The Land of Water—one of the Five Great Nations, but relatively the weakest. Despite its natural safety, surrounded by sea, making invasion troublesome, its military strength had declined over time. The main reasons? The scattering of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and Obito blaming Kirigakure for the death of Rin Nohara. After manipulating the Mizukage, he triggered the infamous Blood Mist policy, causing Kirigakure's strength to plummet. Since then, the village's presence had mostly faded into the background—its rogue ninja left a stronger impression.
Like Momochi Zabuza, the elite miniboss of Team 7's debut.
Or Hoshigaki Kisame, the shark-faced warrior who later shared a heartfelt clash with Maito Gai.
"But this godforsaken place..." Nara Kazuki was squatting inside a small shop, eating ice cream as he watched the drizzle outside. He sighed helplessly.
His first impression of the Land of Water was the unpredictable weather. But that made sense—it was a sea-bound island nation constantly affected by shifting oceanic climates. Kazuki looked up at the heavy clouds and let out another sigh.
It had been a bright, sunny day when he got off the ship. In just moments, storm clouds had rolled in. Ridiculous.
He squinted toward the horizon. Kirigakure lay inland, meaning he still had some distance to cover. But that wasn't the issue. What mattered was whether Kirigakure was currently under the Blood Mist regime.
"It should be, right? I vaguely remember Sasuke showing up later and uncovering that the Mizukage was being manipulated?" Kazuki scratched his head. He didn't recall all the details. He'd watched Naruto ages ago. Once the series ended, he'd dropped it completely—and as for Boruto? That dumpster fire only lived in memes.
He gave up trying to recall.
"Doesn't matter. I've gotta leave eventually either way." He shook his head and began planning his exit strategy.
Leaving the Land of Water wasn't easy. The biggest problem was crossing the sea. Commercial ships were tightly controlled. He'd likely need to find a private vessel. Once he made it to the Land of Fire's shores, he'd be safe.
"Such a hassle." Kazuki exhaled. He'd rather go on a killing spree. But with Obito potentially lurking around here, he shelved the idea.
If he accidentally ran into Obito... that'd be too interesting. But the odds were so low. He doubted his luck could be that—
—bad.
"Boss, two cones of ice cream." A masked man walked in. His outfit was unusual, but Kazuki recognized him instantly.
Obito Uchiha.
The shadow behind early Naruto. A pawn of Madara, a puppet of Black Zetsu. A tragic figure—and yet one unforgivable. Not even his death could truly redeem him. Kazuki glanced at him, then looked away.
Fortunately, in the ninja world, weird outfits were commonplace. While Obito's getup did draw a few glances, most ignored him. Who knew what kind of unstable lunatic he was?
These days, many shinobi were off their rocker. Most civilians avoided them entirely—never knowing if some mentally unhinged ninja might snap and release a jutsu for fun.
That was the general civilian attitude. Only the rich or powerful dared to treat ninja differently. Everyone else preferred a "less trouble is better" mindset.
Kazuki understood. He'd seen that fear firsthand on missions. So he acted like a timid commoner now, keeping his head down.
Obito didn't bother with anyone else. He got his cones and left quickly. Kazuki briefly considered tailing him... but gave up. Too risky.
As for what Obito needed two cones for, Kazuki had his guesses. Either for Black Zetsu, or for Rin Nohara.
Probably Rin. Obito had no friends in the Land of Water. Rin's grave wasn't even here, but Obito wouldn't care. To him, visiting her was about memory, not location.
Kazuki had no intention of provoking Obito. But someone else apparently did.
"Hey! You in the mask—stop right there!" Just as Obito neared the door, a few men stood up. Sleeves rolled, scarred arms on display—clearly trying to look intimidating.
Kazuki winced. Idiots.
He remembered Obito pulling out a fat stack of cash when paying, and his bulging wallet. Kazuki suspected he was baiting these fools. Maybe just to blow off steam.
"You talking to me?" Obito turned slowly, staring at the thugs who'd now surrounded him, blades twirling in hand.
"Hey man, we're broke. Just wanna borrow some cash." The ringleader spun his butterfly knife skillfully. Obito's mask revealed nothing, but Kazuki felt the sudden spike in danger.
Obito wasn't someone to provoke. In fact, very few were even acknowledged as "people" in his eyes. If he acted, the whole shop could go down with them.
Kazuki had to consider this. If Obito lost it, Kazuki would be forced to reveal his abilities to survive—and that would blow his cover. There were Kirigakure ninja stationed here. Stealth would no longer be an option.
He debated stepping in, playing the helpful bystander—but then the gang fell silent.
Obito simply turned and walked out, still holding his cones. The onlookers seemed puzzled, but Kazuki's eyes narrowed.
His expression changed. Ignoring the rain, he quickly followed.
As he passed the thugs, he glanced at the floor. Blood was seeping out beneath them.
Just as he suspected—Obito had used Wood Release to impale them. They were dead men walking. Still standing upright, but already corpses.
This would draw attention. Kirigakure shinobi would investigate. Staying here any longer was dangerous. Kazuki slipped out of the shop.
Obito was walking calmly through the rain, untouched by the downpour. His cones were perfectly dry—shielded by chakra.
Kazuki didn't acknowledge him. Instead, he found a nearby shop and bought an umbrella, then headed toward his inn. Behind him, screams rang out—the bodies had been discovered.
Yes, there were inns in the shinobi world. Rates varied wildly, and ID wasn't required. Security was lax, but service? Surprisingly thorough.
"This room's 498 ryō a night. What's so special about it?" Kazuki raised a brow at the posted price.
498 wasn't chump change—especially for a port town filled with civilians.
"Oh, sir~ That's a special room~ If a pretty girl comes along and can't afford a private room, I might suggest she split with you~" The landlady giggled, her makeup expertly done, despite her age.
A seasoned cougar, well-kept and cunning.
Kazuki instantly understood. This kind of service was common in the shinobi world. Some of it more discreet—without inside contacts, you wouldn't even know it existed. But he had no interest.
"Just a normal room's fine..." He feigned interest, but reluctantly declined, pretending to be short on cash. The landlady's tone cooled immediately but still handed him a key.
He offered a sheepish smile and headed to his room.
The furnishings were simple, but he didn't mind. His character was a low-level worker—no way could he afford luxury or "room-sharing" perks.
"Next, I need to find a job and leave a shadow clone behind to work." Lying on the bed, Kazuki mapped out his plan. Create a solid identity. One that wouldn't fall apart under scrutiny.
It would also provide him with an alibi. He'd need a shady employer—one with the worst reputation possible.
He thought this part would take effort, but a few coins and a drink at the tavern got him exactly what he needed.
There was a boss who made his workers toil from 8:30 AM to 10:30 PM without pay. Lunch was only 50 minutes. Wages were insultingly low. He regularly docked pay for made-up infractions—and often delayed payment altogether. Complaining? Useless. The man had muscle.
No one lasted more than a month. But because the boss put on a polished front, fresh suckers always lined up.
Those who spoke up got beaten into silence.
Kazuki was thrilled. This bastard was perfect. Once he left, no one would question it. A young outsider, crushed by an exploitative boss, flees in fear of retaliation. Totally believable.
It happened so often here that no one would blink.
"Tch... Shame I can't draw too much attention. Capitalists like this deserve to be hung from lamp posts." Kazuki licked his lips. Still, this man's existence was helpful. Kazuki planned to give him a special thank you.
And his method?
Kazuki grinned. Hopefully the boss would like it.
The next day, Kazuki put on his newbie act and went to the factory.
He saw the job post: high pay, short hours, bonuses, profit-sharing, rapid advancement. A classic load of BS.
9 to 12 work, 2-hour lunch, off by 5:30, overtime paid, veteran benefits, company shares after 20 years—the same crap he'd heard in his past life. All dream-sell talk for gullible job seekers.
In his old world, Kazuki would've walked out immediately.
But for the sake of the act, he faked awe and signed up. Just another cog in the machine.
"What happened to the old workers..." Kazuki coughed, dodging the question.
For now, this was fine. He had his escape route. If it failed, he'd figure something else out.