Chương 24: Village Hidden by Sands

The sun blazed down on the desert sand as the party of shinobi, led by Pakira, moved through the dry environment.

The air was hot and dry, and for hours, all they could see was the sun, sky, and sand.

"I'm dying Mizuna" Kimi, drenched in sweat, could not help but protest his decision to go to the Land of Wind.

"Haha you're not the only one Aunt Kimi"

Mizuna looked at the other members of his group including the Anbu squad, most of them were drenched with sweat, like him and Kimi

"It was a mistake to travel during the day, we should have waited until nightfall instead of travelling in this scorching heat."

"Yeah, we became too used to travelling between trees, we underestimated the exhaustion we would experience travelling through the desert at this time of day"

"Seeing this sand for hours is what exhausts me, and I don't even know how Pakira can navigate her way across this terrain"

Pakira raised her hand and pointed towards the sun

"That is how we Land of Wind shinobis navigate here"

"Please endure it a little more, we are near the entrance of the passageway the Special Unit of the village hidden by the sand use" Pakira said while pointing at a rocky terrain in the distance

Asami and Hirabi exclaimed with excitement, "Finally!"

"Wow, it's real? I thought I was hallucinating."

"Haha!"

The mountain loomed big and proud in the middle of the desert, its jagged peaks reaching for the sky like a giant's fists. The sun beat down on its surface, spreading a golden glow over the rocky terrain and emphasizing the intricate patterns of sand and stone that crisscrossed it.

As they got closer, they spotted the unusual forms and formations on the mountain's flanks.

Towering cactus loomed as sentinels, their spines reaching for the sky like skeleton fingers.

"This is the location," Pakira said, shifting a five-foot boulder to the side so that a hole could be seen behind it.

"Let us enter, Asami and Hirabi make sure to use your Byakugan on rotation"

"We know," they said with a smile.

The corridor at the mountain's foot was a tiny, meandering tunnel of rough-hewn stone, lighted only by the faint glimmer of luminescent mushrooms growing on the walls.

The air was dense with the aroma of moss, and the sound of trickling water resonated throughout the hallway, creating an eerie atmosphere.

As they moved through the hallway, the walls seemed to close in around them, with the stone blocks fitting together with precision to form a flawless surface.

The air was cool and moist, and they could feel the mountain above them crashing down like a tangible force.

The corridor twisted and turned, requiring them to duck and dodge around low-hanging stalactites and sharp outcroppings of rock.

The group navigated along the underground passage, and after a few hours, they reached what seemed to be the end of a tunnel

"That is the entrance to the village, but." Pakira stared at Mizuna,

"I will need to tie you up now," she added while smirking.

Mizuna smirked awkwardly at her and said, "Yeah, I know."

Pakira dragged Mizuna to the entrance, and behind her were Hiyori and Miss Jonin wearing full masks and the 5 anbu Mizuna enslaved the day before

"Halt! Who are you?"

The group of Shinobi, their eyes blazing with a fierce determination, stood firm in their path, their hands grasping the hilts of their katana with a white-knuckled grip.

The air was heavy with tension as they faced the approaching group, their dark robes billowing behind them like a shroud.

The air seemed to vibrate with the weight of their murderous intent, and the very ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble with anticipation, as if aware that a conflict of life and death was about to unfold.

8 Shinobis, 3 Jonin and 5 chunins wearing the attire of the Village hidden by Sands stopped them from walking further towards them.

Pakira showed them the tied-up Mizuna and said "We were tasked to capture a member from the Hyuga clan, now move out of the way"

"Let them pass"

"No, look at the other two behind her with red hair, I do not remember anyone from the special unit having hair with that colour. They appear to be from the Uzumaki clan"

"Tsk" Pakira tossed Mizuna toward the group. He dropped to the ground underneath their feet.

"What are you even saying? Are you implying I betrayed the village?"

Pakira replied before activating her scorch release technique, 5 circular shapes as hot as lava appeared around her.

"N-no lady Pakira, Please calm down" The group of experienced Jonins, who are aware of how terrifying Pakira can be, attempted to calm her down.

However, as the group of Jonins attempted to walk towards Pakira, they fell to the ground.

When they looked down below to see what happened, they saw it, the Hyuga who was tied up earlier was now coated in blood-red chakra and sliced their feet off from their body without their noticing or feeling it.

"W-what?" "H-how?"

The shinobi's eyes widened in horror as they beheld the ruthless Shinobi looking at them. The air was heavy with the weight of impending doom, and the shinobi's bodies seemed to tremble with a mixture of fear and resignation as they realized their mortality was mere moments away.

"Aurgh!"

"Eight trigrams 128 palms" "Eight trigrams 128 palms"

Hiyori and Miss Jonin sealed the Chakra points of the three Jonins now lying on the ground, feeling the pain of having their legs amputated, while the 5 Anbus of Konohagakure took care of the five remaining chunins, who were no match for them.

The darkness seemed to last forever, with the sole sound coming from a village that was still awake while the rest of the world slept.

The hours passed at a steady, deliberate pace, each one a reminder that time was passing, but the darkness remained unchanged.

Mizuna dusted himself off and said, "I've enslaved them, Miss Jonin. Please heal them all and then let's settle inside the Village for the next part of our plan."