The Land of Rain

Uchiha Zhuang deliberately trained his abilities, honing his use of Natural Energy. In the rain-soaked surroundings, he grew faster and faster. The cat ahead flicked its ears, meowed a few times, then darted into a dark alley. Uchiha Zhuang charged in without hesitation. The cat sat at the alley's crossroads, waiting for him, its humanlike expression seeming to mock him. Then it brought its hands together. With a puff of white smoke, it vanished, and a mint leaf drifted slowly to the ground, soaked by the rain. Uchiha Zhuang approached and picked it up, giving it a sniff. Mm! This is the kind cats really use. Cat Granny and her people had been on friendly terms with the Uchiha Clan for generations, so Uchiha Zhuang was no stranger to cats.

After returning to the shop and meeting up with Persia, the two continued on to their lodging. Uchiha Zhuang looked up at the several bold, old-fashioned characters on the sign, blurred by the rain and mist: "Silver Dragon Azure Tiger." His sixth sense grew ever stronger. Back in their room, Uchiha Zhuang sat on the sofa, frowning as he pondered. Persia sat beside him, staring blankly at his profile. If the Azure Tiger was the cat, then what was the Silver Dragon? Could it be the White Snake? Was this place connected to the White Snake Sage, too? The Three Great Sages were practically unheard of in the ordinary world. Someone with that kind of power had set their sights on him. They'd followed him without making a move—were they testing him? Did they fear his strength? No, they were more likely wary of Amegakure's rules. Then tonight, they were bound to have a deep conversation!?

Uchiha Zhuang glanced sideways at Persia. "She'd better get some rest. With that woman around, ordinary forces wouldn't be able to harm her." Coming back to himself, he looked at Persia's innocent face and said, "Let's take a bath, Persia. Have you ever had one?" Then the two began their innocent scrubbing and hot-spring soak. It was Persia's first time in a hot spring. At first, the water felt scalding, but once she got used to it, it became pleasantly warm. Persia was delighted. Even after Uchiha Zhuang got up, dried off, and finished his sauna, she was still so enthralled by the hot spring that she couldn't tear herself away. After the sauna, he took a hot shower, dried his strong body, and put on a loose, soft robe. Unaccustomed to flip-flops, Uchiha Zhuang still wore his breathable, comfortable old Beijing cloth shoes. Seeing Persia still immersed in the spring, he went over and patted her head. "Xia Mi, look after Persia. I'm going to deal with a few things. I'll be back later." Ignoring the woman's sudden wide-eyed stare, Uchiha Zhuang opened the door, stepped out briskly, and closed it behind him. He really is a decent man, isn't he? the woman seemed to murmur to herself.

He strolled lazily into the inner izakaya and found a seat where he could watch the chef at work. After looking over the menu, he ordered several of the Land of Rain's famous raw fish and seafood sashimi dishes, along with a lemon soda, then waited for his food. As Uchiha Zhuang sat with his eyes closed, meditating, he sensed one gaze on the roof, two outside, four or five inside, and another from the private VIP room in the inner hall. Some felt friendly; others, neither good nor bad. "Hello! Sorry to keep you waiting. Please try our specialty sashimi and soda." The alluring waitress set down the dishes. As she bent over, her deep cleavage was fully on display, and the heavily applied rouge she wore radiated a potent sensuality. It was as though she were cradling Uchiha Zhuang's face and breathing gently against it. "Arigatō." Uchiha Zhuang, a man of few words, showed no reaction. After all, a man who'd seen the Pacific's towering waves wouldn't be bothered by the tiny ripples in a little pond. Of course, there was no reason to turn down something free. After a brief moment of distraction, he smiled and watched the waitress sway away.

He picked up a glistening piece of raw fish and dipped it in plain soy sauce. Mm, delicious! Uchiha Zhuang savored the food and quickly finished several plates, then took a sip of soda and sat quietly. The alluring waitress returned to clear the dishes and brought him a pot of hot tea. Sipping it, Uchiha Zhuang recognized it as green tea, fragrant with the fresh scent of nature. This was far too fine a tea for ordinary people to afford. It seemed the real host was about to appear. As he pondered, a tall, beautifully dressed woman approached slowly and sat across from him. Her slender, pale neck, deep cleavage, long, fair legs, and most devastating of all, her captivating, fiery-red lips all radiated an irresistible desire that could rob anyone of their reason—and danger hidden in every graceful movement. Her alluring gaze sent a clear message that she desperately wanted pleasure. Uchiha Zhuang barely held on to his composure, lowered his head, and silently told his little brother to stop popping up.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Her soft, sweet voice seemed to breathe deep into Uchiha Zhuang's ear. The scent of orchids in a secluded valley and evening orioles in the trees—it all invited him to lose himself. A tingling sensation kept spreading around his ear, and his trembling body seemed on the verge of giving in. After a shudder, Uchiha Zhuang slowly relaxed, feeling relieved. The beautiful woman frowned slightly, then caught a familiar, fishy smell. First came shock, then confusion, and finally she glared at Uchiha Zhuang in anger. He slowly brought out his right hand, wiped it with a tissue from the table, then calmly gathered up all the tissues he'd prepared earlier and rolled them into a big ball, placing it on the table. The instant the woman had appeared, Uchiha Zhuang had realized he was already under a genjutsu! Perhaps even from the moment the waitress approached him. It was an exceptionally powerful pink genjutsu, ensnaring every sense—sight, taste, smell, hearing, touch, and even his sixth sense—without leaving a single opening.

Yes, Uchiha Zhuang had realized he was under its influence, but reason couldn't overcome his runaway instincts, and even chakra couldn't break the genjutsu. To escape the morally ambiguous situation, he could only use his one remaining countermeasure: "Ninja Art: Sage Mode!" After a fierce flurry of one-handed Hand Seals, he successfully entered Sage Mode.

Sighing over Sage Mode's limited duration, Uchiha Zhuang said solemnly, "I don't have time to fool around with you. If you have a job for me, just say so. If there's a treasure you want, I can find it for you. But please don't use this useless genjutsu again. I've had plenty of experience with tricks like that." With a straight face and a steady pulse, Uchiha Zhuang stared directly into the woman's enchanting eyes as he spoke. The woman's irritated expression gradually softened, and she smiled. "I have to say, you're an interesting man. No man has ever escaped this technique. You're the first I've met." As she deliberately lowered her neckline and leaned closer, Uchiha Zhuang knew he wouldn't have another chance. He slapped the table hard, and the Streamer Red Dragon greatsword appeared. With a sharp clang, he drew it and said, "Why would a beautiful lady bother tormenting a nobody like me? I hear Lord Hanzo of the Land of Rain is tremendously powerful and a great hero. Wouldn't it be a win-win for you to bring your needs to him?" His pointed words failed to provoke any particular reaction. The woman simply sat up straight and said seriously, "He's just a boring man." Then she glanced at Uchiha Zhuang and added, "You're different. You're interesting. I noticed you when you entered the village. Would you be willing to work for me? A warrior who can use chakra?"

Uchiha Zhuang answered with righteous indignation, "A true man walking through a troubled world ought to act justly! It's no big deal for a warrior like me to know a little chakra. Even a crab has two claws!" "Hmph. Excuses," the woman said impatiently. "Two suspicious outsiders who can use Natural Energy have come to Amegakure. That's definitely bad news for the village's leaders. They might try to recruit you as subordinates, but they're more likely to capture you and conduct all sorts of interesting experiments on you! So, won't you consider working for me instead? I might give you what you want." As she spoke, she thrust out her magnificent chest. Feeling his little brother stir again, Uchiha Zhuang knew Sage Mode was almost over. He immediately refused with righteous conviction. "My companion and I are wandering warriors training on the road. We have absolutely no intention of getting involved in anything to do with Amegakure. If you need us to do something, you can come tell me tomorrow morning. We'll do everything we can to help you with one task. I hope you'll understand our predicament." With that, he swept his sleeve back, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave, hurrying to put distance between himself and the genjutsu master.

The woman seemed to have lost out with all that polite talk, but in truth, she'd made a huge gain. She was delighted to have secured their help without a fight. Her secret technique could detect Natural Energy, and the two outsiders—especially the man—were practically overflowing with it, so concentrated it seemed almost solid. Fortunately, the people conducting checks at the village entrance were her own, allowing her to make first contact. There was no doubt he could handle a troublesome task for her. Yet he'd somehow escaped the predicament created by her secret technique, Pink Wonderland. Few people in the entire world could do that.

She glanced casually at the wad of tissues Uchiha Zhuang had left on the table, and her heart leaped with joy. This is a strong man's genetic material. I have to preserve it carefully. It'll be an invaluable treasure someday. She ordered her people to store the tissue and take it to the base. Then, with a transformation, a huge white-scaled snake appeared in her true form. Her clothes fell in a heap as the white snake slithered calmly out through the noble private room, while the remaining servants respectfully cleaned up the scene.