Yugakure's Special Attraction

After Team Seven dealt with Kirigakure's Hunter-nin Squad, the rest of their journey was finally peaceful, and they arrived at their destination—the Land of Hot Water.

The Land of Hot Water had a warm climate and abundant resources and mineral veins. Its people as a whole valued peace, so its ninja forces were relatively weak.

Yugakure was not only home to the Land of Hot Water's ninja, but also its most prosperous place. With hot spring baths everywhere in the village, it had become a famous tourist destination in the ninja world.

Sakura Haruno could not help stretching. "Listening to Sensei Kakashi, I feel like the moment we set foot in the Land of Hot Water, our bodies and minds will relax on their own!"

"No, there is still some danger."

Kakashi Hatake solemnly raised a finger and waved it slightly. "Some people opposed to peace founded the Jashin Cult here. There was once someone who called himself a Jashin Follower and went around killing innocent people."

Sakura Haruno asked in confusion, "Huh? That sounds dangerous!"

"Mm, but he seems to have disappeared without a trace later on."

Kakashi Hatake patted her head and chuckled. "Asuma, Team Ten's jonin instructor, mentioned it before..."

"He originally planned to get rid of that guy for Yugakure, but the man suddenly vanished. He was probably killed by some ninja who upheld justice!"

"..."

Sakura Haruno let out a breath of relief and looked at him with some dissatisfaction. "What was that? You nearly scared me!"

Sasuke Uchiha frowned. "Sensei Kakashi, are we going to circle back to Konoha through Yugakure? That will waste quite a bit of time."

"No. Before that, we need to find someone."

Kakashi Hatake shook his head. Looking at Naruto Uzumaki, who seemed distracted, he continued, "Once we find him, we'll return to Konoha together."

"Jiraiya..."

Naruto Uzumaki lowered his head and pulled his collar tighter.

He should not have known the ninja named Jiraiya, yet he always felt an inexplicable familiarity... Even when he endured the pain in his head and tried to trace his memories, he would only forget him all over again in the end.

Now that Kakashi Hatake was taking them to find Jiraiya, he could use this chance to see what kind of person that ninja really was.

Kakashi Hatake glanced at everyone and said softly, "We'll stay in Yugakure tonight. If we still can't find Elder Jiraiya by tomorrow afternoon, we'll have no choice but to leave that night and speed up our return to the village."

Because Yugakure had such a high flow of people, the enemies trying to intercept them might receive word of their arrival. They could only stay for about a day.

This day would also give Team Seven a chance to rest and recuperate.

If they did not meet Jiraiya, and Elder Kosuke had not reported back to the Third Hokage, they might have to go through a bitter battle on their way back to the village.

By the time Team Seven arrived in Yugakure, the village was in its liveliest season.

The villagers of Yugakure were celebrating Labor Thanksgiving Festival, rejoicing over the imminent end of a fruitful autumn and the storage of the year's entire harvest.

Moreover, the passing of autumn and arrival of winter meant one thing: Yugakure's signature hot spring inns would reach their annual peak season, welcoming wave after wave of guests.

"It's so lively..."

Sakura Haruno kept turning back to look at the groups around them. Parents brought their children, husbands accompanied their wives, and siblings, relatives, and friends gathered together as streams of people headed toward Yugakure's square.

Kakashi Hatake nodded and sighed softly. "Since ninja generally do not engage in agricultural production, few ninja villages pay attention to Labor Thanksgiving Day besides the Daimyo..."

"It's only because Yugakure's circumstances are special. Yugakure's leader is also the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water, so this festival is more important to them."

After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Sakura Haruno narrowed her eyes in a smile. "It feels like the Summer Festival and New Year celebrations in our village..."

"Mm, you can understand it that way."

Kakashi Hatake paused. Konoha was a ninja village where ordinary civilians lived alongside ninja clans large and small, so it basically had no distinctive festivals.

The only things that could be considered special events were probably the Hokage succession ceremony and the Chunin Exams, right? It sounded strange when he put it that way.

"Tch. Boring."

Sasuke looked at the smiling Yugakure villagers. His eyes gradually darkened, and for some reason, his expression slowly turned cold.

Naruto Uzumaki darted aside to avoid a group of laughing children, then took a few quick steps to catch up with his teammate and patted his shoulder. "Hey, Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Hm?"

Sasuke warily seized the wrist of the person behind him. When he saw that it was Naruto Uzumaki, he released his hand and shook his head. "There are getting to be more and more people here. It'll probably be troublesome if we want to find someone."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke spotted several ninja wearing forehead protectors from other villages, and his expression immediately tightened.

Kakashi Hatake patted his other shoulder, seemingly knowing what he was thinking. "Those are Hidden Cloud Ninja from the Land of Lightning. They have always been known for Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Even though Yugakure advocates absolute peace, we still can't let down our guard."

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura!"

Kakashi Hatake called to his subordinates and said seriously, "I'll take you to the inn first. Tonight, I'll investigate on my own and see if I can uncover any information."

As a die-hard fan of the masterpiece Make-Out Paradise, Kakashi Hatake could practically recite some of the book's scenes from memory.

Judging from some of the more interesting scenes in the book, Jiraiya, its author, should have had quite a colorful nightlife.

If he followed that lead, he might find him tonight.

"Huh? Aren't we going to take a look up ahead?"

Sakura Haruno raised a hand to her forehead to focus her gaze toward Yugakure's bustling square. "A festival like this feels so rare! Hey, everyone's gathered there roasting rice!"

Naruto Uzumaki glanced at Sasuke beside him. Feeling that his teammate was not in a very good mood, he quietly offered a suggestion. "Sensei Kakashi, we only have one day anyway. Why don't we relax for a bit?"

"There will be other opportunities later!"

Kakashi Hatake shook his head. He had just noticed several people paying attention to their squad. Clearly, this inexperienced little team had been targeted once again.

Ninja who had only just started out were generally not deliberately targeted during peacetime, though there were exceptions like Naruto Uzumaki.

Still, seeing the curiosity on all three of his subordinates' faces, Kakashi Hatake smiled at them. "Yugakure's hot spring inns are quite famous. Staying there isn't cheap, but Sensei can cover the cost for you today!"

"..."

The three exchanged glances. The temptation of bathing in hot springs was clearly great as well. They each nodded to Kakashi Hatake, as if they had done him an enormous favor.

Team Seven's jonin instructor gritted his teeth. "The hot spring inn isn't cheap. You three could at least say thank you, couldn't you?"

"..."

Late at night, darkness had already fallen.

Kakashi Hatake, staying at a hot spring inn, had already gotten up. Rather than calling his subordinates, he set out alone.

Yugakure's more than ten entertainment districts had always been a tremendous test for Kakashi, who was still in his prime.

When the moon rose, Kakashi concealed himself in the mist and slipped into a brightly lit tavern.

Tonight, he had come here to try his luck and search for a legendary super-author: Jiraiya of the Hidden Leaf Village.