Inside Sunagakure.
Although the Land of Wind was poor in resources, things had been relatively stable recently.
After the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, took office, he had followed the Wind Daimyō and secured a portion of funding to help sustain the village.
With no large-scale wars breaking out in recent years, civilian life had finally begun to improve.
At least...
That was how things had been.
Today was different.
First came the news that intruders had breached Sunagakure.
Then word spread that Kazekage-sama himself had led hundreds of shinobi out to intercept them.
Not long after that—
The ground began to shake.
Some of the shinobi who had gone out returned in haste, shouting for civilians to evacuate.
And then...
Disaster struck.
Massive waves of yellow sand surged toward the village from the front, blotting out the sun itself. The sky darkened as if swallowed by a storm.
Countless shinobi rushed forward, forming lines as they desperately unleashed Earth Style techniques to reinforce barriers and block the advancing sand.
But in the face of a disaster on this scale, individual effort meant little.
There had been no preparation.
The Kazekage had not yet returned.
And before proper defenses could be organized, the sand waves crashed straight into the village.
Buildings collapsed one after another.
Civilians screamed as homes were torn apart.
The village descended into chaos—
Until an elderly man with a bandaged head and long white eyebrows stepped forward.
He was a jōnin of Sunagakure.
His name was Ebizō.
Though his rank was only jōnin, he was also a member of the village's advisory council and more importantly, the younger brother of Advisor Chiyo herself.
Within Sunagakure, his prestige was immense.
The moment Ebizō appeared, he took control of the situation.
Orders were issued rapidly.
One group of shinobi evacuated civilians.
Another combined Earth Style and Wind Style techniques to stabilize and block the remaining sand waves.
Under his command, the village finally began to regain order.
Before long, the overwhelming sandstorm was halted.
After all, this was still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Even if Sunagakure lacked top-tier combat power at the moment, its foundation—built upon sheer numbers and experience—was far from weak.
Namikaze Kirito's Tremor-based ability had not yet reached its peak. Compared to its theoretical maximum, the destruction this time was restrained.
Only the outer portion near the village entrance had been completely devastated.
Even so—
The losses were severe.
"Ebizō-sama," a shinobi reported grimly, "according to current statistics… civilian casualties exceed one thousand three hundred. Shinobi casualties are estimated at around one hundred."
For Sunagakure, whose population was already limited—
These numbers were devastating.
Ebizō's expression darkened.
"Where is the Kazekage?" he demanded. "What's the situation on the battlefield? Those intruders must not be allowed to escape. Even our village gate has been destroyed—this will not end here. Once we capture them, we will demand compensation from Konoha!"
"…There's still no word from Kazekage-sama."
"…Still none?"
"…Yes."
The reply made Ebizō's heart sink.
Under normal circumstances, at least one of the shinobi accompanying Rasa would have returned to report the situation.
The silence was abnormal.
Far too abnormal.
Moments later—
His unease became reality.
From the shattered village entrance, three figures dressed in black walked slowly forward.
Between them—
They were carrying the Fourth Kazekage.
Yes.
Carrying him.
Rasa showed no visible external injuries, but his eyes were vacant, unfocused. His entire body was tightly bound by thick white snakes, coiled so firmly that even breathing seemed difficult.
Any ordinary person would have suffocated long ago.
"Release Kazekage-sama!"
"Damn intruders!"
"Kill them!"
The Sand shinobi—still shaken from the disaster—rushed forward in rage, surrounding the three figures.
Curses and shouts filled the air.
The leader of a village being treated this way—
In full view of the civilians—
This was nothing short of public humiliation.
Only Ebizō remained calm.
He stepped forward quickly and raised his hand, stopping the shinobi behind him.
Then he faced the three intruders directly.
"Since you didn't kill Kazekage-sama," Ebizō said in a low voice, "you must have demands. State them."
"Where is Chiyo?"
Namikaze Kirito answered immediately, without hesitation.
Ebizō's eyes widened slightly.
"…You're looking for my sister?"
He hadn't expected that.
Chiyo had withdrawn from political affairs long ago. And yet someone was willing to storm Sunagakure itself just to reach her.
"What do you want with Advisor Chiyo?" Ebizō asked warily.
"It seems you still don't understand the situation," Kirito replied calmly. "Never mind."
As he spoke, Kirito glanced over his shoulder.
"Orochimaru. What I showed you earlier was only one of my abilities."
"Don't blink."
"I'll show you the one I used that day."
The air changed instantly.
Dark-Dark Fruit—activated.
"Dark Release: Dark Void."
Kirito slammed one hand into the ground.
From the point of contact, pitch-black darkness spread outward like liquid shadow, devouring everything in its path.
The expansion was terrifyingly fast.
Some shinobi sensed the danger and fled immediately.
Those who hesitated—
Were caught.
An overwhelming suction force grabbed at their legs, dragging them downward. Several attempted the Substitution Technique, but their chakra flow was violently disrupted, making even basic jutsu impossible to complete.
The darkness expanded again.
Vegetation.
Stone.
Sand.
Even the ruins created moments earlier—
Everything was swallowed.
Bit by bit.
Until it vanished completely.
When the darkness finally stopped spreading, Kirito straightened.
Within a radius of several hundred meters—
There was nothing left.
No people.
No buildings.
Only barren earth.
"What did you do to them?!" Ebizō demanded, fury breaking through his composure.
If not for Rasa still being held hostage, the surrounding shinobi would have already attacked.
Kirito laughed lightly.
"You wanted to meet them so badly," he said. "So let's reunite you."
As his voice fell—
The darkness behind him surged upward, swelling toward the sky.
Black clouds formed, blotting out the sun itself.
Even daylight was swallowed whole.
"Liberation."
Under Orochimaru's burning gaze—
The darkness suddenly compressed.
And then...
BOOM.
It exploded.
Corpses.
Broken buildings.
Debris.
Everything that had been swallowed was violently expelled, scattering across the area in a catastrophic blast.
Shockwaves rippled through the air.
Shinobi and civilians who failed to escape were crushed once more.
Limbs.
Rubble.
Blood.
The scene descended into chaos yet again.
Even Ebizō—who had survived countless wars—felt his face grow pale.
In terms of sheer combat power, Namikaze Kirito had already reached Kage-level.
Not only that—
He was a Kage-level shinobi capable of annihilating groups.
Rasa had fallen largely because his one-on-one combat ability was limited, and Magnet Release excelled more at wide-area control than close combat.
Had this been the Raikage instead—
Kirito would have been forced into a brutal fight.
That was precisely why—
There was no fear in coming to Sunagakure.
Namikaze Kirito.
Orochimaru.
Uchiha Itachi.
Three Kage-class combatants.
Facing the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
It wasn't a battle.
It was absolute suppression.
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