Black Naruto: Shadow Moon

The aftermath of Hatake Sakumo's death gradually subsided. Uchiha Kagezuki successfully used the soul sealing technique to temporarily preserve Sakumo's soul, and has cooperated with Orochimaru and others to prepare to create a new body for him.

Yingyue's mind was diverted from the resurrection plan, and he turned his attention to another, more ambitious plan - how to enable ordinary people to practice immortal arts.

Yingyue holds the "Taiping Yaoshu" in his hand, exploring the secrets of this ancient heritage while pondering the future of the ninja world.

If fairy techniques can be popularized, not only ninjas but ordinary people will be able to control the natural energy between heaven and earth, which will completely change the balance of power in the ninja world.

But Uchiha Kagezuki knew very well that the current situation in the ninja world was far more than this.

After the end of the Second Ninja World War, the apparent peace was nothing more than a brief period of recuperation for the major ninja villages.

War is the continuation of politics, and politics and economic interests are inseparable, so war is never just because of hatred, but a struggle for economy, resources, territory and interests.

Among the five major countries in the ninja world, the Fire Country where Konoha Village is located occupies the most fertile land, with a pleasant climate and abundant crops.

In contrast, the situation in the other four countries is much worse:

Most of the land in the Kingdom of Wind is desolate desert, with scarce resources and difficulty in being self-sufficient in food.

The terrain of the Land of Earth is rugged, with hills and deserts that hinder development and a lack of resources.

The Land of Thunder is located on a plateau. Although it has strong combat capabilities, it also faces the problem of resource shortages.

The Water Kingdom is surrounded by the ocean. Due to its island geographical conditions and its closed-door policy, it is difficult for it to conduct large-scale resource exchanges with mainland countries.

Although Konohagakure achieved a notable victory in the Second Shinobi World War, the war did not resolve these fundamental contradictions.

The major powers are still secretly competing for resources and land and accumulating strength.

Now, several years later, Konoha Village's dominance has begun to be coveted by other ninja villages.

Uchiha Kagezuki knew that the ninja world was like a powder keg that could explode at any time.

Uchiha Kagezuki stood on a high place in the Uchiha clan's territory, looking down at Konoha Village, thinking secretly in his heart.

The Third Ninja World War is imminent, and this war will not only be a contest of strength, but also a competition for the economy and resources of major countries.

Although Konoha Village is still powerful, it no longer has the absolute dominance over the ninja world that it had during the time of Hashirama Senju.

If the ninja world falls into war again, Konoha Village will definitely be the target of public criticism.

The Wind Kingdom, the Earth Kingdom, the Thunder Kingdom, and the Water Kingdom are all eyeing the fertile land of the Fire Kingdom.

They are no longer willing to be bound by the peace agreement; resource shortages and economic oppression have made them restless.

War is their only way to solve the problem.

The Sand Village in the Land of Wind is located in the vast desert, with scarce resources and harsh environment. It has long faced severe survival challenges.

The Third Kazekage stood on the high tower of the Sand Village, staring at the endless sea of ​​sand in the distance with a frown on his face.

As the leader of the Sand Village, he knows that the village is facing a serious economic crisis. The root of all this is not only the natural environment of the desert, but also the greed and selfishness of the Daimyo of the Wind Country.

The Daimyo of the Kingdom of Wind is a typical selfish and greedy ruler.

He never cared about the survival of the Sand Village. He only cared about the benefits he could gain from it.

Even in the face of the village's difficulties, the daimyo repeatedly reduced the funding and military expenditures for the Sand Village. The reason was simple: he was unwilling to lose his current wealth for future hidden dangers.

"I don't care if there's a flood after I die," this is his attitude.

For the ninjas of Sand Village, there are only two sources of income: one is the funding provided by the daimyo, and the other is the commission rewards obtained by taking on missions. However, the desert terrain makes it almost impossible for Sand Village to rely on agricultural production, which makes the economy of the entire village almost completely dependent on external capital input.

The Third Kazekage knew very well that if this situation continued, the Sand Village would be unable to survive and might even face the fate of being eliminated.

As the Kazekage, he has the responsibility to lead the Sand Village towards a better future.

After careful consideration, the Third Kazekage came to a disturbing conclusion: the only way to improve the economic situation of the Sand Village was to plunder resources through war.

Although this is a risky option, for the current Sand Village, war may be the last straw.

Near the Kingdom of Wind, there is a relatively small country - the Kingdom of River.

The geographical location of the River Country is relatively advantageous, and its resources are much richer than those of the Wind Country. Although it does not have the strong military strength of a big country, its rich minerals and arable land are enough to improve the economic problems of the Sand Village.

The Third Kazekage knew that if he could secretly occupy a portion of the resources of the River Country, the future of the Sand Village would be completely rewritten.

"We have no other choice," the Third Kazekage thought to himself, "We must use this method to gain space for the Sand Village to survive."

He decided to send out an elite ninja force to secretly infiltrate the border of River Country, gradually control the mining areas and important resource points of River Country, and avoid directly triggering large-scale conflicts.

This operation must be carried out in secret to avoid alerting other major powers, especially Konoha Village and Iwagakure Village.

Although the Third Kazekage had made up his mind, he was not at ease.

He knew very well that war meant bloodshed and sacrifice, and this kind of sacrifice might be what he least wanted to see.

However, the survival of the Sand Village has reached a precarious point. He can no longer stand idly by and can only take extreme measures to save the future of the village.

Under the order of the Kazekage, the elite troops of the Sand Village began to assemble and secretly prepare to set off. For the future of the Sand Village, this operation must succeed. This also marks that the Sand Village is about to be involved in a larger power struggle and war.

After the incident of Hatake Sakumo's death came to an end, Uchiha Kagezuki stood in the study at home, his thoughts gradually returning to some unfulfilled responsibilities.

Previously, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen personally appointed him as the team leader, responsible for guiding three talented students who had just graduated: Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai and Shizune. Due to the unexpected death and resurrection plan of Hatake Sakumo, Shadow Moon once put this task on hold, but now, Shadow Moon knows that it is time to fulfill this responsibility.

Yingyue stood in front of the window, his eyes passing through the night view of Konoha Village, and recalled what Sarutobi Hiruzen had told him: "Yingyue, these three students are not only the backbone of Konoha's future, their growth will also affect the future of Konoha Village. I hope you can give them the most rigorous guidance."

Uchiha Kagezuki knew in his heart that as the son of the Hokage, Asuma Sarutobi had high expectations for his future; and Kurenai Yuhi was a genius in illusion and had great potential; as for Shizune, although she had a gentle personality, she had shown amazing talent in medical ninjutsu.

The three of them have their own strengths and great potential, but Yingyue decided to test it himself to see whether they can perform well in actual combat.

Yingyue's mouth corners slightly raised, and she already had a plan in mind.

Yingyue plans to evaluate the true abilities of these three students through a rigorous test.

The results of the ninja school alone are not enough to judge their performance in battle. Only in a real confrontation can their weaknesses and potential be seen.

Yingyue stood up and ordered one of his men to go and inform the three students. He calmly instructed: "Tell Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, and Shizune to gather at the Konoha training ground tomorrow morning. Don't be late. I will test their strength."

The ninja quickly retreated after receiving the order, and Yingyue's eyes flickered slightly.

Although he had some understanding of the qualifications of the three students, their performance in actual combat was what Yingyue cared most about.

If they cannot pass his test, they cannot become his students. After all, he has requirements for his students. Without sufficient awareness, they are just cannon fodder in the ninja world. Yingyue naturally does not want them to be like this.