While Nonou was chatting amicably with Uchiha Fugaku, standing together in the role of "guardians," Itachi sincerely invited Kuroi and Kabuto.
"Kuroi, Kabuto, would you like to come to my house next time?"
"No way," Kabuto immediately refused, turning his face away haughtily. "Don't get the wrong idea. I haven't acknowledged you as my friend. Also, stop calling him Kuroi. Only the kids from the orphanage can call him that!"
"Sure, that sounds good," Kuroi replied with a smile.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Kabuto was alarmed. He had just refused, but now this foolish little brother had accepted. Did this mean his silly brother would be taken to Itachi's house?
"Kabuto, are you coming too?" Itachi asked, intentionally teasing, "Oh, I almost forgot. You just refused, didn't you?"
"Damn it...!" Kabuto clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, then sighed haughtily, "Fine, since you're so insistent, I'll generously accept."
"Really? If it's too much trouble, we can forget about it."
"You really are an annoying kid! Do you want to fight?"
Seeing Kabuto's flushed face and flustered reaction, Itachi couldn't help but turn away and chuckle.
Not far away, Fugaku felt deeply gratified watching his son. It was the first time he had seen Itachi act like a child. If it meant seeing his child's innocent, carefree nature more often, he was determined to stabilize the unrest within the Uchiha clan.
...
After over a month of wandering in the Iron Country's perpetual winter, Shinji finally left and arrived in the Land of Valleys.
To be honest, the climate in the Shinobi World was indeed peculiar.
Setting aside the ever-winter Iron Country, the most bizarre was the Land of Rain. An inland country that rained continuously and even had a sea! Where did the sea come from?
An inland sea? The map certainly didn't show that!
The Land of Rain's climate and geography were the most mysterious and strange in the Shinobi World. Despite being inland, it had a sea and rained every day.
Sometimes, Shinji felt that discussing science in such a world was not very scientific.
Thus, when he read in an official Naruto novel that Sasuke said his Water Style created pure water from hydrogen and oxygen atoms and was non-conductive, he found it baffling.
Another thing Shinji couldn't comprehend was how blowing up a bridge could affect the outcome of a war.
Ignoring the fact that ninjas could walk on water, how could the Land of Earth, whose ninjas could use Earth Style to create mountains, fail to maintain a supply line without a bridge?
This world defied the laws of conservation of energy. It was both scientific and unscientific, capable of generating hydrogen and oxygen atoms with chakra.
A magical world indeed.
...
The Land of Valleys, a minor country surrounded by four others and known for its giant waterfalls.
Takigakure, the hidden village behind a massive waterfall, was the home of Akatsuki member Kakuzu.
The main depiction of the Land of Valleys is in the OVA "Battle at Hidden Falls." In this OVA, Kirigakure targets a substance called Hero Water, which temporarily increases chakra tenfold, leading to a clash with Team 7.
Naruto's propensity to intervene in unjust situations was evident.
Perhaps it was this trait that made him forget his promise to his master, Jiraiya, and neglect bringing peace to the Land of Rain even after becoming Hokage.
There were too many injustices for one person to handle, and he may have simply forgotten the Land of Rain, which was understandable. Nagato couldn't blame him.
...
The concept of waterfalls acting as natural barriers puzzled Shinji until he reached the outskirts of the Land of Valleys.
Countless massive waterfalls surrounded the country, cascading down from great heights!
It was as if a giant curtain shielded the nation from intruders.
The country seemed like a constantly flowing island, with water pouring down its sides, creating a natural moat.
Indeed, it was a formidable natural barrier, and Shinji felt his understanding of the geography of the Shinobi World had expanded.
...
After a month and a half in the Land of Valleys, during which he planted fake ancient ruins but failed to find the Hero Water, Shinji left with some ninja scrolls he had acquired.
His next destination was the Land of Grass, home to Kusagakure, a place of nightmares for Karin and her mother.
Of course, at this time, Karin was just a newborn, still a baby, and Shinji doubted the adults would be cruel enough to harm such a small child.
...
Kusagakure, an important battlefield in the Third Great Ninja War. Uchiha Obito died here, and the Battle of Kannabi Bridge involved Grass ninjas.
Kusagakure's foreign policy was often described as leveraging diplomatic tactics to navigate between the great powers, maintaining a precarious neutrality.
Less charitably, they were seen as unscrupulous information brokers.
However, surviving multiple Shinobi World Wars and thriving without powerful ninjas was an impressive feat.
Despite his best efforts to provoke them, Shinji couldn't entice any Grass ninjas to challenge him, which left him at a loss.
If they didn't provoke him, he had no reason to act, and thus no pretext to abduct the recently weaned little red-haired girl.
He was reasonable, unlike those who meddled out of sheer annoyance.
After much deliberation, Shinji decided his approach wasn't working. On his sixth attempt, he boldly entered Kusagakure, observed by the guards.
To entice them, he stuffed a wad of cash into his chest pocket and made sure it was visible to everyone in the village, even filling his pockets with bills.
Pretending to be a wealthy but unprotected civilian, he thought surely they would take the bait!
...but no one did.
The villagers and ninjas were exceptionally cautious, never acting without thoroughly investigating someone's background.
Even if someone appeared wealthy, they had no ill intentions.
What if he was an important figure from a major nation?
If they harmed him and his country retaliated, it would be disastrous.
So, despite flaunting his wealth in crowded streets until nightfall, not a single ninja took the bait!
The people were honest, not even picking up what wasn't theirs.
That night, Shinji, planning to camp outside and continue his baiting strategy, was stopped and persuaded by several very "upright" Grass ninjas.
They warned that sleeping outside could be dangerous and suggested he stay at an inn to avoid catching a cold.
Their unexpected concern made Shinji feel a bit embarrassed. Their cautiousness was indeed unparalleled in the Shinobi World!
They even kindly asked if he felt lonely sleeping alone and offered to find someone to keep him company.
Knowing they wouldn't harm him without knowing his identity, Shinji hesitated before pointing to a weary, pale-skinned woman with long red hair who had just returned from a mission.
"She seems fine. Bring her."
"Are you sure, sir?"
The Grass ninja looked puzzled. That woman was notorious in the village, with a child and a haggard appearance. This man's tastes were peculiar.
Then again, recalling that some prominent figures had unusual preferences, the Grass ninja understood. This distinguished-looking young man must be a big shot with unique tastes, here for a pleasure trip.
"Hey, you, come here!" the ninja called to the red-haired woman.