Chapter 87: The Land of Hot Water

The Land of Hot Water bordered the Land of Fire and had a relatively small territory among the minor nations. It also bordered several other small nations, possessing an excellent geographic location. Reportedly, it was renowned for its numerous hot springs, living up to its reputation and attracting many visitors from abroad.

Two days later, Sakumo's group of four had already entered the Land of Hot Water. However, they still avoided towns and villages as much as possible, preferring to travel through deserted areas.

"We're about to approach the Hidden Hot Water Village," Sakumo said, stopping and unfolding a map to examine the end of the forest ahead.

"Are we going to enter the Hidden Hot Water Village?" Jun Toriumi asked from the side.

Sakumo shook his head. "No, we'll bypass the Hidden Hot Water Village and stop at a small town called Izumi."

At this point, Minato and Uchiha Homura joined them. As newcomers on their first mission, they lacked experience and had to follow Sakumo's lead.

From the map's location indicated by Sakumo's finger, they saw that this so-called Town of Izumi was situated above the Hidden Hot Water Village, nearly bordering another nation.

"If relations between nations are tense and the Land of Lightning has to pass through another country to reach the Land of Hot Water, they would only have three days to travel directly through," Sakumo explained patiently to Minato and Uchiha Homura. "The only place they could reach in that time is this small town."

Compared to the Hidden Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning, the distance they had traveled was likely much shorter than that of the missing-nin Kuriyama Shinzo and his group departing from the Hidden Cloud Village. Yet, even with this advantage, they had tirelessly rushed for two days to reach their current position.

Additionally, they had to pass through other nations along the way, complicating the journey. According to the map, the only location they could reach within three days was indeed this small town.

"Take off your Konoha forehead protectors," Sakumo said, turning to the two young shinobi as he put away the map.

They nodded, understanding that for an assassination mission, concealing their identities was crucial. Wearing forehead protectors would be too conspicuous.

"Furthermore, we need to disguise ourselves," Sakumo added, glancing down at his own attire and then at Jun's, both clearly identifying them as ninja.

Jun nodded, having extensive experience with covert assassination missions from her time in the Anbu. However, she could not change in front of Sakumo and the others, so she turned and disappeared into the nearby forest.

Sakumo also retreated into another part of the woods.

Minato and Uchiha Homura's attire did not require changing, as they merely appeared as two handsome young men without their Konoha forehead protectors.

Sakumo soon emerged, now donning a loose white robe that, instead of appearing baggy on him, completely transformed his previous impression. He now looked like an elegant gentleman, complemented by his naturally handsome features.

The three waited for Jun to return.

After several minutes, Jun finally reappeared, wearing a sky-blue dress adorned with beautiful patterns. A hairpin loosely gathered her cascading blue tresses, making her appear like a pure and lively young girl standing before them.

Both Jun and Sakumo were relatively young, with Sakumo being a few years younger than Jiraiya, who was currently in his twenties. Jun was Sakumo's junior.

Exchanging glances in their new appearances, they momentarily froze before Jun averted her gaze, her fair complexion flushed red.

"Ahem," Sakumo cleared his throat to dispel the awkwardness. "Alright, let's head to the Town of Izumi."

After a few more hours of travel, they finally entered the bustling Town of Izumi. Having been away from crowds for over two days, Minato and Uchiha Homura couldn't help but feel a sense of relief upon seeing the lively town, no matter how skilled they were. After all, they were still children.

Sakumo and Jun walked behind them, the atmosphere somewhat awkward between the two. Minato and Uchiha Homura strolled ahead at a leisurely pace, with Minato observing their surroundings while Uchiha Homura pretended not to care, though his dark eyes occasionally darted around.

This was not due to their lack of focus but rather a requirement from Sakumo. Upon entering the town, they were to act as ordinary civilians. Their previous demeanor would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention, compromising the mission's secrecy.

As they walked, Minato noticed numerous inns advertising hot springs, confirming the Land of Hot Water's reputation for its renowned hot springs.

At that moment, he couldn't help but think of his teacher, Jiraiya, who was currently on a mission elsewhere. Minato recalled Jiraiya mentioning that one of the nations he wished to visit someday was the Land of Hot Water.

However, recalling the scene from his first outing with his teacher, Minato's expression became puzzled, uncertain whether Jiraiya's interest in the Land of Hot Water stemmed from a desire to enjoy the hot springs or for other purposes.

The group of four naturally approached the edge of the town and, under Sakumo's lead, entered a modest but well-decorated inn, which did not appear crowded due to its location near the town's periphery.

The inn's owners were a married couple around thirty years old. Sakumo requested a room on the second floor, and the wife led the four of them upstairs.

The room was spacious enough to accommodate four or five people comfortably.

"You all are from another nation, aren't you?" the innkeeper's wife asked with a friendly smile.

Minato and Uchiha Homura remained silent, afraid of saying something wrong, while Jun showed no intention of responding. Sakumo smiled and replied, "Yes, we're from the Land of Fire."

"That's a major nation," the woman exclaimed, referring to the Land of Fire's status as one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries and its renowned economic power.

"Are you here for tourism?" she inquired further.

"Yes, after all, this is the Land of Hot Springs. It truly lives up to its reputation. We've already visited several hot springs in the past few days," Sakumo responded.

Since the Town of Izumi was relatively far from the Land of Fire, it would be unnecessary to travel such a distance solely for hot springs.

Sakumo added, "We plan to visit some other nations as well."

This immediately dispelled any suspicion from the innkeeper's mind. "My parents are busy with their business, so they asked me to take my younger brothers and sisters on a trip to have a change of scenery."

"Oh, so you're siblings," the woman said, slightly taken aback, having apparently made different assumptions about Sakumo and Jun's relationship.

After a brief conversation, the innkeeper excused herself and left.

Once she was gone, Sakumo let out a long sigh of relief. Despite his extensive mission experience, he still found it challenging to deal with women, especially since Jun had just come from the Anbu, and Minato and Uchiha Homura were newcomers.

Sakumo walked to another part of the room and slightly opened a door, revealing a modest balcony.

"From here, we should be able to observe the flow of people entering the town at all times," he explained, the reason for choosing this particular inn.

Minato and Uchiha Homura joined him, and although the door was only slightly ajar, their exceptional eyesight allowed them to clearly see the situation on the streets.

(Scene transition.)

(end of chapter)