The next day.
Lin Ze was moving swiftly through a dense forest in the Land of Fire.
"Just as I expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi really doesn't want to let me rest. But sending me to investigate the whereabouts of the 'Three Treasures'? How interesting."
As Lin Ze sped along, he couldn't help thinking about the new mission Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned him that morning-ascertaining the exact whereabouts of the three Ninja Swordsmen.
The mission had nearly made Lin Ze laugh out loud. All Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were inside his storage scroll, the whole family neatly together.
Where was he supposed to find three living Ninja Swordsmen?
So after accepting the mission, Lin Ze had only traveled a short distance toward the Land of Water before turning northwest toward the Land of Earth.
After all, no matter whom Hiruzen Sarutobi sent, they couldn't possibly find any leads on three dead men. Lin Ze only needed to take a trip around the Land of Water when the time came.
After a full day and night of intensive travel, Lin Ze entered the Land of Earth at noon the following day.
He had only just stepped onto that rocky land and hadn't yet had time to carefully sense his surroundings when a faint "meow" came from beside him.
Lin Ze turned to see the orange cat Chinchilla crouching on a weathered rock, watching him with amber eyes and patting the small storage scroll hanging around his neck with a paw.
"Meow! Boss Lin Ze, a letter from Boss Nonō. That'll be one thousand ryō!"
Chinchilla held out a paw, looking strictly businesslike.
Lin Ze wasted no words, counting out one thousand ryō in banknotes and handing them over.
Chinchilla deftly tucked the money into the storage scroll before taking out