"Amegakure has changed so much over the years!"
Looking at the cyberpunk-style cluster of buildings in the distance, Uzumaki Kuming slightly lifted his conical hat and sighed in amazement.
Far ahead of Uzumaki Kuming and the others, a city packed with towering buildings came into view. Kuming had been to Amegakure before, but there had not been nearly so many high-rises back then. On the contrary, due to war and economic conditions, Amegakure had been quite underdeveloped at the time.
Forget high-rises—even the single-story houses had mostly been wooden structures. The roads had been dirt paths, turning terribly muddy whenever it rained. It was completely different from the town now before Kuming's eyes. This town was highly modernized; judging by the buildings alone, it was even more advanced than Konoha.
"The Land of Rain has developed remarkably quickly over the years. It no longer resembles what it once was."
"Under Yahiko and the others' leadership, this country has truly grown stronger and wealthier."
As the three drew closer to Amegakure, the city's full appearance unfolded before Uzumaki Kuming. Its layout differed greatly from Konoha's. At the city's outermost edge stood no towering walls like those of Konoha—only roads leading in every direction. Even in weather like this, quite a few merchants still traveled along them.
At the city entrance, ninjas stood guard. That was the only feature that made the city before them look like a proper ninja village. Otherwise, Uzumaki Kuming might have thought he had gone to the wrong place—that he had arrived not in Amegakure, but in a prosperous trade city.
"The guards aren't particularly tight. Infiltrating it wouldn't be difficult."
"Lord Kuming, shall we sneak in?"
Compared to the city's level of development, Kisame was clearly more concerned with the strength of its defenses. After surveying