Eastward Journey

"The Land of Water... Although they did not participate in the great war seven years ago, it does not mean that the Land of Water is peaceful. The current Water Daimyo is in good health and his two sons are fighting tooth and nail for the title of heir. The Mist Ninja have also been dragged into the mess, causing chaos."

In previous years, things were alright; the Water Daimyo could at least keep his two sons in check. However, in the last two years, his health has deteriorated with each passing year, and he spends most of the year bedridden. As a result, the infighting within the Land of Water has become increasingly fierce. It's not just the Mist Ninja; it's said that many other well-known ninja clans within the Land of Water have also gotten involved. In short, the situation is incredibly complicated.

Utatane Koharu, spread out a huge pile of documents.

"The situation in the Land of Water is different from ours. It's a place that vehemently rejects Kekkei Genkai. You could say they fear the power of Kekkei Genkai while simultaneously envying that strength. This contradictory attitude has existed since the founding of Kirigakure, and perhaps this is one of the reasons for the psychological distortion of the Mist Ninja..."

Furthermore, Kirigakure in the Land of Water. However, it's important to note that besides Kirigakure, there are many other powerful ninja clans in the Land of Water. When it comes to top-tier ninja, they are not far behind Kirigakure. You should keep this in mind when you go to the Land of Water ..."

Pulling along Katsuki, who was all ready to set off, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura helped Katsuki frantically cram information about the Land of Water.

"Alright, that's about it." Mitokado Homura closed the last document.

"Is it over?" Katsuki asked cautiously, looking at the two elder advisors in front of her.

"It's over..." Utatane Koharu had barely uttered her words when Katsuki smiled happily and then vanished in a puff of white smoke.

Shadow Clone!?

The two elder advisors exchanged a bewildered glance, realizing that what they had been facing all this time was actually a Shadow Clone, something they hadn't noticed at all.

"This looks promising!"

"... Let's see!"

Katsuki had already left the village and was driving the Thunderclap Chariot, flying straight eastward through the air.

Silver lightning streaked across the sky like a shooting star, and the thunderous roar that followed startled a flock of birds and beasts. It had been a long time since he had galloped so freely. In recent years, he had spent most of his time in the village, and due to the Otokage of the Thunderclap Chariot, he had not had the opportunity to take it out for practice. He only had the chance to race occasionally when he went out for a trip.

"Oh... it's so complicated..."

Katsuki narrowed her eyes slightly, sorting through the knowledge transmitted back by her inner Shadow Clone. The situation in the Land of Water seemed even more interesting than she had imagined.

"Any ninja clan that can rival Kirigakure? Could it be one of those two..."

With a sudden shift in thought, memories of a past life surfaced, two names etched into his mind, lingering there for a long time.

Driving the Thunderclap Chariot at full speed, it wasn't long before the winding coastline came into view. The sea was a boundless blue, and the snow-white waves, like thin ribbons, kept crashing against the rocks on the shore.

The Thunderclap Chariot landed instantly. Speeding was no longer allowed here. Although it was still a long way to the islands of the Land of Water, once they reached the sea, it was already the territory of the Mist Ninja. Who knew what Secret Technique these experts in Water Release might have to monitor the movements on the sea? To be on the safe side, it was better to be more restrained.

But how can we infiltrate the Land of Water?

Standing on the steep cliff by the shore, he spread out the map. It was a map of the Land of Water, treasured by the village. The Land of Water was known for its isolation among the Five Great Nations, and the natural geography of the archipelago was full of mystery. The village had gone to great lengths to obtain this map. He was giving Katsuki a rubbing of it, otherwise, if he went to the Land of Water and couldn't find his way, he would really be a laughing stock.

However, after staring at the map for a long time, Katsuki frowned in pain.

This map is so rudimentary. It only roughly marks some geographical locations and doesn't show any information about the defenses of Katsuki Mist Ninja. Although he knows that it's not easy for his comrades who are hiding in the Kirigakure, hoping to use this thing to sneak into the Kirigakure is a complete pipe dream.

"It seems we need to find another way."

A small pebble was kicked off the steep cliff with a thud, and Katsuki pondered how to sneak into the Land of Water.

"Tap tap tap."

A sharp whistling sound rang out, Katsuki quietly took a step back, three Shuriken grazing the edge of her boots and embedding themselves in the rock.

Then, the scenery before Katsuki suddenly changed. The steep cliffs on the coast transformed into a dense bamboo forest, surrounded by slender, emerald-green bamboo poles. A gentle breeze blew in, and the refreshing air made one feel relaxed.

"A nice Genjutsu."

Katsuki raised his hand to catch the blade that was slashing at his side, lifted his right foot, and stomped down. The leaping arcs of lightning spread in all directions like the branches of a tree. The bamboo forest scenery in front of him cracked and shattered like a mirror. Then a Kunai was already close to his face, hitting his brow and making a crisp metallic clang.

The Kunai flew away to the horrified gazes of the three Konoha Ninja. Katsuki used the two fingers that were holding the blade to break the decent-quality longsword in half, as easily as breaking a wafer.

"Don't move, we're all on the same side," Katsuki shouted.

Looking at the three Konoha Ninja, he shrugged helplessly. After all, this was a trip to the Land of Water, so he couldn't wear Forehead Protector or vests. He was wearing a set of black civilian clothes, which explained why the guards were targeting him so aggressively.

Konoha's border guards adopt a "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free" attitude towards any suspicious person, and Katsuki was clearly also considered a suspicious person who had smuggled himself ashore.

The three Konoha Ninja did indeed stop moving, not because they truly trusted their so-called "own people," but Katsuki's skills were simply too formidable. They lacked confidence in their ability to defeat him, so they decided to remain still and wait for reinforcements from the garrison.

Lightning Flash Turn!!

Lightning suddenly flashed beneath her feet. Katsuki stepped on the Lightning Flash Turn, and jumped off the steep cliff. In the blink of an eye, a tiny shadow on the sea surface strode eastward.

The three were left bewildered, looking at each other blankly.

I'm completely baffled. If these are spies from Kirigakure, why are they heading east? Shouldn't they be heading inland?

Katsuki cursed inwardly in frustration. He was helpless; carrying out such top-secret missions was often unlucky. Not only did he face risks from the outside, but even his own family members could become enemies without his knowledge, and there was nowhere to complain.

He couldn't explain the situation to these border guards, nor could he bring himself to harm them. After much thought, he realized there was only one way to escape this predicament: the best of the thirty-six stratagems was to flee.

Although I haven't figured out how to infiltrate the Land of Water to investigate, there's always a way. I'll think about it as I travel!