Land of Hot Water

Nagato and Naruto once discussed this in the original story.

The Second Shinobi World War was initiated by the hawk faction of Konoha.

As for who these hawks in Konoha were, it went without saying.

That's right, it was that old schemer Danzo again.

However, there was also the support of Sarutobi Hiruzen behind this; otherwise, Danzo would neither have had the authority nor the capability to do so.

The primary goal of the Konoha high command in this war was to project their formidable strength.

Following the First Shinobi World War, there had been nearly twenty years of peace among the nations. During these two decades, all major hidden villages had been actively developing their politics, economy, and military.

But thanks to its geographical advantage, Konoha had developed the fastest, leading to a situation where, by the time the other villages realized it, Konoha's overall strength had already far surpassed theirs.

Consequently, the militant factions in each village became restless, filled with desire for Konoha's rich and fertile lands.

Yet at this moment, both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo were in their prime. Sarutobi Hiruzen even bore the title of "Shinobi Hero." Seeing these villages acting so restlessly, he knew it was no longer the time for passive development.

Thus, after discussions among the Konoha high command, they chose Sunagakure, which possessed the weakest overall strength, and declared war directly upon them.

They sent a team led by Anbu captain Hatake Sakumo, along with Hokage disciples like Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, to attack Sunagakure.

However, once a war begins, it is like a boulder rolling down a mountain—difficult to control.

Although Konoha eventually gained the upper hand, the toll was significant. More importantly, it completely shattered the fragile balance, allowing other villages to see an opportunity and sowing the seeds for even more hatred.

The reason Sarutobi Hiruzen did not allow Danzo to move against the Uchiha clan at this time was that Hatake Sakumo had led a large number of ninja to the Sunagakure front, leaving Konoha's current defenses somewhat hollow. If other villages were to take advantage of this opportunity to pluck the peach and act against Konoha, the Uchiha clan would serve as a very useful blade.

Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzo, even though they did not like the Uchiha clan because of their teacher, Senju Tobirama, they had to admit that the Uchiha clan's strength was indeed formidable.

If Danzo were to make a move against the Uchiha clan now, causing them to rebel while Konoha was internally hollow, and if Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure were to seize the chance to attack, Konoha would be in grave danger.

As Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was calmer than Danzo and understood the situation much better.

"However, the pursuit of Uchiha Shaoyu and his group must still be carried out. After all, they possess top-tier bloodline limits of Konoha; it would be bad if they drifted to other villages."

Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen straightened up and picked up a pen to quickly write an order.

Since he had cut Danzo's funding, he had to find him something to do, letting him vent his anger and energy in the right direction to keep him from causing more uncontrollable trouble within the village.

"Come in," he said to the empty corner of his office.

An Anbu figure appeared silently and knelt on one knee.

"Deliver this order to Elder Shimura Danzo."

Sarutobi Hiruzen handed over the scroll, his voice calm. "Order him to immediately mobilize the elite of the 'Root' to pursue the rogue ninja Uchiha Shaoyu and his thirteen accomplices with full force."

"Bring them back alive if possible, or produce their corpses. Pay special attention to routes they might take toward the Land of Lightning or the Land of Earth. Personnel lurking in the various nations along the way are to provide assistance, but the operations must be kept secret and must not cause diplomatic disputes. Furthermore, recover or confirm the destruction of the stolen Uchiha clan secrets, especially the map data."

"Yes!" The Anbu took the scroll with both hands, flickered, and vanished.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked out the window again. The sunlight was already bathing Konoha, yet it could not dispel the gloom in his heart.

"I hope this is resolved perfectly."

Meanwhile, far beyond the northern border of the Land of Fire.

After a full day and night of non-stop desperate flight, crossing through the dense and dangerous Forest of Death and traversing the rugged and steep border mountains, Uchiha Shaoyu and his group of thirteen finally stepped into the territory of the Land of Hot Water, a neighbor to the Land of Fire.

The Land of Hot Water was known throughout the shinobi world for its natural hot springs scattered across the country and its relatively peaceful, neutral stance.

There were no large hidden villages here, and the public order was relatively relaxed, making it a resting place for travelers, merchants, and even rogue ninja from various nations.

When the iconic, warm air scented with sulfur replaced the damp cold of the forest and the biting chill of the mountain winds, and when hot spring streams emitting wisps of steam and the signs of leisurely inns began to appear along the way, even the most iron-willed Uchiha could not help but relax their taut nerves a little.

With the blessing of the Six Eyes, he had not consumed much.

"Shaoyu-kun," Uchiha Lianhuo, who was leading the group, slowed his pace and approached Shaoyu, his voice carrying an unmistakable hoarseness and exhaustion.

"Everyone... is reaching their limit. We need to recover chakra, and our physical strength can't hold out much longer. We are already in the Land of Hot Water, and it is relatively safe here. Should we... take a rest?"

Shaoyu stopped and swept his gaze over the clansmen behind him.

Lianhuo had sweat on his temples, and his eyes were still sharp but could not hide the weariness.

Mihuo and Qianying, the two jonin, were also breathing heavier than usual, and the several chunin, including Uchiha Rei and Uchiha Mei, had pale faces from the long trek. The youngest, Shisui, was even leaning against his leg, his small face scrunched up as he tried to hold back from complaining of fatigue, though his eyelids were already drooping.

After all, not everyone had the Six Eyes like him, and they hadn't eaten or drunk for a day and a night; his own body felt a bit tired as well.

Furthermore, he had enough confidence in himself. As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't make a move personally, he could handle it, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had to stay in Konoha; he couldn't possibly come to hunt him down himself.

"A rest is indeed necessary."

Shaoyu nodded, his voice steady.

"Continuing to rush will only lead to a decline in our condition and increase the chance of mistakes. The Land of Hot Water is neutral, and the hot springs will help relieve fatigue and restore our strength. We will find a remote but reliable hot spring inn, rest for half a day, resupply, and then continue on our way."

Hearing that they could rest, everyone's spirits lifted.

They cleaned up the tracks they had left behind to confuse the pursuers.

Soon, in a remote corner of the small border town of "Yunosato," they found Songfeng Pavilion, a hot spring inn run by an elderly couple that looked clean and simple. The inn was located against a mountain and had few guests, which was exactly what they wanted.

After paying enough money and booking an independent courtyard at the back of the inn with a small open-air hot spring, everyone was finally able to temporarily shed the tension of their flight.

The steaming hot springs dispelled the fatigue and chill that had seeped into their bones. Everyone washed up thoroughly and changed into clean casual clothes purchased at the inn.

Uchiha Rei briefly checked everyone's physical condition, confirming there were no hidden injuries or sequelae from overexertion.

Shisui was soaking in the hot spring, almost falling asleep from comfort, until Shaoyu fished him out, dried him off, and tucked him into the warm bedding. The little guy fell into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Shaoyu did not rest immediately. He had Lianhuo and Mei take charge of guarding, while he took Uchiha Mihuo with him to leave the inn low-profile to purchase necessary supplies in the town.

Although the town of Yunosato was not large, the hot spring tourism industry meant it was lined with shops, and supplies were reasonably complete.

Shaoyu and Mihuo made their purchases cautiously and separately to avoid attracting attention. Mihuo was responsible for purchasing routine supplies, while Shaoyu focused more on intelligence.