Chapter 83: The Land of Hot Water
"I didn't expect a place like this to exist..." Masahiko sighed with emotion as he lay in the hot spring.
Since leaving Konoha, Masahiko had traveled north and arrived in a country called the Land of Hot Water (Yu no Kuni).
Naturally, to make traveling the ninja world easier, Masahiko used the Transformation Jutsu to create a disguise. His current appearance was that of a young man in his early twenties with dark skin. He looked quite ordinary, except for a head of blonde hair that didn't quite match his complexion. Aside from that, no one would pay him any attention in a crowd.
"This Land of Hot Water... is simply a paradise." Masahiko shifted his position in the hot spring, narrowing his eyes comfortably.
It had been nearly half a month since Hashirama passed away. Almost the entire ninja world had received the news, and the scent of gunpowder from impending war was everywhere.
However, when Masahiko arrived in this country called the Land of Hot Water a day ago, he found that the residents here showed no signs of tension at all. There were many traveling merchants and tourists; it was truly a sanctuary from the world.
And true to the country's name, there were "Yu" (hot water/baths) everywhere. Masahiko had been soaking for half a day and felt like he was about to melt from comfort.
"So, what should I do next to infiltrate the Land of Lightning?" Masahiko shifted again, muttering to himself.
That's right, Masahiko's final destination for this trip was the Land of Lightning. Transforming into a dark-skinned youth was also for this purpose, as he recalled that most people in the Land of Lightning had this skin tone, so he would blend in better.
As for the blonde hair, that was related to one of his goals in going to the Land of Lightning. He wanted to steal the Land of Lightning's secret technique, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and the accompanying taijutsu. Releasing it would give him the feeling of transforming into a Super Saiyan.
Taijutsu had always been a relative weakness for Masahiko, even after learning the Eight Inner Gates. Because he didn't have the accompanying taijutsu moves for the Eight Gates—he could use the Front Lotus and Reverse Lotus, but they weren't very useful to him. He had been trying to develop the Morning Peacock and Daytime Tiger for a long time, but had made no progress. His talent in taijutsu was truly average. Relying on Kento-kun to figure it out would make him blush with shame... By learning the Lightning Release Chakra Mode this time, he hoped to gain insights by analogy and make progress in his taijutsu.
"I wonder how many stages the Lightning Release Chakra Mode has? If there are four stages, my hair color might not be appropriate..." Masahiko muttered to himself. In reality, the Super Saiyan aesthetic was the more important factor.
Setting the Land of Lightning as his final destination, Masahiko naturally had other objectives.
In Masahiko's memory, two major events occurred during the upcoming First Great Ninja War. First, in the war between Iwagakure and Kirigakure, the Second Tsuchikage Mū and the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki killed each other. Second, during the alliance ceremony between Konoha and Kumogakure, the Gold and Silver Brothers launched a coup d'état, killing the Second Raikage, and later pursued Tobirama and his six disciples, ending with Tobirama's death.
Therefore, Masahiko's ultimate goal this time was to save Tobirama at the source. He hoped to infiltrate Kumogakure, or even infiltrate the Gold and Silver Brothers' special unit, and then "unleash an ultimate move" when the time came...
"I failed to save Hashirama because Black Zetsu was causing trouble. If Tobirama still dies, then my transmigration will have been in vain..."
"Whew..." Masahiko took a deep breath and stepped out of the hot spring. He put on his clothes, picked up his bundle, and weighed it in his hand.
Inside the bundle was a kettle—the one sealing the Yang half of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"If there's a chance, I can also complete the missing part of the Nine-Tails' chakra..." Masahiko had discovered a few days ago that the Yang chakra in the kettle was slightly incomplete. After thinking it over, the missing portion should be with the Gold and Silver Brothers.
"Why does it feel like this trip is going to be so troublesome..."
"So, step one: think of a way to infiltrate Kumogakure..." The ninja world today was not like it was a few years ago. The Five Great Nations were on high alert for the impending war, so one couldn't just wander in at will.
Masahiko could try to sneak in, of course, but it would be difficult to operate afterward...
After thinking for a long time without finding a suitable method, he decided, "I'll go out and look around first..."
"Guest, take care!" With the enthusiastic send-off from the shop assistant, Masahiko left the hot spring inn.
Wandering aimlessly through the streets of the Land of Hot Water for half the day, Masahiko didn't gain much. Aside from hot springs, there were hotels and restaurants; even residential houses were rare.
"It's completely a tourist country... Hmm?" Masahiko suddenly spotted a different kind of building in the distance.
Walking closer, he read the sign: "Guard Recruitment Office?"
Masahiko scratched his head and walked in.
Inside, there were a few simple tables. Behind one sat a fierce-looking middle-aged man holding a long sword, a long scar traversing almost his entire face.
"Here to apply? Samurai or Ninja?" Scarface asked indifferently.
Masahiko looked left and right. Seeing no third person, he asked, "What do you do here?"
Scarface paused. "An outsider?"
He then explained the origin of the so-called "Guard Recruitment Office" to Masahiko.
It turned out that there were many traveling merchants in the Land of Hot Water, and many goods needed to be transported to the Land of Lightning. However, between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Lightning lay a country in perpetual civil war—the Land of Rivers. Therefore, merchants had to recruit guards for protection.
Previously, most merchants commissioned Konoha ninjas for escorts. But in recent years, due to the turbulence in the ninja world, Konoha had refused escort missions to the Land of Lightning. Thus, the "Guard Recruitment Office" was established.
Hearing the explanation, Masahiko was secretly delighted. He felt he had found a way to enter the Land of Lightning. As for what to do after, he would think about it once he was inside.
"Is there any test to join the guards?" Masahiko asked.
"I need to record your information," Scarface said flatly. "You should be a ninja... Origins and name?"
Masahiko hesitated. "My name is Masahiko... er, my name is Masayi. A Ronin (wandering samurai) from the Land of Iron." Since the Land of Iron was still in a civil war, wandering samurai were common.
Scarface sat up straight, muttering, "Masayi? What kind of ghost name is that?"
Masahiko curled his lip secretly. Uncultured swine.
"Also," Scarface spoke again, "Land of Iron Ronin... what rank?"
Masahiko rolled his eyes. "What do you think?" He really didn't know samurai ranks.
Scarface's face flushed red. "Are you playing with me? Looking at you, you're probably just a lower-level samurai."
Masahiko shook his head. "I am a high-ranking samurai..."
Opposite him, Scarface had already drawn his sword. "You really are playing with me... A high-ranking samurai! Who doesn't carry a sword with him?"
Masahiko blushed. "Ah, sorry, I think I left it at the hot spring. I'll go get it!" Whoosh! He disappeared without a trace.
Leaving behind a dumbfounded Scarface, who muttered to himself, "That speed... is he really a high-ranking samurai?"
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