The Land of Rice Fields was a small but extraordinarily fertile country. By all logic, a nation this rich in resources and without its own shinobi forces should've been swallowed up by one of the larger powers long ago. And yet, it remained standing, stable as a mountain.
Why?
Because its neighbors were none other than the Land of Iron and the Land of Fire—the two most peace-loving nations in the entire shinobi world.
Sandwiched between those two giants, the Land of Rice Fields was practically treated like a cherished little sibling. All it had to do was pay a modest share of its harvest, and in return, it received full-time protection.
The Land of Rain and the Land of Grass—scrappier, less fortunate countries—could only look on in bitter envy.
But even in paradise, trouble brews.
Lately, the Land of Rice Fields had been plagued by something new: rumors of a "monster."
Its economy relied heavily on agriculture and tourism. Farming provided the foundation, but tourism was what kept the daimyo's coffers full. Now, though, thanks to the rumors, tourists had stopped visiting. Locals lived in fear, terrified they'd be the next to vanish. Farmlands were going to waste.
The country's economy was in free fall. The daimyo was so stressed his hairline had receded to the back of his skull. He'd tried hiring so-called spirit mediums to "cleanse" the land—but the very next day, even the medium had vanished without a trace, leaving only a trashed courtyard behind.
That was the final straw. The daimyo gave up on mystics and turned instead to his powerful neighbor for help: the Hidden Leaf Village.
When Gekkō Hoshiyomi and his team arrived, the Land of Rice Fields was eerily quiet. Even in broad daylight, there were barely any people on the streets. The place looked more like an abandoned city than a bustling village.
Even the normally carefree Torifu, their squad leader, frowned at the scene.
Inside the daimyo's residence...
The balding lord nearly leapt out of his seat when he saw Torifu's burly, intimidating face—not in fear, but in joy, like a starving man seeing a feast.
He rushed forward in quick, shuffling steps and grabbed Torifu's hand in both of his.
"Konoha's shinobi! You're finally here! If you'd taken any longer, our whole nation might have collapsed! Tell me, brave warrior—what's your rank?"
Torifu knew how to play the diplomatic game. The most important thing now was to calm this desperate noble down. So he went straight for the flex.
"I am Akimichi Torifu, a jōnin of Konohagakure and direct disciple of the Second Hokage. These three are my students—rising stars among the next generation of Leaf shinobi. Rest assured, daimyo-sama, we will resolve this issue."
The daimyo's jaw practically hit the floor.
"A jōnin?! Oh, we're saved! Absolutely saved! If you can take down this monster, I'll even double your mission reward!"
Hoshiyomi and the others, naturally pleased by this generosity, didn't waste any time. They immediately set to work, fanning out across the villages to gather intel on the so-called monster.
The four of them spent the entire afternoon going door-to-door. By the time they regrouped that evening and compiled their findings…
Well, the "monster" they'd heard described would have looked something like this:
Three heads. Six arms. Blue skin. Fangs. Covered in white fur. Eyes glowing green. Moves without a sound. Strength beyond belief. Only comes out at night. Feeds on human blood and flesh. And—because why not—always appears accompanied by the wails of a woman crying in the distance.
If Hoshiyomi hadn't been wearing his authentic Leaf headband, he would've thought he'd been isekai'd into Demon Slayer, not Naruto.
Actually, no—this thing sounded too ridiculous even for Demon Slayer.
Of the four, Sakumo was the most ghost-averse. After hearing the description, he was convinced this "monster" was pure rumor. If a creature like that actually existed, getting eaten by it would be an honorable way to go.
Sometimes, that's just how rumors work—a tiny incident gets twisted into full-blown urban legend after enough retellings.
Just like those old Investigative Mysteries specials…
After realizing they'd wasted their afternoon on second-hand ghost stories, the team decided not to waste more time on hearsay. They would take the initiative. If this creature was real, they'd flush it out themselves.
Torifu clapped his hands. "It's 7 o'clock now. Get some rest for four hours. At 11 sharp, we head out to hunt whatever's out there."
At 11 p.m., the four moved light and quiet, bringing only their essential ninja gear, and headed for the countryside.
As every shinobi knows, setting traps is a vital skill. And this one was simple: bait the beast with the scent of food.
Since the creature—real or not—seemed to be attacking livestock and humans, it probably needed to eat. So the squad picked a wide, open clearing, lit a fire, and started grilling meat.
To make the scent carry farther, they seasoned the meat heavily.
Hoshiyomi, of course, was nowhere to be seen. He had already used his Transparent Release technique to disappear. With weeks of practice and chakra control training under Torifu's guidance, he had fully mastered it.
Even without activating his secret art, Hoshiyomi could now maintain an almost flawless cloaking technique. Torifu had taught him various tricks for staying hidden, too.
At this point, even Torifu himself would struggle to detect him without focusing his chakra senses. And if this "monster" was stronger than Torifu, then the Land of Rice Fields would've been wiped off the map already.
As the scent of grilled meat drifted on the wind, pairs of glowing green eyes began to appear in the nearby fields—just animals, hungry and mesmerized by the smell.
Torifu, Shinku, and Sakumo kept eating by the fire like nothing was wrong.
Torifu was just starting to worry the wildlife might ruin their trap when a distant sound echoed through the trees.
A woman sobbing.
Soft at first—then closer. Louder.
The green eyes vanished in an instant. The animals, sensing danger, scattered.
Sakumo, however, had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
He knew this monster probably wasn't real. But hearing that cry made sweat break out all over his body.
He steeled himself. No matter what came next, he was going to open with his Void Severance technique. One clean strike.
No hesitation.