Five days later
After returning to New Moon Port and picking up Xiao Daocao's family, the group traveled overland towards the Land of Hot Water and finally arrived at the border.
It was only then that Yamato realized that the situation in the Land of Hot Water was far more severe than he had previously analyzed.
At the official checkpoint, several guards dressed in black samurai attire were checking passersby. They all wore the same Jashin Cult necklaces as Hidan, one a circle and the other a triangle, and their weapons had been lengthened.
Upon seeing the giant earthen tortoise approaching from afar, the guards were startled, thinking it was an enemy attack, and immediately went on alert. "Watch out! Enemy attack!"
"For the glory of the Lord Jashin!"
The Lord God: "Hey... is a cult really this blatant?!"
The earth and stone tortoise stopped a short distance away, then disengaged, Yamato and Hongshi walked towards the guard.
Who are you people?!
Yamato pulled a pass from his pocket. "We are envoys from Konoha, and we wish to go to Divine Hot Water City."
The guards of the Land of Hot Water repeatedly verified the authenticity of the pass before finally letting out a sigh of relief, "Even if you have the pass, we still need to ask, who are you looking for in the Divine Hot Water City? What do you need to do there?"
Yamato thought for Yamato and then said, "We want to go and discuss an alliance with the five Great Bathrobe of the Land of Hot Water."
Unlike other countries, the Land of Hot Water is governed by five of the most powerful families, and the " Great Bathrobe " is the title of the head of these five families.
The Lord God: "He's obviously a seasoned slob."
The guards of the Land of Hot Water chuckled, "Five? How long has it been since you last came? Now there are only three left."
This caught Yamato, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. "May I ask who these three are now?"
The guard from the Land of Hot Water wore an expression of admiration. "Of course, it's the three Great Bathrobe: the Iō Orochi, the Kaike Higure, and the Kamaya Raiu!"
Yamato continued, "What about the Great Bathrobe worn by Suikyū Nanashō and Tansan Shizuto?"
Upon hearing the names of these two people, the guards of the Land of Hot Water showed displeasure. "Hmph, those two families that blasphemed the Lord Jashin have all been imprisoned. Tomorrow they will be boiled alive, their sins washed away in boiling oil! But we won't be able to see that scene."
The Lord God: "... I suddenly realized something was wrong."
Yamato thought to himself, "Tomorrow?"
It turns out that as early as half a year ago, the three major families of the Land of Hot Water had already been infiltrated by the Jashin Cult, and the members of the families had also been brainwashed. Only the Water Sphere and Carbonic Acid families strongly resisted and vehemently opposed the Jashin Cult. However, in the face of the Death Controlling Possessed Blood, all the top combatants of the families were killed in a short period of time and finally became prisoners.
Hongshi looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. "Hmph, how utterly boring. Do you guys in the Land of Hot Water have oden? The kind that gets more flavorful the longer it's cooked."
Seeing the guards' suspicion, Yamato quickly changed his tone and pulled out the evil god necklace he had prepared beforehand. "Captain, we're on the same side."
Upon seeing the necklace, the guard from the Land of Hot Water changed his arrogant attitude. "Oh! So you're a believer too."
Yamato quickly whispered, "Actually, I came to the Land of Hot Water to negotiate the introduction of the Jashin Cult into Konoha, but it's still in its early stages, so we can't make it public."
Tōga -o Hongshi looked at Yamato with disdain. "Are you out of your mind?"
"I see. You may go in."
"Holy crap, this is way too easy!"
"However, Ninjutsu cannot be used; that would be a grave disrespect to the Lord Jashin!"
"Of course."
After the group entered the Land of Hot Water, Yamato solemnly said, "We must hurry on our way and make sure to rescue the Water Ball Clan and the Carbonic Acid Clan before the execution."
Tōga Hongshi smiled wickedly, "Then let's make a scene!"
Yamato speculated that the three major families would use the execution as an opportunity to incite a large number of people, which would likely plunge the Land of Hot Water into chaos.
If this were to happen, it would pose a huge threat to Konoha, a neighboring country, and could even damage the alliance it had just established with the Land of the Moon.
Yamato didn't refute this time, but instead asked, " Hongshi, can your Flying Thunder God fly to Divine Hot Water City?"
Tōga Hongshi was already deeply immersed in role-playing. "No."
"That's troublesome. The execution is tomorrow, and if it's just on foot, even for me, it will probably take ten days to get there."
Xiao Daocao quickly tugged at Hongshi's sleeve. "Master, please help Captain Yamato!"
Hanabi Hyuga added, "In principle, we shouldn't interfere in the Land of Hot Water, but if a cult causes trouble, then it becomes a problem for the entire Shinobi World."
Tōga -o Hongshi sighed, "Alright, since Xiao Daocao and Hanabi Sister have said so, I'll take you there. Even without the Flying Thunder God, we can reach Divine Hot Water City in a day. Watch me!"
"Roar!"
Hongshi's body was enveloped in white Chakra, and suddenly it changed, gradually growing larger and growing a lot of white fur. Finally, it turned into an enormous white demon dog, which was very majestic.
Yamato exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap, what a huge dog! It can do that? But the Land of Hot Water has a complex terrain; even this alone might not be enough to get there in time."
Tōga Hongshi said, "Come on up, I can fly."
The demon dog was nearly twenty meters tall. Yamato Hand Seals: " Wood Release: Wooden Staircase Technique! Alright, everyone, come on up!"
Everyone slowly climbed onto the back of the Hongshi.
The Xiao Daocao felt the fluffy texture. "Wow! This fur is so soft! I feel sleepy now."
Hanabi Hyuga exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be the Inuzuka Clan's secret beast transformation technique?"
Yamato was increasingly able to grasp the power of the Hongshi: "This level of transformation is truly terrifying."
Ultimately, it's just the effect of Beast Transformation Technique combined with Multi-Size Technique.
After everyone was seated, Hongshi let out a long roar, "Sit down, my little ones!"
Then it soared into the sky, walking on air, and flames appeared beneath its feet as a platform, propelling it forward at incredible speed. Its enormous and majestic body startled the birds and beasts in the forest, creating a scene reminiscent of a demonic beast descending.
Yamato was truly surprised that Hongshi could fly. "How come you can do everything?!"
Hongshi chuckled, "I've answered this question many times already, and right now, in the entire Shinobi World, only Kakashi can go toe-to-toe with me."
Yamato hearing Kakashi's name, Yamato exclaimed, "Oh, Kakashi- senpai! (I like him)!"
Konohamaru exclaimed with longing, "Brother Hongshi, I want to learn this technique too!"
Tōga -o Hongshi: "You should focus on mastering your Rasengan; it's a technique passed down from the Hokage. And you guys! Don't fall behind in your training, keep practicing!"
"Yes!"
Yamato used the Wood Locking Wall to protect everyone. " Hongshi is right, this trip to Divine Hot Water City will likely be a fierce battle, it's no joke. Bōsetsu, Bōshō, you two need to protect Ahao and his son."
The Lord God: "Heh heh, this is a damn fierce battle."
Ahao knew he couldn't be of much help, and said with a wry smile, "I'm sorry, Captain Yamato, we don't have the strength to fight."
Tōga Hongshi said, "What you're saying is really something. Your cooking skills are truly excellent. How are you supposed to fight on an empty stomach?"
Konohamaru nodded in agreement. "Boss Hongshi is right, you guys are our personal chefs! What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Oden, of course!"
"Yay!"