Assault on Hidden Mist Village

In the depths of the night sky, the stars were dim. Only faint moonlight reflected off the sea, outlining endless ink-black waves. Above that silence and darkness, a colossal shadow silently skimmed across the ocean at a speed beyond that of any flying summoning beast, racing toward the Land of Water.

On the Gundam's left shoulder, Shaye focused completely. The Natural Energy Core operated steadily, its immense energy flowing throughout the Gundam's body as its sensory systems ran at full capacity. Changes in the air currents across dozens of nautical miles, the movements of large creatures beneath the sea, even faint chakra fluctuations from far away—all of it became clear streams of data within his consciousness. Pakura sat quietly on the Gundam's right shoulder, heat waves faintly rippling around her. Her eagle-sharp gaze was cold as she had already brought herself to peak condition.

After four hours of sustained high-speed flight, they crossed the distant sea. At last, at the edge of the Gundam's extreme-range perception, the outline of a massive island and the dense cluster of powerful chakra signatures upon it stood out like a beacon in the night.

"Target island detected. A large concentration of ninja chakra has been confirmed. This is the primary harbor and military zone." Shaye's calm voice reached Pakura's ears. "Senior Pakura, prepare for battle. Contact in thirty seconds!"

Pakura took a deep breath. The Scorch Release chakra around her grew even more active, and an orange-red glow faintly lit her frosty face. "I've been ready for a long time. Let those Hidden Mist scum have a taste of burning!"

The Gundam's enormous wings adjusted slightly, and the blue light of its vector thrusters became even more brilliant. Its speed surged once more. Like a silver meteor tearing through the night, it plunged toward