Star Village, one of the few legally sanctioned hidden villages within the Land of Bears—a traditional sphere of Konoha's influence—was a village in name only.
Under the Leaf's rigid control, it had spent years as a mere organization dedicated to jutsu cultivation, rarely participating in the broader missions or political maneuvers of the ninja continent.
Since all high-level missions within the Land of Bears fell under Konoha's jurisdiction, the Star Ninjas were left with no assignments, occasionally collaborating only when the Leaf deigned to "arrange" something for them.
The Star Ninjas viewed this as a profound humiliation. For years, they had secretly built their strength, waiting for the moment to bite back at the Leaf.
Summer Star and Firefly Star, the strongest pair second only to the Third Star Kage, were deeply concerned about the village's precarious future.
Firefly Star shared his anxieties with his lover, Summer Star: "The Sand's influence grows stronger by the day.
Konoha won't be able to protect us forever. When that time comes, a village possessing the Peacock Method will become nothing more than a sacrificial lamb in the games between great powers."
The Third Star Kage's ambition had always been to surpass the Five Great Nations and usher in an era for the Land of Bears.
But the geopolitical landscape had shifted; the Star Village was destined to be swallowed by the storm. Better to choose a side now than to perish for an impossible dream.
The Third Star Kage relied on two things: first, the Peacock Method, and second, the Starfall Barrier built over decades.
The outer Starfall Barrier was constructed from meteorite fragments, creating a unique "starry sky" dome. Until the Third Star Kage's passing, this barrier had successfully repelled countless raiders.
While the Five Great Nations treated the title of "Star Kage" as a joke, they could not deny the barrier's effectiveness in keeping the Land of Bears out of the Great Wars.
But tonight, the peace of the Star Village was shattered.
BOOM!
A terrifying explosion ripped through the silence, followed by a high-altitude screech that woke every ninja in the village.
In the distant sky, several Puppet Dragons ascended, their engines roaring as they streaked toward the village. They opened their maws, unleashing devastating beams of Tailed Beast Bomb energy.
The impact against the Starfall Barrier created a blinding flare of light. As sparks rained down like dying stars, minute cracks began to spider-web across the energy dome.
The destructive power of a Tailed Beast Bomb was absolute; even the strongest barrier struggled to hold.
"It's the Sand's Puppet Dragons!"
Stationed in the village, Hyuga Hiashi felt his face pale as he watched the mechanical horrors in the sky. He hadn't expected the Sand to strike the Star Village now.
Are they planning to trigger a new World War? Even if they were, did Konoha currently have the resolve to engage the Sand in a life-or-death struggle? Hiashi felt a wave of helplessness; given the current state of the Leaf, they could do little but watch the Sand tighten its noose.
Under the dragons' relentless assault, the barrier became unstable. Konoha's ninjas reacted quickly, establishing a secondary specialized barrier within the village to reinforce the defense.
"The second layer is up, huh?"
Ace watched the glowing dome from a distance, clicking his tongue. The energy beams from the Puppet Dragons were indeed formidable, but the Star Village's defense was surprisingly resilient. "So this is what a hidden village's protection looks like."
Beside him, his blue-haired subordinate, Dust, pushed up her glasses. "A pity. The Leaf and that Star Kage probably don't realize that the activation of the second barrier marks the beginning of the village's total collapse."
No sooner had Dust spoken than the Starfall Barrier and the Hyuga's protective barrier suddenly suffered a massive magnetic field conflict. The energies surged against each other, and in a heartbeat—the entire defense shattered into a million pieces!
How is this possible?
The Starfall Barrier had been tampered with. Is there a mole?
Just as Hiashi suspected, Firefly Star made his move. The Peacock Method manifested as countless beams of energy that lanced out, not at the invaders, but at his own comrades, binding them instantly.
"Firefly Star, you...!"
"I'm sorry, Summer Star. For the future of this village, I must cooperate with the Sand."
From the very beginning, Firefly Star had been a mole for the Sand. Along with him, several high-ranking officials in the Land of Bears had secretly defected. The battle was over before it truly began.
As the barriers fell, the Marine ninjas swarmed the village. Among them were Arakawa Kashi, Tomoko, and Karin. Since Kashiwa had decided to join the Navy, his teammates had followed suit, determined to fight by his side.
Months of specialized training had brought the trio to chunin-level strength. Kashiwa, wielding the triple-lineage Sand Release, unleashed a massive wave of Black Iron Sand.
Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind pulverized the Iron Sand. Under Kashiwa's shocked gaze, Hyuga Hizashi (who was stationed alongside Hiashi) stepped forward. A second palm strike followed, instantly neutralizing Shira's activation mode and knocking the three genin back.
Byakugan?
"Magnet Release... it really is the Sand."
As Hizashi narrowed his eyes at the group, a colossal Fire Fist descended from the heavens. Sensing the overwhelming power, Hizashi immediately unleashed the Hyuga secret art: Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven (Kaiten)!
By releasing massive amounts of chakra from his pressure points and spinning like a top, he created an absolute defense intended to repel all physical attacks. However, the sheer heat and kinetic energy of Ace's fist clashed violently with the Kaiten. The resulting shockwave tore through the surroundings.
Ace grinned. "One punch wasn't enough? Then have another!"
In an instant, Fire Fist Ace threw a second blow. Using the Flame Fist technique taught by Shiraishi, combined with his Fire Style Sage Body, he unleashed a pillar of intense, high-temperature flames that exploded over the Star Village.
"The rest of you proceed with the mission. I'll handle things here."
"Yes, sir!"
Hizashi was engulfed in flames. Though the Kaiten protected him from the direct impact, the searing heat left him scorched and heavily wounded.
"Who are you?" Hizashi wheezed, his vision blurring. A Fire Style of this magnitude had never appeared in their intelligence reports on the Sand.
The answer came not from Ace, but from the sword-wielding girls standing behind him:
"Lord Ace is the newly appointed Admiral of the Navy Department."
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