The cold wind whipped snowflakes across the land just outside the east wall of the Star Ninja's outpost, an area that had just witnessed a brief yet bloody conflict.
Four corpses clad in ice-blue armor lay quietly on the snow-covered ground, their blood staining the pure white like a few fiercely blooming red plum blossoms.
Hotarubi's gaze swept over the bodies as she issued a steady order: "Yukimi, use the storage scroll to properly seal and preserve the body of Roga Nadare. The corpse of an elite Yukigakure's Jonin holds immense value for the Research Department, both for the intelligence it carries and the unique Chakra Armor it wears."
"Understood!" Yukimi nodded immediately, retrieving a specially made storage scroll from her tool pouch and deftly forming hand seals.
As Chakra was channeled into it, Nadare's corpse, riddled with senbon and bearing a tragic state of death, was drawn into the scroll.
Next, Hotarubi and Gotta crouched down to carefully examine the bodies of the other three Yukigakure's Chunin.
Gotta's rough fingers traced over the damaged Chakra Armor on the corpses, a gleam of inquiry in his eyes: "Tsk tsk, the construction of this armor is indeed intricate. It can amplify Chakra and even assist in unleashing Ice Release... Pity the material strength and energy conduction seem flawed. Its power is far inferior to the pure, potent strength of Haku's Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."
He commented while efficiently stripping the armor from the three bodies and packing it away carefully.
"Take the armor back for the Research Department to analyze. The bodies..." Hotarubi stood up, lifting one of the cold corpses in each hand. Gotta lifted the other.
"...Return them."
They exchanged a glance, then simultaneously exerted force, hurling the three nearly naked, scar-covered Yukigakure's Ninja's corpses like stones towards the distant Land of Darkness camp!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three dull thuds of heavy objects landing echoed clearly in the silent, cold night, right at the edge of the torchlight from the patrolling soldiers on the camp's perimeter.
"Enemy attack?!"
"What was that?!"
Panicked shouts and the sound of disordered footsteps immediately rose from behind the camp's fence.
Several soldiers cautiously approached. When the torchlight illuminated the three faces, frozen in fear and pain, both familiar and unfamiliar, terrified screams instantly pierced the night sky!
"It's... it's the Ninja-sama from the Land of Snow!!"
"They're dead! Stripped naked!!"
"Oh gods! Who did this?!"
The camp instantly erupted into chaos like a stirred-up hornet's nest!
Panic spread among the ordinary soldiers like a plague.
'Those lofty Ninja-sama had been killed so easily, thrown back like garbage?!'
Donosuke, startled by the commotion outside, rushed over hastily, throwing on his coat.
When he saw the three nearly stripped, clearly brutally killed Yukigakure's Ninja's corpses on the ground, his face, which usually has a calculating expression, instantly turned extremely gloomy, his goatee trembling slightly with anger.
'Fools! A bunch of fools!' He cursed Nadare's incompetence inwardly, but more than that, he felt a sense of unease and dread as the situation slipped from his control.
He knew Nadare's strength well.
'Equipped with specially made Jonin-level Chakra Armor and supported by three Chunin, they had been completely wiped out without even making a splash? Their corpses were even used as trophies and tools of provocation?!'
'The strength within the Star Ninja's outpost was far more terrifying than I had estimated!'
Forcing down the shock in his heart, he barked sharply at the trembling messenger soldier beside him: "Immediately! Use the fastest method to send an urgent request for reinforcements to the capital! Report to Doto-sama that the Star Ninja's resistance is fierce, Nadare Roga and his team are dead! Request that His Highness swiftly sends stronger reinforcements! Hurry!"
His voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.
The portly Land of Darkness's noble, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, after initially being startled by the corpses on the ground, showed a look of disdain and complaint on his face, muttering quietly: "Hmph, I thought the Yukigakure's Ninja were so amazing. They bragged to the skies, and this is all they're capable of? They were actually wiped out without even touching a hair of the Star Ninja? What a waste of our money and provisions..."
Donosuke, hearing this idiot's muttering, was furious, but with the current situation forcing his hand, he could only glare darkly, ignore the fool for now, and rapidly consider his next move.
…
Over the next few days, the situation settled into an eerie calm.
On the Star Ninja's side, Hotarubi and Gotta strictly followed Menma's orders, holding their position firmly and not venturing out, only strengthening their vigilance and defensive structures.
Kimimaro, Haku, Yukimi, and the other Star Ninja in the outpost took turns on watch. The deterrent effect of throwing the Yukigakure's Ninja's corpses at the army's doorstep that night kept the Land of Darkness's forces from stepping a foot closer.
In the army camp, Donosuke and the Land of Darkness's noble were hesitant to act, neither daring to send small teams to their deaths nor possessing the strength to launch a full-scale attack for now.
They could only wait anxiously for reinforcements from their homeland while guarding against a sudden attack from the outpost's Star Ninja.
The two sides faced off across the icy snow plain and that low wall, engaged in a silent standoff, the tension in the air so thick it felt like it could ignite at any moment.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Swamps, suffering from famine and noble oppression-
Miroku's figure appeared like a warm light in the areas hardest hit by the disaster.
She still wore that elegant, dignified miko attire, her brow carrying compassion and determination.
Behind her were over ten priests and miko from the Land of Demons' shrine.
Furthermore, a team of elite Land of Stars's Anbu, led personally by Kisame, lurked in the surroundings like shadows, responsible for protecting their safety.
Miroku personally directed the setup of soup kitchens on the outskirts of the towns worst affected by the disaster.
Grain provided by the Land of Stars was cooked into thick, hot porridge, emitting a life-saving aroma.
"It's Miroku-sama!"
"Priestess-sama has come to save us!"
"Quick! Quick, line up! The Land of Stars's Priestess-sama is giving out porridge!"
Miroku's lofty prestige in the nations in the Western Ninja Continent was now clearly evident.
The news spread as if it had wings. Countless emaciated, ragged refugees swarmed from all directions, gathering around the soup kitchens, a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.
Under the direction of the priests and miko, they formed orderly lines to receive the life-saving food, expressing endless gratitude to Miroku and the Star Ninja.
This scene stood in stark contrast to the indifference of the nobility.
This convergence of popular support and prestige quickly aroused extreme unease and jealousy in the Daimyo of the Land of Swamps, Ono Takuto.
Personally leading an army of over three thousand ordinary soldiers, he marched grandly into Honsho Town, where Miroku was stationed.
The army roughly dispersed some of the refugees and surrounded the inn where Miroku was staying.
Inside the inn room, the short, stout Ono Takuto, with his sinister gaze, dressed in luxurious brocade robes and flanked by a group of samurai and several Rogue Ninjas, met the calmly seated Miroku.
"Priestess Miroku gracing us with your presence truly brings honor to my Land of Swamps," Ono Takuto said, playing with a folding fan, feigning a smile while his eyes greedily scanned Miroku's figure, "Your Ladyship is compassionate, extending aid during our country's disaster. I am immensely grateful. How about... Priestess Miroku stays in our Land of Swamps for a long time? I will surely treat you with great courtesy. Surely that is better than serving under others in that Land of Stars established by Rogue Ninjas?"
Miroku slowly raised her head. Her purple eyes were calm and unruffled, her voice gentle yet firm: "Thank you for your kind offer, Daimyo-sama. But my purpose here is solely to relieve the disaster victims, upholding the will of Land of Stars's Shura-sama. Once the disaster situation eases, I will naturally leave. I must decline your offer to stay in the Land of Swamps."
Ono Takuto's face instantly darkened, the false smile completely disappearing.
He leaned back slightly, opening his folding fan to cover half his face: "Priestess, please don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Look outside the city! Tens of thousands of starving people! Their lives hang on your decision! If you insist on leaving and displease me, these people... Hmph, I cannot guarantee they will get another mouthful of hot porridge!" (T/N: To refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit means to hesitate to do something until forced to do even more.)
He directly tore off the pretense, threatening her with the lives of the refugees outside the city.
Miroku's eyes turned cold, her fingers tightening slightly.
But she remained composed: "Is Daimyo-sama threatening Miroku, or is he threatening the very people outside the city whom you are supposed to protect?"
"Think what you will!" Takuto snarled, "I give you one day to consider! Think carefully! Stay in the Land of Swamps and enjoy wealth and honor, or watch those lowly commoners starve and freeze to death because of you!"
With that, he snorted coldly, turned, and left with his retinue, leaving the army heavily surrounding the inn.
After Takuto left, Kisame silently emerged from the shadows in the room. His shark-like face showed no expression, but his small eyes glinted with a cold killing intent: "Priestess, do you need me to 'handle' that fool?"
His right fingers twitched slightly, as if already gripping the handle of Samehada.
Miroku walked to the window, looking down at the dense forest of blades and spears of the army below. She shook her head gently and sighed: "No need, Kisame-san. Killing him is easy, but the chaos it would cause would affect countless civilians. Shura-sama promised me he would try his best to minimize casualties among ordinary people. Let's wait for his instructions."
Her gaze turned towards the distance, as if she could see the figure in the Star City strategizing and planning.
Time passed in tense standoff and silent pressure. A week went by in the blink of an eye.
At the Land of Darkness's border, the wind and snow grew more violent… a large Ninja Force arrived quietly at the Land of Darkness's army camp amidst the swirling snow.
At its head was the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, Doto!
He wore a more ornate set of Chakra Armor inlaid with blue crystals. His face beneath the helmet was cold and hard as ice, his eyes filled with ambition and brutality.
Behind him followed two powerful Yukigakure's Jonin, plus an elite force composed of over twenty Chunin and more than fifty Genin!
Their icy Chakra Armor reflected a cold gleam on the snow, like an army from a frozen hell.
However, after Doto entered Land of Darkness's territory, he found the situation somewhat amiss.
The villages along the way were unusually desolate and deathly silent.
Occasionally, he could see burned-down houses and sporadic frozen corpses by the roadside.
The air was filled with a sense of oppression and panic, completely different from what he had imagined.
During his meeting with the Land of Darkness's Daimyo, Yokogawa Taichi, Doto frowned and raised his question.
Taichi, however, waved his hand dismissively, took a sip of his sake, and said with a breath reeking of alcohol: "Doto-dono, you need not worry. It's just some starving lowlifes causing trouble! They can't make waves! Once your Yukigakure's Ninja Army crushes the Star Ninja, my army can turn around and easily suppress them!"
"It's the dead of winter, so it's perfectly normal for some lowlifes to freeze or starve to death. It saves food! It's those Land of Stars' Ninja, stuck in my land like nails… Doto-dono, you see-"
A trace of barely perceptible disdain flashed in Doto's eyes… he had seen many such stupid, short-sighted nobles.
Although he didn't care about civilian casualties either, population was also an important foundation of a country.
Although the previous loss of Nadare's elite team had made him shed all his previous underestimation of the Land of Stars, he was still full of confidence in his own strength and the advantages of the winter environment.
"The Star Ninja will naturally be dealt with," Doto's voice was icy, "Winter is my Yukigakure's Ninja's home ground! With the boost of wind and snow, the Chakra Armor can maximize the power of Ice Release! Star Ninja? They're just a bunch of rats hiding behind an earthen wall!"
After these days of standoff, Donosuke had observed the Star Ninja's outpost's situation fairly well, estimating there were fewer than ten Ninja.
As for Star Ninja Village, it was also just a small Ninja Village, estimated to have at most a little over a hundred Ninja.
As for the force led by Doto. It is composed of over seventy Ninja, all wearing Chakra Armor. Moreover, fighting in winter could maximize the power of their Ice Release Ninjutsu.
Once this Star Ninja's force was dealt with, they could drive straight into the Land of Stars, surely catching the Star Ninja off guard!
No matter how you looked at it, for winter warfare, the advantage was his!
Then, Doto changed the subject, proposing the conditions he had long prepared: "However, Yokogawa-dono, for my Land of Snow to provide full assistance, the price is not low. After success, that 'forest' in the north of Land of Darkness bordering the Land of Snow must be permanently ceded to my Land of Snow! How about it?"
Taichi's eyes rolled upon hearing this.
Although that forest was quite large, it was bitterly cold year-round. In his view, aside from some cold-resistant timber and wild animals, it was far less valuable than the fertile land the Star Ninja had developed.
He had even begun to fantasize that after defeating the Land of Stars, not only could he take back the land, but he might also seize the opportunity to counterattack and take a big bite out of the Land of Stars itself!
"No problem! Done!" Taichi agreed readily, "As long as you can help me drive out the Star Ninja and take the plains, that worthless forest is yours to have!"
Each harboring their own schemes, the two reached an agreement.
Doto smiled with satisfaction. Demanding that forest as payment was merely a smokescreen.
What he truly wanted was the entire Land of Darkness!
'Just wait, after dealing with the Star Ninja, you're next… Those Rogue Ninja from Star Village can kill nobles and Daimyo, so I, Kazahana Doto, can kill just the same!'