Night fell, with countless stars scattered across the sky, accompanying the bright moon to adorn the pitch-black heavens.
In Ryukawa District, the farmers who worked from dawn to dusk had already returned to their homes to rest.
From the grass and ponds, unknown insects chirped persistently, disturbing the otherwise tranquil countryside.
"Hey! Husband, these shinobi from the Land of Wind seem much better than the ones we had before!"
"They not only gave us food but also exempted us from taxes for three years. If we don't have seeds, we can even borrow from them..."
"I heard that our place is no longer called the Land of Rivers but has become Ryukawa District under the Land of Wind..."
The woman's voice was suddenly interrupted by a gruff male voice, "What do you know?!"
"Those people from the Land of Wind are untrustworthy! They promised us a year's worth of food, but when it came time to distribute it, it was only enough for three months!"
"A bunch of hypocrites..."
"Three months of food is still food, isn't it? And we don't have to pay taxes for the next three years," the woman's voice retorted again.
"Tomorrow morning, we must get to the fields early to sow the seeds before the spring rains pass..."
"No need to wait until morning; there's still one patch of land we should plant tonight!" The man's raucous laughter echoed from the house.
"You idiot! Keep it down; you'll wake the kids!"
Soon, the creaking sound of movement came from inside the house, blending with the chirping insects and croaking frogs outside, rising and falling in rhythm.
In the center of the village stood a relatively spacious two-story wooden house with a courtyard. Several people were kneeling in the main hall on the first floor.
A red lantern illuminated their faces, revealing that the group was led by an elderly man seated in the position of honor.
Everyone's brows were furrowed, and the old man remained silent, fumbling around his body.
Finally, he pulled out a patched cloth bag, carefully pinched some tobacco leaves from it, and stuffed them into an old, worn pipe.
"Village chief!" A middle-aged man, unable to contain himself, finally spoke, his face full of resentment.
The old man had just removed the pipe from the lantern's flame, taking a deep drag and letting the smoke wander through his aged body.
After holding it in for a long time, he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
"Village chief?! We can't go on like this! Those Sunagakure shinobi are going too far. Half a month ago, they took Tanaka's two daughters, and today they've taken Inoue's youngest daughter as well!"
Another muscular man spoke up, his upper body bare, revealing solid muscles that indicated a life of hard labor.
"Exactly! Who doesn't have women in their family? At this rate, it'll be our turn sooner or later!" The others chimed in.
"So, should we grab our tools and fight them?"
"At best, you've got brute strength. Do you think sickles and machetes can stand against shinobi?"
"This kind of thing has happened before. Was it any better under the rule of the Valley Hidden Village?" the old man retorted, stroking his pipe. The aged copper pipe had been polished to a dull sheen from years of use.
"But can they just go back on their word like this?!" The muscular man slapped his thigh and shouted angrily.
"A year's worth of food turned into three months, and most of the seeds they lent us were moldy! How are we supposed to live?"
"Isn't it because you heard about the year's worth of food and started feasting, even giving some to the widows at the edge of the village? Don't think we don't know!" a slender young man teased from across the room.
"Enough!" The village chief tapped his pipe against the floor and said, "These are minor issues. The shinobi from the Land of Wind have been surveying and measuring our rivers."
"The Land of Wind is infamous for its lack of water and endless deserts. I suspect they're planning to divert our rivers to their land..." The chief sighed deeply, his brows furrowed.
"What?!" The group exclaimed in shock.
For as long as they could remember, they had lived off the land and rivers of the Land of Rivers. While the Valley Hidden Village shinobi sometimes acted excessively, as long as the taxes were paid in full, the farmers' lives were relatively peaceful.
But now, foreign shinobi had arrived in their familiar land, and it seemed they had no intention of leaving. This already made them uncomfortable.
Hearing the village chief's suspicion that these foreigners planned to divert the rivers they relied on for survival filled them with anger.
"What's the use of getting angry? Acting recklessly will only cost you your lives," the chief said quietly.
"Only a great nation can stand against another great nation. Hiroki, doesn't your uncle do business in the Land of Fire?"
"Send him a message and ask him to test the waters with the Land of Fire."
"Ichifu, find a way to infiltrate the Land of Wind's construction teams and gather intelligence on Sunagakure's defenses. This will be our bargaining chip when we negotiate with the Land of Fire."
A sudden evening breeze swept in, causing the lantern to flicker violently. The light on the chief's face alternated between bright and dim.
By noon the next day, the sun hung high in the sky, evaporating the morning dew.
At the former highland ruins of the Valley Hidden Village, rows of neat, pitch-black stone houses had been rebuilt.
These were clearly mass-produced using Earth Release techniques. While not particularly attractive, they were certainly sturdy enough to withstand the elements.
After all, Sunagakure didn't have a "real estate tycoon" like Yamato.
At the center of the highland stood a three-story stone building. The exterior was adorned with carved patterns, giving it a touch of elegance.
The top floor of the stone building had walls painted in a pristine white. Calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, and the spacious room was covered in white fox fur rugs.
In the middle of the room was a large oval bed made of luxurious rosewood, about three meters wide. The bed's railings were intricately carved with floral, avian, and beast motifs, coated in gold lacquer, exuding an air of opulence.
On the bed lay one man and four women, their intimate clothing scattered haphazardly. Several arms rested on the soft sheets.
Upon closer inspection, a young girl was huddled in the corner of the room, clutching a blanket to cover her trembling body.
Her body occasionally twitched, her face filled with terror, as though she had endured immense suffering, her worldview shattered.
Bang!
The sound of a door being kicked open echoed, followed by the faint sound of a heated argument outside.
"Without Master Takahashi's permission, you can't enter..."
"Please respect yourself!"
"Lord Sōmi, that scoundrel is inside!"
Boom!
A loud crash followed as the thick wooden door was kicked open, shattering into splinters that flew into the room.