The Signal That Shook the Night
A single Piercing Cloud Arrow from Sasori shattered the midnight silence, signaling the full eruption of rebellion.
It was the dead of night, a time when most of Sunagakure's residents were lost in dreams. Yet, under the cover of darkness, countless shinobi clad in black stealth uniforms darted across rooftops and through alleys, their movements swift and silent.
Since the expansion of Sunagakure, Jing Hang had divided the village into thirteen districts based on functionality. The Kazekage Tower, the nerve center of the village, was located in District 1, also known as the Administrative District. Most of the village's key administrative departments were concentrated here—the Intelligence Division was just a street away from the Kazekage Tower, while the Security Division was only two streets away.
The night was deep, and the dry climate of the Land of Wind left the sky devoid of clouds. A crescent moon hung in the ink-black heavens, its pale light stark and piercing.
Like black beans poured into a sieve, shadowy figures quickly converged in front of the Kazekage Tower.
The Calm Before the Storm
Dan Cu stood before the eerily quiet Kazekage Tower, a trace of doubt creeping into his heart.
"This doesn't make sense. Even with the Kazekage injured and some guards reassigned, the defenses around the Kazekage Tower shouldn't be this lax. Not a single sentry?"
Beside him, Tu Lou voiced his own suspicions.
Dan Cu nodded, his hesitation growing.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from within the Kazekage Tower. In the stillness of the night, the noise was unnervingly clear.
The footsteps stopped, and a figure emerged, stepping onto the grand staircase of the tower. Bathed in moonlight, the figure's outline became unmistakable—it was none other than Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
"Sigh... All of you are children raised by this village. I'll give you one chance: lay down your weapons, and I'll spare your lives."
Rasa sighed softly, his tone heavy with regret.
"Have we been exposed? Or is this guy just bluffing?"
Dan Cu hesitated, while Tu Lou, without a second thought, grabbed his ram-headed mace and charged forward, shouting, "Dan Cu, what are you waiting for? Capture the leader and end this!"
Reluctantly, Dan Cu drew his blade and followed. Behind them, five hundred rebel shinobi armed themselves and surged toward Rasa.
The Wrath of the Fourth Kazekage
Tu Lou, once a promising candidate for the Twelve Zodiac Guardians, had shown exceptional skill with his mace and wind-style ninjutsu. A prodigy in every sense, he graduated from the ninja academy as a chunin and was immediately placed under consideration for the elite ranks.
But destiny took a cruel turn. During his evaluation, the examiner merely glanced at his mission records and declared, "Tu Lou, I'm sorry. Based on your mission history, it's clear that you're impulsive, cruel, and reckless. These traits are unfit for a member of the Zodiac. Go back and train your mind."
Impulsive? Cruel? Reckless?! What nonsense! I completed the missions, didn't I? And you reject a genius like me for such a ridiculous reason?!
From that day on, Tu Lou harbored a deep hatred for the examiner—Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
Now, as he charged toward Rasa, his left wrist twitched slightly. Hidden beneath his sleeve was a poisoned dart coated with a chakra-weakening agent.
I'll hit you with this dart first. Then I'll smash you with my mace until you're nothing but a bloody pulp. You called me cruel? I'll show you what cruelty really means!
At just ten steps away, Tu Lou raised his left arm, ready to strike.
"Sigh..."
Rasa sighed again. With a single gesture, a golden wall of sand rose from the ground.
Tu Lou crashed into the wall with such force that it left a human-shaped dent on the other side.
"Magnet Release: Tidal Gold Sand!"
Raising both hands, Rasa summoned a tidal wave of golden sand from all directions. In an instant, the 108 steps leading to the Kazekage Tower transformed into a shimmering golden ocean, swallowing the five hundred rebel shinobi whole.
A Futile Struggle
Reacting quickly, Dan Cu leapt into the air just as the golden sand surged toward him. Mid-air, he formed hand seals with practiced precision.
"Fire Release: Fire Pellet Technique!"
A massive fireball materialized, rapidly condensing until it was no larger than a pill. Its white-hot glow betrayed its searing intensity.
"Go!"
Dan Cu directed the fiery pellet toward Rasa. With a casual wave of his hand, Rasa summoned a mass of golden sand to envelop the attack.
Within moments, the sand began to glow red-hot, bits of it flaking away as it neared its melting point.
By now, Dan Cu had landed, but a massive golden hand shot toward him. He dodged, but the golden sand surrounded him on all sides. There was no escape.
After a few desperate leaps, he was engulfed by the rolling tide of sand.
The Fire Pellet, now uncontrolled, fell to the ground, encased in a golden sphere. Its color was even brighter than the surrounding sand.
"Magnet Release: Gold Sand Burial!"
With a clenched fist, Rasa activated his technique. The golden sea erupted with screams and cries of agony.
"Sigh... I gave them a chance, but they didn't take it. Such a waste, especially that fire user..."
Shaking his head in disappointment, Rasa turned away.
The Traitor Within
Elsewhere, Yamashita Tetsu carried his greatsword with a casual air, his tone almost conversational as he addressed his opponent.
"I almost forgot—you were promoted to Deputy Minister of the Security Division by Chensha himself. You've hidden yourself well. I did suspect you at one point, but I could never find any evidence of corruption. Care to explain why?"
The man before him, Tigerstripe, removed his mask, revealing a stern, square face.
"Hmph! Because I never participated in corruption."
"That just makes it even stranger. A young, promising deputy minister like you—why would you throw in your lot with a bunch of embezzlers? What's in it for you?"
"Jing Hang is a tyrant! He's slaughtered the village's most loyal officials and imprisoned countless soldiers who fought for Sunagakure! Our village has lost its pillars—how can it endure? Enough talk, you lapdog!"
Tigerstripe raised his blade, ready to strike.
"You seem to have misunderstood the situation. I've surrounded you, not the other way around. To the shinobi behind him—lay down your weapons now, and I might be lenient."
The shinobi behind Tigerstripe hesitated, glancing uncertainly at one another.
"Don't listen to his lies! He's Jing Hang's most cunning spy! Look at the signal—our allies have already taken the monitoring center and the Kazekage Tower. Reinforcements will arrive any moment. We just need to hold—"
"You're delusional."
A low voice cut through the tension. All eyes turned toward the source.
Rasa stepped into view.
"All taken care of?"
"Yes. I even handled your Intelligence Division problem. Did you know they developed a shield formation specifically to counter your sword? If not for me, you'd have been in serious trouble tonight."
For once, Rasa allowed himself a rare moment of humor, teasing Yamashita Tetsu before turning to glare at Tigerstripe.
"So this is why the Security Division has been acting so strangely. It all traces back to you! Tigerstripe, your crimes are unforgivable. Because of you, Sunagakure has lost nearly a thousand shinobi tonight. You will answer for this!"
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