"Fwee-fwee-whoosh-whoosh-toot-toot-"
Shihōin Naraku leaned against a mountain rock scorched hot by the flames, his feet resting on rubble and pale ash as he whistled leisurely.
He sat alone on the battlefield that resembled a ruin, his leisurely whistling echoing through the peaceful, tranquil surroundings.
Slaughter, battle, blood-it all seemed to have ceased to exist...
The flames still burning atop the mountain danced ever more merrily, as though keeping time with some rhythm, beautiful and free.
But that ease did not last long. The Cloud Ninja squads at the foot of the mountain began assembling again, climbing the winding path Naraku had deliberately left open.
As the enemies approached step by step, Naraku paid them no mind and continued whistling leisurely.
The whistling accompanied the Sea of Fire as clusters of firelight flickered and swayed.
The Cloud Ninja squad's battle cries rapidly drew nearer, but just as they were about to charge onto the summit, they suddenly stopped.
"Where is everyone?"
"Where did the enemy go?"
"What's going on?"
No Ninjutsu attacked them, and no hidden weapons came flying. The Cloud Ninja squad froze in place.
Wasn't all this going a little too smoothly?
The flames in the Sea of Fire on either side of the path swayed, and everything around them was utterly calm.
The abnormal sight left the Cloud Ninja squad somewhat at a loss.
Keep charging?
Or retreat?
The Cloud Ninja Leader immediately motioned for his subordinates to notify the other squads not to come up yet.
The main Cloud Ninja force at the foot of the mountain also noticed something was wrong and immediately called the Fourth Raikage over.
"Why is it so quiet? There's not a single sound of fighting."
The Raikage immediately noticed several squads of Ninja retreating down the mountain. Only the squad that