The Land of Hot Water was a small country north of the Land of Fire. It was famous for its pleasant climate, hot spring resorts, and therapeutic retreats. It also had a small ninja village called Hot Water Village. Its strength was nothing to write home about, barely better than having nothing at all. Everyone knew this, so whenever they had a need, the people of this country still preferred to hire ninjas from the major ninja villages.
"If possible, I'd like to rest here for a few more days."
"Yeah. Too bad we're all born to toil. We have to get back to the village as soon as possible."
"It would be nice if we were Jōnin. We'd have a little more freedom with our time."
"Don't be ridiculous. Jōnin have even less freedom. Do you think they all sit around spacing out in the village?"
"Captain, heh heh, that's just our imagination..."
A team of Konoha ninjas had just arrived in the Land of Hot Water to carry out a mission. However, because of the mission deadline, they had come in a hurry and were leaving just as quickly, with no chance to rest here at all.
This Konoha ninja team was a standard four-person squad. Two were Chunin and two were Genin. Their previous mission had been escorting a caravan, guarding it all the way from the Daimyo's city in the Land of Fire to the Land of Hot Water... In the years since the Ninja World War had just ended, public security in every country had been less than ideal. Bandits, vagrants, gangsters, Rogue Ninjas, and all sorts of other practitioners of the newly emerging get-rich-quick professions had appeared one after another. As a result, escort missions had increased as well.
Everyone knew the saying, "Those