After a night's rest, Xin and Orochimaru set out again, soon crossing into the Land of Lightning.
The Land of Lightning was known for its high plateaus, with the Hidden Cloud Village built atop one of the tallest mountains. Due to the terrain, much of the region was constantly cloaked in storm clouds, giving rise to the country's famous lightning phenomena.
Bolts of lightning repeatedly struck down from the skies with tremendous force. It wasn't surprising that most of the ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village had an affinity for lightning- style jutsu. Growing up in this environment, it would be hard not to excel in lightning techniques.
Recalling some of the jokes from his previous life, Xin couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Orochimaru gave him a curious glance.
"Xin, did something amusing cross your mind?"
"Kinda,"Xin replied, smiling. "I was just thinking about how, because of their environments, Hidden Cloud shinobi are skilled in lightning techniques, Hidden Mist shinobi are experts in water jutsu, Hidden Stone shinobi specialize in earth jutsu, and Hidden Sand shinobi dominate wind techniques. Meanwhile, we in the Leaf... we've got a little bit of everything."
"..." Orochimaru stared, seemingly unamused.
Was that supposed to be a joke? Maybe his sense of humor was just too refined to find it funny. Still, Xin had a point. The Leaf was a melting pot of ninja with various affinities, making it harder to define a signature style for the village. Sure, there was wood-style, but that had died out with the First Hokage.
"Xin, we'll need to alter our appearances before entering the Hidden Cloud Village. It'll make things smoother for us," Orochimaru said, pulling out a scroll. Opening it, he began pulling out items.
Xin's expression darkened as Orochimaru pulled out wig after wig, comparing them. The sense of foreboding grew stronger.
He understood the need for disguises, but why on earth did Orochimaru have so many green wigs?
Bright green, dark green, forest green... How much did Orochimaru love this color?
"You've got to be kidding me. There's no way I'm wearing that. And don't even think about smearing that stuff on me," Xin snapped, eyeing the deep green wig Orochimaru had selected. He was also holding a small box that contained some kind of thick, black liquid that smelled absolutely foul.
Xin immediately knew what Orochimaru had in mind: slap on a green wig and smear that sticky black mess all over his skin. No way in hell.
"I'll wear a wig, fine. But not a green one. Absolutely not."