Hyuga Yuto quickly returned to the Land of Hot Water.
The Land of Frost wasn't large. By the time Hyuga Yuto crossed the border, the sky was only faintly light.
Taking advantage of the last cover of darkness, he found a valley and then raised his fist, smashing it downwards.
Monster strength applied to his wrist, the ground trembled, a two-meter deep pit appeared.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, another series of punches landed on the ground. Soon, an "L" shaped underground structure appeared before him, the deepest part a full forty meters from the surface.
Hyuga Yuto's hand was wrapped in a faint blue light. This was a medical ninjutsu similar to the Chakra Scalpel, perfect for cutting tumors from the surface of a patient's body. But at this moment, Hyuga Yuto used it to smooth the soil of the tunnel.
After leveling the protruding rocks in the pit, Hyuga Yuto activated the scroll. Blocks of red wood flew out from within. This type of tree, which grew in the southern red forest of the Land of Fire, was moisture-proof, insect-proof, and also soundproof, making it the best material for the outer walls of an underground base.
After building the walls, Hyuga Yuto sealed the soil and rocks dug out into the scroll, planning to dispose of them elsewhere.
The following work was meticulous and tedious: multiple warning devices, deadly traps at the entrance of the underground base, ventilation and sewage pipes, emergency escape tunnels... Hyuga Yuto even buried a considerable number of exploding tags in the deepest part. This was a self-destruct device, powerful enough to collapse the entire underground base and bury all evidence.
Finally, Hyuga Yuto took out the tools he bought from the Exchange Office and placed them in the secret base. Six large medical breeding tanks were lined up in a row, facing a long metal table, which was filled with various medical tools and instruments.
With everything in place, Hyuga Yuto let out a sigh of relief and lay down on the ground.
The dim oil lamp burned slowly. Underground chambers always evoked negative words like eerie and gloomy, but in Hyuga Yuto's eyes, this place was more comfortable than the Hyuga clan grounds.
This was his own, secret base.
At this moment, he was the only one here, but as the war broke out, this place would no longer be lonely.
"I earned a lot of money, but it's not enough," Hyuga Yuto thought as he lay on the ground.
According to his plan, he needed six more secret bases. These bases would all be located in small countries. More precisely, Hyuga Yuto would establish an underground stronghold in each small country bordering the Land of Fire, storing usable medical tools and survival supplies inside.
The upcoming Third Great Ninja War would last for three years. Hyuga Yuto didn't know which battlefields he would be sent to, so like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, he decided to set up secret bases everywhere to store and research his "trophies."
Hyuga Yuto lay down for a while and fell into a light sleep. Time was imperceptible underground. When he woke up, he only felt his brain was a bit groggy, obviously from oversleeping.
He tapped his head, sat up, and began to plan his next move.
It had been about two days since he killed the wealthy "secessionist" in the Land of Hot Water. The death of such a public figure often spread quickly. The Land of Fire and Konoha's top brass must have learned by now that the assassination target was dead.
When Konoha ninjas carried out missions, they naturally couldn't stay out indefinitely. Generally speaking, they had to return to Konoha to report within five days after the assassination was completed. Considering unexpected situations like being pursued by powerful enemies, the reporting time could be extended to ten days.
But this time was clearly not enough for Hyuga Yuto. Doing missions for the ninja village would never be as fast as earning high bounties from the Exchange Office. Moreover, if the next mission was a team effort, Hyuga Yuto would probably find it difficult to make excuses to act alone.
He had to take advantage of this opportunity to make more money and set up two more bases.
Hyuga Yuto took out paper and pen, carefully considered his words, and began to write a letter to Tsunade:
"Dear Teacher, Yuto has completed the mission, but on the way back to the village, I had a sudden inspiration and new ideas for that new ninjutsu. Therefore, I want to stay outside for a while longer. I will definitely return within a month. When you receive this letter, the news of the assassination target Asakawa Yoshio's death must have already reached Konoha. Please convey my regards and apologies to Lord Hokage on my behalf."
"Also, Teacher, Yuto saw a very nice jade in the Land of Hot Water. I heard it can bring good luck."
Hyuga Yuto checked the contents of the letter, confirming that there was nothing inappropriate. He left the base, put on his cotton coat, and walked alone into the wind and snow, not stopping until he had crossed over a dozen mountains.
He put his thumb in his mouth, bit it, and then pressed his entire hand against a large tree.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a bang, after the white smoke cleared, a peculiar creature the size of an adult torso appeared. It was clearly a mollusk, somewhat like a snail without its shell. There were tiny eyes at the ends of its two tentacles, a little disgusting, but also strangely cute.
This was Tsunade's summoning animal, Katsuyu!
Of course, this was only a small part of that huge slug.
In the third month after becoming Tsunade's disciple, Hyuga Yuto also signed a blood contract to summon her.
"Ahhh, Yuto-kun, it's so cold here—"
As soon as Katsuyu appeared in the icy and snowy environment, she shivered from the cold. Her soft body looked increasingly stiff, as if she was about to freeze into an icicle.
Her voice is actually quite nice... Hyuga Yuto thought with wicked amusement, then said respectfully:
"Lady Katsuyu, I apologize for summoning you here. To make a long story short, I want you to deliver this letter to my teacher."
Katsuyu swallowed the letter into her stomach. Just as she was about to disappear, Hyuga Yuto stopped her.
"Eh... Lady Katsuyu, don't rush... Please also deliver this jade pendant to my teacher. It's a beautiful warm jade, I heard it can bring good luck, haha, Teacher loves good luck the most."
This jade pendant was left behind by the group of bandits. It was treasured in the bandit leader's treasure chest. It was indeed very beautiful and warm to the touch. What was even more rare was that there was a natural "thousand" character pattern on it, making it the perfect gift for Tsunade.
—Whether it was "Senju" or "cheating," the blonde woman should like it. Even if she lost all her gambling money, it could be used as a valuable item for another round, its ornamental and practical value maxed out.
The essence of being a disciple lay in these seemingly insignificant details. Hyuga Yuto, this damned little bastard, wouldn't let go of any opportunity to impress his teacher.
"Ah? Yuto-kun is so thoughtful..." Katsuyu was a very gentle summoning animal, unlike the two other famous violent snakes and rogue toads. She was very kind to people. Because of Tsunade, she looked at Hyuga Yuto as if he were her own junior.
She swallowed the jade pendant as well and disappeared with a pop.
After Katsuyu left, Hyuga Yuto breathed a sigh of relief. Becoming Tsunade's disciple was too important. Just his teacher's protection and connections had given him great convenience.