The Land of Hot Water lay west of the Land of Water, surrounded by mountains and dotted with hot springs.
Lin Qing had barely set foot in the Land of Hot Water when he caught a faint floral fragrance.
"The Land of Hot Water has a lot of natural hot springs, so there's a faint smell of sulfur, a bit like rotten eggs. To cover it up, the cities and streets here are planted with all kinds of flowers," Kakashi said.
He had spent years on missions, traveling far and wide, and knew the customs of different countries well. Seeing that Lin Qing was interested, he chatted as they walked:
"The Land of Hot Water, including Yugakure, values peace and has simple, honest customs. They never take part in battles. The shinobi practice ninjutsu to help build their villages and towns.
"The people here believe hot springs have the divine power to 'cleanse the heart.' They hold the Hot Spring God Festival whenever there's an important holiday.
"People wear beautiful kimono and yukata, and men and women bathe together. For more details..."
Kakashi raised the book in his hand. "Read Icha Icha Paradise. Lord Jiraiya was especially thorough in his observations of this subject. Want to take a look?"
"No, thank you."
Lin Qing declined the recommendation.
Kakashi shrugged and didn't insist. Instead, he asked, "By the way, why didn't you bring Sasuke and Xiaotao this time?"
"They have their own training," Lin Qing said.
Sasuke and Xiaotao had stayed behind to study swordsmanship with Miyamoto.
Lin Qing had taught Amber, Mayuri, and the others Ripple Qigong soon after they arrived in Kirigakure. They were now training in both Ripple and ninjutsu.
Their training wasn't only about gaining strength. They were also responsible for welcoming guests from Konoha and continuing