It was midnight.
Beyond the eastern border of the Land of Fire.
This was the territory of the Land of Fields, a small, impoverished country.
Otogakure was a newly established ninja village officially recognized and legitimized by the Daimyo of the Land of Fields.
Perhaps this new hidden village had been founded too hastily, for there were few conspicuous buildings aboveground.
Viewed from high above, however, the area revealed several entrances to unfathomably deep caves. They resembled underground abysses, like earth dragons with their bodies buried beneath the soil, silently devouring all life around them.
Inside the earth dragons' mouths, pitch-black, gloomy, damp corridors branched in every direction, stretching endlessly into the depths like passages leading straight to the underworld.
Farther in, pinpricks of torchlight gradually appeared along the dark corridors, revealing distinct decorative patterns on the walls. Apparently, the master of this place was also a refined soul of lofty tastes.
One stone chamber had a torch beside its entrance.
Most of its furnishings were made of stone, with only the bed crafted from wood.
At that moment, a stunning beauty with curly hair lay on the bed, his figure graceful and his seductive air as dangerous as a snake or scorpion. ─=≡Σ(((つ•̀ω•́)つ
Whether from exhausting work or overexertion, even with his eyes closed in sleep, a weakness that seemed to come from his very soul showed on his alluring face.
Apart from the occasional crackle of the torch outside the door, everything in the stone chamber was quiet.
Suddenly, something seemed to materialize out of thin air above the silent chamber.
A white Origami Crane appeared directly in the sleeping beauty's hand.
As though controlled by someone, the white Origami Crane slowly unfolded on its own after landing in his hand.
The letter contained a short message: Aunt