Pressing On

Uchiha Zhuang sighed as he looked at the surroundings. The forest was still there, but God Peak was devoid of living people! He sat cross-legged, continuing to train in ninjutsu and silently cultivate.

The morning birdsong—"coo-coo, caw-caw"—broke the stillness of the night. Light filtered through the thick mist, stirring the forest, while the pot over the campfire bubbled away. It was filled with salt, vegetable oil, garlic, onions, chunks of smoked beef, a few chilies, and some baby potatoes. The enticing aroma filled the air. Drawn by the smell, Persia sleepily threw off her blanket and reached out. Smack! Uchiha Zhuang slapped her pale hand away, then grabbed her and tucked her back under the blanket. Persia woke from the cold and stared at the man with wide eyes. He was strong and imposing, his expression stern. "From now on, you're not allowed to appear naked anywhere but around me. Wherever we go, you need to be properly dressed. Don't go running off with strangers." After a rare bout of nagging, he stirred the food in the pot with his chopsticks. Persia silently curled up under the blanket and watched Uchiha Zhuang fuss over the food. When it was nearly ready, he took out two large wooden bowls, hooked the pot off the fire, and held it by the handle with one hand, supporting the bottom with the other as he filled both bowls. Then he rummaged through the fire and pulled out a sealed metal box. Uchiha Zhuang used Water Release to cool it completely before opening the warm lid, revealing fragrant white rice. He scooped rice over the stew, then handed a bowl to Persia first. "Dozo—please, help yourself. Let's have a proper meal. Before tonight, we'll leave the Land of Grass and enter the Land of Rain. You've worked hard all this time, Persia."

"Hi! Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!" Persia excitedly said something, and Uchiha Zhuang, who had no interest in listening, just nodded along. He handed her the clothes that had been drying over the fire all night, then wrapped her in a cloak to cover her primitive attire. They were approaching human settlements; they absolutely couldn't draw attention.

After eating, they tidied up quickly and set off again. They raced through the forest with hardly any obstacles in their way. Halfway through the journey, they emerged from the woods and could sense the abundant moisture in the distance. They had entered the Land of Rain. To its north, the Land of Earth's mountain ranges rose and fell in an endless chain. To the east and south, the Land of Grass, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rivers were covered in vast, lush forests. Warm air blew in all year round, but the mountains blocked it, leaving the Land of Rain—with its uniquely favorable conditions—under nearly constant rain.

Along the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, there were many bandits and brigands. They feared the powerful forces within both countries, but since the countries were constantly embroiled in internal struggles, they had little control over their borders. Not long after the pair left the forest, they ran into several groups of bandits. While the bandits ogled Persia, Uchiha Zhuang had already silently assassinated every last one of them. Persia wasn't particularly shocked by the deaths of more than ten people. Perhaps the precision of the assassinations kept things from getting bloody, or perhaps she had grown after everything she'd been through. Watching the bandits and brigands keep throwing their lives away along the road, Uchiha Zhuang thought this couldn't go on. Her beauty was bound to bring trouble, so he gave Persia a bamboo hat wrapped in gauze to cover her face.

Pressing on, Uchiha Zhuang brought Persia to the Land of Rain's largest settlement: Amegakure. This was the country's most prosperous place. If they didn't come here, they wouldn't get to enjoy good food or check off the sightseeing spot on his system mission. Hanzo the Salamander was already growing more powerful by the day and gradually establishing himself in Amegakure, but Uchiha Zhuang was confident that an unknown nobody like him wouldn't affect the development of any big shot, much less attract attention. The abundance of moisture was already apparent at the border. From there to Amegakure, the rain grew steadily heavier, falling in a fine, endless drizzle that felt like the rainy season: not heavy, but ceaseless, casting a gloomy pall over everything. Amegakure's inspections were fairly thorough. Although the country's political infighting had left it in a state of chaos—as was basically the case in every country—the leaders still welcomed people who came to do business. After all, a stronger economy meant more food, beautiful women, and powerful capital: samurai, ronin, and rogue ninja.

The inspection at the village entrance didn't cause much trouble. When the inspectors questioned him about his chakra, Uchiha Zhuang revealed his greatsword and calmly said, "I'm a samurai in training. In these turbulent times, is it really so strange for me to know a bit of chakra?" Before more inspectors could come over, he slipped several rolls of silver into the inspector's arms. The inspector gave Uchiha Zhuang a long look, then accepted the money and let him pass. Uchiha Zhuang entered Amegakure in the Land of Rain with Persia.

The Land of Rain's years of constant downpours had left the surrounding environment damp. Ordinary walls and houses easily became moldy, and people usually went out in roomy rain cloaks that both kept off the rain and left them free to work. The country also had many large rivers and lakes, producing fish, shrimp, crabs, mussels, turtles, eels, insects, and birds, though its staple foods were no different from those of other countries. Most people traveled on foot, though boats were an option. Even then, boats could only follow a few established routes to neighboring countries, and service usually stopped during flood season. After all, even in the vast ninja world, there still weren't enough people to conquer nature.

They first toured the busiest commercial streets, then chose the most luxurious inn and booked a top-tier room with its own hot spring bath. Next, Uchiha Zhuang took Persia to a clothing shop and had several outfits made to measure. After that, they went to a restaurant. Since the rainy season was especially long, the people of the Land of Rain loved sukiyaki hot pot and spicy food. Uchiha Zhuang wisely ordered it only mildly spicy; no matter how skilled you were, chilies could still get the better of you! As the two sweated from the heat, they had no idea someone in the shadows had already taken an interest in them. After a thoroughly satisfying meal, they left, content. Persia kept murmuring "mm-hmm" all the way along, and Uchiha Zhuang had gotten used to using Natural Energy to receive her messages. She was simply expressing amazement, surprise, and happiness. Persia was also very well-behaved, only carefully observing the things that fascinated her when Uchiha Zhuang allowed it. He took her to a theater to show her more of human culture. He fought to stay awake through the strange, singsong Noh performance, his head spinning, while Persia watched intently, not missing a single detail.

Splashing through puddles, the two strolled in the rain, silently communicating through their unique Natural Energy. In the distance, a nimble cat followed them from a telephone pole, seemingly unaffected by the fine drizzle. Uchiha Zhuang and Persia went to a bakery to buy bread and provisions for the road. As they left with their purchases, Uchiha Zhuang deliberately glanced at the telephone pole behind Persia, then continued chatting with her. "Persia, do you like cats?" "They're so cute and fluffy. I love them!" Persia said happily. "Then how about I catch one for you to play with?" As soon as Uchiha Zhuang finished speaking, the cat in the distance vanished. He told Persia to wait in the shop, said he'd be right back, and then disappeared with the Body Flicker Technique. A few ripples spread across the puddles on the ground.