Two days later, Night stood at the edge of a rift valley, looking down at the canyon shrouded in crimson mist below.
This was Hell Valley.
It was less a valley and more a bottomless fissure stretching for miles. The dark red rock walls looked like they had been soaked in blood, and pungent, sulfurous steam rose from the bottom.
Even standing at the edge, one could feel the palpable resentment, as if countless wronged souls were wailing in the valley.
"Who would have thought that in the Land of Hot Water, a famous hot spring resort destination, such a living hell was hidden?" Night murmured to himself.
His Mind's Eye of the Kagura expanded fully, sensing everything within the valley.
The situation of the Chinoike clan was worse than he expected. There were fewer than a hundred clansmen left, and most had weak auras.
It wasn't surprising. The environment here was harsh; just surviving was enough to exhaust their energy.
What was alarming, however, was that among those with any strength left, almost all had awakened the Ketsuryūgan.
In Night's perception, those blood-colored chakras were like burning flames, bursting with astonishing power amidst despair.
"Hatred and despair are indeed the best fertilizers."
Night pondered. Although long-term imprisonment had depleted their physical constitutions, their mental power had grown wildly like weeds.
The Chinoike clan was similar to the Uchiha; both required sufficiently strong mental power to awaken and evolve their Kekkei Genkai. No wonder they were called "lunatics."
His perception extended further, quickly locking onto two hidden outposts at the valley entrance.
Eight Uchiha clansmen were divided into two teams on rotation. The chakra of their Sharingan was cold and yin-natured, but distinctly different from the "lunatics" below.
Thus, in his sensory perception, they stood out like lighthouses in the dark.
Night chuckled lightly. He didn't choose to infiltrate. Instead, he straightened his robes and walked openly toward one of the outposts.
"Halt!"
Two Uchiha ninjas appeared instantly, their crimson Sharingan locking onto him.
One of them said coldly, "This is a forbidden prison area. Unrelated personnel are not allowed to approach."
Night was still dressed as a samurai. Unhurriedly, he took out his mission scroll. "Konoha Chunin Night Namikaze, here on orders from the Hokage to execute a mission."
The two Uchiha ninjas took the scroll cautiously, frowning slightly. "Mission? We haven't received any notification."
"It was just issued. Due to its classified nature, no separate notice was sent."
Night smiled harmlessly. "Senior Yashiro should be here, right? You can ask him."
"Captain Yashiro is out on patrol. Captain Hachitsutsu is currently in charge."
As the voice fell, a tall Uchiha ninja walked slowly out of the outpost.
His face was stern, with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. His gloomy eyes exuded intense pressure even without activating the Sharingan.
"Someone from Konoha?" Hachitsutsu Uchiha's voice was cold. "Outsiders are not welcome here."
Night noted the use of the word "outsiders" and understood immediately.
The mission intel mentioned this man. He was Yashiro's cousin, a member of the Uchiha's extreme hawk faction. Rumor had it he had been stationed in Hell Valley for years without returning to Konoha.
"Senior Hachitsutsu, I am here under orders..."
"A mere Chunin. I don't care whose orders you follow."
Hachitsutsu interrupted directly. "Hell Valley is guarded by the Uchiha clan under the direct employment of the Cloud Village. We don't need Konoha ninjas worrying about it."
Night's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts raced.
This Captain Hachitsutsu's hostility toward Konoha was deeper than expected. It seemed his years in Hell Valley hadn't worn down his paranoia but had instead alienated him further from the village.
"Captain Hachitsutsu misunderstands. I am only here to execute a mission, not to interfere with the Uchiha's duties."
"Mission? Hah!"
Hachitsutsu sneered. "What mission requires coming to Hell Valley? Don't tell me you're eyeing the Chinoike clan?"
Night wasn't surprised. Hell Valley was a desolate wasteland; the only thing of value here was the Chinoike clan.
He was about to speak when a familiar voice came from the distance. "Captain Hachitsutsu, why so tense?"
Yashiro Uchiha, having likely heard the report from his clansmen, had just returned from patrol.
He walked slowly out of the woods, his gaze lingering on Night for a moment before turning to his cousin.
"Yashiro, perfect timing."
Hachitsutsu's expression didn't improve. "This kid says he's here on the Hokage's orders. Do you know about this?"
Yashiro nodded slightly. "It is true. I just received a message from the village."
Night keenly noticed the subtle tension between the two captains. Although both were hawks, Yashiro didn't seem particularly polite to his cousin.
"Even so, he cannot be allowed to enter Hell Valley freely."
Hachitsutsu remained firm. "The Chinoike clan is a significant matter. There can be no mistakes."
"Precisely because it is significant, it requires careful handling."
Yashiro replied coolly, "Captain Hachitsutsu has been stationed here for years; you should know better than anyone that the Chinoike clan hasn't been peaceful lately, right?"
Hachitsutsu's eyes changed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Yashiro didn't answer him directly. Instead, he turned to Night. "Night-kun, what exactly is your mission content?"
Night caught the cue and immediately replied, "Confirm the current status of the Chinoike clan and take appropriate measures if necessary."
This was vague but perfect for the situation. The second half was improvised by Night on the spot.
Since only he knew the specific mission details, and scrolls involving foreign affairs were usually sparse on details to prevent leaks, he could bluff a little.
Hachitsutsu's expression shifted several times before he finally snorted. "Fine. Do as you please. But let me remind you, the Chinoike clan is not easy to deal with. If something goes wrong, don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, he turned and walked back into the outpost, slamming the door shut.
Yashiro watched his retreating back and shook his head slightly. "Captain Hachitsutsu has been in Hell Valley too long. He has forgotten..."
Night smiled faintly. "It seems Senior Yashiro and Captain Hachitsutsu have different views?"
"He is an excellent ninja, but too stubborn."
Yashiro turned his gaze toward Hell Valley. "The Chinoike clan hasn't been quiet in recent years. There are always attempts to escape. Although they were stopped in time, we suffered losses. The Uchiha shouldn't be bound like this."
His last sentence was spoken softly, leaving it ambiguous whether he meant bound by Hell Valley or something else entirely.