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The Land of Rivers, wedged between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, had always been a land plagued by disasters, serving as a buffer zone between the great nations. The battlefield between the Sand and Leaf ninjas was also situated there.
As the defending side, Konoha had no reason to launch an attack. Their goal was to fend off the Sand's assault. However, Sunagakure had long coveted the Land of Fire's fertile lands, and with other ninja villages attacking Konoha, the Sand couldn't sit idle and launched an offensive against the Leaf.
Both sides exchanged blows. In the early stages, Konoha lost much of its strength due to White Fang, but the arrival of Chiyo and Ebizō pushed Konoha into retreat. The situation only improved when Tsunade joined the battlefield.
Afterward, the two sides reached a stalemate, exchanging blows with no clear victor emerging.
Sunagakure had deployed nearly seventy percent of its forces to attack Konoha. Ten percent guarded their borders, and only twenty percent of the military strength remained in the village, including the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
With all their focus on the war with Konoha, Sunagakure hadn't noticed the arrival of Ye Zi and White Zetsu.
The Land of Wind, a country dominated by desert, had most of its territory covered in sand.
Ye Zi, cloaked in black, moved through the desert. Before him lay an endless expanse of sand, and above, the scorching sun beat down. The harsh, sand-laden wind and burning heat made the environment feel oppressive.
The Land of Wind's military strength was significantly impacted by this harsh environment, so their defense outposts were spread thin, with large distances between them.
This allowed Ye Zi and White Zetsu to easily bypass the defensive lines. Entering Sunagakure undetected wasn't difficult. The only real obstacle was the mountains surrounding the village.
Sunagakure was encircled by towering mountains, like a fortress, with only a narrow passage carved through the rock for the villagers to pass through. Few guards were stationed at this passage, as the primary defense force was placed atop the mountains. From these vantage points, the Sand ninja had the advantage and could easily defend the narrow path by attacking from above. Any enemy trying to attack through the passage would be vulnerable to attacks from the heights.
The village's location provided a significant geographical advantage, though not as strong as Iwagakure's mountainous terrain, it was still a formidable defense.
To attack Sunagakure through the narrow passage would be a fool's errand. Air or mountain routes were better options, but Ye Zi chose the passage.
He knew that most of the Sand's forces were committed to the war, leaving the village's defenses weak. This was why White Zetsu had suggested attacking the rear of the major ninja villages in the first place.
His goal was not to sneak in, but to enter openly.
As the sun began to set and the day cooled, Ye Zi's black-cloaked figure emerged from the desert. Immediately, the Sand ninja guarding the mountains spotted him. With the village on high alert due to the war, the guards wasted no time. Without asking questions, they signaled to each other, preparing to attack the intruder as soon as he entered their range.
White Zetsu could easily infiltrate the village, but Ye Zi, despite his Wood Release, couldn't use it in the sand-filled terrain. His only option was to break through by force.
As Ye Zi stepped into the Sand's attack range, the ninjas swiftly formed hand signs, launching barrages of earth spears, stone spikes, and sharp stones toward him.
Just as the projectiles were about to hit, Ye Zi transformed into a streak of lightning and disappeared.
Boom!
The sharp stones and spears struck the sand, sending up thick clouds of dust. But Ye Zi had already reappeared a hundred meters away.
Watching him effortlessly evade the large-scale attack, the Sand ninja grew tense and prepared for a second volley.
Ye Zi glanced at the nearby mountain, his eyes cold. The setting sun cast an orange glow across the horizon, slowly descending toward the mountaintops. The warm light illuminated his wooden mask, gradually sinking lower.
Squinting slightly, Ye Zi activated his Lightning Release, his body surrounded by crackling energy. He charged toward the mountain with blinding speed, leaving behind a trail of dust and sand. He was like an unstoppable blade, cutting through the Sand's defensive line.
Their earth techniques were useless. The only sounds were screams and the splatter of blood.
As the last of the orange light faded from the sky, Ye Zi walked through the narrow passage, leaving seven or eight bodies behind him.
The sun set, and the night sky began to darken. The first star appeared, and with it came an uninvited guest to Sunagakure.
In times of war, an attack on the rear would be a nightmare.
As Ye Zi entered Sunagakure, White Zetsu emerged at his side.
Ye Zi asked, "Where is Shukaku sealed?"
White Zetsu pointed to the west. "In that direction, likely inside a shrine."
Ye Zi nodded. Their purpose for coming to Sunagakure was to find Shukaku.
Suddenly, a barrage of kunai and shuriken flew toward Ye Zi. He quickly drew his sword Chijin and deflected them with ease.
Since they were inside their own village, the Sand ninja refrained from using large-scale jutsu.
Yezi's bold entrance had naturally attracted the attention of the Sand ninja. In fact, sneaking in would have been possible but much more troublesome than charging through.
More and more Sand ninja gathered atop the tea-kettle-shaped buildings made from sand, seemingly forming a perimeter to trap the intruder. At the same time, they began evacuating civilians from the area.
Ye Zi remained unfazed. After confirming his direction, he allowed chakra to flow through his body, forming a powerful current of electricity. The energy surrounded him, taking the form of a dragon's head above his own and dragon claws on his shoulders. This was his Thunder Dragon Armor, noticeably more refined since the last time he had used it in Iwagakure. The transformation was the result of improved chakra control.
Cloaked in the Thunder Dragon Armor, Ye Zi ignored the Sand ninja and sped toward the western part of the village.
Though his speed was astonishing, the Sand ninja were many. Believing that a single intruder posed little threat, they held back from using powerful jutsu, opting instead for ranged weapons and weaker techniques, hoping to overwhelm him with numbers.
However, their attacks proved futile. As kunai, shuriken, and weaker jutsu bounced harmlessly off Ye Zi's armor, the Sand ninja realized they had miscalculated.
It took Ye Zi only a short time to cross Sunagakure and reach a shrine located in the west of the village.
A staircase with over thirty steps led up to the shrine. At the top stood eight ancient stone pillars, each covered in intricate black seals. Above the pillars was a domed roof.
The black seals from the pillars extended toward the center, where a massive, earth-colored tea kettle sat. The black markings tightly bound the kettle.
"This is it… the vessel that seals Shukaku."
Ye Zi stretched his right arm out, and the lightning surrounding him began to fade, the dragon's head and claws disappearing. Only Chijin, the sword in his hand, retained its electrical aura, which continued to grow stronger.
The Sand ninja pursuing Ye Zi froze at the sight of him standing before the shrine. Their expressions changed.
From the Kazekage's office, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had arrived and locked his sharp gaze on Ye Zi's back.
"Could it be… is he after…?!"
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