The coast of the Northern Region of the Land of Hot Water.
Uchiha Fugaku glanced back at his exhausted troops, then raised a hand toward the distance. "Up ahead is the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water!"
Hyuga Hiashi activated his Byakugan, veins bulging at his temples. "According to our latest intelligence, Kumogakure has wiped out Konoha's outposts on the Land of Frost border and pushed the front line to the edge of the Land of Fire... We can follow the Land of Frost's coast and strike straight at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning!"
"The way ahead is clear. Once we enter the Land of Lightning, we can take a boat around by sea. Iwagakure did exactly that back then..."
"And then..." Hyuga Hiashi touched the Flying Thunder God Kunai at his chest. "Shinji will take care of everything else."
"We can, but..."
Fugaku shook his head. "We rest tonight and move again before dawn. We've been marching for days. Everyone's nearly at their limit."
Hyuga Hiashi looked back at the elite Hyuga and Uchiha ninja. They were weary, but they still kept watch on their surroundings.
He nodded. "All right!"
The Land of Hot Water.
As a country rarely caught up in war, it was known as a holiday paradise. It truly was one of the Shinobi World's tourist destinations.
But now, that was clearly no longer the case...
Rough, brutish Kumogakure ninja had entered the Land of Hot Water in large groups, one batch after another. Though they had not interfered with affairs inside the country,
the shadow of war
still hung over this peaceful land.
At a makeshift Training Ground, Yugito Nii picked up a white towel, wiped the sweat from her brow, and headed into the village.
The