"With you handling it, success is certain. No matter how strong the Chinoike Clan is, they can't be your match. Otherwise, the people our Hidden Cloud Village sent wouldn't be able to keep an eye on them."
"You overpraise me."
...Within the borders of the Land of Lightning, the deeper one went into the north, the more steep and bizarre the terrain became.
Far from the relatively prosperous area where the Hidden Cloud Village was located, the landscape was filled with continuous steep peaks, bottomless canyons, and a sky perpetually shrouded in heavy leaden clouds.
The air was thick with a mixture of sulfur and a certain decaying scent. From a distance, dull sounds like the groaning of the earth could be heard from time to time.
Uchiha Shao Yu traveled alone, moving swiftly along the rugged mountain path.
He had changed into a dark, Cloud-style casual outfit suitable for movement, with a windproof cloak over it, maintaining a state of high alert.
According to the map and coordinates provided by the Cloud, he was not far from his destination, the Valley of Hell.
After crossing another ridge that looked as if it had been carved by a knife and axe, the scene before him suddenly changed, causing Shao Yu's footsteps to pause slightly.
Ahead was an unimaginably massive rift valley, as if it had been violently split open by a god using a giant axe.
On both sides of the rift were nearly vertical, ink-black steep rock walls that towered into the clouds, their tops almost invisible.
Deep in the valley, a faint dark red light emanated, accompanied by rising heat waves and pungent sulfur gases that distorted the already gloomy air above, making it even blurrier.
Dark red lava flowed like slow-moving blood through certain areas of the valley floor, making bubbling sounds. In places without lava, there were jagged rocks and bottomless cracks, from which plumes of toxic dark green or pale white gas occasionally erupted.
The entire canyon was shrouded in a strange, perennial mist of toxic gas, dust, and high-temperature water vapor, making the light dim.
Fierce winds whistled through the canyon like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves, kicking up ground ash and toxic dust to form small dust storms.
The air was filled with violent Fire and Earth attribute Chakra, as well as a... faint, special energy residue that seemed to carry the scent of blood?
"The Valley of Hell... it certainly lives up to its name."
Uchiha Shao Yu murmured to himself. There was no fear in his eyes; instead, a glint of interested investigation flashed through them.
Although the environment here was extremely harsh, it was not an impassable dead land for him, as he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, defensive techniques, and a physical constitution tempered through a thousand trials.
On the contrary, interesting things were often hidden in such extreme environments, such as... the rumored Chinoike Clan and their Blood Dragon Eye.
He began to head deep into the valley along a steep path that was clearly man-made, yet so eroded by time and the harsh environment that it was almost unrecognizable.
The further down he went, the higher the temperature rose, the thicker the toxic gas became, and the roar of flowing lava grew clearer.
The Sharingan helped him precisely avoid the toxic gas plumes and the most unstable ground, while the Chakra on his body's surface formed a faint barrier to insulate him from the high heat and harmful substances.
Just as he had descended about halfway and rounded a massive rock that looked like a charred animal bone—
Swish!
A figure flashed out from the mist ahead like a ghost, blocking the center of the path.
The newcomer was tall, wearing a standard Cloud Hidden Elite Ninja vest. His skin appeared rough and dull from long-term exposure to the harsh environment, but his eyes were as sharp as an hawk's. He held a short sword with Cloud-style patterns, and his aura was steady and concealed—clearly an experienced expert in infiltration and reconnaissance.
"Halt! This is a forbidden area of the Hidden Cloud Village. No entry without permission!"
The man shouted in a deep voice, his gaze locked onto Shao Yu, full of vigilance.
He could sense that although this suddenly appearing stranger looked young, his aura was unfathomable. Especially those eyes... they gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
Uchiha Shao Yu stopped his pace, his expression calm. He had long expected to encounter guards.
He didn't immediately attack or explain; instead, he slowly took two items from his robes.
One was a metal token unique to Cloud Elders, issued personally by the Raikage and inlaid with a Thunder-pattern emblem.
The other was a small, special Kunai engraved with the character for 'Thunder'. This was a personal token given to him by Third Raikage Ai, representing the highest level of authorization.
He showed the token and the Kunai to the other party.
That Cloud Hidden Elite Ninja was indeed one of the five Jonin permanently stationed here, named Nohara Ōhi.
The moment he saw the token and the Kunai, his pupils suddenly constricted.
As Ninjas stationed here for a long time, they were not completely cut off from news of the outside world.
Not long ago, the Village had informed them of a major change via encrypted communication.
The Village had added an extremely young Elder with unfathomable strength and a transcendent status.
Could it be... that this black-haired youth before him, who looked no more than twenty, was that legendary new Elder?!
Stormy waves surged in Nohara Ōhi's heart, but he was an experienced Jonin after all. He suppressed his shock and carefully verified the authenticity of the token and the Kunai.
The Chakra imprint on the token and the Raikage's unique aura could not be faked, and that Kunai was one of the personal tokens that the Third Raikage almost never let leave his side.
After confirming they were genuine, the vigilance on Nohara Ōhi's face quickly transformed into astonishment and a trace of unbelievable respect.
He immediately sheathed his short sword, took half a step back, performed a standard Cloud salute, and his voice was slightly dry with excitement.
"Subordinate Nohara Ōhi, Captain of the Valley of Hell Guard Squad, greets the Elder. I did not know of your arrival and have offended you; please forgive me."
Although he had never seen Shao Yu, the token and the Raikage's personal item were the highest proof of identity.
Uchiha Shao Yu put away the tokens and nodded slightly.
"It's fine, you were just doing your duty. Jonin Nohara, where are the others?"
"Reporting to the Elder, the other four Jonin colleagues and eight Chunin team members are currently scattered at several key nodes in the valley for guard duty and patrols. I will immediately send a signal to summon them."
Nohara Ōhi said respectfully.
"Mm, summon everyone to gather here," Shao Yu ordered.
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Nohara Ōhi took out a specially made Chakra whistle from his Ninja tool bag that could transmit signals in such a harsh environment. He placed it to his lips and blew several sharp, penetrating blasts of varying lengths.
The sound echoed through the canyon and carried far away.
In just a few moments, figures quickly flashed from shadows, rock crevices, and even high-temperature hiding spots near the lava throughout the canyon, converging toward the location where Shao Yu and Nohara Ōhi stood.
Soon, a total of thirteen people—including five Jonin, with Nohara Ōhi among them, and eight Chunin with sharp gazes who were clearly veterans of a hundred battles—were all present, lining up neatly in front of Shao Yu.
Their faces all bore expressions similar to Nohara Ōhi's, a mix of shock, curiosity, and awe as they sized up this excessively young new Elder.
Uchiha Shao Yu's gaze slowly swept across these thirteen faces, some weathered and some resolute.
He could feel that these people were all true elites. Being stationed in such a hellish place for a long time meant they were not only strong but must also have resilient wills.
Keeping them trapped here was indeed a loss for the Cloud.
He didn't waste words and directly conveyed the supreme order from the Raikage.
"By order of the Sandaime Raikage-sama."
Shao Yu's voice was clear and powerful, reaching everyone's ears despite the whistling wind of the canyon and the roar of the lava.
"Effective today, the permanent guard unit of the Valley of Hell is disbanded. The thirteen of you are to pack your gear immediately and return to the Hidden Cloud Village headquarters to report for new assignments and appointments. Subsequent matters regarding the Valley of Hell will be handled entirely by this Elder."
The order was simple and direct, yet it exploded like a thunderclap in the hearts of the thirteen Ninjas.
Disbanded? Returning to the Village? This meant... they could finally leave this hellhole?!
After a brief, dead silence, an uncontrollable look of wild joy surged onto everyone's faces.
Even the most steady Elite Jonin, including Nohara Ōhi, had a brilliant light burst from their eyes.
They had been stationed here for as few as several years and as many as over a decade, keeping company with toxic gas, lava, and hopeless prisoners day and night. While they were loyal to their duties, who didn't long to return to a normal Village, perform more valuable missions, and reunite with their families?
"Yes! We obey the orders of the Raikage-sama and the Elder!"
The thirteen responded in unison, their voices loud and carrying irrepressible excitement.
No one questioned or delayed. With the Raikage's order and the Elder's personal presence, the validity was beyond doubt.
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