Water Country

Whoosh—whoosh—

Across the vast sea, waves rose and fell, while a faint mist hung in the air, making the scenery before him seem unreal and ethereal.

Yan Hong stood alone on the deck, his body swaying with the rolling waves as he gazed at the outline of distant islands.

The Water Country was an island nation. Its territory was not particularly large, and being surrounded by sea on all sides, its connections with the outside world naturally relied entirely on seafaring vessels.

The ship Yan Hong was currently aboard was a cargo vessel headed to the Water Country for foreign trade. After parting ways with Feng and the others, he had hurried nonstop to the port in the Hot Springs Country, hoping to find a ship bound for the Water Country.

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

Yan Hong watched the seascape, but his mind was occupied with the future. He considered how to establish a base of their own for the Uchiha Clan after the great war, as well as how to resolve the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

After using his ocular techniques only a few times, Yan Hong could already clearly feel his vision deteriorating significantly. Moreover, the backlash pain grew stronger each time he activated them.

Even he was like this, let alone his eldest and second elder brothers. They were likely already on the verge of blindness, though they had never mentioned it.

"Handsome boy, watching the sea all by yourself again? What is there to see but a bare stretch of water? Why not have a drink with your big sister instead?"

Just then, a seductive yet languid voice rang out 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 from the Water Country. She usually handled a series of trade operations between the Water Country and the mainland. Her family wealth was immense, rich enough to rival a nation.

Hualian wore a pale blue ice-silk gown, her entire body radiating an air of wealth and nobility. Her fingers were covered in diamond-studded jeweled rings, and her slightly upturned brows and eyes shimmered with shifting allure. Upon seeing Yan Hong, a trace of undisguised affection flashed through her gaze.

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, Yan Hong was naturally quite handsome. It was precisely because of his striking appearance that he had aroused this wealthy young lady's intense interest.

Yet faced with this unexpected romantic encounter, Yan Hong broke out in goosebumps all over. He turned around stiffly and gave her a distant yet polite smile. "Good evening, Sister Hualian."

It was not that Yan Hong was uninterested in women. It was simply that the robust body before him, weighing nearly three hundred pounds, was worlds apart from his idea of beauty!

"What is good about it? I have been stuck alone in my cabin, bored to death." Hualian shot him a coquettish glance, swaying as she pressed herself toward him.

"Wait, Sister Hualian!" A bead of cold sweat slid down Yan Hong's forehead. He inconspicuously took a step back. "Um, Sister Hualian, do you know whether there will be any large ferries leaving the Water Country tomorrow night?"

Hualian frowned. "Hm? What? You are leaving the Water Country so soon?"

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

"I see." Hualian sighed regretfully. "I do not know whether there will 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."

Hualian removed a ring from her finger and casually tossed it to Yan Hong. "Here, this is a token. You can board the ship with it when the time comes. And if you really want to thank me, how about coming to your big sister's room and having a drink with me?"

!!!

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

The next moment, Hualian let out a huge yawn. "Ahh... strange, why am I suddenly so sleepy? Ahh... forget it, I am going to sleep first. Handsome boy, we can make another date next time."

"Whew." After watching Hualian leave, Yan Hong let out a long breath. Then he extended his right hand. Blue chakra began gathering and spinning in his palm, eventually forming a chakra sphere that glowed with pale blue light!

Rasengan!

"Finally, I succeeded!" Delight appeared in Yan Hong's eyes. This was also the only ninjutsu he could learn from his memories of the future. It required no hand seals and was immensely powerful, making it an exceptionally practical high-level ninjutsu.

Looking at the spinning Rasengan before him, Yan Hong could not help sighing. "Minato really was a genius. What a pity... I probably will not be able to see the era that belonged to them with my own eyes."

He clenched his right hand tightly, and the Rasengan instantly shattered into countless streams of light. Yan Hong calmly watched the approaching coastline in the distance. "Well, then I will write the future of this world."

Splash—

"Whooo—"

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

Unlike the Land of Fire, where two great powers contended for supremacy, the situation among the shinobi factions in the Water Country was already quite clear. After Byakuren, the Snow Clan's patriarch, formed an alliance with the Hozuki Clan, another powerful family of the Water Country, the shinobi landscape of the Water Country had essentially been decided.

Among them, Yan Hong's target this time, the Taketori Clan, was an outlier. They took no side, formed no alliances, and did not even possess a fixed territory. They acted purely on instinct, constantly picking fights with other clans. Their reason was simple: they wanted other clans to witness the might of the Taketori Clan.

The only reason such a troublemaking clan had survived was that they truly were not weak. The Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai granted them bodies that were nearly indestructible. Ordinary ninjutsu could not harm them at all. Every clan wanted to eradicate these lunatics completely, but the cost of wiping them out was too great. No one was willing to throw their clansmen's lives away in a head-on fight against a pack of madmen.

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

After disembarking, Yan Hong thought for a moment and decided to look around nearby first. Ideally, he would find a small clan and gather information about the Taketori Clan from them.

Yet before he could even leave the docks, Yan Hong's gaze sharpened 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 possible route of retreat!

Yan Hong stopped, glanced ahead and behind him, then shrugged.

"Gentlemen, are you here to rob me of my money... or my virtue?"