Swish, swish, swish…
The setting sun's afterglow was like melted gold foil, casting dappled light and shadow on the forest path through the layers of broad leaves.
Three figures swiftly moved through the branches of the trees. Each leap landed on a sturdy horizontal branch, the movements quick and light, without making a sound. These three figures were Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hyuga Kawa, and Kakashi Hatake. All three were draped in gray robes, their faces obscured by the shadows of their hoods.
The departure and journey were kept very low-key. They didn't alert any villages or outposts along the way and deliberately avoided official roads and densely populated areas. The news of attending the "Five Kage Summit" was impossible to hide, but with the Hidden Leaf still reeling from a major blow, and their top-tier fighters spread thin, the later the exact time of their departure was leaked, the better. The route, time, and destination of this trip to the "Five Kage Summit" were all top secret.
Just as the three of them passed through a relatively open clearing in the forest, Hyuga Kawa's voice broke the silence of their swift journey.
"Lord Third." "Regarding the route and method of our trip to the Land of Demons..."
Hearing this, Kakashi Hatake also looked over. Even the two of them didn't know the exact path.
The Land of Demons was located beyond the northwest border of the Land of Fire. The journey was long, and the terrain was complex. There were only two ways to get to the Land of Demons. One was to travel by land through the Land of Rain, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Bears, or through the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth. The other was to go by sea directly to the Land of Demons. Neither method was a simple matter.
"The Land of Demons is very special." Hiruzen Sarutobi did not turn his head, his voice carrying back from the front. "Its territory is roughly located northwest of the Land of Fire, bordering the southwest of the Land of Earth, but separated by rugged mountains."
"The borders of the Land of Demons are mostly mountainous, with many lakes and swamps. The terrain is rugged and complex, and the climate is humid and rainy. It's shrouded in a perpetual thin mist and miasma, and maps of its interior are extremely vague."
"Therefore, we will take the sea route this time. After we enter the Land of Waves, a ship will naturally appear to pick us up."
The Land of Waves was an island nation located in the seas southeast of the Land of Fire. Its territory was mainly composed of a main island and several surrounding smaller islands. It was surrounded by the sea on all sides, and its geographical location was relatively isolated. The country's area was small, and it had no ninja villages or military forces of its own. It did, however, have some natural harbors. Its economy was relatively underdeveloped, mainly relying on fishing and shipping trade with the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to go to the Land of Demons via the Land of Waves' sea route precisely because of the convenience of its port. This would allow them to avoid the eyes and ears of various factions that might be present on land. In addition, its complicated mix of people and relatively lax intelligence control also made it easier for them to act low-key and avoid revealing their whereabouts too early.
"Understood." Hyuga Kawa nodded, asking no more questions. With their three abilities, they shouldn't encounter any trouble before entering the Land of Demons. The real trouble would begin after they entered the country.
Soon, the last wisp of the setting sun's afterglow completely sank below the horizon, and dusk slowly enveloped the land like a giant curtain. The light in the forest quickly dimmed, and the shadows grew denser. Various nocturnal creatures began to awaken, making rustling sounds.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting late. There's a hidden cave up ahead. We'll rest there for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."
The three figures quietly changed direction and disappeared in the direction Hiruzen Sarutobi had indicated.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions quietly left the Hidden Leaf, the undercurrents hidden within the village also began to stir.
At the same time, it wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions who had left the Hidden Leaf; the other four Kage had also departed from their respective ninja villages. Undercurrents began to stir throughout the entire shinobi world.
Wooo!
A low and long steam whistle echoed across the sea, far from the jurisdiction of the Five Great Nations.
The sea breeze carried a cold, salty scent, blowing fiercely and whipping up waves that crashed against the rusty hull with a dull, continuous roar.
Several large warships broke through the calm sea, leaving circles of spindle-shaped ripples. Their strange shapes were not the traditional streamlined designs. Instead, complex cannons and tracks were intertwined, along with other structures whose purposes were unknown.
Clearly, these were by no means commercial vessels but rather military ships. If Hiruzen Sarutobi were here, he would recognize these familiar ships. They belonged to the Hidden Sky Village, which had tried to attack the Land of Fire during the Second Shinobi World War.
The Hidden Sky Village, with its unique flying ninja tools and technology, had gained air superiority. During the Second Shinobi World War, they posed a threat to the Land of Fire and caused immense destruction to the Hidden Leaf with their aerial advantage. However, they had been wiped out during the Second Shinobi World War, and not even Hiruzen Sarutobi knew they had surviving remnants.
Due to their defeat in the Second Shinobi World War, the remnants of the Hidden Sky Village were almost completely defeated, only operating in remote areas far from the mainland or in isolated, uninhabited sea territories.
According to the original timeline, they would only recover their strength and find an opportunity to launch a retaliatory attack on the Hidden Leaf when Tsunade became Hokage. Ultimately, Shinnō, the leader of the Hidden Sky Village and creator of the 'Zero-Tails,' would be defeated by Naruto.
But now, it seemed their recovery had happened much earlier. They were clearly practicing the use of their flying ninja tools.
Beep, beep, beep...
At this moment, on the wide deck of the flagship at the front of the fleet, the signal lights on the edge of the runway were flashing. Two sky ninjas, with strange, bat-wing-like metal flying devices on their backs, were half-crouched on two launch tracks. In the tower above, a sky ninja was observing the wind direction, ready to give the command to take off.
All that could be heard on the deck was the roaring wind and the sound of the devices preparing for launch.
"Go." The command came from the tower.
Clang! Clang!!
A piercing metal scraping sound tore through the silence.
The launch tracks erupted in a blinding flash of electricity. The two sky ninjas shot off the deck like arrows from a giant crossbow, turning into two streaks of light that ripped through the air.
Whoosh!
A powerful gust of wind rushed toward them. The two sky ninjas quickly adjusted their posture, feeling the surging power from their flying devices. With precise control of their Wind Style chakra, the biting sea breeze was accurately divided and guided, forming a stable and efficient streamlined airflow above and below the wings.
This was the Hidden Sky Village's most core and proud signature flying ninja tool. It was a personal flying device powered by their own chakra, combining Wind Style chakra control with aerodynamic design to achieve long-term, highly mobile flight.
In the entire shinobi world, flight ability was an extremely rare strategic advantage. There was almost no other faction that could equip flying ninja tools on such a large scale and in such an organized manner. This was also the main reason why the Hidden Sky Village was able to cause trouble for the Hidden Leaf during the Second Shinobi World War. In past battles, they had used their aerial advantage countless times, leaving their enemies on the ground to rage helplessly, watching as they cast a shadow of death below.
However, just as the two sky ninjas lowered their altitude, soaring over the sea like hunting gulls and feeling excited about the current strength and future of the Hidden Sky Village...
Whoooosh!
The two sky ninjas felt their flying devices begin to vibrate. It was as if something was interfering with the airflow around them.
"What's going on?" one of the sky ninjas instinctively exclaimed. But at that moment, a large, suffocating shadow slowly appeared on the deep sea surface below them. The two of them instinctively looked up but didn't see anything in the sky.
This meant it was underwater?!
The two of them looked down abruptly, their gazes penetrating the churning seawater, and then they saw it.
In the water, a large, suffocating shadow was silently moving! The outline of the shadow was blurred, but just the visible portion of its mass was enough to make anyone who saw it's scalp tingle and their spine run cold. The black shadow moved at an astonishing speed and was gradually rising, carving a huge trail across the sea.
"There's something in the water!" The two sky ninjas' voices were distorted by terror.
Rumble!!
Before they could finish their sentence, the sea below them suddenly exploded, and a terrifying figure burst out of the water!
It was a giant beast of unimaginable size, covered in rough, slimy brown skin with disgusting lumps and mucus all over it. At this moment, a massive mouth, large enough to swallow an entire small boat, suddenly opened, and the foul-smelling breath it spewed out swept over them like a hurricane.
Ibuse, the Giant Salamander!
The two sky ninjas' expressions were horrified. They frantically tried to ascend, attempting to escape this sudden attack. But it was too late.
"No..."
The two of them only had time to let out a terrified shriek. Ibuse's huge head lunged forward, like a whale breaching the sea to catch a bird. It instantly swallowed the two sky ninjas along with their proud flying devices.
Crunch! Crunch!
A teeth-grinding sound of twisting metal and cracking bones echoed dully inside the giant beast's closing mouth.
Splat.
Ibuse's mouth slightly squirmed, spitting out fragments of the flying ninja tools and the pale white bones of the sky ninjas, which were then completely submerged by the churning waves. On the sea surface, Ibuse's massive and grotesque head emerged from the water. The sky ninjas on the deck who witnessed all this had looks of horror on their faces.
"What is that monster?!"
Seeing what had just happened, the sky ninja captain's face instantly changed. "A giant salamander? How could a giant salamander from the Land of Rain appear here?"
Although a giant salamander's name implies it's a fish, it's actually an amphibian that typically only lives in shallow water or humid environments. It would never go into the deep sea!
"Captain!" a sensory-type sky ninja's voice suddenly trembled. "There are people on top of that monster's head!!"
"What?" The sky ninja captain finally snapped back to his senses, immediately realizing this was not a coincidence but a deliberate act of obstruction by an enemy.
However, before he could give the command to attack, he saw two blurred figures standing on top of the giant salamander's head suddenly disappear from their sight.
The next moment, two figures, with a tearing sound, descended from the sky.
Boom!!
The warship rocked slightly like a leaf on the sea. The anchor's iron chains were pulled taut into a straight line, and the bow of the ship let out a faint groan under the force. The sky ninjas on the deck looked astonished, raising their kunai guns and placing their fingers on the triggers, aiming at the two descending figures.
"Looks like we found the right place."
'Kage' scanned the sky ninjas, and a voice with a hint of a smile sounded, "Hello, I'd like to meet your leader. Can someone lead the way?"