At dawn, the sun peeked its crimson glow over the horizon.
In the Land of Rivers, some early-rising farmers had already hefted their hoes, preparing to head out to their fields.
Aside from meeting their own food needs, they also had to pay taxes to the state to maintain a stable life.
Otherwise, the shinobi of the Land of Rivers would personally come to "collect" the dues.
Fortunately, the taxes in the Land of Rivers weren't exorbitantly high, so most of the common folk, though living tight and frugal lives, were content compared to the war-torn nations.
Hidden Valley Village (Tanigakure) was situated atop a high mountain in the Land of Rivers. The area had been cleared into a flat settlement, with a prominent tower rising at its center. Atop this tower was a device resembling an oversized telescope.
With this tool, nearly the entire country could be monitored. If an invasion occurred, the personnel assigned to this observation device would sound an alarm.
Lacking manpower and the strength to set up protective barriers, Hidden Valley Village had no choice but to rely on such primitive early-warning methods.
Ever since they aligned themselves with the Land of Fire, the Land of Rivers had enjoyed a long period of peace. The alarm system, since its installation, had never been put to use.
But today, the tower in Hidden Valley Village suddenly emitted a piercing alarm. The sharp sound startled flocks of birds in the surrounding forests, sending them flapping into the sky in panic.
"Invasion! Invasion!"
"It's the shinobi of Sunagakure!"
"Quick! Send a distress signal to Konohagakure!"
"They're already at the base of the mountain!"
Shouts erupted from every corner.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The quicker-reacting shinobi had already taken up advantageous positions along the mountain's edge, preparing to launch a defensive attack from above.
One particularly swift individual summoned a hawk. After tying a written distress message to its leg, the middle-aged shinobi gave the hawk a light pat.
"Chirp!"
The hawk let out a sharp cry, spreading its two-meter-wide wings and shooting into the sky with remarkable speed.
Around the middle-aged shinobi, several others looked on with hope in their eyes. They all understood that their small village stood no chance against the Five Great Nations.
Even the weakest of the Five Great Nations possessed enough power to crush these minor countries effortlessly!
The proximity of Hidden Valley Village to Konohagakure gave them a glimmer of hope. If they could hold out long enough for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive, salvation might still be possible!
However, their hope was shattered in the next moment.
As the hawk soared into the sky, a golden chain of sand, as thick as an arm, suddenly shot up from the ground with incredible speed.
The golden sand, like a flexible rope, coiled around the hawk, binding it tightly.
Moments later, a figure leapt into the air, stepping onto a golden cloud. A staff, resembling an iron rod, was slung diagonally across his back.
"To think you even had a Cloud Piercing Hawk as a summon. Fortunately, this one's still immature. Otherwise, I might not have been able to stop it!" The young man spoke calmly, his voice carrying a hint of mockery. With a single gesture, the golden sand rope holding the hawk floated before him.
The Cloud Piercing Hawk had sleek black feathers, sharp golden eyes, and a tuft of snowy white plumage on its head, giving it an air of majesty.
It let out sharp, piercing cries, struggling violently, but the golden sand rope only tightened further.
Though the young man's voice wasn't loud, the shinobi below heard every word clearly.
Their hearts sank, and their bodies tensed. From the aura emanating from this youth, it was evident that he was far beyond their ability to contend with.
Moreover, the young man possessed the rare ability to fly—a detail that chilled them to the bone. A powerful enemy with flight capabilities meant escape was not an option.
Bang!
The young man clenched his hand slightly, and the golden sand rope constricting the hawk tightened abruptly. The immense force caused the hawk's body to burst apart.
Blood, organs, and black feathers rained down from the sky.
"Surrender..."
"Or die!"
Hovering on his golden cloud, the young man's expression was indifferent as he gazed down at the shinobi below. His cold voice, though not loud, reached the ears of every Hidden Valley Village shinobi.
"Don't be afraid!"
"Sunagakure's blatant invasion of another nation's territory won't go unnoticed by Konohagakure. Don't forget, the Yellow Flash is with Konoha!"
"With Konoha's intelligence capabilities, even if they don't receive our distress signal, they'll discover the invasion soon enough. Once the Yellow Flash is dispatched, we'll be saved!"
"This is the land our ancestors have inhabited for generations. We can't let outsiders take it! Stand your ground, protect our nation, and eliminate the invaders!"
An elderly man, evidently a figure of authority, raised his arm and shouted.
"Yes!"
"The village chief is right!"
"We're not afraid of Sunagakure!"
"This is our home! There's no way we'll let foreign shinobi take it! Keep dreaming!" The shinobi shouted defiantly.
Some of the more aggressive ones hurled kunai and shuriken, even unleashing Fire Release ninjutsu.
The young man, however, seemed unbothered. With a few effortless movements, he dodged all the attacks.
"Earth Release: Rock Lodging Destruction!"
At the mountain's edge, Hidden Valley Village shinobi who had spotted the Sunagakure forces took the initiative to attack.
The rocky terrain at the mountain's base suddenly fractured into massive chunks, tumbling downward.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A male shinobi with a ponytail formed hand seals, unleashing a massive fireball the size of a house. His chakra reserves were clearly impressive.
The fiery red fireball caught up with the falling rocks, engulfing them in intense heat.
The rocks turned into blazing fireballs, hurtling toward the advancing Sunagakure shinobi.
One Sunagakure shinobi, who had just leapt forward and couldn't dodge in time, was struck directly in the abdomen.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Boom!
The fiery rockball slammed him into the ground, and the scorching flames mercilessly consumed his body, igniting it.
"Ahhh!"
The shinobi's agonized screams pierced the air.
Such a gruesome death ignited the fury of the Sunagakure forces.
"Junpei!"
A young shinobi appeared beside the fallen man in a flash.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The young shinobi quickly formed hand seals, summoning a powerful gust of wind that blew away the burning rock, causing the flames to flicker and weaken significantly.
But when he saw the charred body beneath the rock, his eyes filled with rage.
The corpse was scorched black, its original features unrecognizable, emitting a foul stench of burnt flesh.
"Junpei... I swear, I'll avenge you!" the young shinobi growled through gritted teeth, his body trembling as bloodshot veins surfaced in his eyes.
Hatred—it was that simple to ignite. All it took was pain.