Water Country

Whoosh—whoosh—

On the vast sea, waves rose and fell, while a faint mist hung in the air, making the scene before him seem hazy and unreal.

Enkō stood alone on the deck, his body rising and falling with the waves as he gazed at the outline of distant islands.

Water Country was an island nation with a relatively small territory. Surrounded by the sea on all sides, its only means of external travel naturally relied on seafaring vessels.

The ship Enkō was currently aboard was a cargo vessel headed to Water Country for foreign trade. Ever since parting ways with Hefeng and the others, he had rushed nonstop to the port in Hot Springs Country, hoping to find a ship bound for Water Country.

But this was the Warring States Period. Large ships traveling between the two places were scarce to begin with, while small boats could not make the crossing. Just as Enkō gritted his teeth and prepared to force his way across the sea, he fortunately encountered the owner of this cargo ship, who warmly agreed to give him a ride.

Enkō watched the seascape, but his mind was occupied with the future—how to establish a base of their own for the Uchiha Clan after the war, and how to resolve the side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

After using his ocular techniques only a few times, Enkō could already clearly feel that his eyesight had deteriorated considerably. Moreover, the backlash pain he suffered whenever he activated those techniques kept increasing.

Even he was like this, so his eldest and second brothers must have been even worse. They were probably already on the verge of blindness; they had simply never mentioned it.

"Handsome, are you looking at the sea all by yourself again? What's so interesting about all that empty water? Why not have a drink with your big sister?"

At that moment, a seductive yet languid voice sounded from behind him, soft and tingling enough to stir one's imagination.

The owner of the voice was the ship's proprietor, Hualian, the daughter of a wealthy family in Water Country. She normally oversaw a range of trade operations between Water Country and the mainland, and was fabulously wealthy.

Hualian wore a long pale-blue dress of icy silk, radiating an air of luxury. Her fingers were covered in gem-studded rings, and her slightly upturned eyes shimmered with shifting light. When she looked at Enkō, an undisguised trace of affection flashed through them.

The Uchiha Clan had always produced handsome men, while the Hyuga Clan was known for beautiful women. As a direct descendant of the Uchiha Clan, Enkō was naturally quite handsome. It was precisely his outstanding appearance that had sparked this wealthy young lady's intense interest.

Yet faced with this unexpected romantic encounter, goosebumps rose all over Enkō's body. He turned around stiffly and offered a distant yet polite smile. "Good evening, Sister Hualian."

It was not that Enkō was uninterested in women. It was simply that the burly figure before him, weighing nearly three hundred jin, was worlds apart from his tastes!

"What's so good about it? I've been stuck alone in my cabin and am bored to death." Hualian shot him a coquettish glare, swaying as she pressed herself toward him.

"Wait, Sister Hualian!" A bead of cold sweat slid down Enkō's forehead. He discreetly stepped back. "Um, Sister Hualian, do you happen to know whether there'll be a large ferry leaving Water Country tomorrow night?"

Hualian frowned. "Hm? What? You're leaving Water Country so soon?"

Enkō smiled awkwardly. "Ah, I was just scouting things out before. This time, I returned to Water Country because I wanted to take my clansmen to live in another country."

"I see." Sister Hualian sighed regretfully. "I don't know whether there'll be a ship tomorrow night, but I can arrange a cargo ship that can hold around two hundred people for you."

"Really? Then thank you so much, Sister Hualian."

Sister Hualian removed a ring from her finger and casually tossed it to Enkō. "Here, this is a token. Bring it with you, and you'll be able to board when the time comes. And if you really want to thank me, how about coming to your big sister's room for a drink?"

!!!

Enkō hid his right hand behind his back and secretly formed two hand seals.

The next moment, Sister Hualian let out a huge yawn. "Yawn... Strange, why did I suddenly get so sleepy? Yawn... Forget it, I'm going to sleep first. Handsome, we can make another date next time."

"Whew." After watching Sister Hualian leave, Enkō let out a long breath. He then extended his right hand. Blue chakra began to gather and spin in his palm, eventually forming a chakra sphere that glowed pale blue!

Rasengan!

"I finally did it!" Delight appeared in Enkō's eyes. This was also the only ninjutsu he could learn from his memories of the future. It required no hand seals, possessed considerable power, and was an extremely practical high-level technique.

Looking at the spinning Rasengan before him, Enkō could not help sighing. "Minato really was a genius. Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to see the era that belongs to them with my own eyes."

He clenched his right hand, and the Rasengan instantly shattered into countless streaks of light. Enkō calmly watched the shoreline gradually draw closer in the distance. "Well, I'll write the future of this world myself."

Splash—

"Woooo—"

The cargo ship let out a long whistle as it slowly docked. After informing Sister Hualian's maid, Enkō stepped onto the soil of Water Country. As for Sister Hualian herself? Enkō felt that the little genjutsu he had cast was enough to let her sleep soundly for several more hours.

Unlike the rivalry between two great powers in the Land of Fire, the situation among the shinobi factions within Water Country was now quite clear. After Byakuren, the head of the Yuki Clan, formed an alliance with another prominent Water Country family, the Hozuki Clan, the shinobi situation in Water Country had essentially been decided.

Meanwhile, the Taketori Clan, Enkō's target on this trip, was an exception. They joined no side, formed no alliances, and did not even have a fixed territory. They acted purely on instinct, picking fights with other clans everywhere they went. Their reason was simple: they wanted other clans to witness the Taketori Clan's strength.

The only reason such a troublemaking clan had survived was that they were genuinely formidable. The Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai granted them bodies that were nearly indestructible, and ordinary ninjutsu could barely harm them. Every clan basically wanted to eradicate those lunatics completely, but the cost of doing so was too great. No one wanted to gamble the lives of their own clansmen against a pack of madmen.

But that meant he had no idea where to find them.

After disembarking, Enkō considered things briefly and decided to look around nearby first. Ideally, he would find a small clan and ask them for information on the Taketori Clan.

Yet before he could even leave the docks, Enkō's gaze narrowed slightly. At some point, two burly men had blocked the road ahead. At the same time, three or four figures emerged from their hiding places, sealing off every route of escape!

Enkō stopped, glanced ahead and behind him, then shrugged.

"Are you gentlemen here to rob me... or rob me of my virtue?"