One day later.
On a barren stretch of the Gobi at the border of the Land of Wind.
Lin Ze appeared atop a sand dune, wearing the White Tiger Mask and holding a mission scroll.
"Eliminate a band of Sunagakure missing-nin. Their leader is one of Pakura's former subordinates..." Lin Ze skimmed the mission details. "Heh, don't tell me Sunagakure's own leadership posted this commission?"
Eliminating political enemies, using someone else to do the killing-such things were all too common in the Shinobi World.
But it did not matter.
He put away the scroll, then turned into a streak of light and sped deeper into the Gobi.
"Let's make this quick."
A cold glint flashed through Lin Ze's eyes.
Meanwhile.
At the edge of a dense forest outside Dragon Release Village.
A figure appeared soundlessly among the shadows of the trees. It was Hiruko.
He had used a Stealth Talisman to suppress his presence almost completely, blending into his surroundings.
"So this is Dragon Release Village..."
Hiruko narrowed his eyes, gazing at the newly built village from afar.
The streets were tidy and the houses neatly arranged. Beneath its apparent peace lay a faint, inviolable majesty. His gaze swept over the ninja patrolling the entrance, then turned toward the Dragon Shadow Building, the tallest structure in the village center.
"Security isn't particularly tight, but..."
Hiruko remained wary.
Lin Ze's reputation was too formidable for him to let his guard down in the slightest.
After less than three minutes of observation, he was about to move to another position-
Suddenly, a vast, icy sensory presence swept across the entire area!
Hiruko's heart lurched. He immediately held his breath and focused, pushing the Stealth Talisman's effect to its limit.
At that moment, in a cavern deep beneath the Dragon Shadow Building