Heading to the Land of Waterfalls

"Are you sure you came here to do a mission and not go on a picnic?" Uchiha Izumi asked, watching Hyuga Gen leisurely prepare food.

The aroma of the food wafted over from nearby, and the group immediately found the Military Ration Pills in their hands unappetizing. Though, to be fair, what kind of aroma could a Military Ration Pill have? At best, they tasted a little unpleasant; at worst, they could practically kill you.

Hyuga Gen had eaten them too. They were pretty good at restoring stamina, but their taste was hard to describe. Still, they had their uses: when you got hungry in battle, you could pop one to regain your strength.

These Military Ration Pills seemed a little different from the ones in Shippuden, though. They didn't seem to restore much chakra. Their only real use was filling your stomach, which gave you some stamina. As for restoring chakra, that was still up to the ninja themselves.

There was no denying the scroll was quite useful. It could be used for Fuinjutsu and the Summoning Technique, and you could store things in its pocket dimension. It was practically an essential tool for travel.

Hyuga Gen had put a lot of effort into Fuinjutsu, and he was quite adept at using scrolls. After all, scrolls were used often when studying Fuinjutsu, so he was familiar with their functions and uses.

Storing things in a scroll was no problem for Hyuga Gen, so he had put quite a few things in his scroll space.

However, it seemed that living things couldn't be stored in a scroll. Hyuga Gen had tested it before and found that only inanimate objects could be stored. Of course, food could be stored too.

"Hmm, this tastes pretty good. Want some?" Hyuga Gen scooped a little into a bowl and tried it. Finding the taste quite good, he offered some to the others.

After speaking, he quickly filled a large bowl, picked up one of the fish he'd grilled, and hurried over to Might Guy to curry favor with him.

Of course, he had a reason for currying favor: he wanted to learn the Eight Inner Gates and hoped Might Guy would teach him.

Hyuga Gen was quite interested in the Eight Inner Gates. After all, Guy had nearly kicked Six Paths Madara to death after opening all eight gates. Even without opening all eight, the Seventh Gate was powerful enough to instantly defeat Kisame. It was already incredibly formidable.

"Teacher Guy, could you teach me the Eight Inner Gates?" Hyuga Gen asked, looking at Might Guy with eager anticipation.

Might Guy was a little surprised that Hyuga Gen knew about the Eight Inner Gates, but he was a straightforward man and didn't ask many questions.

"Why not focus on learning your Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist? Why learn the Steel Fist? Isn't that like throwing away a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed? Do you know how many people envy your Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist?" Might Guy said, seeming a little envious as he looked at Hyuga Gen.

Gentle Fist was indeed impressive. It was greatly underrated in Shippuden. Calling it unbeatable in close combat wasn't an exaggeration at all. It could be said to be quite effective against Might Guy.

"I'll learn Gentle Fist, but I also want to study the Steel Fist. Maybe I can learn from both and get some unexpected results," Hyuga Gen said earnestly, looking at Might Guy.

"No. Trying to learn too much isn't a good thing. Only by focusing on one path can you go further. No matter how many techniques you learn, it's better to master one completely."

Hearing Might Guy say this, Hyuga Gen looked at him as if seeing him in a new light. He hadn't expected him to have such remarkable insight, and it surprised him.

Even so, Hyuga Gen's mind was made up. He still wanted to learn the Eight Inner Gates and was determined to get his hands on the technique.

So, over the next few days, he launched one round of flattery after another at Might Guy. He took care of him so thoroughly—massaging his legs and shoulders, serving him tea and water—that everyone else couldn't help staring.

Even then, Might Guy still didn't agree to teach Hyuga Gen the Eight Inner Gates, and Hyuga Gen had no other ideas.

All he could do was perform well and complete the mission brilliantly. Maybe Might Guy would be in a good mood and teach him.

"Here you go, Lord Bu Qianfan. The mission's complete, so remember to leave us a good review," Hyuga Gen said, handing a copy to their generous patron with a broad grin.

"Isn't your Hyuga Clan one of Konoha's noble clans?" Bu Qianfan asked, his meaning clear.

Bu Qianfan had assumed that all Konoha Ninja were arrogant, but they turned out to be quite approachable. He'd met some ninja before, and they hadn't left him with a good impression.

After all, in this world, ninja seemed to be considered superior to ordinary people. They had power and could kill ordinary people with ease. Some ninja didn't even treat ordinary people like people, killing them as they pleased.

"Yeah. Is there a problem?" Hyuga Gen asked, a little puzzled. He really didn't care much about whether his clan was noble or not.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with calling their patron "sir." It wouldn't cost him anything, and maintaining a good relationship mattered most. People in this world seemed to like being addressed that way.

Bu Qianfan took the item from him and said nothing more.

They had been away from Konoha for more than a week, and the journey had gone smoothly. They had also gotten to know their employer, learning that his name was Bu Qianfan.

He seemed to be quite interested in science. He wasn't much older than they were—only three years older—and got along well with Dengshan. They didn't know much else, since he wasn't willing to say more.

However, there seemed to be something important in his bag, and Bu Qianfan was always careful with it. Hyuga Gen had been curious and taken a look with his Byakugan. It seemed to contain some blueprints, but he couldn't tell what they were for.

Since Bu Qianfan was an ordinary person, they could only travel on foot. Without an employer, the group could have reached the Land of Waterfalls in just three days by traveling at full speed.

Hyuga Gen had considered summoning Xiaojin to help. If Xiaojin carried him and their employer, they might be able to complete the mission very quickly. But it was only a thought. This was a team mission, and Might Guy wouldn't allow it. Besides, they didn't know the area, and had no idea what might happen.

Besides, Xiaojin probably wouldn't want anyone else riding on his back. So far, only Hyuga Gen and Hyuga Natsu had ridden on him.

After lunch, the group set off again, continuing toward the Land of Waterfalls.

They hadn't come across many small villages or towns along the way. By modern standards, Hyuga Gen thought Konoha wasn't anything special or particularly prosperous. But judging by the towns and villages they'd passed, it was far ahead of them.

They'd also encountered bandits, but as soon as they saw the Konoha Ninja, they scurried away. Konoha Ninja certainly had a good reputation; most people wouldn't dare provoke them.

And really, who would pick a fight with one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages? Especially Konoha, the strongest of them all. That would be like playing with your life.

The group continued toward the Land of Waterfalls, drawing closer and closer.

Meanwhile, in Longyue Town in the Land of Waterfalls, a secret transaction was taking place.

"Are you sure it's only a Genin squad?"

"Yes, Lord Water Snake. Their team leader is a Jonin, a Taijutsu specialist named Might Guy."

"Good. I'll take the job," the ninja called Water Snake said after a moment's thought.

"But you need to get the rest of the goods ready soon. I'll come collect them once the job is done. You know what'll happen if they aren't there," Water Snake said ominously.

"We understand, we understand," the potbellied middle-aged man replied with a fawning smile.