Orochimaru knew from the message Kisame sent back that his disguise had finally come in handy.
The corpse was indistinguishable from the original, so no matter who came, they would not notice anything amiss.
Besides, that wasn't the snake skin shed by the Orochimaru Style Substitution; it was a genuine flesh and blood body.
"It seems necessary to create another clone!"
Although he planned to remain hidden in the Ninja World for a while, his clones could conceal their identities and operate in secret.
If he were to create another clone at this moment, both its appearance and demeanor would change slightly, making it difficult for someone who is not very familiar with Orochimaru to recognize it.
"Looks like this red hair does come in handy sometimes!"
While making self-deprecating remarks, he looked at the projection on the wall, which showed two girls sitting on a tram in the Northern Lands, with their usual large and small bags beside them.
"Lady Tsunade, this thing called a train is amazing!"
Shizune was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, constantly scrutinizing this moving lump of iron.
The tram has a very simple design, with two levels, and each level has a screen at the front playing music unique to the Northern Lands.
"It's quite novel, but the driving speed is too slow, making it a bit of a waste for ninjas!"
This mode of transportation is indeed very convenient for ordinary people. Although it is hard to admit, the technology here has far surpassed that of the Five Great Nations.
It's not that trams are technologically advanced; on the contrary, their construction is quite simple.
On Blue Star in my previous life, some foreign countries already had this kind of transportation during the late Qing Dynasty.
But as the saying goes, it's not that you're so great, it's just that your peers make you look good.
The Five Great Nations also possess a great deal of advanced technology, but they either invest it in military facilities or fail to prioritize it.
Where else would anyone invest in people's livelihoods like Orochimaru? His investments would gradually improve the living standards of the Northern Lands.
As residents' living standards improve, more talent will be attracted to settle here, and the military and overall strength of the Northern Lands will gradually improve as well.
"Wow... Lady Tsunade, look! That's a car! It looks so cool!"
A few cars slowly drove by, which immediately drew pointing and whispering from the two men.
When they first arrived, they were penniless and had no time to think about such things.
Now that my wallet is bulging, I finally have the energy to eat, drink, and have fun.
Being in the Northern Lands, both of them felt as if they had been transported to another world, and for a moment they were reluctant to leave.
"Sigh... I wish Konoha could develop like this!"
After the initial excitement, the two began to sigh deeply.
The two of them have seen so many new things today, as evidenced by the large and small bags they carry.
It includes not only clothes and cosmetics, but also electronic devices such as music amplifiers and speakers.
It can be said that almost everything broadened their horizons.
"How could those old fogies in Konoha possibly care about such things? All they know is fighting for power and profit all day long, let's not even mention it!"
The thought of Konoha inexplicably made Tsunade feel irritable.
Konoha was ruled by the Third Hokage for several decades. Apart from a slight increase in population and the number of ninjas, the environment did not change much.
If Pain hadn't later razed Konoha to the ground, he wouldn't have even considered renovating the house.
The situation in the Northern Lands is different; in just a few short years, they've managed to develop the village into this size.
Although the population is smaller, it's a modern metropolis!
"Lady Tsunade, how about we buy a car and have some fun with it?"
Seeing the cars whizzing by on the street, Shizune's mind raced.
Since Tsunade will gamble away all the money anyway, why not spend more?
"A car? Can you drive?"
Upon hearing this suggestion, Tsunade did not immediately object.
Although she didn't know much about cars, she had no problem with basic transportation. After so many years of living a rough life, having something to shelter her from the wind and rain seemed like a good idea!
"I can learn! I heard it's very simple, and they even teach you how to do it when you buy a car!"
Then Shizune talked to Tsunade about the benefits of buying a car. Not only could it hold all the things they bought, but it would also make their upcoming trip more comfortable. Why not?
Shizune, who is not usually quick-witted, suddenly became like a salesperson, babbling incessantly.
"Alright, alright! Buy, buy, buy! I'm really impressed with you! But I'm telling you, if you can't drive it, you're going to push it for me!"
They couldn't resist the sweet talk and finally reached an agreement.
Orochimaru observed their every move. Although Orochimaru couldn't be there in person, he was already quite satisfied with their smiles.
Orochimaru only shows this complex expression when facing Tsunade.
A week later, a car wobbled and drove out of the Northern Lands.
"Are you sure you're going to make it?! Don't drive it into the ditch!"
Tsunade, looking at Shizune who was gripping the steering wheel tightly with a tense expression.
The two had almost spent all their money. The back seat of the car was full of stuff, and there were also many packages tied to the roof.
It was filled with all sorts of things, including clothes, barbecue grills, tents, and other supplies.
Anyone who didn't know better would think they were a traveling merchant caravan.
"Oh dear, Lady Tsunade, please don't bother me! I might make a mistake if I get nervous!"
New drivers shouldn't expect to be very stable on the road; it's already quite good that you can drive like this in such a short time.
"Tch...! Then drive carefully and don't get lost!"
As she spoke, Tsunade took out a map and began to examine it carefully.
Although cars are in mass production in the Northern Lands, high-tech features such as car navigation systems have not yet been developed.
The main problem is the lack of network coverage; without satellites, it's quite difficult to develop this kind of thing.
"Don't worry! The road from the Northern Lands to the Capital City has been built, and there are road signs along the way. How could you possibly get lost!"
The training these past few days wasn't just about learning to drive; we also learned a lot about basic geographical knowledge.
"Our next stop is the Capital City of the Land of Gold. I've heard that the Hot Spring there are very famous!"
Tsunade pointed to the map, and the place she was referring to was none other than the former Yugakure).
After saying that, Tsunade fiddled with something for a while and soon pulled out a record from the back seat.
It was then placed into the car stereo, and inspiring music began to play softly.
"This feature seems pretty good! Let me see what song it is..."
"I know, I know, 'Shout Love to the World'!"
Thankfully it wasn't the background music from "Dai Xia Hu," otherwise it could have been used on the racetrack.
Shizune, who was driving, was the first to answer. She had been listening to this song a lot lately; you could say she played it every day while practicing driving.
"Ugh... what a cheesy name!"
Despite her complaints, she didn't change the song. Instead, she lowered the backrest, put on her newly bought sunglasses, and started humming along, one line at a time.
She also very ungracefully put her beautiful legs on the passenger side dashboard.
Her long, slender, fair legs were encased in black stockings, making her look incredibly attractive.
It's such a waste that those beautiful legs aren't used to driving a tricycle.
Their road trip began!