Rushing to the East Sea

The gates of Sunagakure slowly closed behind them, temporarily shutting away the fear and hope within. Shaye led this force of fewer than a hundred men, carrying the hopes of the entire village, headlong into the endless sands.

The blazing sun hung high overhead, scorching the yellow sand as the air warped from the heat. The team rushed onward in silence, with only the sounds of footsteps, the mechanical operation of camel-beast puppets, and windblown sand pattering against ninja tools.

Shaye stood at the very front of the formation, his posture straight and tall. Though only thirteen, the trials of war and the Body Refining Furnace's relentless tempering had long since stripped away his boyish immaturity. He was not especially burly, yet his frame was exceptionally balanced and solid, radiating a restrained, hard-edged strength. Continuous battles and the grueling work at the hospital had not crushed him. Instead, under the Pocket Body Refining Furnace's gentle nourishment around the clock, his condition was steadily approaching its peak.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the power surging through his body. His Elite Jonin-level chakra was vast and mighty, flowing like a rushing river, ready to be mobilized with the slightest thought. The mysteries of Wind and Earth nature transformations, as well as shape transformation, had long been deeply etched into his mind. With a casual gesture, he could unleash the formidable power of an A-rank ninjutsu. Magnet Release was even more obedient to his will; the metal particles beneath the surrounding sands danced and resonated within his perception. And the Puppet Technique he had honed for a decade was no longer merely a skill—it had become an extension of his body and will.

This was his strength now. The defeat at Kikyō Mountain had been a humiliation for all of them, but