reached the ears of every Valley Hidden Village ninja below.

"Everyone, don't be afraid!"

"Sunagakure is brazenly invading another nation'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 didn't receive our distress signal, they'll find out soon enough. Once Konoha sends the Yellow Flash, we'll definitely get reinforcements!"

"This is the land our ancestors have lived on for generations. We must not let outsiders take it! We'll hold our ground, defend our nation, and wipe out the invaders!"

An elderly man of clearly high status raised his arm and shouted.

"That's right!"

"The Village Chief is right!"

"There's nothing to fear from Sunagakure!"

"This is our country! How could we ever let you foreign ninja take it? Dream on!" The assembled ninja roared back.

The more aggressive among them directly flung out several kunai and shuriken, unleashing Fire Release techniques.

But these attacks clearly did not concern the young man. He lightly flicked his position a few times and easily dodged them.

"Earth Release: Rock Lodging Collapse!"

At the edge of the mountain, the Valley Hidden Village ninja who had already spotted the Sunagakure ninja took the lead in unleashing a jutsu.

The rock and earth layers surrounding the base of the mountain instantly shattered into massive boulders, crashing downward.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A male Valley Hidden ninja with a ponytail formed hand seals and spat out a fireball the size of a house from his mouth. This guy's Chakra reserves were not to be underestimated.

The blazing red fireball caught up with the falling rocks, its high heat enveloping them.

The boulders transformed into flaming rock fireballs, hurtling head-on toward the advancing Sunagakure ninja.

One Sunagakure ninja, who had just leaped upward and couldn't dodge in time, was struck directly in the abdomen. He spat out a mouthful of blood with a wah.

With a bang.

The flaming rock fireball smashed him straight to the ground. The scorching flames mercilessly licked at his body, igniting him!

"Ah! Ah!"

The Sunagakure ninja let out a bloodcurdling scream.

This gruesome death instantly ignited the fury of the Sunagakure ninja.

"Shunsuke!"

A young ninja appeared beside him with a shush.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The young ninja quickly formed hand seals, summoning a fierce gale that blew away the rocks pressing down on him. The flames atop them were also blown into a crackling roar, their intensity greatly diminished.

But when he saw the figure beneath the flaming rock fireball again, his eyes nearly split with rage!

Because the body below was already charred black, its original features unrecognizable, emitting only a stench of burnt flesh.

"Shunsuke...! I will definitely avenge you!" the young ninja gritted out through his teeth. His body trembled, and bloodshot veins surfaced in his eyes.

The emergence of hatred was this simple—it only required making someone feel pain.