The wind changed first..
It was no longer sharp or cold. Instead, it felt heavy and warm, carrying the thick scent of pine needles and damp earth. It was a smell that felt like a half-forgotten dream, pulling at the chest with a strange, quiet weight.
Below the high, rocky cliff, the world opened up into a giant green bowl.
It was a sea of trees so thick and deep that they looked like a solid wall of emerald. But in the very center of that green ocean sat a massive, circular city.
From a huge height, the rooftops looked like thousands of reddish-brown scales on the back of a sleeping beast. Winding streets cut through the buildings like tiny, pale veins, all curving toward the center of the great circle.
To one side, a giant mountain of uneven stones rose up, towering over every roof and every tree. It stood like a silent wall, its shadow stretching long and dark across the maze of houses below.
The stone was old, worn by time, and looked like it had been watching the world for a hundred years.
Thin curls of white smoke rose from the chimneys, drifting slowly into the clear, blue sky. Everything was still. There was no sound of fighting, no smell of smoke from a fire, and no signs of a struggle.
It was a world of absolute peace.
The place looked perfect—nested deep within the forest, protected by the mountains and the trees. It was a place where life moved in a slow, steady rhythm. The distant chime of a bell floated up on the warm breeze, faint and musical.
But as the sun began to dip behind the high peaks, the shadows in the streets below seemed to grow longer than they should. The vast, circular walls of the city didn't look like a home from this far away.
They looked like the edges of a giant, golden cage. The city was waiting. It was beautiful, it was vast, and it was completely, terrifyingly silent.
Where the emerald forest finally broke, a massive wall of weathered wood rose to meet the sky. In its center, two giant doors painted a deep, fading red stand like silent guardians.
That was the A-UN Gate, a heavy threshold where the wild woods ended and the secrets of the hidden world began. To pass through was to leave the sun behind and enter a place that felt like a beautiful, wooden fortress.
Deep within the maze of winding streets, a single building stood taller than the rest. It was a perfect cylinder of pale stone topped with a wide, blood-red roof that glowed in the afternoon light.
That was the Hokage Office, the quiet heart of the circle where the air was thick with the scent of old scrolls and the weight of unseen decisions.
From its high balcony, the village looked like a peaceful map, unaware of the shadows moving in its alleys.
Above every rooftop, the unven cliff of the mountain watched everything. Four massive faces had been carved directly into the stone, their eyes wide and eternal as they stared towards the horizon.
The last face on the right was young, his stone hair spiked like the rays of a star, looking down at a world that hadn't yet realized he was gone.
That was the Hokage Monument, a wall of silent leaders who had been turned to stone while watching over their people.
The warmth of the village was a physical weight, thick with the scent of roasted chestnuts and the sweet, lingering perfume of blooming jasmine.
"Fresh dango! Get them while the sugar is still bubbling!" an old woman called out, her voice cracking with a cheerful practiced ease. She wiped a wooden counter with a damp cloth, her eyes never truly leaving the street.
A young boy, no older than seven, chased a red ball between the legs of passing pedestrians. He laughed, a bright, innocent sound that echoed off the circular walls of the nearby tea house.
"Watch it, kid." a man grunted, stepping aside. He wore the green tactical vest of a Chunin, the fabric stiff and new, with the old-style high collar and extra pockets for scroll storage.
He didn't look like a ninja on high alert; he looked like a man going to get lunch.
Near a small stone fountain, two women stood talking. Their conversation was light—gossip about the price of silk and the upcoming festival—but they stood in a way that blocked the narrow alleyway behind them.
"Did you see the carvings on the mountain today?" one asked, gesturing vaguely toward the high white cliff. "The sunlight makes the fourth look like he's actually smiling down at us."
The other woman nodded, her smile never reaching her eyes. " It looks quite different today..more lively thanks to the sunshine. He's always watching."
A few feet away, a street performer sat on a box, tuning a three-stringed instrument. The music was a low, humming vibration that blended into the noise of the crowd. He wasn't looking at his strings. He was watching a group of travelers who had just entered the district.
"Fine day for a walk." the performer hummed to himself, his fingers plucking a sharp, rhythmic note.
Above them, the shadow of the Hokage Office stretched across the cobblestones like a giant finger, pointing toward the market. The villagers moved through the shade and the light, a perfect tapestry of normal life.
A baker carrying a tray of hot bread, a group of students in blue academy scarves, and a silent shinobi jumping across a rooftop—all of them moved with a strange, synchronized grace.
It was a village at the height of its power. Every laugh was too loud, every street was too clean, and every 'accidental' glance from a passerby was a thread in a web that was slowly tightening around the center of the village.
"The wind is shifting." the Dango Seller muttered, looking up at the clear blue sky. "Something is coming through the gate."
Just then, the giant red doors of the entrance groaned softly, swinging open just enough to let a small group pass through.
They didn't walk like warriors. They walked like children lost in a dream, their eyes wide and their steps slow as they moved out of the forest and into the golden light of the market square.
They came to a stop in the center of the street, a place where the entire village seemed to open up before them. High above, the Four Stone Faces of the mountain stared down with silent, eternal eyes.
Below them, the round, crimson-roofed building sat like a heavy weight in the heart of the circle.
The group stood still, their colorful clothes which were slightly dirty was a strange contrast to the dusty road.
Leading the way was a girl with hair the color of soft cherry blossoms. The pink layers fell just past her shoulders, catching the light in shades of rose as the wind moved through them.
She looked like an everyday traveler in her loose, off-shoulder green top, a single pink strap showing as the fabric slipped. Her simple black shorts were practical, meant for walking long distances, but her gaze was fixed on the stone faces above with a look of deep, quiet wonder.
Beside her stood another girl, her pale blonde hair pulled back into a high, sweeping ponytail that swayed behind her. A long set of bangs covered one side of her face, pointing past her chin.
She wore a light, green-white tunic that looked a bit too large, gathering at her wrists, with a flash of lime-green fabric peeking out from underneath. Small silver hoops caught the light in her ears as she tilted her head, taking in the sights of the busy street.
Slightly behind them, a boy in a dark navy-blue shirt stood with his hands in his pockets. The high, stiff collar of his shirt stood up straight, hiding the back of his neck and making him look cold and distant.
His hair was the color of a raven's wing, with navy highlights that shimmered in the sun, styled into sharp, triangular spikes that spread out like a crest.
He didn't look at the people; his black eyes were locked on the mountain, his expression as sharp and unreadable as the stone itself.
To his left, a girl with bright red hair adjusted her thick, black-coloured glasses. Her hair was cut in rough, uneven layers that framed her face in sharp points.
She wore a bright yellow, apron-style tunic over a light blue turtleneck, her dark maroon socks reaching up to her knees. She seemed to be breathing in the air of the village, her brow furrowed as if she were listening to a sound no one else could hear.
Standing tall next to her was a boy whose hair was a perfect, jet-black bowl cut, shining with a white gloss under the afternoon sun.
His eyebrows were thick, dark rectangles that sat heavy over his eyes. He wore a dark green bodysuit that fit him tightly, with white bandages wrapped thick around his wrists.
His bright orange leg warmers stood out against the blue of his sandals, his entire body humming with a restless, hidden energy.
And finally, standing in the very center of them all, was the last boy.
His hair was a messy, sun-kissed blond that refused to stay flat, standing up in uneven spikes that caught every ray of the sun. It was wild and untamed, with a few strands brushing against his forehead.
He wore a soft, loose orange sweater that looked comfortable and worn, the sleeves bunching slightly at his wrists as he clenched his hands into fists.
His eyes were a wide, ocean blue, reflecting the entire village within them.
He looked up at the four faces on the mountain—specifically the young, spiked hair of the fourth carving—and then down at the round building with the red roof.
A small, trembling breath escaped his lips, his shoulders finally dropping as the warmth of the air settled over him.
He didn't speak. He just stood there, a golden figure in the middle of a golden world, while the invisible web of the village began to close in around them.
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A MESSAGE TO THE READERS !!📢
AUTHOR'S NOTE(a.k.a. I lost control of my own excitement 😭🤩)
Okay listen… this was NOT the plan.
Volume III was supposed to drop on May 1st like a calm, responsible author…
…but clearly, I am NOT that person.
I tried. I really did.
But the excitement? Yeah, it won. 💀
So here we are—9 DAYS EARLY.
And if I am this excited to release it…
just imagine what's waiting for YOU 👀🔥
Now a quick heads-up:
✨ The chapter length is increasing—slowly but surely (about +1000 words growth 👀)
✨ Because of that, chapters will be released alternately (quality over speed, always)
And yes… there may be times when I suddenly disappear.
Why?
Because my greatest enemy returns…
📚 STUDIES.
They will try to defeat me.
They will try to delay chapters.
…but I WILL WIN. (eventually 😤)
So when I vanish for a bit—don't panic, don't riot (please),
just know your author is out there… fighting for survival.
Till then,
stay patient, stay hyped,
and most importantly—
💛 keep being my amazing, loyal readers.
Because trust me…
this story is only getting started. 😌🔥
⚡ NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW ⚡
Peace on the surface…
but so
Something feels off!
Voices will clash—
and trust will be tested!
👉 Chapter 2: A Gathering of Untrusted Voices
SNEAK PEEK LINES 💬
"I wonder what kind of hot topic is going on in there,"
"Every time we ask for a decision, he only a asks for more time."
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—With love, one forehead poke away from collapse,
Sakura Shinomiya 💫
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