The Land of Rivers.
This once-thriving tourist nation had now endured continuous turmoil for several months. Under the leadership of Mori Shiraishi, hundreds of Ghouls grew increasingly fierce in battle, and they were now closing in on the Hidden Steam Village.
Behind the Hidden Steam Village lay the political and economic heart of the entire Land of Rivers—the capital city, River City. At a forward outpost on the front lines of the Hidden Steam Village, three figures quietly emerged.
"Heh, how boring. I can't believe Master made us carry out such an uninteresting mission."
The speaker was a female, her voice crisp and clear. The owner of the voice stood lightly upon a branch as if she possessed no weight at all, her dark green hair appearing quite distinctive.
"Listen here, you! Since you're one of Orochimaru's people, stop calling Lord Simu 'Master'!"
An indignant voice rang out. Simu's experimental subject, Rie Uzumaki, was glaring coldly at the green-haired woman.
Facing Rie Uzumaki's interrogation, Shana merely gave a faint smile. She casually brushed her cascading long hair and laughed.
"I won't deny that I was once obsessed with Orochimaru's power. However, after witnessing the vast ocean that is my Master, I can no longer find any interest in a tiny stream like Orochimaru."
At this point, a trace of madness surfaced within Shana's dark green pupils. She clutched her own neck and said in a state of ecstasy: "Right now, I am a dog loyal only to my Master!"
"You're a disgusting woman."
Rie Uzumaki was clearly displeased with this former enemy. After all, when she was serving as Orochimaru's experimental subject, this woman had been the manager of the base.
Having finally escaped Orochimaru's clutches, this woman was now trying to snatch Lord Simu away from her. This was simply too much!
Shana's expression returned to normal as she sneered. "Don't think I don't know what's on your mind. I'm warning you—only the truly strong are qualified to follow Master. A woman like you should just give up!"
"What did you say?"
Rie Uzumaki could no longer contain herself. She clenched her fists, ready to step forward and fight Shana.
Beside them, the orange-haired man pressed his temples firmly and said helplessly: "I say, you two, don't forget the mission Lord Simu assigned to us."
The speaker was Jugo, who had chosen to follow Simu for training after his violent outbursts had injured others.
Upon hearing Jugo's warning, Rie Uzumaki finally calmed down and stopped arguing with Shana. To her, completing the task set by Lord Simu was the most important matter.
Shana likewise ceased her hostilities. As the Master's most loyal subordinate, she did not want to ruin his plans because of a foolish woman.
Seeing his two companions finally quiet down, Jugo let out a sigh of relief. Lord Simu had sent them on this mission together specifically to test their strength and coordination. If they fell into infighting before the mission even began, even Lord Simu would be disappointed, wouldn't he?
He quickly regained his composure and issued an order: "Shana, scout the number of people in the outpost."
"Understood."
Shana set aside her impatient expression and entered a serious state for the mission.
A crisp bird call erupted from her throat. It sounded exactly like the most common morning birdsong heard in the forest, giving no reason for anyone to suspect a thing.
The sound waves spread out like ripples. They struck objects and quickly bounced back, eventually constructing a complete image within Shana's mind. Furthermore, because she had infused a certain amount of Chakra into the sound waves, the returning echoes could not only perceive the terrain and the number of enemies but also reflect the amount of Chakra within the enemies.
Through the feedback of Chakra data, she could roughly deduce the enemies' strength.
"Two squads, six people in total. Two Chunin and four Genin."
Shana briefly reported the situation.
Jugo nodded. This deployment of force did not catch him by surprise. After all, the total number of Jonin in the Hidden Steam Village was limited. They were currently being held in reserve to prepare for a sudden attack by Mori Shiraishi. It was impossible for them to deploy too much power to this forward outpost.
However, a configuration of two Chunin was still considered quite formidable for ordinary people.
"Proceed according to the original plan."
"Understood."
Inside the Hidden Steam outpost, one squad was observing the surroundings while the other was sleeping and resting.
"Where on earth did those monsters come from? Why won't they stop targeting our Hidden Steam Village?" a Genin complained.
Over these few months, because of the continuous approach of those monsters, these former high-and-mighty, idle ninjas finally understood the meaning of work. Not only did they have to pick up their weapons for training again, but they also had to risk their lives fighting enemies. They were utterly exhausted.
Hearing his question, the leading Chunin let out a sympathetic sigh. "Supposedly, when some of the pro-war faction members from the village were on a mission, they completely blew up someone's village. That's why they won't let the Hidden Steam Village go. They're seeking revenge."
As a Chunin, his information channels were slightly better, so he understood a bit of the inside story.
"What bastards. Why did they have to take on that kind of mission? They're getting us killed!" the two Genin grumbled incessantly.
One couldn't really blame them. In the past, these ninjas of the Hidden Steam Village only had to worry about maintaining public order. The income from tourism alone was enough for the entire village to lead a comfortable life. There was no need for them to struggle on the battlefield at the risk of their lives like they were doing now.
Going to the battlefield was one thing, but there was hardly any money in it. Over the last few months, due to the impact of the war, the Land of Rivers' tourism industry had plummeted. Naturally, the generous salaries of these ninjas became difficult to maintain.
Ultimately, the leading Chunin put an end to their grumbling.
"Alright, alright, stop complaining. Keep a sharp lookout. According to reports, that group of monsters is wandering near this defensive line."
Upon hearing this, the two Genin immediately pulled long faces. In recent days, they had heard plenty of stories about the ferocity of those monsters—how they could easily take down a ninja. What would they do if they actually encountered them?
"Big brother Naoki, do you think we can really win against those monsters?" a Genin couldn't help but ask.
"I don't think so."
A crisp voice answered his question.
The three of them froze for a moment, then their expressions changed drastically. They pulled out their Kunai and looked upward.
At some point, a pair of green wings had grown from Shana's back, now perfectly blocking the sunlight. Her dark green pupils had turned golden, emitting a bewitching light.
She flashed a smile at the ninjas below and then opened her mouth.
A piercing bird call instantly enveloped the entire outpost.
"Enemy attack!"