Land of Rice.
During the few days Hyuga Sho stayed in the Land of Iron, this peaceful country began to stir.
The Land of Rice was a small country bordering Konoha.
The Land of Iron lay to its left.
The Land of Hot Water lay to its right.
This country had no ninja village, but it had many ninja clans and Rogue Ninja.
In the past...
Kitōmaru, whom Hyuga Sho defeated, had been a ninja of the Tsuchigumo Clan, which belonged to the Land of Rice.
Orochimaru had recently arrived here.
After defecting, he had spent a long time surveying the area.
In the end, he decided...to do something here.
That was.
To establish a "ninja village."
The Land of Rice was, as its name suggested, a country focused on agriculture and rich in grain.
The country enjoyed favorable weather and fertile land.
With just a little planting, or even by relying on wild vegetables, wild fruits, and hunting, people could fill their stomachs.
It was worlds apart from the neighboring Land of Iron, which was covered in wind and snow.
In the past, Hyuga Sho and Uchiha Tekka had captured spies hidden among the vegetable merchants.
A large portion of the merchant caravans that supplied Konoha with fruits and vegetables also came from this country.
That was because it was a grain-producing nation.
The Land of Rice had relatively good relations with all the other countries.
Even the Land of Fire, where Konoha was located, was its ally.
Precisely because of this.
This peaceful country was very suitable for establishing a ninja village.
Through bribery and manipulation.
Orochimaru had easily won the trust of the "Daimyō of the Land of Rice."
Therefore...he was qualified to choose a site here.
To establish a ninja village.
Orochimaru named this ninja village