After acquiring the Flying Thunder God Talisman formation, Naruto spent the next two days practicing how to use it.
After all, this fighting style had only just taken shape. Without sufficient practice, he would never be able to wield it smoothly in Kage-level combat.
The original story had shown precious few examples of what Kage-level ninja could do, and he had no intention of fumbling when a powerful enemy stood before him.
Meanwhile, after several rounds of Naruto's Mystical Palm Technique, Kakashi had almost fully recovered.
Tazuna was delighted by the news and went from house to house early, informing everyone that work on the Great Bridge would begin tomorrow.
Meanwhile...
A merchant ship was docking in the Land of Tea, over a thousand nautical miles from the Land of Waves.
Soon, the scarred man leading them, Kame, disembarked with a squad of samurai and headed toward their destination.
Looking over the prosperous country, Kame said coldly, "Once my big brother has complete control over the Land of Waves, the Land of Tea will be next."
The Land of Tea was a peninsular nation without a ninja village of its own, but its territory was over ten times larger than the Land of Waves. Its agriculture and fishing industries were likewise over ten times stronger.
Its thriving agriculture and fishing industries also supported a much larger population. The daimyo and lords here all had formidable experts protecting them; a ruthless international trade association alone could not easily seize control.
The Land of Waves, by contrast, was an island nation. All its arable land belonged to the daimyo and lords, leaving it largely dependent on fishing and trade. Its small territory meant a small population, which was why Gato had so easily seized its economic lifeline in an attempt to control