A Trip to the Land of Whirlpools

Dear Father:

Greetings.

I am doing well in Konoha, don't worry about me.

Actually, I hesitated for a long time before deciding to write this letter.

Ever since the day you sent me to the Senju Clan, I have harbored resentment towards you.

After all, as you know, this is not my ambition.

But I am also grateful to you.

I was sixteen at the time, which is quite old for a girl who is about to get married, but Hashirama easily accepted the fact that he had to marry someone two years older than him.

People say that misfortune and fortune are intertwined, and this is indeed true.

Over the years, I have some regrets about not fighting for the right to stay in my hometown, but now, I have found my place.

Please forgive me for not being able to accompany you this time; I need to stay here to oversee things.

As for Konoha? I think you'll understand once you meet those four people.

I'm not very good at writing sentimental things, so this letter will stop here.

We'll talk more when we meet next time.

May you be in good health, and may the sea breeze of the Land of Whirlpools always be gentle.

Your daughter,

Mito Uzumaki

"Just the four of us?"

Izuna stood at the village entrance, looking at the empty road in front of him, then back at the equally empty village gate behind him, his tone tinged with disbelief, "I thought that when visiting another country, especially to resolve important national affairs, there would be at least a Delegation of a dozen or so people, accompanied by several scribes to record things, and a team of guards or something. Just the four of us? Not even a single person to carry our bags?"

Hashirama, carrying a huge bag, walked past him. Hearing this, he turned around and said matter-of-factly, "Why would I need a bag? I have my own hands."

Izuna stared at the backpack on Hashirama's back, which was wider than Hashirama himself, and remained silent for a moment. "... Did you stuff the whole Office into it?"

"No, it's just a change of clothes, dry rations, a water bottle, bandages, Military Rations Pills, a yukata for the Hot Springs, a gift for the Land of Whirlpools' Ruler, some sweets for Mito's family, some books for reading on the road, and a thin blanket for sleeping—" Hashirama counted on his fingers, the list growing longer and longer.

"Stop." Tobirama interrupted him expressionlessly, reaching into Hashirama's bag and taking out two items: a change of clothes and toiletries. "Put the rest back. We're going on a diplomatic visit, not a spring outing."

"Huh?! But these are all gifts I carefully selected! Are you really going to just throw them away like this?"

Tobirama remained unmoved, his tone indifferent. "That's right, if you want to give a gift, just have someone else do it. Don't give gifts yourself; you're Hokage now, don't Hokage yourself like that."

"But a gift given personally conveys sincerity!"

"Big Brother! Are you even listening to me?!"

"I also think it's quite necessary."

Hashirama, tears Hashirama, cried out, "Izuna— "

"But let's forget about so many. Why don't you pick out a few?"

"Let me see..."

Madara stood at the front, carrying only a medium-sized bag on his back, and the dark blue Haori he wore fluttered slightly in the morning breeze.

He glanced back at the three people still checking their luggage and couldn't help but sigh.

If he dawdled any longer, it would get dark soon, so he didn't want to wait any longer and started walking out of the village.

Seeing Hashirama, Hashirama quickly slung his bag over his shoulder and chased after him in a few strides.

"Wait a minute, Madara!"

Tobirama sighed, heartbroken that he hadn't been able to stop his Big Brother from carrying such a heavy load.

Izuna lagged behind, muttering to himself as he walked, "Speaking of which, is it really okay for the four of us to leave the village? The Konoha High Command officials are all skipping work; won't Rokuhiko and the others kill us?"

Without Tobirama, Tobirama said, "Don't worry, we've already approved the important documents. The less important ones can be approved by them themselves. If all else fails, I'll have my Big Brother use reverse summoning to return to Konoha and approve the documents."

Hashirama was horrified. "Tobirama! You can't murder your own brother like this!"

But neither Tobirama nor Izuna paid him any attention.

"Wouldn't you be able to come back faster? You've already applied the Flying Thunder God Mark, haven't you?"

"From here to the Land of Whirlpools? Spare me, I don't have that much Chakra."

"Wow, what are you saying, you playboy?"

"Neptune?"

"Don't you know how to use sea escape techniques?"

Tobirama laughed, "That's Water Release, not Sea Release or Sea King. Don't give me these random nicknames."

Madara, unable to bear it any longer, turned around and dragged Izuna away. "Stay away from my brother!"

Tobirama was completely bewildered. "What did I do?"

"You are not allowed to speak to Izuna!"

Tobirama chuckled in exasperation, "He was the one who spoke first, okay?"

Izuna, standing to the side, was both amused and exasperated, while Mokushō, standing behind him, watched with great interest, looking left and right as if he found the scene quite novel.

A four-person Hot Springs trip... no, a journey to visit the Land of Whirlpools, has begun.

The Kasuga sunshine warmed the earth. The four of them walked through Tanzaku Town, passed the vermilion gate of the Fire Temple, and then passed through several small towns with quiet houses and vast dry fields.

The path underfoot changed from rammed earth to gravel, then from gravel to fine sand, and after passing through a long canyon, the view suddenly opened up before us.

An endless expanse of blue stretched to the horizon, the sea breeze carrying salty moisture rushed towards us, and the waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, breaking into millions of white Utakata.

"It's the sea!" Izuna exclaimed.

He was an inland boy, and this was the first time he had ever seen the sea. He unconsciously quickened his pace, and when he stepped onto the beach, the soles of his shoes sank into the fine sand, making a crunching sound.

He stood on the beach, looking at the line where the sea and sky met. The wind made his sleeves flutter, his hair swept across his cheeks, and his eyes reflected the shimmering light of the waves.

Ban gazed at the sea, a slight smile playing on his lips, "It is indeed magnificent."

"After passing through here, it's just a short distance to the Land of Hot Water." Hashirama tilted his pack higher. "We can stay in the Land of Hot Water for the night, soak in the Hot Springs, and then head into the Land of Land of Whirlpools tomorrow."

Izuna gazed at the line where the sea met the sky, the sea breeze seeping into his sleeves and making his clothes flutter.

He suddenly had an urge to fly up to that blue expanse, to look down from the sky at this sea he had never seen before, and to feel the sea breeze passing through his feathers.

He quickly scanned the map panel, confirmed that there were no unfamiliar Chakra reactions around him, and then turned to look at Madara.

"Brother Ban! Can I fly for a while?"

Hashirama blinked. "Fly? Fly what?"

Madara glanced at Izuna, then at Hashirama's bewildered expression, and suddenly realized this was a good opportunity.

He nodded to Izuna: "Alright, that lets Hashirama."

"Yay!" Izuna jumped back two steps, his shoulder blade muscles twitched slightly, and his pair of jet-black wings popped out from behind him with a whoosh.

Its wingspan spread out in the sunlight, and a thin layer of Rainbow-colored light flowed around the edges of its feathers, making it very beautiful.

The next second, he was lifted into the air, creating a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye, he was already in mid-air, gliding towards the surface of the sea.

Hashirama stood frozen in place, head tilted back, mouth slightly agape, his gaze following the small black dot that flew further and further away in the sky.

"Madara, Madara, you said Izuna grew wings, and he actually grew wings? Wings in the literal sense?!"

"Yes, didn't I already say that? In his world, the Uchiha Clan grows wings as soon as they awaken their Sharingan." Madara turned his gaze away from Izuna, looking at Hashirama's worldview crumbling, his tone calm to the point of being almost compassionate.

Hashirama suddenly turned to Tobirama and found Tobirama standing calmly beside him, even raising his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, squinting as he watched Izuna do a somersault in the air.

"Tobirama, aren't you surprised?"

"Heh. Ever since this guy came back, not a single day in Konoha has been ordinary. You should be getting used to it by now, Big Brother." Tobirama lowered his Tobirama, his tone carrying a calmness that only comes after being repeatedly battered by life.

"I get the feeling that your tone is a bit cold."

Izuna circled around in the sky for a long time before landing back on the beach. His hair was a mess from the sea breeze, but he had a smile on his face that suggested he hadn't had enough.

As he retracted his wings, he said, "The sea looks so different from up there. The waves are like lace lining the beach, and there are fishing boats in the distance with orange sails. I'll take you up there to see it next time."

"Great! Great!" That's Hashirama.

"No need," Tobirama and Madara said in unison, then glanced at each other before turning their faces away.

The group continued their journey.

After walking along the coastline for a while, the road gradually turned inland, passing through a low hilly area. The saltiness in the air faded, replaced by a faint smell of Sulfur.

Hashirama showed great curiosity about Izuna's wings throughout the journey, bombarding me with questions one after another.

"Izuna, are your wings heavy? Do your shoulders ache when you spread them out?"

"It's alright, I don't feel anything special."

"Does it extend its wings when it sleeps? Does it hurt if it gets pressed? Does it need a running start to take off? Oh, and do its feathers change with the seasons?" Hashirama asked more and more enthusiastically, his eyes shining like a researcher who had discovered a new species.

Izuna was completely bewildered by the questions. He himself didn't know much more about these Hashirama than Hashirama did, and could only repeatedly answer "I don't know," "I've never tried it," and "I've already said I'm not very clear."

Not far behind him, Mokushō with his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking relaxed and showing no intention of offering any help.

However, his presence remained as faint as ever; even when his name was called, the other three did not notice him.

Izuna was furious and decided to squeeze some rice out of this lucky god who seemed to be picking up money on the street.

"By the way! I've heard that birds can find their way by instinct, can Izuna do that too?"

"I'm not a bird! I'm Tengu!"

Hashirama was about to ask another question, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed his hair.

Hashirama froze on the spot like a cat whose fate had been seized by the scruff of its Hashirama.

"Ask one more question," Madara's voice came from behind him, "And I'll let you experience what it feels like to fly."

Hashirama swallowed hard and wisely shut his mouth.

With a sigh of relief, Izuna quickened his pace and ran to the front of the group.

Tobirama walked past Madara and Hashirama expressionlessly, not even sparing them a glance.

They arrived at the port at dusk.

The setting sun dyed the sea a vibrant orange-red, and several sailboats were moored at the dock, their mast ropes swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Izuna had assumed that the Land of Hot Water was on the border of the Land of Fire, but when he arrived, he discovered that the Land of Hot Water was an island and he had to take a boat to get there.

"So, Tobirama, did you deliberately take a detour?"

"Where will we meet with the ministers of the Land of Whirlpools?" Tobirama said. "Consider it their invitation for us to enjoy ourselves."

Wow! That's great!

"Yes." It seems they're truly in dire straits. Tobirama thought to himself, "Using even this kind of tactic, are they hoping for our protection?"

Fortunately, there are passenger ferries running to and from the port every day, and they caught the last one.

The boat wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy.

The boatman, a tanned old man, grinned as he saw the four board. "You've come at the perfect time, gentlemen. Any later and the boat would have departed in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Want to go to the Hot Springs of Land of Hot Water? This is the perfect season; it's not crowded."

The cabin was divided into several small compartments, with one berth for each person.

Izuna tossed and turned in his bunk. The bedding on the ship had a faint salty smell, not unpleasant, but not exactly pleasant either.

He put his luggage on the bedside table and turned to see that Mokushō had been sitting cross-legged in the corner of the cabin at some point, chanting incantations over a small crab crawling out of a crack in the ship's deck with a Talisman Paper with Red Eyes drawn on it.

Hashirama putting away his luggage, Hashirama went out to chat with the boatman. Soon, his hearty laughter echoed from the deck, as if he were discussing with the boatman which type of fish was the best to grill.

Tobirama sat on his bunk, turning the pages of a scroll he carried with him by the light of an oil lamp, his brow furrowed slightly.

Madara sat down on the bunk opposite Izuna, placed his Ninja Tool Pouch beside his pillow, and closed his eyes.

The ship left the harbor as the last rays of twilight faded.

Izuna lay on the ship's railing, watching the land gradually shrink until it became a thin gray line on the coastline, before being swallowed by the night.

The ship rocked at sea all night, and it wasn't until noon the next day that the coastline of the Land of Hot Water could be seen in the distance.

Izuna lay on the ship's railing, idly feeding the seagulls the whole way. He broke his rations into pieces and tossed them into the air, watching the white-winged creatures catch the crumbs precisely in mid-air, muttering to himself as he did so.

When Hashirama passed by, he overheard him muttering something like "Seagulls are so free" and "Seagulls don't need to approve documents," and couldn't help but laugh for a long time.

For the rest of the time, Izuna stayed in the cabin sleeping.

He grew accustomed to the faint salty smell of the bedding on the ship after a while. The undulating waves made him drowsy, so he used his luggage as a pillow, buried his face in his arms, and slept soundly.

Tobirama and Madara, on the other hand, were not idle.

Tobirama spent the entire morning chatting with the crew, learning everything about the distribution of Hot Springs in the Land of Hot Water, the prices of various Inns, which Hot Springs had the best water quality, and which Inns had business dealings with the Land of Whirlpools.

Ban inquired with the captain about any unusual activity along the recent route.

There have been no pirates in recent months, but several merchant ships have been detained and inspected when they approached the waters of the Land of Whirlpools, supposedly because the Land of Whirlpools is strengthening its coastal defenses.

Ban silently memorized this information.

When the two returned to the cabin one after the other, they found that Izuna was still in the same position they had left in, his face buried in his arms, his breathing even and long.

Tobirama stood in front of his bunk and couldn't help but glance at Madara.

These two brothers are strange. The easy-going Izuna doesn't go out, but Madara, the cold-faced devil, goes out to inquire about things.

Madara walked over, squatted down, and pinched Izuna's nose.

Izuna held his breath for two seconds, then suddenly opened his eyes, slapped Madara's hand away, and gasped for breath. "Brother, what are you doing!"

"We've arrived. Get up." Madara stood up, grabbed Izuna's luggage from the head of the bed, and threw it into his arms.

Izuna yawned, clutching his luggage, a few tears welling in his eyes, and mumbled indistinctly, "We're here already..."

Tobirama looked at him with a hint of disdain. "You're really something, going on a diplomatic mission abroad and not even gathering intelligence, just sleeping on the ship for the entire morning."

"That's because we have you guys. Madara is in charge of security, you're in charge of intelligence, Hashirama is in charge of diplomacy, and as for me—"

Izuna slung his bag over his shoulder, stood up, patted Tobirama on Tobirama shoulder, and said in a serious tone, "I'm responsible for making sure you get enough sleep while you're busy, so you don't end up yawning at the negotiating table and ruin Konoha's image."

"That makes so much sense, I almost believed it."

Izuna grinned, squeezed past Tobirama, and jumped onto the deck in three quick steps.

The sea breeze swept over me, carrying the slightly bitter scent of Sulfur. In the distance, the coastline of the Land of Hot Water had transformed from a gray line into a clear expanse of green.

The wooden pier extends into the sea, and at the head of the pier stands a Stone Tablet, slightly weathered by the seawater, with the three large characters "Land of Hot Water) engraved on it.