The tides of the ninja world were ever-changing. Iwagakure and Konohagakure were locked in fierce combat within the Land of Rain, leaving the civilians of that land to suffer the devastating consequences of war.
Meanwhile, the influence of the Akatsuki organization within the Land of Rain continued to grow, eventually catching the attention of the country's leader, Hanzo.
In the midst of this, Iwagakure escalated tensions further by dispatching over a thousand ninja to attack the Land of Fire, sparking a battle that would be etched into the annals of ninja history: the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
After the war, the ninja world lost a passionate young man who once helped old ladies cross the street. In his place emerged the Copy Ninja, a man with a penchant for reading Icha Icha Paradise.
Elsewhere, Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist launched a surprise attack on Konohagakure, only to suffer a complete defeat. According to rumors from unknown sources, they were wiped out by a single Genin from Konoha, causing a massive uproar.
Although this Genin paid the ultimate price with his life, the incident elevated the other villages' wariness of Konoha by several notches and forever changed their perception of "Konoha Genin."
Kirigakure, in light of this humiliation, offered to pay reparations and temporarily cease hostilities in exchange for the return of the seven swords.
However, according to Konoha's response, only four of the swords were recovered from the battlefield. The more powerful and unique weapons—Samehada, the Thunder Swords, and the intimidating Executioner's Blade—were nowhere to be found.
Kirigakure felt as though Konoha was mocking them. After all, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen operated as a unit. To recover four swords while the most powerful three were missing seemed highly suspicious.
Amid Kirigakure's growing outrage, and with some deliberate manipulation by an elderly dancer hiding beneath the earth, Rin—the chosen girl—was prepared as the Jinchūriki for the Three-Tails. She was to be sent to Konoha and detonated in an act of vengeance.
When a lightning-clad hand pierced the young girl's chest, two bug-level Mangekyō Sharingan were born...
Iwagakure and Kumogakure's assaults on Konoha showed no signs of abating, their actions both overt and covert. The smaller nations serving as buffer zones between the great powers suffered greatly as a result.
Konoha, meanwhile, also noticed the restless stirrings of Sunagakure.
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Ryukawa District, Sunagakure's forces had been stationed for several days.
In the capital of Ryukawa District, once the highlands of the former Hidden Valley Village, rows of neatly arranged stone houses now stood. At the center, a towering spire pierced the clouds.
From the top of this tower, one could see a similarly tall mountain peak on the opposite side. This peak offered a clear vantage point over the movements within Ryukawa District, underscoring its strategic importance.
This mountain was known as Kikyo Mountain.
"Ugh, we've been stationed here for so long. Why hasn't the higher-up given the signal to attack yet?" On the highland platform, two young Sunagakure ninja sat idly, clearly bored.
It wasn't their turn to stand watch, so they appeared relaxed.
"Sharpen your blade before battle, even if it won't cut faster. You should spend your time refining your Chakra instead," teased a long-faced man in standard Sunagakure attire.
"Why don't you go then?" retorted his stocky companion.
"I'm too old for that. My Chakra reserves aren't going to improve much anymore. You're younger than me by several years!" The long-faced man lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag with a look of satisfaction.
"Refining Chakra is so dull... I'd rather work on mastering Chakra nature transformation and become a Jōnin sooner!" The stocky ninja's face lit up with yearning at the mention of becoming a Jōnin.
"Save your energy! Chakra nature transformation is way harder than just refining Chakra. We're ordinary folks without any Kekkei Genkai," the long-faced man chuckled.
"That's not true! Pakura and Lord Sōmi were both born as commoners, weren't they? Lord Sōmi is even younger than me, but when it comes to Magnet Release, he's practically on par with Lord Rasa!" The stocky ninja defended passionately.
"That's because they have extraordinary talent. You don't..."
"Talent is important, sure, but hard work is just as essential. Lord Sōmi's daily training regimen is terrifyingly intense, and he keeps a strict routine!" The stocky ninja turned his gaze toward a three-story stone building near the tower, his eyes filled with admiration.
"That's true. No wonder he's so powerful at such a young age..." The long-faced man's expression, shrouded in smoke, carried a mix of awe and lament.
"But life is short. For us ninja, especially during wartime, our lives are constantly at risk. There's no need to push ourselves so hard!" The long-faced man puffed out a cloud of smoke as he spoke.
"Getting injured and recovering at the village hospital wouldn't be the worst thing..." The stocky ninja's tone suddenly took on a peculiar note, as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh? You've heard about it too?"
"It's about that girl Lord Sōmi brought back, right? They say she's incredibly beautiful, graceful, and takes meticulous care of every patient. Is it true?" The long-faced man grew curious.
"Of course it's true! I saw her with my own eyes!" The stocky ninja replied excitedly.
"Really? Then I'll have to check it out when I get back to the village!" A small spark lit up at the tip of the long-faced man's cigarette.
"Looks like it's about time for our shift!" The long-faced man glanced at the sky, stood up, and dusted off his pants.
"Alright, let's go!" His companion quickly followed suit.
"Having a partner to chat with like this is nice. I heard there was a poor guy assigned to guard a critical point all by himself for over ten days. By the end, he started talking to plants and trees."
"Talking to plants? That's nothing. Wait till the plants start talking back..."
The two walked side by side toward the edge of the highland.
...
"Lord Sōmi! Lord Kazekage has issued new orders!"
Inside the three-story stone building, the room was sparsely furnished with only a desk and a wooden bed.
Sōmi sat behind the desk, reviewing a document handed to him by a subordinate. Behind him hung a map of the ninja world, marked with various colored dots.
"So, they couldn't hold back any longer?" Sōmi exhaled deeply, a slight frown on his face.
The document contained a single directive: to launch an attack while Iwagakure and Kirigakure were still engaged with Konoha, with the aim of seizing fertile land along the Land of Fire's border.
Sōmi had previously advised the Third Kazekage against such a move. However, to the ambitious Kazekage and his equally greedy council, the territories of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds were simply too small.
Although Sōmi believed that a period of rest and recovery would be the wisest course of action, this reasoning failed to convince those in power.
After all, he couldn't exactly tell them to wait a bit longer for the Nine-Tails incident to erupt in Konoha. When that chaos unfolded, the Yellow Flash of Konoha would perish in the conflict, making it the perfect time for Sunagakure to strike...
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