Sunagakure.
At the top floor conference room of the Kazekage Tower, right in the heart of the village.
A large gathering of Sunagakure ninja filled the room. The atmosphere was heavy and tense. Some elite Jōnin seated at the edges wore beads of cold sweat on their foreheads.
"The Silver Flash has appeared again, in the ancient desert town of Rōran, right at our border with the Land of Fire. You all must have heard by now," the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, said gravely as he looked around the room. "I've called this meeting to hear your opinions and assessments on this matter."
Silver Flash isn't dead.
The moment Rasa received this news, his heart nearly shook. He immediately suspected that the disappearance and supposed death of the Silver Flash might have been a ruse fabricated by Konoha!
What could Konoha's goal be?
He didn't want to think too deeply about it.
With Silver Flash alive, and alongside The Yellow Flash's overwhelming power, Konoha now practically possessed the strength to unify the entire shinobi world.
Of course, unifying the world wasn't as simple as crushing the other villages. Large nations had to assimilate smaller ones over time; it was a long and difficult process. Still, there was no denying the current danger posed by Konoha.
"Silver Flash has been hiding in Rōran for two years. He must have some purpose, probably a scheme aimed at us here in Sunagakure. Kazekage-sama, I'm afraid we must raise our alert level to the highest state," said one elite Jōnin seated to Rasa's left, his voice low.
Rasa nodded. "I've already doubled the Anbu's patrols, increased the strength of our sensory barriers to maximum, and deployed squads to guard key points, reporting any developments immediately."
A few Jōnin let out small sighs of relief. "As expected of the Kazekage, it seems you've prepared well."
"No," Rasa shook his head. "It's not enough. If Konoha truly has a secret plan targeting Sunagakure, it will be difficult to resist when it unfolds. We need to uncover their intentions, and Silver Flash's purpose. What are your thoughts?"
Silence fell over the room.
After a moment, someone spoke quietly: "Kazekage-sama, I think we should send more scouts to investigate Rōran. Maybe Konoha's plot lies hidden there."
"No," came a sharp rebuttal. "If Silver Flash is really there, sending people in is just a death sentence. You all know his power."
"I think we should contact our spy inside Konoha," another ninja suggested in a low voice. "He must find out Konoha's plans at any cost. Also, it's best to inform Iwagakure of this."
"The position of Rōran borders Amegakure to the north," another added. "Ame is in chaos, currently invaded by Iwa's forces. Silver Flash's appearance in Rōran might also relate to schemes against Iwa. They should send spies as well."
"I don't think we should inform Iwagakure," someone else objected. "If Konoha's plan targets Iwa, why should we help Iwa spy on Konoha?"
This opinion quickly gained support.
The reason was simple: this was no longer a time for petty rivalry between villages. If they didn't unite carefully, Konoha would defeat them one by one, and then it would be the end for all of them.
After hearing the discussion, Rasa made a decision. He tapped the table sharply.
Bang! Bang!
The room fell silent instantly.
Having purged dissenters and sidelined Ebizō for retirement, Rasa now held complete control over Sunagakure. All the high-ranking ninjas were loyal to him.
Standing, Rasa said in a grave tone, "Contact the liaison squad immediately. Inform Iwagakure of the confirmed Silver Flash intelligence."
"Yes, sir!" the liaison captain replied crisply.
Rasa then turned to the scouting captain. "Double the reconnaissance on the border with the Land of Wind. Keep a close watch on Rōran, but do not approach."
"Yes, sir!" the scouting captain answered.
Rasa continued issuing orders to others, raising Sunagakure's alert level to the highest across the entire Land of Wind.
"Silver Flash is an extremely dangerous ninja, dangerous even alone. While we aren't afraid with our defenses tightened and forces consolidated, if he brings The Yellow Flash or others along, it would be catastrophic."
"If we detect such movements, we must evacuate the village immediately."
Rasa placed his hand firmly on the table, his voice low and resolute. "Therefore, everyone here: prepare to act now. We must be ready to abandon the village if necessary."
There was a moment of stunned silence among those present.
Abandon the village?
Wasn't that a bit too cautious? Evacuating the entire village would cause enormous losses!
Still, though some doubted it, no one voiced opposition. After a brief exchange of nods, everyone prepared to carry out their duties.
Then,
Almost instantly,
Several ninjas froze, their faces draining of color. Even Rasa's expression shifted sharply as he suddenly turned to stare out a window in a certain direction.
"What is that chakra…?!" Those with strong sensory skills detected a terrifying surge of chakra shooting up toward the sky in that direction.
Looking out, they saw the sky had darkened unexpectedly, thick clouds swirling amid jagged bolts of lightning crackling and weaving together.
Witnessing this, everyone's expression changed drastically, a dreadful premonition settling over them.
"Could it be…"
Rasa's mind raced with the worst possibilities. Just as he was about to act,
A dazzling, radiant light exploded suddenly from that direction.
The glow blotted out the horizon,
Like a blazing sun wrapped in lightning!
Outside Sunagakure, in that direction, Kaede stood bathed in silver light. His eyes gleamed as the Kusanagi sword in his hands blazed with a dazzling white radiance.
"Heaven Flash!"
He stepped forward, gripping the sword's hilt with both hands. In one swift motion, he swung the blade horizontally.
Vzzz!
A blinding white arc burst from the sword's tip, so intense it seemed to dim the entire world.
The arc sliced into the towering mountains surrounding Sunagakure, passing straight through the high rock walls enclosing the village.
Crackle.
Kaede slowly lowered the Kusanagi sword, which still shimmered faintly with lingering electric arcs, and calmly gazed toward the village.
The towering rock wall around Sunagakure split cleanly down the middle, like a model sliced in two by a sword blade.
Then,
Amid the stunned and disbelieving eyes of countless ninja inside the village, every building and the surrounding rock formation broke apart precisely at that center line.
Half the village rose into the air,
As if the entire world had been cleaved in two,
Dividing sky and earth apart!
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