When Uchiha Yashiro's battle report—"Jūzō Biwa captured alive, Kirigakure vanguard completely annihilated"—was delivered by a ninja cat to the desk on the eighth floor of the Ginza Building, Uchiha Hazuki rubbed her temples wearily.
In recent days, the Intelligence Department had become the busiest branch of the clan.
Endless streams of reports.
Constant verification.
Cross-checking intelligence from multiple fronts.
Even parts of Infinite City's administration had begun falling under their responsibility.
It was exhausting.
And yet—
With every report processed, the Uchiha grew stronger.
That quiet sense of contribution filled Hazuki with satisfaction.
She set down her pen and leaned back slightly, turning her gaze toward the window.
The night sky stretched deep and vast.
A bright moon hung high above Infinite City.
Its pale light washed over rooftops and streets, revealing a peaceful yet thriving city.
Hazuki lifted her cup of cooled strong tea and took a sip.
The bitterness lingered.
She exhaled slowly.
Then unfolded the report.
"According to interrogation results and maritime reconnaissance…"
"The Kirigakure reinforcement fleet will reach the eastern coast of the Land of Fire around noon the day after tomorrow."
Her expression tightened instantly.
The earlier sense of relief vanished.
She rose without hesitation.
Left the intelligence office.
Walked briskly down the corridor.
Stopped before the heavy wooden door at the end.
Knocked.
Then pushed it open.
Inside—
Uchiha Anlan sat behind his desk, composed as always.
Beside him stood Uchiha Mikoto, leaning slightly forward as she pointed at a document.
When the door opened—
Mikoto looked up.
A faint blush lingered on her face.
Her eyes shone with unusual brightness.
Like spring blossoms touched by morning dew.
Hazuki noticed.
But her expression remained unchanged.
"General. Lady Mikoto."
She stepped forward and placed the report on the desk.
"Urgent intelligence from Kirigakure."
Anlan glanced at the report.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
The next phase…
Had already begun.
Under the same night sky—
Land of Wind
The desert stretched endlessly beneath the moon.
Cold light painted the dunes in pale silver and blue.
Wind howled across the sand like distant spirits.
At the edge where forest met desert—
A violent disturbance shattered the stillness.
A massive sandstorm roared.
Blotting out stars.
Devouring the night.
"Rasa! You damn pest!"
Shukaku's massive form twisted within the storm, its voice echoing with fury.
"Are you going to chase me forever?!"
Compressed air bullets blasted from its mouth.
Explosions tore through the landscape.
Rasa dodged mid-air.
After days of pursuit, exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
But his eyes remained cold.
He landed on a cliff.
No words.
No hesitation.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Great Burial."
The desert erupted.
Golden sand surged upward like a living tide.
Flowing across the basin.
Forming a massive sealing formation.
Symbols of gold shimmered under moonlight.
The entire area—
Sealed.
Shukaku roared.
Chakra condensed violently.
A Tailed Beast Ball formed.
"Die—!!"
Rasa moved first.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Boundary Law."
Eight colossal golden spikes erupted.
They struck—
Detonating the Tailed Beast Ball prematurely.
The explosion shook the basin.
In that instant—
Rasa vanished.
Reappearing atop a floating platform of gold dust.
His hands formed seals rapidly.
Veins bulged.
Blood trickled from his nose.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust!"
A massive wave surged forward.
Wrapping Shukaku completely.
Like endless swarming insects.
Shukaku struggled violently.
Claws.
Tail.
Air bullets.
But the gold dust reformed endlessly.
Its chakra flow—
Slowed.
Suppressed.
Rasa's face turned pale.
His breathing grew heavy.
But he did not stop.
"Magnet Release—Gold Dust Sealing Coffin!"
The entire formation collapsed inward.
A vortex of gold sand formed.
Pulling everything toward its center.
Shukaku's massive body—
Began to dissolve.
Turning into raw chakra.
"No—!!"
Its roar shook the desert.
But it could not resist.
The chakra was dragged—
Into a black sealing kettle.
Clang.
The lid sealed.
The light faded.
Silence returned.
Rasa dropped to one knee.
Breathing heavily.
At that moment—
Two shadows moved.
Silent.
Deadly.
Kumogakure ninja.
One struck from behind.
The other targeted the kettle.
Rasa didn't even turn.
A cold smile appeared.
The desert—
Was his domain.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Needle."
Two faint sounds.
The sand beneath their feet moved.
Hair-thin spikes pierced their ankles.
Bones shattered.
They collapsed instantly.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shuriken."
Golden blades shot forward.
One ninja blocked.
The other—
Too slow.
A shuriken pierced his throat.
He fell.
The last ninja roared.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Tiger!"
A beast of lightning surged forward.
Rasa remained calm.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Barrier."
The attack exploded harmlessly.
Then—
A hidden gold thread snapped upward.
"Shhk—!"
A thin line appeared across the ninja's throat.
Blood sprayed.
He collapsed.
Silence.
Once again.
Rasa stood slowly.
Every breath burned.
He looked northeast.
Toward the Land of Lightning.
"Greedy fools…"
"Two-Tails and Eight-Tails aren't enough…"
"And now you want Shukaku…"
But—
Konoha remained the priority.
He could not risk further conflict.
He created a gold platform.
Lifted into the sky.
Carrying the sealed One-Tail.
As he flew—
A glow appeared ahead.
Not scattered light.
But a city.
Bright.
Dense.
Alive.
Rasa slowed.
That place…
Should have been—
Rōran.
A ruined city.
But now—
Towering structures rose into the night.
Lights burned steadily.
The tallest tower pierced the sky.
Windows glowed like stars.
A city of light in a sea of sand.
Rasa frowned.
This was impossible.
Sunagakure intelligence would not make such an error.
Inside the city—
He saw figures moving.
Not normal.
Puppet-like.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
But—
He was exhausted.
And carrying the sealed One-Tail.
This was not the time.
He turned away.
After returning—
He would report to Chiyo and Ebizō.
And send scouts.
Rasa flew onward.
Leaving the glowing city behind.
The desert swallowed its light—
As if it had never existed.
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