The Land of Demons.
It was a small, landlocked country situated between the Land of Snow and the Land of Earth, also bordering the Land of Bears to the south.
Its territory was not particularly large. Wedged between several great nations and unusual smaller countries, it nonetheless occupied a special place on the map of the shinobi world thanks to its unique location and mysterious culture.
There was no shinobi village in the traditional sense, nor any large ninja force.
The country's safety and stability seemed to depend more on the priestesses' ancient legacy and the faith of its people.
At that moment, a tall figure with wild white hair and an enormous scroll on his back stepped into the capital of the Land of Demons.
It was Jiraiya.
He wore a red coat and wooden sandals, his face weary from travel yet full of eagerness to explore.
Although the Great Toad Sage had not given him the precise location of Iwaya Slope.
Jiraiya had, after all, traveled the shinobi world for decades. Drawing on the connections he had built over the years, his knowledge of different regions, and a writer's nose for a "story"...
He had sifted through a vast sea of information, unraveling the clues until he finally narrowed his search to the Land of Demons.
"Iwaya Slope..."
Jiraiya murmured the awkward name, his gaze sweeping over surroundings utterly unlike those of the Land of Fire.
The architecture here was more rustic and rugged, with buildings largely constructed from massive stones and dark timber. Wind chimes and cloth banners bearing strange runes often hung beneath the eaves.
A faint scent resembling sandalwood mixed with medicinal herbs lingered in the air, soothing the mind almost involuntarily.
There were few pedestrians on the streets, and most wore dark clothing. When