Crisis Strikes! (Seeking Collection!! Seeking Follow-up!!)

Uchiha Chen suddenly recalled that Jiraiya had once mentioned this Hot Spring Village to him, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time and had since forgotten.

Now, seeing the young girls with faces like blooming flowers emerging from the village, those buried memories suddenly surged back to life.

Hot Spring Village was not only famous for its hot spring industry, but it was also home to countless beauties of every shape and size. He had once accumulated a vast amount of writing material here, and the inspiration for Make-Out Paradise had stemmed from the fair skin of the women in Hot Spring Village.

Uchiha Chen looked at Izumitani Yoju and nodded with a solemn expression.

"Since the old man is so hospitable, I shall not decline!"

"Haha, please, come inside. I certainly won't let Brother Xingchen be disappointed."

Izumitani Yoju laughed as he lifted the curtain and walked in.

Uchiha Chen followed quickly behind. Of course, he wasn't doing this because of any mixed-gender bathing or the influence of Jiraiya; he simply wanted to experience the therapeutic effects of the hot springs.

A few minutes later, Uchiha Chen stared at the spacious yet empty bathhouse with a speechless expression.

I thought you said mixed-gender bathing? Where are those youthful, beautiful... no, wait, where is everyone else?

I don't need this kind of special treatment!

Forget it, forget it. It was the old village chief's kind intention, so I might as well enjoy the hot spring properly.

"Ugh~"

In the hot spring shop, Uchiha Chen stretched satisfactorily and lifted the curtain, preparing to head outside. Izumitani Yoju had been waiting there all along, and as soon as he saw Uchiha Chen, he smiled and walked up to him.

"Brother Xingchen."

"Oh? Old man, you were waiting here?"

Uchiha Chen looked at Izumitani Yoju with some surprise. Had this man been waiting outside for him the whole time? Wasn't this a bit too enthusiastic?

"Hehe, Brother Xingchen, the banquet is ready. Please, follow me."

"Oh, right..."

"Brother Xingchen, although our village is small, you won't see a trace of war here. Everyone in our village is a lover of peace..."

On the streets of Hot Spring Village, Izumitani Yoju was introducing his village to Uchiha Chen with great pride. Just then, a small figure suddenly rushed out from a corner and collided with Uchiha Chen, causing the small figure to be sent flying and land on the ground.

Uchiha Chen looked over and discovered that the one who had bumped into him was actually a little boy with a slicked-back hairstyle.

"Dan, this is a great benefactor of our Hot Spring Village. Why don't you apologize?"

However, the child called Dan did not listen to Izumitani Yoju. He quickly scrambled up from the ground and made a face at Uchiha Chen, sticking his tongue out long.

"Blehh..."

Watching Dan turn and run away, the corner of Izumitani Yoju's eye twitched uncontrollably. This slap in the face had come a bit too quickly.

"Old man, let it go. He's just a child."

"That's true. Brother Xingchen, follow me..."

Night hung in the sky.

In a certain canyon, A middle-aged man wearing a Sunagakure forehead protector and a chunin combat vest was kneeling on one knee.

"Report, Captain! Ten miles ahead, there is a small ninja village called Hot Spring Village!"

In front of the middle-aged man stood a woman with her hair in a bun, wearing a backless outfit that accentuated her curvaceous figure. This woman was none other than the elite jonin of Sunagakure, Pakura, a user of the bloodline limit "Scorch Release."

Behind Pakura, hundreds of Sunagakure ninjas stood in formation.

"Hot Spring Village? I didn't expect the path we worked so hard to open would lead to Hot Spring Village."

Pakura rubbed her chin and muttered.

"Captain, what should we do?"

"Pass the order down: bypass Hot Spring Village. Do not let the ninjas there discover us."

Pakura thought for a moment before issuing the command.

However, just then, a cold, sharp voice emerged from the ranks.

"No!"

Immediately after, the team behind Pakura parted, creating a path.

Three figures walked slowly through the gap. The one on the left was very tall, while the one on the right was the exact opposite, being very short. Only the one in the middle was of average height.

The three were expressionless, but from their attire, it was clear they were all jonin of Sunagakure.

"We cannot take a detour; it will delay us too much."

"As for that Hot Spring Village, its strength is pathetic. Just wipe it out!"

The man in the middle glanced coldly at Pakura and spoke with indifference.

"But we are not at war with the Land of Rivers. Wouldn't that be too..."

Pakura gritted her teeth as she looked at the man before her. His name was Fuki, the commander-in-chief personally appointed by the newly inaugurated Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. The two men behind him were his brothers; the tall, burly one was Yuki, and the short, slight one was Jaki.

"Too what? Too much? If the ninjas from Hot Spring Village collude with the ninjas from Konoha and cause our mission to fail, can you bear that responsibility? Pakura, don't you forget, I am the commander-in-chief of this operation, and you are merely a squad leader."

Fuki's narrow eyes squinted, his cold, sharp voice making Pakura feel deeply uncomfortable.

Pakura desperately wanted to blast a Scorch Release right into Fuki's face, but she couldn't. Just as Fuki had said, she was only a squad leader for this mission and had to obey his commands.

Watching the silent Pakura, the corners of Fuki's mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

So what if she possessed a Kekkei Genkai? So what if she had rendered great service in the past? In the end, didn't she still have to obediently follow his orders?

Late at night, Hot Spring Village remained brightly lit, with the people still immersed in the joy of the festivities. Little did they know, a force of several hundred men was quietly closing in.

"Let me go, you bastards!!"

A Sunagakure ninja appeared, dragging a struggling young boy before Fuki. Had Uchiha Chen been there, he would have surely recognized this boy as the one who had bumped into him—the one named Dan.

"Lord Fuki, we caught a boy from Hot Spring Village."

"Oh? Kill him."

Fuki didn't even glance at Dan, issuing the cold order directly.

"No!"

Just as the Sunagakure ninja holding the boy prepared to strike, a figure flashed by at high speed, snatching Dan away. That figure was none other than Pakura.

"Pakura, what do you think you're doing?" Fuki's face darkened with displeasure.

"This child is still so young, how could you?"

"I do not agree to you killing him!" Pakura glared at Fuki in fury.

"Pakura, you need to get this straight: this is war. If you want this child to live, fine—but from now on, you will obey my commands without question!"

"Fine!"

"Hahahaha!!"

In a forest outside Hot Spring Village, a young boy with slicked-back hair lay on the ground, a kunai embedded in his back.

"Eh? This little boy still has a pulse? His vitality is quite tenacious."

"Perfect to take back; Lord Jashin will surely be very pleased!"