A Dangerous Mission! Journey to the Land Of Silence - 3

The Land of Silence was on the western edge of the Land of Fire, a small nation. About 70 percent of the land was surrounded by mountains and forests, while the plains made up the remaining 30 percent. The towns and villages that dotted these plains were at best the size of a very small village.

For Satoru, Anko, and Bob, who hailed from Konohagakure, one of the five great nations, this rustic countryside seemed almost like a different world altogether. The stark contrast between their homeland and the Land of Silence was immediately apparent to them as they set foot in this foreign land.

The capital of the Land of Silence, Tobari village, lay in the heart of the country. As soon as they crossed the border, Team Orochimaru stealthily weaved their way through hills and fields, making their way toward the village.

Despite being a poor country, the village at its heart had a certain urban sophistication to it. Unlike the straw roofs of the houses they had encountered traveling to Tobari, even the smallest houses in Tobari boasted beautiful tiled roofs. Additionally, there were numerous buildings made of reinforced concrete, and the town was neatly organized into various districts.

The village streets were intricately designed in the shape of a spiderweb, with land divided into concentric circles and roads extending outwards from the center. Along these roads stood rows of civilian homes and apartment buildings, creating a bustling urban atmosphere that was quite different from the other villages they had seen in Land of Silence.

In the center of the circles stood a grand building, towering above the surrounding structures. Its size was so conspicuous that it stood out even from outside the village. The building had a dozen or more floors, and each story was marked by a deep red roof, while the top floor was adorned with a dazzling tiled roof and gold lion statues at every corner, giving it a majestic appearance.

Bob pointed at the castle, eager to impress Anko with his quick insights, "That must be where the daimyo lives."

Satoru rolled his eyes at Bob's attempt to show off, muttering, "No shit."

Satoru couldn't help but feel uneasy in this place. It was too peaceful, especially considering the recent end of the Second Shinobi War. Most countries were still struggling with the aftermath, yet the people here seemed unfazed.

Additionally, Satoru found the people's attitudes toward them to be strange. As they walked through the village, their Konoha protectors were visible, and the locals seemed to look at them with a mix of admiration and curiosity as if they were celebrities.

Orochimaru sensed the team's unease and spoke up, "Let's find accommodations first. This mission may take a few days."

They ventured further away from the village center to search for an inn. They eventually stopped at an old tea shop with accommodation rooms on the first floor. Satoru couldn't help but feel amazed at the antiquity of the houses in this country. It felt like he had been transported back to the Warring States period of Naruto. The country seemed poor and underdeveloped compared to the Land of Fire.

Orochimaru took care of the accommodation process and they were assigned two rooms on the first floor of the tea shop. The establishment was run by a young couple with two kids, a boy named Kiko and a girl named Miko.

"I have to go take care of some business. Meanwhile, you guys can stay here. Anko will be leading this team in my absence," Orochimaru informed them before leaving. Although the genin were annoyed by Orochimaru's absence, they agreed to stay put and await further instructions.

As Bob and Satoru were walking toward their assigned room, they heard a commotion behind them. They turned around to see two little kids following them, but they eventually tripped and fell to the ground. Satoru immediately asked, "Are you alright?"

The two kids nodded their heads, and Kiko's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Can you show us Ninjutsu?"

Miko chimed in, "Yes, please show us!"

Bob and Satoru exchanged a glance, unsure of what to do. They weren't used to being asked to perform for children, but they didn't want to disappoint the eager kids either.

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In an open field behind the inn, Bob demonstrated his fire-style jutsu, while Satoru showed the kids basic jutsus like Substitution and Transformation.

"Wow, it's amazing, just like Gekko-sama told us!" exclaimed Kiko.

"Who is Gekko-sama?" Satoru asked, looking perplexed.

"He is the leader of this village," replied Miko.

"Ah, so that's the name of the Damiyo," interjected Bob, having deduced it from Miko's response.

"No, the shrewd Damiyo is dead. He died a year ago, but fortunately, Gekko-sama took over, and the country has been peaceful ever since," Kiko explained.

Satoru and Bob's faces contorted with shock. If the Damiyo had been dead for a year, then what had their missions been until this point? Did Konoha not know about the death of Damiyo?

"In two hours, there will be a public gathering. You can see for yourself what a great leader Gekko-sama is," added Miko.

Satoru and Bob absorbed the information and decided to inform Anko about it and discuss their next steps.

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Satoru and Bob relayed the information to Anko with a sense of urgency, knowing that time was of the essence.

Bob suggested finding Orochimaru to inform him, but Satoru pointed out that they didn't know where he had gone. The group fell into a momentary silence, weighing their options.

Finally, Anko broke the silence with a sly smile. "Let's attend that public gathering," she suggested, "and see what we can learn about this Gekko guy." The Satoru and Bob nodded in agreement. With their intel incomplete, they knew they had to do whatever it took to uncover the truth.

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2 hours later,

The square in front of the Castle was jammed; every person in the village was in attendance. Young, old, man, woman, people of all different classes—no distinction made between rich and poor—gathered in the plaza and waited impatiently, eager for the leading man to appear, faces all similarly lit up with passion, eyes all sparkling

Team Orochimaru was hiding behind the tiled roof of a house and looking at the gathering.

"There are so many people," Bob exclaimed.

"Indeed". Satoru chimed in.

Whether Gekko-sama was a good or bad guy, Satoru couldn't say, but there was no denying that he seemed like a great ruler.

"Hail Gekko-sama!! Hail Gekko-sama!! Hail Gekko-sama!!"

Suddenly, an enormous cheer rose up from the crowd near the stage. This rough wave spread in the blink of an eye throughout the plaza. In the midst of a storm of voices so loud it threatened to rupture one's eardrums. Some people even started crying.

"Finally he appeared," Satoru muttered.

A single man pushed his way through the crowd toward the raised platform.

The man's jet-black coat was reminiscent of Akatsuki's design but without the signature red cloud pattern. Instead, the sleeves were embroidered with a pattern of countless silver snakes. His hair was a rich brown, and his strong, manly physique was accentuated by a slightly jutting jaw and a straight, sharp nose. His calm gaze, which surveyed the crowd with cool intelligence, was framed by a pair of glasses. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

"I would assume that that is Gekko," Bob muttered.

The man on the stage slowly raised his right arm. Instantly, the boisterous cheering stopped.

Satoru was taken aback by the intense devotion the crowd exhibited toward Gekko-sama. He had witnessed great leaders in his past life, but none had commanded such unwavering loyalty. It was as if the people saw him as someone beyond the realm of ordinary humans..

As, if he is not just a leader but a ........god.