Stars and moon hung high in the sky, pure moonlight spilling over the earth alongside scattered starlight.
Nights in the Land of Earth were very cold. The frigid wind swept loose stones across the open ground with faint rattles before they struck Iwagakure's walls and came to a stop. In a corner northeast of the village, the ordinary people who transported supplies during the day rested here. Naturally, the Iwagakure shinobi had not arranged especially nice accommodations for them, though the place was not bad either. Around seven or eight people lay on earthen beds in a large room, loud snores sounding out from time to time
, mingling with the murmurs of the deep night to form part of the nocturnal scene. At around three in the morning, when people were at their sleepiest, two people in the room suddenly opened their eyes and silently sat up. Almost the instant they rose, one of them formed hand seals with both hands, chakra spreading out. The room fell silent for a moment, but everything immediately returned to normal
.
"Alright, they've fallen completely asleep. They won't wake up even if lightning strikes them," one of them said in a valiant female voice.
The other leaped straight off the bed. As she raised one hand, white smoke appeared and transformed directly into a sweet, adorable young girl.
"Whew, using the Transformation Jutsu all the way here nearly suffocated me. Everything felt awkward, but now I can finally relax a little." The younger sister, Xing Ruyu, smiled and mischievously waved her arms twice. Over there, white smoke likewise flashed, revealing the elder sister's true appearance. She took out a map from the ninja pack on her back and unfolded it, saying solemnly, "Stop acting cute and get ready to move. We don't