The night was as dark as ink.
The wind sweeping through the dense forests of the Land of Fire carried the damp chill unique to early spring.
Leaf Village's towering walls cast enormous shadows under the moonlight. Several ANBU ninja wearing animal masks lay in wait atop the walls like stone statues, their vigilant gazes constantly sweeping the surrounding forest.
Beyond the sight of ordinary people, a massive hemispherical sensory barrier covered the entire village like an inverted bowl. Faint chakra ripples flowed across its surface. Any unregistered energy form passing through this membrane would instantly trigger the sensory unit's highest-level alarm.
On an ancient tree five hundred meters from the wall.
Hyuga Xiao stood on a rough trunk, his dark gray cloak snapping in the night wind. From high above, he looked down upon the village hailed as the strongest and most prosperous in the Shinobi World.
At the heart of the village, the four faces carved into Hokage Rock looked especially imposing in the darkness. The streets were brightly lit, while the night breeze carried the greasy aroma of grilled meat and the sharp scent of cheap sake into his nostrils.
"What a peaceful façade." Xiao's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile.
"I can smell the stench of decay from this far away." Kurenai Yuhi stood half a step beside him, the silver-gray Eye of Time in her right eye glowing faintly in the darkness. In her vision, countless chaotic threads of causality coiled above Leaf Village, a web woven from power struggles, greed, and blood.
"Let's go. Before we raid Danzo's money bag, let's pay a visit to 'home' first." Xiao put heavy emphasis on the word "home," his mockery undisguised.
He stepped forward, and his body simply rose into the air.
Hong followed without the