The night breeze swept past.
In Sunagakure, amid the ruins of the Night Sand Clan.
Hoshino stood at the center of the ruins and slowly removed his mask, revealing a delicate, handsome face.
After tonight, the faction built around him would officially step onto Sunagakure's stage of power.
And for it to grow in Sunagakure, the presence of powerful fighters was indispensable.
Just as the Kazekage's faction had Rasa and the elders' faction had Grandma Chiyo, both of them Kage Level.
Even if Rasa's title of Kazekage was undeserved, and even if Grandma Chiyo rarely involved herself in affairs, those two were the pillars holding up the village's two largest factions.
Thus, this operation.
Besides helping Hizuki collect a little interest from the Red Sand Clan.
There was another reason: to let all the powers in the village know that a third Kage Level had appeared in Sunagakure.
That was also why Hoshino had taken off his mask.
Hizuki turned her head slightly to look at Hoshino's profile, a flicker of complicated emotion passing through her eyes.
The wind swept up sand and dust, blowing past the two of them.
Hoshino stepped forward. The Spirit Control Beads became twelve streaks of light, and a vast amount of Tailed Beast Chakra enveloped his body.
An overwhelming pressure erupted above Sunagakure.
"Are you ready?" Hoshino turned to ask Hizuki.
Hizuki nodded resolutely. "Let's go."
The corners of Hoshino's mouth rose slightly. He gave a gentle wave of his right hand, and the power of Magnet Release erupted in an instant.
Under his control, the surrounding sand and dust swiftly gathered into an enormous wave of sand, carrying them both straight into the sky.
The night wind howled in their ears, and moonlight spilled over the sand wave, casting a silvery glow.
Hoshino stood atop the sand wave, the Spirit Control Beads circling him, his earthy yellow Chakra shining brilliantly against the night.
Hizuki stood behind him, her cloak billowing in the wind and her gaze ice-cold on the disfigured half of her face.
Like a meteor, the two figures tore across the night sky, speeding toward the northern part of the village.
Beneath Sunagakure's night sky.
Countless villagers and ninja looked up, their eyes filled with shock.
"Tailed Beast Chakra! Has the One-Tail gone berserk again?"
"No, that's not the One-Tail! That person... I don't think I recognize him. Is he from our village?"
"I know him. He created the Spirit Puppet Series, but isn't he only nine? How can he be so strong?"
"That direction... it's the Red Sand Clan, damn it!"
"..."
Meanwhile, at the Kazekage Building.
Rasa, who had just returned to his office, stood by the window, staring at the earthy yellow light streaking across the night sky, his brows slightly furrowed.
Vast Chakra fluctuations gathered above the village, and sand and dust blotted out the sky as they surged toward the north, weighing down the air throughout the village.
Hoshino's figure was like a brilliant meteor in the night sky, shooting straight toward the Red Sand Clan with an unstoppable bearing.
"This Chakra... is he using Shukaku's power? But it doesn't seem to be all of it..."
"Nine years old... Kage Level... he hid it well!" A flicker of complicated emotion passed through Rasa's eyes.
The child Grandma Chiyo had adopted had actually grown to this extent in such a short time.
Did that make any sense?!
"Lord Kazekage, should we send someone to stop him?" an Anbu Ninja asked quietly, kneeling on one knee.
"I'll go myself!" Rasa was silent for a moment before saying, "It wouldn't hurt to teach the Red Sand Clan a lesson."
A puppet clan that controlled so many of the village's resources ought to be given a good warning.
After all, although Sasori of the Red Sands bore the title of "Red Sands," he did not belong to the Red Sand Clan.
His title came from the combination of his red hair and Sunagakure.
Yet some people always thought Sasori came from the Red Sand Clan, raising the clan's already enormous prestige to even greater heights.
It was time they came to their senses.
Rasa's figure vanished from the Kazekage Building's window in an instant. Golden Gold Dust flowed around him, turning into a golden streak of light that sped toward Hoshino and Hizuki.
Meanwhile, inside the Red Sand Clan's compound.
Akasuna Retsu, the Red Sand Clan's patriarch, stood at the highest point of the clan grounds, gazing gravely at the sand and dust blotting out the distant sky.
"Patriarch, that Chakra... it's coming for us!"
A Red Sand Clan ninja rushed to Akasuna Retsu's side, a hint of panic in his voice.
"Hoshino... that brat Chiyo adopted actually has this kind of strength?" Akasuna Retsu murmured.
He had heard Hoshino's name long ago.
After all, the Spirit Puppet Series had caused quite a stir in the village.
But he had never imagined.
That this boy of only nine could unleash such powerful Chakra fluctuations.
"Patriarch, what should we do?" the ninja asked anxiously.
"What are you panicking for? He's just a brat. Even if he has some strength, do you think he can shake our Red Sand Clan?"
Akasuna Retsu snorted, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Pass down the order. All clan members are to assume battle readiness and prepare to meet the enemy!"
"Yes!" The ninja hurried off to relay the order.
Akasuna Retsu stood on high, gazing coldly into the distance.
"Hoshino... since you've come to my door of your own accord, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
In the night sky.
Hoshino stood atop the sand wave, looking coldly down at the Red Sand Clan's compound below.
"Hizuki, one minute. I'll give you one minute! If you haven't killed the Red Sand Clan's patriarch by then, I'll take over immediately."
Hizuki kept her eyes fixed on Akasuna Retsu. "Understood," she said coldly.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"
With Hoshino's low shout.
The surrounding sand and dust instantly condensed into countless tiny grains of Iron Sand, pouring down on the Red Sand Clan's compound like a torrential rain.
Inside the compound, countless ninja looked up at the sky, their eyes filled with terror.
"What's that?!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Defend! Hurry, defend!"
The Red Sand Clan's ninja unleashed Ninjutsu one after another, trying to hold back the Iron Sand grains that filled the sky.
But the grains moved with incredible speed, piercing their defenses almost instantly and shrouding the entire compound in sand and dust.
"Aah!!!"
Screams rose and fell.
The Red Sand Clan's ninja fell one after another beneath the assault of Iron Sand grains, their blood staining the ground red.
"The Red Sand Clan... is that all?"
Hoshino stood atop the sand wave, looking coldly down at the chaos below.
"Hoshino!!! How dare you act so outrageously!"
Akasuna Retsu stood on high, his eyes filled with rage and shock.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
An enormous whirlwind burst from his mouth and rushed straight toward Hoshino.
Hoshino sneered and waved one hand. The Iron Sand grains instantly formed a massive wall of sand, blocking the whirlwind.
"Akasuna Retsu, your Wind Release... isn't much to look at!"
Akasuna Retsu's expression turned extremely ugly. This strength was somewhat beyond his expectations.
"Everyone, attack with all your might! Kill Hoshino at all costs!"