Peach Blossom Spring?

"Pfft—"

The empty hall echoed with the girl's silver-bell-like laughter.

"What's wrong?" Uchiha Kai asked, utterly confused.

"Nothing... nothing." The girl wiped the corners of her eyes, forcibly holding back her laughter.

"I take back what I said earlier." The girl reached out and poked her chin, putting on a thoughtful expression.

"What did you say?"

"Kai-kun, you really are a complete Uchiha."

Hyuga Rei stood up and brushed the dust off herself before speaking without turning her head.

Before Uchiha Kai could press her for more, Morino Kei's excited shout rang out from outside.

"Yo! Kai! Rei!"

"Come out quick! Look what I caught!"

Morino Kei kicked open the hall door, sending dust billowing through the room and making the two of them cough.

"Morino Kei!! I'll kill you!" Hyuga Rei roared in fury after choking on the dust.

"Don't! Don't kill the donkey after it's done grinding!"

After howling for a while, Morino Kei hunched his neck and carried two enormous wild rabbits inside.

"Heh heh heh! We're having roast rabbit tonight!"

The moment he raised his head, he saw the eyeless Buddha on the altar.

"Huh? That lousy Buddha in this broken temple hasn't collapsed yet? What terrible luck." The tall boy raised an eyebrow, his tone full of disdain.

"Is it really okay to say that?" Hyuga Rei's eyes widened slightly, her expression shocked.

"Hmph! What good is this lousy piece of crap? Where was this damn Buddha when its believers were killing people?" Morino Kei's expression changed, and his voice filled with disgust.

"Believe in it? I'd sooner believe in a rotten piece of meat!"

Remembering what had just happened, Hyuga Rei's gaze darkened as she agreed with Morino Kei.

"That makes sense." Uchiha Kai suddenly chimed in.

"There have never been gods or Buddhas who saved the world. It's those who save people who are called gods and Buddhas."

Half an hour later, the group gave the inside of the hall a simple cleaning. They cleared away the visible cobwebs and dust, and the place was barely fit for habitation.

They then set up a grill in the courtyard, cleaned the wild rabbits they had caught, and roasted them.

The meal left the four master and disciples thoroughly satisfied. Though there were no seasonings to speak of, it was the only fresh, hot food they had managed to get in the past two days, so it was good enough.

"Right, Teacher Keiichi, now that the mission's complete, are we heading back to the village tomorrow?" Morino Kei asked indistinctly, a rabbit leg clenched between his teeth.

"Of course—not." Aburame Keiichi wiped his mouth as he replied.

"It wasn't easy getting out of the village with you little brats. How could we go back after merely running an errand and crushing two bugs?"

"You're all covered in dust. Anyone who saw us would think I abused my students." Aburame Keiichi spoke casually.

"Then what are we doing?" Morino Kei asked, his eyes widening.

"We've come all the way to the Land of Hot Water. How could we not experience the local specialties? We'll spend a day in Yugakure tomorrow, then return to the village the day after." Aburame Keiichi spoke softly.

"Yay!" The three of them cheered in unison.

The next morning, Yugakure, Land of Hot Water.

As an independent minor country located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, the Land of Hot Water was famous throughout the Shinobi World for its relatively favorable environment and unique hot-spring geothermal resources.

Yet since it was a country in the Shinobi World, it could not avoid the ravages of war.

After enduring brutal wars, Yugakure, which had never been particularly powerful, suffered heavy losses. As the weak and the de facto losers, its people had no choice but to make an arguably insane decision to ensure their survival and continuation—a decision other ninja villages considered little different from suicide.

They abandoned military expansion, actively reduced their ninja forces, and kept only the bare minimum needed to maintain the village's operations.

Instead, they began developing tourism and other industries.

Incredibly, this decision truly saved them. The great nations actually allowed them to continue existing.

Perhaps their attitude had been firm, but more likely, the other great nations simply looked down on their tiny territory. Those who might have been interested were too far away to interfere.

The combination of these factors created this peculiar ninja village, which outsiders called—"the village that forgot war." After all, no matter how wars were fought, they were ultimately about seizing resources and territory. Why not have a relaxing buffer zone?

Compared with other places, Yugakure's streets seemed rather prosperous. The buildings on both sides had the classic style of a hot-spring town, while the bluestone-paved road reflected a moist sheen.

"Hey there, customer! How about some oden? Warm, comforting, and delicious!"

"Takoyaki! Takoyaki! Tasty and affordable takoyaki!"

"Shaved ice! Freshly made shaved ice! There's nothing better after a soak in the hot springs!"

The street vendors called out loudly, and the atmosphere was lively.

The four master and disciples walked along the street, listening to the hawkers and feeling the warm, humid air carrying the scent of sulfur wash over them.

"So this is the Land of Hot Water? It really is exactly like the advertisements said." Hyuga Rei looked at the peaceful street filled with people and spoke in surprise.

"So many food stalls! Everything's delicious... Hic—" Morino Kei hugged a pile of snacks and desserts, so stuffed that he had begun hiccupping.

"It really is like that. The surrounding villagers are only talking about trivial matters too, as if the wars in the Shinobi World have had no effect on them at all." Uchiha Kai looked around and could not help sighing.

This village, which had barely appeared in the original story, was now laid out before him without reservation.

Warm, quiet, and peaceful—compared with other countries, this place seemed almost like paradise. Its atmosphere was completely different from that of the Shinobi World, even disjointed from it.

But that was only on the surface.

Along this short stretch of road, Uchiha Kai had already discovered several abnormalities. The proprietors of several shops and stalls along the street were extremely suspicious.

Their techniques were crude, but their shops and stalls were unnaturally clean. When customers arrived, they did not serve them; instead, they urged them to eat somewhere else. If someone truly could not be driven away, they would hurriedly make something for them.

The result tasted like the excrement of some unknown beast. As for how he knew that so clearly?

Naturally, it was because of that brat Morino Kei. After getting scammed, he had handed it to Uchiha Kai without changing expression, forcing himself to swallow it only after Uchiha Kai had done so too.

A closer look at the thick calluses covering the hands of these strange people made everything clear.

They were ninjas—and not ninjas from the same faction. The people of the major nations already differed considerably in appearance, and it was easy to spot the differences with careful observation.

Especially the Stone Ninja... They had practically dragged down the average looks of the entire Shinobi World through sheer effort. If they were merely ugly, that would be one thing.

Some infiltrating ninjas did not even bother pretending anymore. Who knew what their superiors were thinking? With skin that dark, did they really take the ninjas of other countries for idiots?

"Isn't it a good thing that it's just like the rumors say? We're here to relax, anyway." Aburame Keiichi spoke lightly with his hands in his pockets.

Apparently noticing Uchiha Kai's concern, Aburame Keiichi turned his head and explained,

"Don't worry about them. Just pretend they don't exist."