In the northwest, desolation was an eternal theme. Fierce winds swept up grit and lashed mercilessly at exposed rock, carving it into countless strange formations. The farther one ventured, the rarer greenery became. Signs of life all but vanished, and even the sky seemed veiled in a grayish-yellow haze of dust.
An elite Allied Forces reconnaissance squad moved silently through this barren land. Composed of Ling and Shino Aburame from Konoha, C from Kumogakure, Akatsuchi from Iwagakure, and Kankuro from Sunagakure, the squad covered sensory detection, tracking, defense, and puppet reconnaissance. They were the best of the best. Their destination was the area designated the highest reconnaissance priority-Annihilation Valley.
As they ventured deeper, their surroundings grew eerie. An oppressive, unnerving sensation filled the air. The flow of natural energy became chaotic and thick, as though trapped in a mire. Ling could clearly feel an invisible resistance hindering the senjutsu chakra that normally flowed like water within him. Guiding it smoothly required far more concentration here.
"The energy field here... is very abnormal," Ling said quietly. A watery gleam flickered in his azure eyes as he surveyed their surroundings warily. He discreetly gathered a thin layer of power from Water Mirror Reflecting the Heart over his eyes, trying to see through to the source of the region's chaotic energy. Through the water mirror, he no longer saw a barren landscape, but countless twisted, tangled currents of energy colliding with one another, their colors mottled and murky. A deep, viscous purple-black energy was especially active, permeating every inch of space like a spiderweb.
"Have you found anything?" C asked in a low voice. His sensory abilities were equally outstanding, but the interference here was too strong.
"The source of the energy turbulence should be deep inside the valley. And... there's a powerful