Land of Hot Water, Rose Street.
Rose Street was originally just a small alley, but the residents of this street all loved to plant roses in their gardens and doorways. Even their windowsills were adorned with pots of blooming roses. When the wind blew, the petals would drift along the breeze, carrying a delightful fragrance that swept through the entire street.
The rose stems were straight, some as thick as a pinky finger, and lined with small, sharp thorns. The deep green leaves were olive-shaped, soft and thin, with serrated edges and forked veins. Each blossoming flower resembled a shy, charming maiden, waiting for someone with a discerning eye to pluck them.
However, due to the hidden thorns, careless visitors often pricked themselves, leaving drops of crimson blood that fell onto the soil, reminiscent of the delicate red stains of a maiden's first bloom.
Since the full-scale war between the Lands of Lightning and Fire began, business in the Land of Hot Water had steadily declined. The once-bustling scenes of Rose Street, crowded with people shoulder to shoulder, had not been seen in a long time.
In the past, couples would stroll the street, whispering sweet nothings to each other, and disappear into secluded spots to share moments of unrestrained passion. These stories often became the talk of the town among the locals.
Rose Street, which had long since expanded to the mountainside, naturally became a hub for hot spring businesses. Many establishments catered to tourists seeking relaxation.
Suddenly, the entire mountain trembled slightly.
The sound and vibrations originated from the backyard of a hot spring inn nestled within the valley.
The owner of this inn was quite capable, having leased the entire valley and developed it into a hot spring resort.
"Boss, the guests this time are extraordinary..."
"The amount of food and specialty desserts they ordered could feed hundreds..."
"And this commotion—there's no way ordinary people could cause something like this..."
At the entrance of the valley, in the inn's reception area, a young attendant in a gray robe stared fearfully toward the distant valley, as if a ferocious beast lurked there, ready to devour anyone who approached.
"You'll get used to it!"
"Who cares who they are! As long as they pay, they're our honored guests!"
"They're so generous; even if they demolish the inn or blow up the entire mountain, it wouldn't matter!"
"They're just shinobi, after all. I've seen plenty of them in my day. Their abilities... well, let me tell you..."
A round-faced man with a short beard spoke with a sense of pride.
"Wow! Boss!"
"You've seen the legendary abilities of shinobi?!"
The gray-robed attendant's eyes sparkled with admiration as he looked at the middle-aged man.
"Of course..."
In high spirits after a lucrative business deal, the round-faced man stroked his short beard and began boasting about his past experiences.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the valley, within a natural hot spring pool:
"Ahhh..."
"Sōmi..."
"When the contract connection was severed before, I really thought you were dead..."
"I never expected you to return..."
"How wonderful..."
"If you weren't here, who else would take me to soak in hot springs and bring me sweets?"
Amid the swirling mist of the hot spring, a sweet-looking young girl playfully shook her head, speaking cheerfully. Her speech was slightly muffled, as she had a lollipop in her mouth.
Sōmi, who had just pushed aside the curtain to enter, felt a tinge of helplessness. After all, Ichikishimahime's way of speaking was always so straightforward.
"Speaking of which, the White Snake Sage disappeared around the same time as you..."
"But it still hasn't returned. I wonder what happened to it..."
Ichikishimahime furrowed her delicate brows and murmured softly.
The White Snake Sage...
If it ventured into the Dragon Vein on its own, what could it possibly be seeking?
Could it be trying to make up for some regret from the past?
In Sōmi's view, the temporal backflow caused by the Dragon Vein's eruption resembled a parallel timeline, but one where the flow of time was chaotic and reversible.
Under the control of immense power, one could even reverse the flow in an orderly manner, returning to a specific point in time.
However, to Sōmi, such parallel timelines held no meaning. In those timelines, he felt like an extra—an entity that shouldn't exist.
At least, when Sōmi now recalled the "Dragon Vein World," all he felt was a hollow, drifting sensation, devoid of any sense of fulfillment.
If he had to compare, it might be somewhat similar to the "Infinite Tsukuyomi."
The "Dragon Vein World" seemed to exist solely for extremely powerful individuals to roam freely, like a life game with unlimited "save points," allowing them to pursue the perfect ending.
Of course, Sōmi had never personally experienced the "realistic dream" of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. His thoughts were merely conjecture based on lingering impressions.
Moreover, he had no interest in such illusory lives. What he desired was the tangible, authentic world. Even if it was imperfect, it was within those imperfections that his most genuine emotions were embedded.
Splash!
Suddenly, Ichikishimahime stood up in the hot spring, exclaiming in panic: "Oh no!"
"I got so caught up soaking in the hot spring that I forgot Sister Tianxin had arranged to meet me!"
In an instant, the scene in the hot spring became breathtaking.
Ichikishimahime's graceful figure was barely covered by a thin, translucent white garment. Her deep blue hair cascaded down her chest, and her naturally rosy cheeks exuded a delicate charm. She looked like a butterfly fairy fluttering in the wind or a pure, crystalline snow spirit.
Her slender waist, astonishing curves, and mesmerizing silhouette resembled a devilishly enchanting succubus.
"Uh..."
Though Sōmi had pressing matters to attend to, the sudden visual impact momentarily distracted him. His Rinnegan involuntarily focused all its "attention" on Ichikishimahime.
However, Ichikishimahime, noticing Sōmi's fiery gaze, showed no shyness. Instead, she boldly straightened her posture.
"What?"
"Do you find my body interesting?"
Ichikishimahime playfully flicked her forked tongue to the corner of her lips. Her slightly parted lips revealed two sharp fangs, her expression full of allure.
For a moment, Sōmi's thoughts wandered.
He couldn't help but compare this "Hot Spring White Tiger" to another "White Tiger of Akatsuki" he had encountered before. The latter's coloration leaned toward a brownish-black hue, likely weathered by the passage of time.
But the "Hot Spring White Tiger" before him was of a pure, delicate white—a much more appealing variety in Sōmi's eyes.
That said, now was not the time for such thoughts. Sōmi quickly composed himself, suppressing any distractions, and hurried over to Sasori's side of the hot spring to discuss their plans.
"Sasori! How's it going?"
"Have you gathered any intel?"
Reimmersing himself in the hot spring, Sōmi couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.
"Mm..."
"The main battlefields of the Lands of Lightning and Fire have been confirmed."
"The Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, and the Raikage are all in the Land of Fire, near the Land of Rice Fields."
Sasori squinted his eyes, seemingly enjoying the soothing effects of the hot spring.
"Good!"
"Then let's set out soon. The longer we wait, the more complications might arise!"
A fierce purple glow flashed in Sōmi's Rinnegan.
During their brief rest in the Land of Hot Water, Sōmi not only gathered intelligence on the enemy but also extracted the Chakra of the Tailed Beasts he had captured, transferring it all to Shukaku.
Now, Shukaku contained the Chakra of the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails. Once the remaining Tailed Beasts were captured, not even Madara—let alone Madara and Hashirama combined—would pose a threat.
Even if they fused Susano'o with the Wood Golem, Sōmi could still dominate the battlefield with ease.
For now, though, it was best to proceed discreetly. The last thing he needed was for someone from Konohagakure to come after him with reckless abandon...
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