The Land of Iron is located in the center of the map. There are no ninja villages here; instead, it is a country controlled by many samurai.
Mifune was waiting at the city gate early on. When he saw the beautiful woman wearing the Hokage hat in the middle of the group, he immediately stepped forward.
" Hokage, welcome to the Land of Iron." Mifune bowed to Tsunade.
Tsunade returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you, Lady Mifune. Have the other village leaders arrived yet?"
"We've arrived. Hokage, you are the last one."
Shinsei couldn't help but look at his teacher, thinking: If he hadn't been tempted to gamble a couple of times when passing through the town on the way, he wouldn't be the last one to arrive, even though Konoha is the closest.
Tsunade ignored her disciple's gaze and exchanged pleasantries with Mifune as if nothing had happened, even with an air of self-righteousness.
Mifune and several samurai led the way, guiding the Konoha members to a courtyard.
"Lord Hokage and your guards, please stay here for the time being. The Land of Iron is poor and our hospitality may be lacking; please forgive us."
Tsunade, indicating that she didn't mind.
Mifune glanced at Deidara beside him, then took his leave.
Shinsei stepped forward and removed the seal from Deidara's mouth.
"Damn you, Shinsei! I'll blow you to pieces and show you my ultimate art!" Deidara rambled on.
"If you keep nagging, I'll shut your mouth again." Shinsei pretended to seal his mouth once more.
Deidara quickly shut his mouth, only glaring fiercely at Shinsei.
The courtyard was quite large, and several warriors led everyone into the rooms.
The Land of Iron has no ninja organizations; the country is ruled entirely by samurai. But that doesn't mean they don't use Chakra.
I've heard that in the past there were samurai who honed their physical skills and swordsmanship, and they insisted that the use of Chakra samurai was a departure from tradition.
But now these samurai are basically nowhere to be seen. After all, Chakra provides a huge boost to the body.
Modern samurai imbue their weapons with Chakra to enhance their destructive power. Among them, the best, such as their leader Mifune, are figures that even Kage Level shinobi cannot ignore.
It is said that the ninjas who fought against Mifune didn't even have time to Hand Seals.
There's a saying from an ancient time, "No martial art in the world is invincible except for speed."
Shinsei is also a proponent of this statement, so whether it's the Ninjutsu he develops or his fighting style, he does everything he can to increase his physical speed.
After everyone had chosen their rooms and were about to rest, they heard voices outside.
A samurai rushed in. " Lord Hokage, the Lord Tsuchikage of the Land of Earth requests to see you."
"They've come knocking on our door already? Ōnoki's speed is impressive."
Shinsei pulled Deidara along and followed Tsunade toward the main entrance.
The combination in Iwakage Village was quite peculiar: a burly man over 2 meters tall and a tall, long-legged girl stood at the entrance.
" Tsunade, quickly return my disciple!" came an old man's voice from behind the burly man.
A short old man sat on the back of the big man's neck; he was not easily noticed unless you looked closely.
This must be Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwakage Village. He's as short as rumored, and the beautiful girl next to him is his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
The woman nicknamed "Leg Shadow" by Hokage fans from her previous life—well, she certainly has long legs.
However, she's not my type. If we're talking about beauties from different villages, I know all the ones from Konoha, and the one who best suits my aesthetic is right next to me.
The one from the outer villages who best fits Shinsei's aesthetic is Samui from Kumokage Village, though the Heipi beauty Mabui also quite nice.
"Oh, so the Tsuchikage isn't dead yet? He's so old, yet he's still clinging to the Kage position! Doesn't he give any opportunities to the younger generation?" Tsunade spoke without any politeness.
Akatsuchi, who was beneath Ōnoki, didn't seem to care much about what he said, but Kurotsuchi, who was beside him, couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"Because of the existence of your Konoha, I dare not relax." As Ōnoki spoke, his body slowly floated up and then landed on the ground.
He looked at Deidara beside him. "Quickly hand over my disciple to me."
Deidara snorted coldly and turned his face away, "I don't want to go back with that old man!"
Ōnoki said angrily, "What are you still doing here? Isn't it embarrassing enough to be caught? I'll punish you severely when we get back!"
Shinsei stepped forward and said to Ōnoki, " Deidara is my prisoner. How could I hand him over to you so easily? If you want to take him back, you'll have to pay a price."
Ōnoki stood with his hands behind his back, his face serious. "I will not compromise with anyone, nor will I listen to any of your conditions. Hand over Deidara to me now, or Iwakage Village will consider launching a war against Konoha."
"Hahaha..." Shinsei couldn't help but laugh. " Tsuchikage, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Wanting to reap without sowing? Are all the people of Iwakage Village bandits?"
As for starting a war, do as you please. At worst, we can capture a few more prisoners. If you feel Deidara isn't enough as leverage, then your granddaughter would be a good one too."
Kurotsuchi heard her name called and carefully examined the black-haired boy next to Tsunade.
Shinsei's name is quite well-known even in Iwagakure; after all, someone who could capture Deidara alive always attracts a lot of attention.
She looked at Deidara next to Shinsei; his handsome face was covered in dust, and even his once beautiful blond hair had lost its luster.
"Brother!" Kurotsuchi shouted at Deidara, "Have they mistreated you?"
Deidara ignored Ōnoki, but turned his face towards Kurotsuchi, who was calling him "brother."
His face was filled with embarrassment; this kind of reunion was not what he had hoped for.
"I'm fine, Kurotsuchi. You've grown up and become very beautiful!" Deidara looked at the girl who used to follow him around calling him "brother," now a beautiful young woman, and felt his face burning even more.
The current situation is truly unpleasant! Shouldn't I be riding a giant dragon outside Iwakage Village, amidst the explosions, leaving the old man helpless and earning the admiring gaze of Kurotsuchi?
Shinsei patted Deidara on the shoulder and asked, "She calls you 'brother,' are you still Ōnoki's grandson?"
Deidara turned his head away, ignoring Shinsei.
"Well? Tsuchikage, have you made up your mind? If you have, let's discuss the terms of the exchange!"
"I will never compromise with any enemy," Ōnoki said angrily.
Instead, Kurotsuchi quickly asked, "What do you want?"
" The Light-Weight Rock Technique!" Shinsei replied with a smile.