The double doors towered two meters high, made of dark wood reinforced with lightweight metal coated in protective seals—glistening faintly under the moonlight.
In the center, the spiral emblem of the Uzumaki Clan was intricately carved, almost alive, like a swirling chakra welcoming them inside.
As the gate slowly opened, the heavy creaking of wood echoed.
A gentle sea breeze blew towards them, carrying a salty aroma mixed with the scent of fresh wood and hot metal—a distinctive smell from a village that was actively building and developing.
And just as they stepped over the threshold, they stopped.
Some of them instinctively held their breath.
What they saw... was not a sight they had ever imagined from a village they had previously considered weak and isolated.
The village of Uzushio welcomed them with a surprise—with evidence of progress and modernity they never expected to find in the ninja world.
The main road they walked on was made of smoothly arranged stones, with no holes or cracks.
On either side of the road, houses stood with clean and orderly architecture, not only functional but also aesthetic.
With clear window glass and roofs made of strange materials—not ordinary tiles, but sheets of lightweight metal that absorbed heat.
Streetlights stood tall at every corner, each adorned with small bulbs that glowed softly.
Though their light was not as strong as the sun that had just set, its warm glow seemed to hold onto the remnants of the evening warmth that had not yet fully departed.
On the wooden terraces of some houses, fans spun slowly, emitting a soft hum that almost blended with the sounds of the night.
The fans swept away the heavy, humid air, making each breath feel a little easier.
"What... is that?" whispered one of the Iwagakure ninjas, pointing to a box-shaped device with cables attached, glowing with a small green light.
"I don't know... I've never seen it. But... it seems to be talking?" replied a ninja from Kirigakure in a hoarse voice, pointing towards an Uzushio resident who was speaking through the device. A telephone.
Some of them began to look around, their eyes wide, some even whispering unconsciously—eyes like children seeing a new world, yet their faces remained tense.
A mix of awe and caution.
Ignorance bred fear, uncertainty... and inferiority.
One of the Sunagakure ninjas even appeared to swallow hard, with a nervous expression.
"Are we... losing to a village like this?" whispered a woman from Sunagakure to herself.
Unbeknownst to her, her hand was gripping the fabric of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
While they were still shaken in silence, Reiji spoke softly to Keito.
"Uncle Keito," Reiji said, his tone calm yet serious, "is there a place large enough to accommodate them all? An old warehouse, perhaps, or an empty hall? They need to be housed in one place first."
Keito nodded slowly, furrowing his brow as if deep in thought, then replied, "Hmm... There are a few buildings that are no longer in use, follow me."
Without much more conversation, they began to move again, followed by the thirty-one silent ninjas, their heads continuously turning to observe every corner of the village.
None of them spoke.
Their breaths sounded heavy, and the silence made their footsteps echo louder than usual—the sound of their steps bouncing off the clean cobblestone streets like a reminder of their disgrace.
They walked for several minutes, passing a market that seemed not fully open yet, but already filled with the delicious aroma of cooked food.
One of the kunoichi from Kirigakure caught the distinctive scent of roasted meat mingling with soy sauce, warm and tempting.
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