The great nations rarely concerned themselves with internal affairs of smaller countries.
But this time was different.
With Konohagakure at war with Kirigakure, in military tension with Kumogakure, and maintaining vigilance toward Iwagakure and Sunagakure, two small nations between them had undergone dramatic change.
In the Land of Rain, a new regime had seized power.
And Kusagakure had been annihilated.
Kusa was not a great power, but its strategic location made its destruction alarming.
If a major village were responsible, it could justify war.
At the Ruins
Two ANBU teams arrived.
One from Iwa.
One from Konoha.
The Konoha captain was Kakashi Hatake.
After brief tension, they agreed to investigate jointly.
Battlefield Analysis
The ground bore marks of:
Earth Release techniques.
Fire Release remnants.
And devastating Wind Release cuts.
Clean.
Precise.
Extremely advanced.
Even Sunagakure, famed for Wind Release, was not known for techniques of this caliber.
Kakashi silently recalled his father, Sakumo Hatake, whose Wind Release-enhanced blade had been legendary.
But this power felt… different.
Hōzuki Castle
At Hozuki Castle, the prison warden reported:
"I saw someone in the sky. White wings. Attacks raining down."
Iwa's captain stiffened.
Recent intelligence from the Land of Rain mentioned a similar figure during the fall of Hanzo.
If the two incidents were connected, then an independent force was rising.
Not Konoha.
Not Iwa.
Something else.
They agreed on one thing:
There was no evidence either village was responsible.
They parted ways.
Moments later—
An explosion roared in the distance.
Lightning flashed.
The direction—
Exactly where Iwa's team had headed.
Kakashi's gaze sharpened.
"This just escalated."
/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/
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