Continue Forward

Uchiha Zhuang sighed as he surveyed his surroundings. The forest remained, but there were no living souls on God Peak! Uchiha Zhuang, continuing his practice of ninjutsu, sat cross-legged and meditated in silence.

The chirping of birds at dawn broke the silence of the night with "coo-coo" and "chirp-chirp" sounds. The lingering mist, pierced by shafts of light, teased the forest, while the pot on the campfire bubbled and churned. He had added salt, vegetable oil, garlic, onions, chunks of corned beef, a dash of chili, and some small potatoes. An enticing aroma wafted through the air, and Persia, her nose and mouth hooked by the scent, groggily pushed back her blanket to reach for it. With a sharp "slap," Uchiha Zhuang swatted her snow-white hand away and shoved her back under the covers. Woken by the cold, Persia stared at the man with wide eyes; his frame was sturdy and imposing, his expression stern. "You are not allowed to appear naked anywhere other than in my presence from now on. No matter where you go, you must be properly dressed. Do not go running off with strangers." He grumbled for a rare moment before using his chopsticks to stir the food in the pot. Persia shrank silently into her blanket, watching Uchiha Zhuang tinker with the meal. Once it was ready, Uchiha Zhuang pulled out two large wooden bowls, hooked the pot, and using one hand to hold the handle and the other to support the base, he filled both bowls to the brim. He then fished a sealed iron box out of the fire, used Water Release to completely dissipate the intense heat, and opened the warm lid to reveal fragrant steamed rice. He scooped the rice over the thick soup and handed it to Persia first. "Itadakimasu. Eat well. We must leave the Land of Grass and enter the Land of Rain before tonight. You've worked hard during this time, Persia."

"Hai! Mmm-mmm!" Persia said something excitedly, but Uchiha Zhuang, not wanting to listen, just nodded along with a series of "mmm-hmms." He retrieved the clothes he had dried by the fire all night for her to wear, then wrapped her in a cloak to conceal her primitive attire. They were approaching human settlements, and they absolutely could not afford to be exposed.

After the meal and a quick cleanup, the two set off once more. They moved through the forest at an incredible speed, facing almost no obstacles. Halfway through their journey, they emerged from the forest and could feel the rich moisture and humidity in the distance. They had already entered the territory of the Land of Rain. To the north of the Land of Rain lay the rolling mountain ranges of the Land of Earth, while to the east and south, the Land of Grass, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rivers were covered in vast, lush forests. The warm air that blew throughout the four seasons would reach the Land of Rain, only to be blocked by the mountains; thus, the Land of Rain, trapped in this unique geographical condition, suffered from constant, year-round drizzle.

Along the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, there were many roving bandits and outlaws. They feared the powerful military forces within the two nations, but because both countries were plagued by constant internal strife, their control over the border was severely lacking. Shortly after leaving the forest, the pair encountered several groups of bandits. While the bandits drooled over Persia's beauty, Uchiha Zhuang had already silently assassinated them all. Persia was not overly shocked by the deaths of the dozen or so men; perhaps it was because the precision of his assassination techniques left no bloody mess, or perhaps it was her own growth after experiencing a series of events. Watching the bandits and outlaws who kept throwing their lives away along the road, Uchiha Zhuang realized this was not a sustainable solution—a beautiful woman was a source of disaster. Consequently, Uchiha Zhuang placed a gauze-covered straw hat on Persia to hide her face.

Continuing their journey, Uchiha Zhuang brought Persia to the largest gathering place in the Land of Rain: Amegakure. This was the most prosperous part of the Land of Rain; if they didn't come here, they wouldn't be able to enjoy fine food or complete their "check-in" tasks (System Mission). Although Hanzo the Salamander was already growing in power at this time and was gradually carving out a place for himself in Amegakure, Uchiha Zhuang was confident that a nobody like himself would not affect the development of any big shots, nor would he be noticed. As they passed through the border of the Land of Rain, they could feel the abundant moisture. From the border all the way to Amegakure, the rain gradually intensified, falling in a light, persistent drizzle that felt like the rainy season—not heavy, but endless and gloomy. Inspections in Amegakure were quite meticulous. Although the country was in a state of chaotic political infighting (as was the case with most nations), the higher-ups still welcomed those who came to do business; after all, only with a thriving economy could they afford more food, beauties, and powerful assets (samurai, ronin, and missing-nin).

Entering the village went smoothly enough. When faced with the inspectors who could check for chakra, Uchiha Zhuang timely revealed his large katana and said calmly, "I am a traveling samurai. It's not unreasonable for me to know a bit of chakra in these chaotic times, is it!?" Before more inspectors could approach, he slipped a few rolls of silver into the inspector's palm. The inspector gave Uchiha Zhuang a deep look before accepting the silver and letting him pass. Uchiha Zhuang led Persia into Amegakure.

The year-round rainy weather in Amegakure caused the surrounding environment to be damp, making ordinary walls and houses prone to mold. People mostly wore raincoats or wide, waterproof robes when traveling, which protected them from the rain while minimizing hindrance to their work. As for food, the Land of Rain had many large rivers and lakes, producing an abundance of fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, turtles, and waterfowl, though their staple diet was no different from other countries. Travel was primarily done on foot, though boats could be used; however, boats only traveled along fixed routes to neighboring countries and were grounded during flood seasons, as the human power in this ninja world was not yet enough to conquer nature.

They first strolled through the most prosperous commercial streets, selected the most luxurious inn, and booked a top-tier room that came with a private hot spring. He then took Persia to a clothing store and had several outfits custom-made for her. Afterward, the two went to a restaurant; because the rainy season was so long, the people of the Land of Rain loved sukiyaki hot pot and spicy food. Uchiha Zhuang, being quite sensible, ordered it mildly spicy—after all, no matter how high one's martial arts, one still fears the chili! As the two sat there sweating profusely from the spice, they were unaware that someone in the shadows was already watching them. After a hearty and satisfying meal, the two left contentedly. Persia kept making "mmm-hmm" sounds along the way; Uchiha Zhuang had already grown accustomed to using natural energy to receive her messages, which were nothing more than expressions of wonder, surprise, and joy. Yet, Persia was very well-behaved; she only carefully observed things that piqued her curiosity when Uchiha Zhuang allowed it. Arriving at a theater, Uchiha Zhuang, intending for Persia to see and understand more of human culture, fought back his sleepiness as he grew dizzy from the strange, wailing tones of the traditional opera. Persia, however, watched with a serious expression, not missing a single detail.

Walking through the rain and stepping over puddles, the two communicated silently using their unique natural energy. In the distance, a nimble cat followed them from a telephone pole, its agile form seemingly unaffected by the drizzling rain. Uchiha Zhuang and Persia arrived at a bakery, intending to buy some bread and dry rations for the road. As they stepped out after their purchase, Uchiha Zhuang intentionally glanced at the telephone pole behind Persia and continued chatting with her. "Persia, do you like cats?" "Cute and fluffy, I like them!" Persia said with a look of happiness. "Then how about I catch one for you to play with?" No sooner had Uchiha Zhuang finished speaking than the cat in the distance vanished instantly. Uchiha Zhuang told Persia to wait in the shop for a moment, promising to return shortly, and then vanished using the Body Flicker Technique, leaving only a few ripples spreading across the puddles on the ground.