Overlooking Konoha

The Envoy from the Land of Water stared at the deer for a long time.

The deer stood quietly on the stone path, its hooves lightly touching the ground, and the silver bells at the end of its ribbon made a very soft sound.

It blinked slowly, its eyelashes long and thick, shimmering with a pale golden sheen in the sunlight.

He looked at the deer and then at the other enormous animals.

He thought to himself that he had never seen such a large living creature in his entire life.

The Land of Water has many islands, and there are naturally fewer land animals than on the mainland. People travel by boat, on foot, or by sedan chair.

Although there are giant beasts in the sea, it is still the sea. As a person from the Land of Water, the Envoy has actually only been to sea a few times in his life, so naturally he has never come into contact with them.

The monsters in front of him were half a head taller than him, with claws as big as bowls, and their tails could be heard making a faint sound when they swung.

Apart from the deer in front of him, the others were all too big, which made him feel intimidated.

That's why he came to the deer.

The Envoy from the Land of Water stood beside the deer, still hesitant to make a move.

However, he eventually managed to get on the horse with the help of the assistant rider, but his movements were very stiff.

After all, the Daimyo of his own country had already ridden on that cat's back, and he, as the face of the Land of Water's diplomacy, could not lag behind.

The other Envoys adapted at roughly the same pace.

The Envoy from the Land of Lightning chose the Black Hound, mounted it, and chuckled, though his voice still trembled, "Hey, this dog is bigger than my horse."

Lord Ishimi of the Land of Earth rode calmly on the back of the yellow dog with black stripes, but his hands gripped the guardrails tightly and his back was ramrod straight, making one feel intimidated at first glance.

The stern-faced Envoy from the Land of Wind mounted the fox. The fox's tail was fluffy like a ball of fire. He adapted quickly and began petting the fox after getting on. The fire fox squinted its eyes and tilted its head back as it was petted.

The accompanying Samurai did not receive this treatment.

After all, only a Summoning Beasts passed the test, and their size was indeed too large, making it unrealistic to have one for each person.

If they were to try to follow, even a stroll by Summoning Beast would be as fast as a horse trotting, making it impossible for them to keep up.

So the Samurai were left in the open space inside the gate to organize their luggage, taking out chests, gift boxes, and changes of clothes from the palanquins.

However, the guards could not be left behind, so each of the Envoys selected one or two ninjas from their Ninja to take with them, while the rest stayed behind to help.

Ōnoki wasn't chosen, and he looked enviously at the villagers standing next to Ishimi.

He wanted to go on the tour too, but unfortunately he was too young and not Strength enough. And Konoha wouldn't let these Ninjas run around freely, so it seemed this trip was destined to be anything but enjoyable.

Izuna looked at the luggage being carried out and bowed slightly to everyone. "We will arrange for your luggage to be sent to the inn, so please don't worry. If anything is lost or damaged, Konoha will compensate accordingly. As for you Samurai and Ninja— "

He turned to the side to signal to the goalkeeper.

The gatekeeper, carrying a stack of folded booklets, walked up to the crowd and handed them out one by one.

Ōnoki took the booklet, flipped through it, and glanced at it.

This turned out to be a small map of Konoha, with simple icons marking the locations of the Commercial Street, Training Grounds, Hot Springs, restaurants, public baths, and several Observation Decks.

The language is colloquial and the font is neat and clean, with simple illustrations provided alongside.

Ōnoki stared blankly at the booklet, not quite understanding Izuna's purpose in giving them it.

"This is the visitor's guide," Izuna said. "If you're interested, you're welcome to explore on your own at any time. Our residents and Guard Corps are happy to answer any questions, so don't worry about getting lost."

A moment of silence fell over the crowd. A Samurai turned to the last page of the manual, his gaze sweeping over the fully drawn map, and his brow furrowed.

He closed the manual, looked up at Izuna, and said politely, "Sir."

"Just call me Izuna."

The Samurai choked for a moment, then continued, "Lord Izuna, you've just granted us the right to explore freely like this? Aren't you afraid our people will steal our secrets?"

Izuna looked at him and smiled meaningfully.

He tilted his head, his tone light. "Or perhaps a kidnapped child with special talents?"

The Samurai was stunned.

Everyone became alert, especially the Daimyo, whose eyes were fixed dangerously on the Samurai.

Just then, Izuna laughed, "Haha."

Izuna smiled at the Samurai, his tone calm and composed, carrying an air of superiority. "As the saying goes, when friends come, we have fine wine to entertain them. Naturally, when enemies come, we also have Ninja Tools to deal with them."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present.

His gaze wasn't sharp, but it carried a chilling power. "As friends, none of you would be foolish enough to court death on my Konoha turf, right?"

Those in the crowd who had originally intended to take the opportunity to find out something all gave up their plans after being swept over by those deep, unseen eyes.

They lowered their heads and began flipping through the visitor's brochure in their hands, turning the pages very carefully, as if they had suddenly developed a strong curiosity about the booklet.

Izuna clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright. I've covered all the important points." His voice lightened again, and the serious expression on his face vanished like clouds scattered by the wind.

He opened his arms again and gave everyone a bright smile.

"Welcome again to our Konoha Special Administrative Region! I'm sure you've all had a long journey and are exhausted by now. But—going to the inn to rest now would be a waste of such a beautiful day."

"This Kasuga afternoon sunshine is so precious; it's perfect for going out and having fun."

He looked away and winked at everyone.

So, let's head to the restaurant first and enjoy some delicious food!

Izuna took the lead, using Ninja Footwork to guide the others.

The Summoning Beasts began to move.

As the large, dark gray striped cat took its first steps, Wakako let out a soft "Ah," and instinctively gripped the armrests in front of the saddle.

Yuan Yusheng sat behind her, one hand wrapped around her waist to hold her tightly, while the other hand gripped the reins tightly.

The Ninja Cat's shoulder blades rolled under its fur, yet its steps were remarkably steady, almost imperceptible. Only when the wind suddenly picked up did it make Wakako's sleeves flutter loudly.

The speed was quite fast; the Ninja Dog's step was equivalent to three steps of a horse, the Ninja Cat's steps were light and agile with a large stride, and even the most docile deer took steps much faster than an ordinary horse.

The wind blew in from the front, carrying the scent of the forest and a hint of earthy sweetness, making one's eyes dry.

Wakako squinted and burrowed her head into Yuan Yusheng's shoulder. Yuan Yusheng glanced down at her and raised his sleeve to shield her from the wind.

The group paid no attention to the scenery along the way, and some were somewhat dissatisfied.

Then the Ninja Cat turned a corner. The wind suddenly died down.

We've reached the finish line.

It was an open-air restaurant.

But it's not the kind of roadside inn with thatched roofs and wooden tables that people are used to seeing. On the contrary, even though it's outdoors, the decor here is quite stylish.

The ground was paved with clean white stone slabs, and the seams between the slabs were carefully filled and smoothed out, so there was no looseness when you stepped on them.

The sunshade is provided by a light beige canvas awning, its opening perfectly sized to block the afternoon's slanting sunlight without obscuring the view of the meticulously manicured hillside in the distance.

Several long tables were placed under the awning, with dark brown solid wood legs and plain linen tablecloths covering the tabletops, the edges of which hung down and swayed slightly in the through breeze.

In the center of each table sits a rough ceramic vase, filled with a few unidentified wildflowers, arranged in a pleasing, haphazard way.

The tables and chairs are arranged with a good balance of spacing, ensuring that adjacent tables do not disturb each other while maintaining the openness and spaciousness that outdoor dining should offer.

Not far away, there was a small stage where a band sat on reeds, playing a light and carefree tune.

This was a tune I'd never heard before, but just listening to it made me feel relaxed.

Ishimi from the yellow dog's back, stood still, and straightened his clothes. He looked around, feeling a sense of novelty.

After the Envoy from the Land of Water slid off the deer's back, he subconsciously bowed slightly to the deer. Only when he straightened up did he realize what he had done, and his expression showed a moment of embarrassment.

The deer seemed pleased by his reaction and bowed to him in return.

Wakako walked straight to the stone railing, placed her hands on it, leaned out, and gazed at Konoha in the distance.

A gust of wind blew by, lifting her hair at her temples before it fell back down.

Everyone else also gathered at the edge of the fence.

No one spoke.

This was a spot that Izuna specifically chose; from here, you can see the entire Konoha.

Beneath a clear sky lies a small town nestled in the woods.

The road stretches from the foot of the distant mountains to the nearby riverbank. The rooftops, varying in height, blend into a tapestry of shades of orange-red, with touches of green surrounding the red rooftops like clusters of flowers.

Smoke rose from several rooftops, stretching into thin wisps in the afternoon breeze before gradually dissipating in the sunlight.

The wind blows up from below the hillside, bringing with it the fresh scent of freshly turned soil.

Further away, the cliffs stretching for hundreds of miles are slightly white in the afternoon light, and the patterns on the cliffs are clearly visible, making people marvel at the wonders of nature.

Looking at the beautiful scenery, Wakako couldn't help but murmur, "How beautiful!"

The others silently agreed in their hearts.

Izuna stood by the railing, his gaze sweeping over the backs of the crowd.

They stood there, admiring the distant scenery, as quiet as a group of travelers on Observation Deck rather than diplomatic envoys carrying out their respective national missions.

He curled the corners of his lips into a smile, knowing that the first impression had been completely set.