The border checkpoint of the Land of Hot Water was more lax than expected.
Perhaps because the country was famous for its hot springs and tourism, the guards cared more about collecting entry taxes than inspecting suspicious people. Hyuga Xiao and Kurenai Yuhi had disguised themselves as a young couple on their honeymoon—Kurenai had used the Transformation Technique to alter her hair and eye color, while Xiao had wrapped the wounds on his forehead and left shoulder in bandages, leaving only a pair of ordinary-looking eyes exposed.
"Is this your first time in the Land of Hot Water?" the guard asked lazily as he flipped through their forged passes.
"Yes." Kurenai looped her arm through Xiao's, her voice gentle. "We heard the hot springs here are good for recuperating."
Her fingers gave his arm a light squeeze. Xiao could feel the faint sweat in her palm. It was not nervousness, but vigilance—as a genjutsu ninja, she was exceptionally sensitive to her surroundings.
The guard's gaze swept over them before finally stopping on Xiao's heavily bandaged left shoulder. "You injured?"
"Careless during training." Xiao's voice was calm, carrying just the right amount of weariness. "So we came here to rest and recover for a while."
"Mm." The guard handed back their passes. "Go on in. Remember, ninja are forbidden from fighting privately in the Land of Hot Water. Violators will be expelled permanently."
"Understood."
After passing the checkpoint, they followed the stone-paved road deeper into town. Traditional hot spring inns lined both sides of the street, red lanterns hanging beneath wooden eaves. The air was thick with the mixed scents of sulfur and food. Tourists' laughter, shopkeepers' cries, and the distant notes of a shamisen—together, they created a false sense of peace.
But the strange sensation inside Xiao was growing stronger.