In the 51st year of Konoha, in June, during the hot summer season.

The long-standing Third Shinobi World War, lasting eight years, officially ended with Konoha and Hidden Cloud shaking hands and making peace.

Three years ago, following the death of Konoha’s Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, Hidden Cloud launched another attack on the Land of Fire, engaging in fierce clashes along the eastern border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.

Although Hidden Cloud’s attack was fierce, Konoha’s powerful retaliation and the Root’s effective surprise tactics resulted in considerable losses for Hidden Cloud.

Additionally, after three years, Hidden Cloud still couldn’t break through Konoha’s defenses, leading to increasing voices within Hidden Cloud Village advocating for a ceasefire.

Thus, at the end of May, Hidden Cloud sent envoys to Konoha Village to meet with the Third Hokage, expressing their willingness to sign a ceasefire agreement and bring the Third Shinobi World War to a complete end.

The venue for signing the ceasefire agreement was hotly debated, and after prolonged disputes, it was finally decided, under Hidden Cloud’s more assertive stance, to officially sign the agreement in Konoha in July, to notify countries in the Ninja Realm.

This is the first time in Konoha’s history to sign a ceasefire agreement within their village with an outside village. Observant people have already noticed that Konoha’s external stance is becoming increasingly weak, their power arguably reaching an all-time low.

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Late at night, when the world is silent.

The attacker lurking in the darkness begins to stir. He crouches in the corner shrubbery of the courtyard, wearing a mask with oil-painted designs, his eyes fixed on the corridor of the courtyard.

Soon, he sees his target.

She is a black-haired young girl wearing a twelve-layered ceremonial robe, her calm and graceful demeanor unmistakably indicating her noble status.

Two guards closely follow her. Judging by their attire and the weapons they carry, they are master samurai skilled in swordsmanship.

The noble young girl strolls leisurely along the corridor, heading toward her room. The two guards remain silent, their sharp eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings to prevent any unforeseen incidents.

After all, this young princess is considered a precious ’item’ by the Daimyo of their country.

If any accident happens during their protection, they would undoubtedly be mercilessly executed by the Daimyo, perhaps even implicating their families.

The girl gently opens the door to her room, about to step inside, when the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly changes.

The two samurai guards also reveal a change in expression.

"Princess, please be careful, an enemy attack!"

One of the guards speaks, then without hesitation draws his blade from his waist, slicing through the night with a brilliant, icy arc, aiming at the rapidly approaching attacker.

The other samurai guard also draws his blade, but does not act on his own; instead, he shortens the distance between himself and the girl, placing his flesh and blood body in front of her.

This sudden change naturally frightens the girl, causing her to take a fearful step back.

The samurai guard engages the attacker in combat, swinging his blade through the air. The attacker merely sneers, subtly shifting his stance to easily evade the attack.

"What?"

No ordinary person could escape his Iaijutsu; the attacker before him is no ordinary petty thief.

The samurai guard realizes this too late.

The attacker takes out a kunai and with speed surpassing his Iaijutsu, swipes it across the guard’s throat.

Blood spurts out, and the samurai guard’s body unwillingly collapses to the ground, turning into a cold corpse.

Soon, the terrified screams of the girl echo through the courtyard, shattering the serene night of the luxurious residence. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

◎

"Useless!"

The Daimyo of the Land of Bear, dressed in ceremonial robes, angrily throws his jade artifact to the ground, shattering it.

The guards kneeling on the floor feel the unprecedented wrath of the Daimyo, trembling in fear.

"That was a treasure I had nurtured for over ten years, and you dare let her be abducted from the courtyard?"

The Daimyo is naturally furious about his daughter’s abduction.

The pain and anger a father feels over his daughter being taken by thieves are completely absent.

The true reason for his anger is the inherent value of his daughter as a princess—she could be ’sold’ for a good price, bringing him substantial profits.

Therefore, his daughter is a ’treasure’ in his hand, not a person. Only an item is eligible to be considered his treasure.

But the incident has already happened; even if all the guards protecting the courtyard were executed, it wouldn’t solve anything.

The Daimyo of the Land of Bear furrows his brow in pain, then solemnly calls out a name:

"Akakage."

After his voice drops, a young figure somehow appears in the room.

Kneeling on one knee, head bowed deeply, he listens respectfully to the orders of his master, the Daimyo of the Land of Bear.

"I entrust this to you. No matter what, you must bring the princess back!"

"Yes."

With that, the ninja named Akakage disappears from the room.

Throughout, his presence remains incredibly faint, leaving and arriving both unnoticed.

"Get out. If there’s another mistake, you’ll pay with your heads."

The Daimyo of the Land of Bear snorts coldly, waving dismissively to let the inept guards leave.

"Yes."

The guards breathe a sigh of relief, following the Daimyo’s orders and hastily exiting the room.