Journey to the Land of Hot Springs

"A natural disaster? -- But what does that have to do with us?"

"Uh... this has nothing to do with us. What does have to do with us is Katsuki. I think he knows a lot of secrets, secrets that we don't know..." Yahiko's voice was unusually serious.

Nagato was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized, "That's right, Katsuki is so mysterious, he seems to be hiding a lot of secrets."

The two boys looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Find him."

"That guy definitely knows the secret we want to know." Nagato became unusually excited.

"But... what should we do? Mizuki should be in the Land of Fire. Are we just going to go find him like this? Although Katsuki -Jiraiya sensei taught us Ninjutsu, we are still from the Land of Rain. It won't be easy to enter the Land of Fire!"

Konan poured cold water on them, calming down the two who were hot-headed.

How do I find Katsuki?

This is quite a troublesome problem.

Since different countries exist, entry and exit must be strictly restricted. Ordinary small countries are fine, as they do not have enough power to defend their own borders, so it is easy for ninjas to enter and exit. However, the Five Great Nations are different. As the five strongest nations in the ninja world, their garrison troops patrol the borders, which can be described as an impregnable fortress.

Only top-tier Jonin like Orochimaru could easily evade the watchful eyes of the garrison. For ordinary Jonin, it wouldn't be an easy task, especially since the Land of Fire was at war not long ago, and the forces stationed by Konoha on the border were not to be underestimated.

Of course, besides illegal entry, one can also enter the country through normal channels, which requires going through various procedures, obtaining documents from the official channels of the Land of Rain, and undergoing review before entering the Land of Fire.

"Nagato, with your power, can you ensure our safe entry?"

Yahiko stared longingly at Nagato.

The latter remained silent for a moment, considering the possibilities, before finally saying, "I'm not sure. I don't know how strong Konoha's border defense forces are. It might be easy to get through, but if there are very powerful experts, it's hard to say."

Yahiko was conflicted upon hearing this. Nagato's eyes were indeed powerful, but according to Jiraiya, the power of those eyes had not been fully unleashed, and they were not invincible at the moment.

"Let's save up some money. I need to find a way to make as much as possible these next couple of days, then go to town to get the paperwork done. Feeding those vampires isn't going to be easy." Yahiko scratched his head and made his decision.

"That will cost a lot of money. Those vampires under the Rain Daimyo are notoriously greedy!" Konan, resting her chin on her hand, sat on the corridor watching the two getting soaked in the rain. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Don't rush. We should find out if Katsuki is in Konoha before we act. If we go there and he's already out on a mission, who knows how long we'll have to wait."

"..."

"That makes sense... but the problem is, where are we going to get information?" Yahiko sighed, his face full of worry.

Nagato and Konan are stuck.

This is a truly life-threatening problem. In this world, it's not easy for people from different factions to contact each other; it's incredibly troublesome!

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. Let's save up some money first and head to Konoha. If things go wrong, we can just stay in Konoha for a couple more days. Besides, our luck might not be that bad."

"Alright then!"

"Um!"

The three people, far away in the Land of Rain, made a new choice, and their fates quietly took a turn towards an unknown path.

As dawn approached, a thin mist, like a veil of green, enveloped the village streets. A lone figure broke through the mist, and footsteps drew closer.

"Morning!"

Uchiha Otome long black hair cascading down her back, swaying gently. Her delicate and pretty face was icy cold, as if it bore the words "Keep Out."

"Just two minutes early."

The Whirlpool siblings arrived earlier in front of the hotel.

Katsuki the servants coming and going. These people were all subordinates of that nobleman from the Land of Hot Springs, making final preparations before their departure. The nobleman had booked the entire inn, meaning that apart from his family, there were no other guests, so they weren't worried about disturbing anyone early in the morning.

"Otome, did you bring everything? This time you absolutely must enjoy a proper soak in a top-quality hot spring. The hot springs in the village are just too crowded... And I heard that Yugakure even has a Rose Street..."

Kushina pulled Otome aside to talk, and it was mostly Kushina who kept talking while Otome listened silently.

"I entrust your safety on the journey to the three of you." The tall, thin old man with neatly combed white hair was the employer of this mission.

"As a Konoha Ninja, I will do my best to complete the mission and ensure your family's safe return to the Land of Hot Springs."

Katsuki nodded in agreement.

The old nobleman smiled elegantly, quite satisfied with the answer, and did not look down on the three young people in front of Katsuki because of their youth. He had not wasted decades of his life; as a nobleman, he had dealt with ninjas many times and knew that one could not easily judge a ninja's strength based on age.

Soon, the convoy, which had been prepared, set off. There were thirteen carriages in total, carrying not only the noble family but also a large amount of wealth. Because of the outbreak of war, the nobles of the small country were immediately plunged into deep unease. After all, swords and spears have no eyes, and if they were accidentally caught in the crossfire of the battle of the ninjas, these terrain modifiers, they would be extremely unlucky and would have no way to complain.

Therefore, nobles brought their families and most of their wealth, except for land and other real estate, to guard against unforeseen circumstances.

The war between Konoha and Sunagakure ended, and the struggle between Cloud Ninja and Stone Ninja also temporarily entered a low ebb. It was foreseeable that it would be difficult for high-intensity battles to occur again, so the nobles began to prepare to return home. As a result, the ninjas were able to make some money again. The job of bodyguard was quite well paid, especially since these noble lords were very generous in paying.

The convoy passed through the main gate of Konoha, and private soldiers dressed in black dispersed around the convoy, spreading out on both sides.

Katsuki sat atop the carriage at the very front, Otome guarded the middle, Kushina was responsible for the rear.

The carriage swayed gently, and Katsuki swayed along with it, looking down at the scroll unfolded in his hand. He wasn't worried about anyone attacking the caravan. Before leaving the Land of Land of Fire, the most they would encounter were just petty thieves, whom the black-clad guards around them could easily deal with.

The most likely location for the actual attack is the Land of Hot Springs, but even if someone comes looking for death, Katsuki is fearless.

He was still studying Medical Ninjutsu, sitting in his carriage, pondering the mysteries hidden in the text, completely absorbed and unaffected by the outside world.

The convoy moved forward, the wheels creaking and groaning, as Konoha gradually receded into the distance.