Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand

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"Is this the Land of Fields?" Jinghang shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, gazing at the endless expanse of rice paddies ahead.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama," Tsunade replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"You don't need to use formal titles in informal settings; it sounds too distant," Jinghang said with a smile.

In the distance, a young Hidan and an equally young Might Guy were running wildly, seemingly racing each other. Behind them, Might Duy, with his thick beard, laughed heartily and shouted after them, warning the two not to fall into the ditches.

Originally, the Sand Village delegation consisted of over thirty members. Apart from Rasa and Pakura, who served as bodyguards, the rest were mostly "students" on official exchange programs. Some were assigned to the Ninja Academy, others to the Medical Division, and still others to the Administrative Department. By the time the group was heading back, however, only five people remained.

Before their departure, the Hokage had remarked that since the two villages were now allies, it shouldn't just be the Sand Village sending people to learn from Konoha. Konoha should also send personnel to provide guidance in return. Leading the team was someone Jinghang was familiar with: Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a key figure in the Medical Division. Along with her were twenty elite ninjas, experts in various fields, who would serve as the first batch of Konoha's professional support team for the Sand Village.

Jinghang naturally had no objections to this. In fact, he welcomed it. The more experts Konoha sent, the better. However, the Hokage had pulled him aside for a private conversation, revealing a shocking piece of information: the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were targeting him.

Those lunatics… Jinghang thought to himself. He glanced at Tsunade and her team and immediately understood the Hokage's intentions—this group wasn't just here for guidance; they were also his bodyguards.

Before leaving, Jinghang made a small request: could Might Duy, Konoha's "Eternal Genin," be added to the team? His reasoning was that Duy was a master of taijutsu and could serve as a taijutsu instructor in the Sand Village. The Hokage readily agreed and added Duy to the list. Duy, for his part, had no objections to the assignment but insisted on bringing his son, Might Guy, along, citing the simple reason that there was no one at home to look after him.

Jinghang laughed heartily and added Guy's name to the list as well. Then he turned to his disciple, Hidan, and pointed at the bowl-cut boy. "Go play with him!"

Over time, Hidan had grown attached to Jinghang, who treated him with care and affection, helping him gradually forget the blood and violence of the Jashin Cult. After a few rounds of wrestling and tree-climbing competitions, Hidan and Guy were already fast friends.

"Wait! There's fighting ahead! And smoke! Someone's in battle!" Pakura's sharp senses detected something amiss in the distance.

"Stay alert! Prepare for combat!" Jinghang commanded, his hands already forming Iron Sand into weapons as his eyes sharpened.

"Hidan! Guy! Stay outside the village and don't run around!"

"Everyone else, infiltrate the village quietly. Wait for my signal before making any moves!"

The Land of Fields was a small nation without its own ninja village. Its few scattered villages had long enjoyed a peaceful, pastoral life, untouched by the wars that plagued neighboring lands like Konoha. But today, that peace was shattered.

Seven figures wielding bizarre swords rampaged through the village, slaughtering indiscriminately. There was no reason, no justification. In less than two hours, the once-tranquil village was engulfed in blood and fire.

Among them, Zabuza Momochi was the most bloodthirsty. When Fuguki Suikazan suggested using the village as an ambush point, Zabuza had immediately charged in with his Executioner's Blade, cutting down the first villager he saw. The sight of blood seemed to awaken a primal hunger in the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who joined the massacre with relish. Fuguki made no attempt to stop them; to him, wiping out a small village was as trivial as eating or drinking.

"Clang!"

"Huh?"

Zabuza was momentarily surprised. In this tiny village, someone had dared to block his blade. Looking closely, he saw a crystalline purple barrier holding back his Executioner's Blade. The barrier's creator was a farmer, trembling uncontrollably as drool dripped from his mouth. His eyes were filled with terror, but beneath the fear lay a spark of rage.

"A Kekkei Genkai user in a place like this?" Jinin Akebino, wielding the Kabutowari (Helmet Splitter), remarked in surprise.

"But it looks like they don't even know what they're doing. They're not real ninjas. Heh, you couldn't even kill a farmer, Zabuza! How embarrassing!" Raiga Kurosuki, holding the Kiba (Thunder Swords), taunted.

Zabuza kicked the farmer away and prepared to end him with a single strike. But before he could, a massive yellow crystal wall suddenly materialized in front of him.

"Well, well, there's more than one!" Mangetsu Hozuki, wielding the Hiramekarei, seemed intrigued by the turn of events, tapping on the crystal wall with fascination.

Behind the wall, five or six farmers struggled to hold it up with trembling hands. Behind them, a group of women and children huddled together, shivering in fear. The village houses burned fiercely, sending thick smoke spiraling into the sky as if announcing the village's demise to the world.

Ameyuri Ringo, ever the pragmatist, swung her Shibuki (Splash Sword) at the wall. But despite a resounding impact, the wall remained unscathed.

"Ha!" Jinin Akebino followed up with a powerful strike from the Kabutowari. The resulting explosion was deafening, yet the wall still stood firm.

Fuguki, observing the scene, seemed lost in thought. After a moment, he whispered something to Juzo Biwa, who nodded in agreement.

"Three, two, one!"

"Water Release: Water Gun!"

"Wind Release: Blade of Wind!"

The combined jutsu created a high-pressure water stream that struck the crystal wall with a piercing screech. As the frequency of the vibrations increased, the sound became unbearably sharp. Finally, the wall shattered into countless fragments.

"Haha! Leave it to Fuguki to come up with a solution!"

"Fools who dare block our blades deserve no mercy!"

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen laughed maniacally as Jinin raised his blade to claim the villagers' lives.

"Stop right there! How dare you slaughter innocent civilians in broad daylight!"

A blue figure appeared before them, cloaked in lightning that crackled like a living armor. With a swift and elegant kick, the figure sent Jinin flying several meters away.

"Wow! Your master is so cool!" Might Guy, perched on a tree to watch the commotion, exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

"Of course! That's my master, after all!" Hidan replied smugly.

"Dammit!" Zabuza roared, charging at Jinghang with his Executioner's Blade.

"Yaaah!" Another blue figure darted out, letting out a sharp cry as it effortlessly disarmed Zabuza and seized his blade. Cloaked in a blazing blue aura, the figure stood tall and imposing, like a god descending to the mortal realm.

"Wow! Your dad is amazing too!" Hidan looked at Might Duy with equal admiration.

"Of course! That's my dad, after all!" Guy gave Hidan a thumbs-up, his trademark grin shining brightly.