Maple Rain Forest — After the Battle
Xiaotajing Second moved coldly, his figure flashing as he clashed head-on with a Sunagakure elite.
Kunai in his hands gleamed pale blue as chakra flowed along the blade.
Clang!
The two weapons collided, sparks scattering as Wind Release chakra tore at the air.
The Sunagakure ninja lashed out with a swift kick, sharp and precise.
Xiaotajing Second crossed his arms and blocked, skidding backward before stabilizing his stance.
"You're leading Celestial ninja to attack your own village," the Sunagakure elite shouted angrily. "Do you still dare call yourself one of us?"
Behind the mask, Xiaotajing Second's eyes turned icy.
"Compatriots?" he said flatly. "When the Fourth Kazekage forced me into an S-rank mission meant to discard me, where were those 'compatriots'? Was I supposed to die quietly?"
The Sunagakure ninja hesitated.
"I won't waste words on you," Xiaotajing Second continued.
He leapt back, hands flashing through seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
A crescent-shaped wind blade tore forward, cutting cleanly through the elite's defense.
---
As the sun sank below the horizon, long shadows stretched across the forest.
The battlefield was devastated—craters torn into the earth, shattered trees, and bodies scattered everywhere. Sunagakure ninja lay alongside fallen Celestial forces.
Celestial medics moved swiftly, identifying the dead and tending to the wounded.
Their fallen comrades were treated with respect. Their bodies would be returned to Wild City. Their families would be compensated. Their names would be engraved into the Celestial Memorial Stone.
Xiaotajing Second stood before a line of bodies, his arm bound in blood-soaked bandages.
"Casualty report," he ordered.
"Eighteen Celestial ninja killed," an elite replied hoarsely. "Three chūnin and five jōnin severely injured. The rest suffered minor wounds."
Xiaotajing Second nodded.
"Collect all Sunagakure bodies of value. Burn the rest. We withdraw to Wild City."
Sunagakure corpses could not be left behind—too much intelligence could be extracted from them.
---
Wild City — Lord's Residence
Chen Xing sat at the head of the hall as the report concluded.
He nodded slowly.
Given the circumstances, the losses were acceptable.
---
Sunagakure — Kazekage's Office
The Fourth Kazekage crushed the report in his fist.
In just days, Sunagakure had lost elite jōnin, forward guards, and an entire hidden base.
His killing intent flooded the room.
"Celestial Village… Peacock King…" he snarled. "I swear, I will tear you apart."
He rose sharply.
"A thousand ninja isn't enough," he said coldly. "I will personally lead additional forces. This time, Chen Xing will not escape."
A bodyguard stepped forward anxiously. "Kazekage-sama, you are the village's pillar—"
"This is the greatest humiliation since I became Kazekage," he snapped. "That boy's growth is too dangerous. He must be erased."
The guard fell silent.
---
Bloody Valley — Before Dawn
Before Sunagakure received confirmation of the base's destruction, Chen Xing had already moved.
He led all available Celestial forces out of Wild City under cover of night.
By dawn, they reached Bloody Valley.
Once known as Crescent Valley, it earned its name after a massive war decades ago between Wind Country and Earth Country forces. Blood had soaked the land until the valley resembled a crimson crescent from above.
It was the only direct route from Sunagakure to Wild City.
Chen Xing had already calculated everything.
If the Fourth Kazekage wanted Wild City back quickly, he had no choice but to pass through here.
The Celestial forces vanished into concealment.
They waited.
---
The Following Afternoon
A massive Sunagakure column appeared on the distant road—over 1,500 ninja, moving like a long serpent across the land.
To Sunagakure, this force was overwhelming.
To Chen Xing—
It was merely the first piece to be cut away.
Inside the column, some ninja whispered.
"Isn't this excessive? Just to retake Wild City?"
"More than a thousand ninja against a small village…"
An elite shook his head grimly. "Celestial Village isn't simple. Otherwise, the Kazekage wouldn't move this cautiously."
The army marched forward.
Unaware that Bloody Valley had already become their grave.
---