As power changed hands in the Land of Night, the other nations and shinobi villages were hardly idle.
They were fairly certain that Yayoi, the General of the Land of Night, was about to retire. His absence the previous year had been understandable, but this year he had barely appeared at all. His son, Oda Doichi, had handled virtually all affairs of state.
With several powerful veterans retiring as well, a number of nations and shinobi villages grew restless. They began making small moves to test what the new general was made of.
The test revealed a far bigger problem than they had expected.
First, a formation of several dozen unidentified shinobi appeared in the northern waters of the Land of Night. They seized an island and prepared to raid passing merchant ships.
They were wiped out that very day.
The island where they had gathered was frozen solid, shinobi and all, and remained in the northern waters of the Land of Night forever.
The one responsible was, of course, Irori, the acting general. Only her Ice Release Ninjutsu could freeze a small island in so little time and crush dozens of formidable shinobi in a single stroke.
Not even the strongest shinobi of Kirigakure's Yuki Clan could have done that.
Unrest erupted along other parts of the border soon afterward, only to be suppressed at once.
A black-haired, black-eyed girl with Monster Strength.
An invisible, traceless girl called Ghost.
Wherever they went, shinobi from unknown forces who intended to sow chaos were subjected to a merciless purge. Their identities and origins did not matter. Without lawful entry documents, not one escaped alive. All were left behind in the foreign soil of the Land of Night.
Only then did the nations and shinobi villages realize that, even if some had