"This is it!" Sōmi shouted.
They had flown to a position slightly to the right above Hell Valley.
Sōmi gazed at the semi-transparent barrier shell before him. After probing it briefly, he could sense that this must be the barrier's node.
"Should we break it open directly?" Scorpion asked.
A ball of blue Chakra rose from Sōmi's fingertip as he lightly touched the node, causing faint ripples to spread across its surface.
"It won't be that simple. This barrier is incredibly strong—the sealing skills of the person who set it up are leagues above mine!" Sōmi frowned, deep in thought.
"Let's try a barrier-breaking technique first..." Sōmi formed hand seals, drawing black runes in the air. These runes intertwined and spread outward, attaching themselves to the barrier.
Crack... crack...
The runes clung to the barrier like leeches, greedily draining its power.
"It seems this barrier wasn't set up by the ninjas of Hoshigakure; otherwise, someone would be maintaining it," Sōmi remarked, sensing the barrier's strength gradually weakening.
After a while, the barrier node in front of Sōmi was covered with cracks, as if it could be shattered with a single strike.
"Not bad... but this last layer of runes is incredibly resilient. The node is connected to the entire barrier, so breaking a single node means destroying the entire structure."
Sōmi rubbed his chin. With his current level of sealing expertise, this was as much as he could weaken the node. Silently removing the entire barrier was beyond his capabilities for now.
"Scorpion, let's use brute force!"
Sōmi clenched his right hand as a stream of solidified gold sand flew out from the end of the golden staff on his back, gathering in his palm.
In no time, Sōmi was holding a two-meter-long golden spear. Its sharp tip gleamed menacingly, exuding an intimidating aura.
Scorpion stepped beside the spear, placing his hands on it. A layer of pale yellow Chakra began to coat its surface, dense and flowing like fine wind blades. The Chakra formed delicate wind patterns that spiraled along the spear.
Although Scorpion was a puppet master, his mastery of wind-natured Chakra transformation far surpassed that of ordinary ninjas.
Sōmi maneuvered the golden cloud to a position several dozen meters away. Raising the long spear high, he stood ready as the gentle breeze seemed to be drawn toward the wind patterns on the spear's surface.
The muscles on Sōmi's arm bulged as he hurled the spear with tremendous force toward the node.
Boom!
A massive shockwave rippled outward as the golden spear pierced straight into the node.
Crack! Crack!
The intricate web of cracks on the node could no longer withstand the immense force. The spearhead penetrated the node, and the cracks rapidly spread across the barrier.
Bang!
Like a shattered porcelain bowl flipped upside down over Hell Valley, the barrier—after countless years of standing—was finally broken by these uninvited guests.
The collapsing barrier scattered countless semi-transparent light particles into the air, reflecting dazzling colors under the sunlight.
The golden spear, its power not yet spent, pierced deep into the soil within the barrier, disappearing from sight.
"Not bad at all!" Sōmi was quite satisfied with the power of their combined strike. However, he knew that in actual combat against strong opponents, there would rarely be an opportunity to use such a technique.
After all, against enemies at the Jōnin level or higher, their reflexes wouldn't be slow. Without thoroughly restraining the target first, the accuracy of this move would be far from reliable.
"Who's there?!"
As Sōmi and Scorpion leisurely hovered over Hell Valley, surveying this isolated land, a sharp shout suddenly rang out.
The speaker was a young male ninja with black hair, wearing a forehead protector shaped like a star. He had been patrolling near the barrier's edge and, upon sensing its destruction, quickly rushed over.
Behind him, a pair of faint purple Chakra wings flapped continuously, granting him the ability to fly.
As he formed a hand seal, the wing-like Chakra behind him transformed into the shape of a ferocious beast, snarling and clawing menacingly.
"Oh? Interesting..." Scorpion's eyes lit up. This entirely unfamiliar Chakra system piqued his curiosity—a reaction that was rarely a good sign for others.
"Firefly Star!"
While the male ninja confronted Sōmi and Scorpion, another figure approached swiftly from the distance. It was a young female ninja with strikingly beautiful features and an elegant demeanor, her hair a vivid shade of reddish-purple.
"Summer Star! Why are you here? These two managed to break through the barrier and enter our village—they must be incredibly powerful..." Firefly Star quickly explained to her.
"You don't need to worry. I once read in a ninja world chronicle that your village possesses a peculiar star that fell from the heavens many years ago," Sōmi said, his voice calm as he hovered above them on the golden cloud, speaking with an air of authority.
"I'm very interested in it. I'd like to borrow the star for research and, of course, I'll provide your village with financial compensation. Would you agree to this?"
Both Sōmi and Scorpion were wearing gas masks, obscuring their expressions. However, the aura they exuded made it clear they were not to be trifled with.
Firefly Star's face was filled with apprehension. After all, this uninvited guest also possessed the ability to fly—a rare skill in the ninja world. He recalled hearing from the village elders that individuals capable of flight were exceedingly uncommon.
The ninjas of Hoshigakure cultivated a unique purple-tinged Chakra, entirely distinct from other systems of Chakra training.
The ancestor who developed the Mysterious Peacock Method to harness this Chakra was so arrogant that they even entertained the idea of renaming the village "Hidden Star."
However, over time, the ninjas of Hoshigakure discovered significant risks in this training system.
Drawing Chakra from the star placed immense strain on the body, causing not only increasing pain during cultivation but also bringing practitioners closer to death with each step of mastery.
As one star ninja after another died in agony, a faction advocating for the abolition of this training method emerged within the village.
Firefly Star and Summer Star exchanged glances, both showing hints of surprise in their eyes.
...
"You really only want to take the star?"
The graceful Summer Star asked earnestly.
The four of them now stood atop a hill, beside a clear stream that flowed downward with a soft gurgling sound.
The ground was covered with vibrant green grass, dotted with delicate pink wildflowers peeking out shyly. Below the hill, the plains were filled with lush crops, tended diligently by farmers bent over their work.
No outsider would ever imagine that this area, renowned for the infamous "Hell Valley," could hide such an idyllic paradise.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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