Near the Land of Iron
The world was blanketed in white. Snow drifted down endlessly from the sky, turning earth and heaven into a single frozen canvas.
Beautiful.
At least, that was Akio's honest thought.
Beside him, Karin was shivering nonstop. "Elder, doesn't it feel like it's getting colder by the second? This really doesn't look like a place meant for sightseeing."
Akio shot her a sideways glance. "You're the one wearing the most layers. You're bundled up like a walking teddy bear, and you still have the nerve to complain?"
Karin stared at him flatly, then glanced at Kimimaro and Haku, who were both trembling as well.
Snow was pelting the three of them like icy needles, driven by fierce wind. Meanwhile, Akio stood comfortably inside an invisible repulsion field, where not a single snowflake or gust could reach him. Karin hadn't dared move close enough to share it.
"Let's go," Akio said cheerfully. "Enduring the cold is part of your training. We're almost there."
With that, he hopped onto a nearby tree completely buried in snow.
The three kids hurried after him.
About half an hour later, dusk began to settle, and the Land of Iron finally came into view.
"See that mountain in the distance?" Akio said, pointing ahead. "That unique peak, Iron Country is built right on top of it."
Karin squinted. "It kind of looks like a three-headed wolf…"
"Not a wolf," Akio replied casually. "More like a three-headed hound. Come on."
He took a step...then froze.
"What's wrong, Lord Akio?" Kimimaro asked.
"Oh, nothing," Akio said quickly. "I remember the entrance being on the west side. Let's go that way."
"…I think."
Another half hour later.
Akio hovered in midair, loudly cheering down at the three kids who were rock-climbing up the mountain face.
"Keep going! You're halfway there! This is also part of your training!"
Karin's expression was deadpan.
To be fair, even Kimimaro and Haku clearly didn't believe him, but neither complained. Training was training.
Thankfully, the mountain wasn't especially tall, only a few hundred meters. Otherwise, no ordinary civilian could ever live up here.
The moment they reached the summit, they were surrounded by a patrol of samurai clad in heavy iron armor.
Akio wasn't surprised. Sneaking in by scaling the mountain in the dead of winter was suspicious no matter how you looked at it. Still, they genuinely meant no harm.
Activating his sensory perception, Akio noted that nearly all the samurai had some degree of chakra flow. The old-style warriors who relied purely on physical skill seemed nearly extinct.
"Ninja?" one samurai asked cautiously.
Akio nodded. "I'm Akio Uzumaki, Elder of Uzushio. I'm here to meet your commander, Mifune."
Since he'd come specifically to find a sword master for Kimimaro, hiding his identity would only slow things down.
"The Elder of Uzushio…?" The samurai exchanged glances. They didn't know much about the shinobi world, but Akio's name carried weight even here.
Seeing their hesitation, Akio sighed and casually extended his repulsion field around them.
The wind and snow vanished instantly.
That was enough.
"I'll report to Commander Mifune at once," the lead samurai said. "You, escort the elder into the city!"
He hesitated. "Uh… how should we address you?"
"'Elder' works," Akio replied. "Or 'senior.' Samurai etiquette is flexible, right?"
"Yes, sir. Elder, please follow us."
After less than two kilometers on foot, they reached the gates of Iron Country's capital.
The city was imposing massive stone walls nearly five meters thick, with guards stationed every few dozen meters. Security was tight.
"This place has changed a lot," Akio said thoughtfully. "Nothing like the last time I was here."
"You've been here before?" a samurai asked in surprise.
Akio chuckled. "You probably weren't even born yet. It was fifty-three years ago, during the first Five Kage Summit. Back then, samurai factions were constantly at odds, no proper guards, no order. Even the Kage had to fend for themselves."
From behind him, Karin muttered, "So that's why you forgot where the entrance was…"
"Quiet," Akio snapped, shooting her a glare. "That was intentional training. Don't make comments."
"Elder"
"No talking," he warned.
One samurai cleared his throat. "Normally, security isn't this heavy…"
"Tsukasa," another interrupted sharply.
Akio raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like I arrived at an interesting time."
The moment they passed through the city gates, a group approached from within.
At their head was a stern man in traditional samurai attire.
"You must be Elder Akio Uzumaki of Uzushio," the man said, bowing slightly. "I am Mifune, commander of Iron Country. It's an honor."
Akio blinked. Mifune's speech was stiff, almost archaic. It made Akio feel young for once.
"Yes, that's me," Akio replied solemnly. "And you must be Commander Mifune. I've heard much about you...strong presence, impressive bearing. Reputation well deserved."
Mifune paused, then returned the salute. "You flatter me, Elder. What brings you to Iron Country?"
Akio thought for a moment, then pointed to Kimimaro. "I've long admired Iron Country's Iaijutsu tradition. I came to ask that this child be taught your sword techniques."
Talking like this was exhausting.
Mifune studied Kimimaro carefully, then nodded. "Our finest Iaijutsu master is Tsukisuke, but he's currently away. If you're willing to wait a few days or if you don't mind, I can teach him myself."
Akio approved immediately. "That'll do."
Everything was going smoothly.
Which, of course, meant something had to go wrong.
One samurai beside Mifune hesitated before speaking. "Commander… given the current situation"
"It's fine, Rikaku."
"But they want to learn Iaijutsu… and the boy doesn't even carry a sword."
Akio smiled and glanced back.
Kimimaro instantly pulled a bone blade from his arm with a sharp crack.
In the dim light, it was a terrifying sight.
The samurai stiffened but held firm.
Mifune paused. "That ability… Could it be the Shikotsumyaku bloodline?"
Akio nodded. "Correct."
Then he shifted topics smoothly. "If I may ask, why is Iron Country under martial lockdown?"
"Commander, they"
"It's all right," Mifune interrupted. "Elder Akio carries himself with integrity. I doubt he's involved in anything… unforgivable."
Akio beamed. "Exactly! So, what kind of unforgivable mess are we talking about?"
Realizing his tone was a bit off, he quickly corrected himself. "Ahem. Please, do explain."
Karin finally lost it and burst out laughing.
Mifune: "..."
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