"Ah! Teacher, what have you done now? I haven't even had lunch yet!"
"Tell me, why are so many people chasing you?"
Tsunade said nothing, focused on driving.
"Lord Tsunade must have lost money and gotten chased by debt collectors again!"
Shizune explained to Qinghe, looking completely unsurprised.
"Is she always like this?"
Qinglong turned his head and lowered his voice.
Shizune nodded earnestly.
Qinglong gave her a look that said he felt sorry for her.
They soon reached the next town. This time, Tsunade didn't go to the casino. She first took her two disciples out for a delicious meal, then found an inn with a hot spring and settled in.
Lying in the hot spring with a damp towel on his head, Qinglong was especially pleased to have two beautiful women beside him.
"Tsk! This is how life should be. If you make money but don't have time to spend it, that's just wrong!"
After traveling in fits and starts, the three of them had left the Land of Fire. Rain began to fall from the sky.
Tsunade looked up at the heavy clouds that showed no sign of clearing, her mood sinking.
"We've reached the Land of Rain."
The Land of Rain. The Second Ninja Wars...
This place held memories Tsunade didn't want to talk about. She was even reluctant to set foot in the Land of Rain again.
"Bad planning!"
Tsunade cursed. At the time, she'd only been focused on taking a mission and picking an easy one, without noticing that it would take them through the Land of Rain.
"Lord Tsunade."
Shizune looked a little worried.
"What is it?"
Qinglong could tell Tsunade was in a bad mood, so he quietly asked Shizune.
"The Land of Rain is a place of sorrow for Lord Tsunade!"
Shizune covered her mouth with her hand and whispered to Qinglong.
Qinglong remembered. Tsunade's younger brother and her lover had both died in the Second Ninja Wars, and the battlefield had been right here in the Land of Rain.
"Look how hard it's raining! Let's take a plane!"
Qinglong caught Tsunade and Shizune's attention as he spoke. He took out a new Capsule and tossed it. After a puff of smoke, a small plane appeared on the ground.
"What's this? A new kind of car?"
Shizune stared at the strange machine.
"It's a plane!"
Qinglong opened the cabin and climbed inside first, then waved to the two women outside.
"Come on in!"
The two of them climbed aboard. Qinglong started the engine, and the plane lifted into the air before shooting skyward in a streak of light.
"Wow!"
Shizune cried out. They were actually flying!
The plane burst through the clouds, and Tsunade's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Beneath the sunlight stretched a boundless sea of clouds, magnificent beyond words. It turned out that the sea breeze blew clouds inland, where they gathered into swirling masses, creating the Land of Rain, where it never stopped raining.
But above the clouds, the sun shone brightly, and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful!
Tsunade and Shizune had never seen anything like it. They couldn't stop exclaiming in awe.
The plane passed through the sea of clouds, and the scenery below gradually came into view. White clouds drifted overhead, while green mountains, blue rivers, and scattered homes lay beneath them.
Qinglong found a level patch of grass and landed.
Tsunade stepped out of the cabin, thoroughly pleased with the flight. Her disciple really was a treasure. She'd been right to take him on!
Qinglong put the plane away, and the three of them walked into the capital of the Land of Birds. It was a beautiful city, nestled beside a lake where migratory birds gathered. Lush greenery and peaceful streets stretched all around, and birds occasionally flew overhead. It certainly lived up to the name Land of Birds.
The three of them found the Land of Birds' high monk, Meng Zong, and handed over the mission.
"Ah, thank you so much! The goods arrived right on time. These are precious offerings for the newly appointed daimyo of the Land of Birds."
The one who received them was Qiandao, one of Meng Zong's disciples. Meng Zong himself didn't appear.
"You're welcome. It's our job!"
Shizune said with a smile. Tsunade pursed her lips in displeasure. She'd come all this way in person, and the host of the place couldn't even be bothered to greet her.
Qiandao then brought over a large sum of money as their payment.
"Ah! Is all of this for us?"
Shizune's eyes turned into money signs. As Tsunade's treasurer, she had it so hard!
"Ah! This is the mission fee, and the rest is a local specialty from the Land of Birds: chicken wings stuffed with rice."
Shizune had thought it was all money. She was so embarrassed!
"Our new daimyo will take office before long. You're welcome to stay and enjoy yourselves for a few more days."
Qiandao said with a smile, then turned and left.
Shizune happily gave part of the money to Qinglong and put the rest in her backpack. More money in the backpack made her happy!
But before she could enjoy it for even two seconds, Tsunade, munching on a stuffed chicken wing, held out her other hand for the money. Shizune's face fell at once.
Qinglong remembered the Land of Birds storyline. There was a villain here who planned to usurp the daimyo's position, but what was his name?
Was it Hongming? Or Meng Zong?
So Qinglong went to find Shizune.
"Shizune-senpai, there's a money-making opportunity. Want in?"
"Huh? Yes, absolutely! What kind of opportunity?"
Shizune was eager to make money, so Qinglong explained what was going on. She turned and went to investigate right away.
Tsunade went to the casino, Shizune went to investigate, and Qinglong was happy to have some free time. He planned to explore the Land of Birds and take in the local sights.
Before he knew it, he'd reached the lakeside. The scenery was beautiful, and flocks of migratory birds flew overhead.
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