The group quickly picked out their rooms. Shi Xiu was getting ready to head to Takigakure and bring back Kaede, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
Shi Xiu remembered the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki vividly: an optimistic, cheerful, dark-skinned beauty.
Back when he had lived on Blue Star, Shi Xiu had never understood how Takigakure had ended up with a Tailed Beast.
It wasn't until he'd transmigrated into the Naruto world that he discovered the Seven-Tails had always lived in the Land of Waterfalls.
It had never fallen into Hashirama Senju's hands in the first place, so naturally, it had never been captured and distributed to another village.
And because the Land of Waterfalls lay between the four great nations, its unique geography had allowed it to survive despite being surrounded by powerful enemies.
Shi Xiu didn't know much about the smaller countries beyond the Five Great Nations. As far as the Land of Waterfalls went, aside from Kaede, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, there was only Kakuzu.
Takigakure's location was truly blessed, though. The village was hidden behind a waterfall in the Land of Waterfalls, making it difficult to spot.
Shi Xiu was planning to bring Uchiha Obito along to retrieve the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki when a clear, pleasant voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Sir, are you heading out?" Slightly surprised, Shi Xiu turned to look and saw Haku gazing quietly at him with those bright, sparkling eyes.
Haku seemed to notice Shi Xiu's confusion. He lowered his head slightly, pressed his lips together, and explained softly, "You were deep in thought just now, sir. And you kept glancing in a certain direction... so I guessed you might be going out to take care of something."
Hearing this, Shi Xiu reached out and gently patted Haku on the head, marveling inwardly. He'd never expected someone so young to be so observant.
Shi Xiu gently ran his hand over Haku's silky, smooth hair and asked with a smile, "What is it, Haku? Do you want to come with me?"
Haku gave a small nod, then looked up at Shi Xiu, his eyes shining. "Yes. May I, sir?"
Seeing how eager Haku was, Shi Xiu couldn't help laughing. He nodded and replied, "Of course. But this time, I won't be stepping in. You'll have to handle everything yourself. Do you think you can do it?"
Haku froze for a moment at those words, but quickly composed himself and nodded firmly. "Yes! Don't worry, sir. I can do it!"
Shi Xiu nodded in approval, then took Haku's soft, little hand and instantly used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
A flash of dazzling light passed, and the two of them vanished in the blink of an eye.
The next moment, as the light faded, Shi Xiu and Haku appeared before a magnificent waterfall in the Land of Waterfalls. The water rushed down in a torrent, spraying all around them. Trees surrounded the area, and the scenery was picturesque.
In truth, even Shi Xiu didn't know the exact location of Takigakure.
After all, more than a hundred years had passed since he'd transmigrated into this world, and he'd spent nearly fifty of those years in Konoha's prison.
Though he'd sneaked out many times during that period, he'd still spent far more time in his cell than outside it.
Shi Xiu slowly closed his eyes. A moment later, he snapped them open. His pupils, black as ink, had turned a deathly gray-white.
At the same time, the veins around his eyes bulged like coiling dragons, as though they were about to burst through his skin.
"Byakugan!" he barked. An invisible force surged from his eyes and rapidly spread outward.
Like a giant web, it enveloped everything nearby. Not even the slightest change could escape its notice.
Using the Byakugan's powerful perception, Shi Xiu searched carefully for what lay behind the waterfall.
But to his disappointment, he found no trace of Takigakure behind it.
With no other choice, Shi Xiu shook his head, wondering to himself, Did I get the direction wrong?
Still, he wasn't discouraged. He immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique again, taking Haku with him. In the blink of an eye, they were standing before another waterfall.
The same process began again. Shi Xiu focused and activated the Byakugan to search... They tirelessly checked one waterfall after another. After three or four tries, their persistence finally paid off, and Shi Xiu found the exact location of Takigakure.
Shi Xiu took a deep breath and gathered his chakra, then carefully coated himself and Haku with it.
Without hesitation, the two of them braced themselves against the waterfall's immense force, like an army charging down from above, and walked straight toward it, one step at a time.
The water pounded against them, but with Shi Xiu's chakra protecting them, they pressed forward like fish swimming upstream.
Finally, after Shi Xiu and Haku made it through the waterfall, the sight before them made their hearts tighten.
More than a dozen Takigakure shinobi suddenly appeared. Dressed in black, close-fitting uniforms and wearing Forehead Protectors, they quickly surrounded the pair.
Every one of them held a Kunai. Their sharp gazes brimmed with hostility.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass in Takigakure! I'm warning you: leave at once, or we won't go easy on you!" the shinobi in the lead shouted.
Haku looked up at Shi Xiu. Shi Xiu gave a slight nod, signaling that he could act.
With his approval, Haku immediately formed Hand Seals, his movements smooth and fluid.
In an instant, countless sharp ice spikes appeared behind him, glimmering with a cold light as they whistled toward the Takigakure shinobi like a shower of arrows.
Faced with the sudden attack, the shinobi didn't dare let their guard down.
They hurriedly formed Hand Seals and used ninjutsu to block the barrage of ice spikes. Their techniques clashed with the spikes, filling the air with repeated booms.
Seeing this, the shinobi in the lead shouted, "We're under attack! We're under attack!"
But though the shinobi reacted quickly, Haku's strength was clearly beyond what they'd expected.
When his first attack failed to finish them, Haku immediately decided to use a more powerful secret technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
As his hand seals changed, a massive, mirror-smooth block of ice appeared out of thin air before him.
Haku leaped lightly, like a butterfly dancing through the air, and vanished inside the ice mirror.
At that moment, something unexpected happened. Another identical ice mirror suddenly appeared in the open space behind the Takigakure shinobi.
Haku quietly emerged from within it, like a ghost. Before the shinobi could react, countless sharp ice spikes shot toward them like a rainstorm.
In an instant, the scene turned gruesome. Bright red blood sprayed everywhere, mingling with a chorus of anguished screams.
Shi Xiu walked toward Haku at a steady, unhurried pace. Haku looked stricken with guilt. He quickly lowered his head and spoke to Shi Xiu, his voice trembling slightly.
"Sir, I'm so sorry. I gave it everything I had, but in the end, I still couldn't stop them."
At Haku's words, Shi Xiu stopped and gently patted him on the head, his tone warm and reassuring.
"Don't blame yourself, Haku. You actually did very well."
Shi Xiu had been watching quietly from the sidelines, and he'd successfully copied the Ice Release techniques Haku had used.
But then a commotion suddenly rose from the direction of Takigakure. A large group of shinobi came surging toward them, dozens strong.
They charged straight at the pair, their target clear.
Shi Xiu calmly watched the Takigakure shinobi draw closer, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
But he didn't see the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki among them.
Shi Xiu turned to Haku and asked softly, "Haku, are you afraid of facing so many people?"
Haku stared at the dozens of vicious-looking enemies rushing toward them at full speed and couldn't help feeling nervous.
He swallowed unconsciously and clenched the hem of his clothes, but his eyes remained unwavering.
After taking a deep breath, Haku straightened up and answered without hesitation, standing in front of Shi Xiu.
"Sir, I'm not afraid! I told you before: no matter what danger or hardship I face, I'll become the sharpest blade in your hands!"
Shi Xiu smiled and patted Haku on the head. "Don't worry. I'll always be behind you."
♀♀♀♀