Land of Wind.
Temporary Camp.
This was a small temporary camp with just over two hundred soldiers stationed here. Their mission was to harass the Land of Fire's border and keep a close watch on Konoha's movements.
Since the disappearance of Konoha's Silver Flash, and the rise of The Yellow Flash, whose fearsome reputation shook the ninja world, the major villages had all but slowed their offensives against Konoha. None dared to launch large-scale wars anymore.
Because every village's leader knew very well: a ninja like Namikaze Minato, once unleashed on a full battlefield, was an overwhelmingly deadly force.
Small-scale skirmishes were the only way to wear down the enemy.
….
Inside a certain tent, Saburō Yukikazu, an elite Jōnin of Sunagakure and the leader of this camp, was deeply troubled.
A twenty-man reconnaissance team sent into the Land of Fire had gone silent a month ago. No word had come back. They were presumed defeated by Konoha's ninjas.
Then, half a month ago, another ten-man squad sent to capture Rōran and turn it into a forward base had also disappeared.
Now, Yukikazu was at a loss. He even suspected that Konoha had already taken Rōran. After much hesitation, he had dispatched a scout team to investigate.
"Why haven't they returned yet…" Yukikazu slammed his fist on the table, frustration mounting.
The scout team's mission was simple: observe and gather intelligence on Rōran and the previous squad, then return immediately. By this time, they should have been back.
"Damn it!" Yukikazu cursed aloud.
But his frustration was not aimed at the scout team. It was directed at Konoha.
The Third Kazekage had once been their strongest leader; under his command, Sunagakure feared no other. Yet he had mysteriously vanished, suspected to have been eliminated by Konoha.
The subsequent war against Konoha had ended in defeat thanks to Konoha's rise of a monstrous ninja known as the Silver Flash.
Then, just when they thought the worst was over, the Silver Flash suddenly disappeared, presumed dead, Sunagakure tried to strike again.
But the shadows of Namikaze Minato, who had long been concealed behind the Silver Flash's brilliance, erupted in several terrifying battles, causing heavy losses to Sunagakure.
And now, the rise of The Yellow Flash was even more frightening, not a sudden burst of power but a steady accumulation of staggering achievements, previously overshadowed by the Silver Flash's terrifying record.
If the Silver Flash and Yellow Flash had been active simultaneously, which village could possibly stand against those two legends?
Luckily, the Silver Flash was dead, otherwise, Yukikazu wouldn't be able to sleep at night, fearing a fatal assassination within the camp.
….
Just then, a figure burst into the tent.
As if running nonstop, the ninja stumbled in, barely able to stand, panting heavily:
"Yukikazu-sama… urgent… situation…"
Recognizing the scout as one of the men sent to Rōran, Yukikazu frowned.
This was surely bad news.
"What kind of bad news could make you this panicked? Don't tell me the Silver Flash has come back to life?!" Yukikazu snapped.
"Yes… yes…" The scout struggled to catch his breath, looking at Yukikazu. "You… you already know?"
Yukikazu was momentarily stunned.
He blinked, then quickly grabbed the scout's collar and pulled him up sharply:
"What did you say?!"
"We… we encountered the Silver Flash in Rōran… I'm the only survivor… the previous squads have probably…"
Thud!
Yukikazu released him, letting the ninja collapse back to the ground.
His mind replayed a terrifying image, the battlefield moment when Kaede had slain Chiyo.
A darkness of fear spread through his heart, swallowing him whole. His body trembled as terror filled his eyes.
The Silver Flash… that ninja was still alive?!
"Report to the Kazekage immediately… get word to the Kazekage at once!"
News of the Silver Flash's return quickly spread throughout the camp, sending shock and dread rippling among Sunagakure soldiers.
Though he had vanished for two years, the horrors linked to the Silver Flash were far from forgotten.
That day, Sunagakure was gripped again by the nightmare of the Silver Flash's reign of terror.
….
Within Land of Wind's borders.
Kaede didn't have a detailed map of the Land of Wind, but that didn't stop him from tracking down Sunagakure. As one of the great ninja villages, its location was known even to ordinary people.
After entering the country, he stopped in a small town and quickly learned the exact direction of Sunagakure.
A few days later, he arrived.
Because Land of Wind was desert terrain, completely different from the Land of Rain, the buildings were designed primarily to block out wind and sand.
Sunagakure itself was nestled inside a massive ring-shaped rock formation, like a mountain range encircling it, effectively shielding the entire village from the harsh desert storms.
From above, it looked like a giant mountain that had been sliced open and hollowed out, with only the outer edges remaining, inside which a town had been built.
"This is Sunagakure… quite impressive, even more so than Konoha," Kaede mused with a light chuckle. "Wonder how the other villages compare… maybe I'll check them out someday. Though I doubt the Kages would welcome me."
Standing a short distance away, Kaede gazed at the fortress-like village wrapped in rocky walls.
Though his memories held images of Sunagakure, seeing it in person was far more spectacular.
He recalled that the village was almost completely sealed off, with only a narrow "one-line sky" passage as the entrance, guarded by rotating squads of the village's Anbu.
….
"How should I make my entrance?" Kaede muttered to himself.
After a moment's thought, he drew his Kusanagi sword gently.
Chakra surged within him as he opened the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Gates of the Eight Gates technique.
He raised his sword, flooding the blade with chakra until it shone brilliantly.
"Well then…"
"Time to say hello."
==========
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