As for whether new serpent monsters might appear—
That concern was, for the moment, pushed aside by greed.
Kakashi watched the actions of those latecomers without trying to stop them, nor did he have any intention of communicating. He swiftly sealed several of the relatively pure blood-infused seawater samples he had collected into scrolls, then gave Guy a meaningful look.
"That's enough. We're leaving."
The two of them did not linger. With a few swift bounds, they vanished once more into the dense jungle, racing back toward Konoha.
Their mission was complete. This place was no longer safe to remain in.
With Kakashi's group withdrawing first—and the other survivors also fleeing in haste after scavenging what "spoils" they could—the bizarre, brutal, and mystery-laden events on Rogue Island spread as if given wings.
Through eyewitness accounts and fragments of intelligence carried back by survivors, the news swept across the shinobi world at an astonishing speed.
"Mysterious serpent monsters appear on Rogue Island—invincible defense, ninjutsu ineffective!"
"Gold-and-crimson armored figure descends from the sky—instantly kills serpent monsters, purges those who questioned him!"
"Suspected member of the 'Land of Iron Samurai Elite Guard' sighted—unknown power system, utterly indifferent to human life!"
"Serpent-monster blood becomes a prized sample fiercely sought by all major villages!"
Each shocking report struck the already-turbulent shinobi world like a boulder thrown into a stormy lake, stirring even greater waves.
Soon, detailed intelligence scrolls regarding the incident were laid out on the desks of every Kage.
The reports recorded not only the course of the battle, but also preliminary analyses of the serpent monsters' defensive traits, as well as descriptions of the gold-and-crimson armored figure's power—clearly distinct from chakra—and an evaluation labeling him as extremely dangerous.
One by one, the Kage's expressions grew grim.
Unknown monsters.
An even more unknown, powerful, and cold-blooded figure.
The shinobi world was sliding toward a future that was utterly unpredictable—one filled with both danger and opportunity.
And Rogue Island… was likely only the beginning.
Though they grieved for the fallen shinobi, as village leaders, they understood what needed to be done now.
Sorrow and anger had to be transformed into action and vigilance.
Almost simultaneously, encrypted orders were issued from the Kage offices of the Five Great Nations:
Reinforce elite forces. Expand the scope of investigation.
Objective One: Exhaustively trace the gold-and-crimson armored figure and everything related to the organization known as the Land of Iron Samurai Elite Guard.
If they had appeared once, then there had to be clues.
Objective Two: Investigate the origin of the serpent monsters in depth.
Why had such never-before-seen creatures suddenly appeared on Rogue Island?
Were they an isolated incident—or the vanguard of a larger invasion?
Were there more of their kind lurking elsewhere in the shinobi world?
More ANBU units and reconnaissance teams were dispatched across the globe—especially to ancient ruins, uninhabited danger zones, and the depths of the seas.
For the first time in years, the shinobi world's espionage and intelligence networks were operating at full capacity, desperately trying to grasp even the smallest thread of insight in this suddenly unfamiliar and hostile world.
At the same time, another battlefield—unspoken, yet fiercely contested by every village—quietly opened its curtain:
Research into the serpent-monster blood samples.
No village was an exception.
No—the Land of Wind was the exception.
After briefing Chiyo on the intelligence, Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, solemnly handed her a sealed container holding serpent-monster blood.
The dark crimson liquid sloshed faintly inside, seeming to carry an ominous aura.
"Elder Chiyo," Rasa said, his voice tinged with barely concealed exhaustion,
"Right now, the village can only rely on your wisdom. The serpent monsters described in the reports are too… unsolvable. If we can't find a way to counter them, I won't be able to sleep at night."
Chiyo accepted the container gravely. It felt icy cold in her hands.
She studied the blood carefully and nodded slowly.
"I will do everything in my power to investigate it. But Kazekage-sama—don't expect too much. You know my expertise lies in poisons and puppetry. Research into unknown energy systems and biological fundamentals… is not my specialty."
Rasa nodded in silence. He understood this better than anyone.
Sunagakure's talent pool was thinning, and true research specialists were especially scarce.
Entrusting such a critical task to someone best known for toxins was, in itself, a sign of desperation.
"I understand," Rasa said hoarsely.
"No matter how small the discovery, please report it to me immediately."
Chiyo carefully secured the container, the worry on her wrinkled face deepening.
"Kazekage-sama, the most urgent task now is to cultivate the next generation. Whether it's facing future threats or sustaining the village, we can't rely solely on old people like us."
"Otherwise…" she added quietly,
"even these old bones of mine won't hold out much longer."
The words struck Rasa like a hammer.
He looked at the elder who had devoted her life to the village, then thought of the still-unformed saplings growing within Sunagakure. The crushing weight of responsibility nearly stole his breath.
He could only nod again in silence, all his determination and anxiety contained in that single motion.
Seeing this, Chiyo said no more and turned to leave the Kazekage's office, heading for her laboratory.
But just as her hand touched the door handle—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted somewhere within the village, the ground beneath their feet trembling!
Rasa and Chiyo's expressions changed instantly.
"What was that?!"
"Enemy attack?!"
They rose almost simultaneously. Rasa's body transformed into a streak of golden sand as he rushed toward the window, while Chiyo—despite her age—followed close behind.
In the distance, near the edge of the village, a thick column of black smoke was rising into the sky. Faint shouts and chaos could be heard carried by the wind.
"That direction…" Rasa's eyes sharpened as he instantly identified it.
"It's the supply warehouse district!"
"At a time like this…"
A sharp glint flashed through Chiyo's clouded eyes.
"Is this aimed at the serpent-monster blood we just brought back—or something else?"
Either possibility was deeply unsettling.
In the sensitive aftermath of the Heavenly Screen revelations and the Rogue Island incident, this sudden explosion was anything but normal.
"I'll go take a look," Rasa said decisively, golden sand surging around him as he prepared to leap out the window.
"Wait!"
Chiyo grabbed him, her tone urgent and grave.
"Kazekage-sama! The situation is unclear—don't act rashly! Mobilize ANBU and the Barrier Team first. Secure the area and assess the situation!"
"I'll go to the laboratory immediately and make sure the samples are safe!"
Rasa calmed instantly. He knew she was right.
As the Kazekage, he could not afford to recklessly place himself in danger.
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