The Land of Iron, like the Land of Frost, is a country perpetually covered in ice and snow.
Gekko Chizan had long been prepared for this. Wrapped in a thick coat, no matter how fierce the wind and snow became, he would not feel cold.
"Chizan, this Land of Iron—you've never been here before, right?"
"Yeah. Because this isn't a ninja country. It's a country of samurai."
"Samurai? Like the ones guarding the daimyo's residence? What use are those?"
"No. Those are just ordinary guards. The samurai of the Land of Iron are like ninja—they can use chakra to fight. Their methods just lean more toward samurai combat, like Hatake Sakumo."
The Hatake clan had originally been a samurai family before transforming into a ninja clan, and the Hatake sword style was very similar to traditional samurai techniques.
Although their application was comparatively simple, the power of samurai could not be underestimated.
"Also, the Land of Iron is a country that values forging. Whether it's the samurai's swords or their armor, everything is produced locally."
"Don't say that—I actually really want a set of armor. It'd look insanely cool!"
Gekko Chizan had always had no resistance to cool-looking things. It was a common male flaw—after all, men are boys until the day they die.
After entering the territory of the Land of Iron, he didn't rush inside. Instead, he searched for many concealed locations to place Flying Thunder God technique formulas. This was his consistent habit now.
Only by securing a retreat could he continue moving forward.
The Land of Iron didn't have many villages. Like the Land of Frost, it had only a few large cities.
After all, with snow year-round, small villages weren't suitable for survival.
The city he entered now was located in the central region of the Land of Iron, and according to intelligence, the northern part of this city was the main base of the samurai.
Same routine—eat first.
However, as he entered the city, he noticed that the surroundings were filled with samurai guards.
Each wore white armor, gas masks on their heads, and dual swords hanging at their waists.
"So those are samurai? They look pretty good."
"Chizan, what are you planning to do? Get them to join your plan?"
Gekko Chizan ate his tempura, his eyes full of contemplation.
He was considering whether he should infiltrate the Land of Iron. Even if he didn't, these samurai would eventually join the fighting anyway.
But when he thought about the past between Amegakure and the samurai, he decided to try persuading them first. After all, that old bastard Hanzō the Salamander had offended the Land of Iron back then as well.
If he wanted to move against Amegakure, relying solely on Takigakure wouldn't be enough—it lacked justification. But if the Land of Iron were also involved, things would become much easier.
The question was how to do it...
He came up with many plans, but none of them felt right. They were all underhanded tricks.
"Damn it, what are you thinking..."
"You're planning to cause a huge mess in the Land of Iron..."
Through their mental connection, Chōmei immediately understood Gekko Chizan's thoughts.
"What's so bad about that? When the time comes, the benefits are mine, and the blame gets dumped on Amegakure."
"Everyone knows Amegakure's current situation. Attacking neighboring villages isn't exactly something new."
"Besides, that old bastard Hanzō is a real scumbag. After taking such a huge loss, it wouldn't fit his character if he didn't loot something."
What Gekko Chizan was thinking about was framing others—once you used this method too much, it became addictive.
But Chōmei's next words plunged him back into thought.
"But what if a fight really breaks out later and the truth leaks? Wouldn't you be completely screwed?"
"That's true. Let me think some more..."
The Land of Iron was different from ninja countries. If things backfired, the losses might outweigh the gains.
"Then let's just negotiate directly. Worst case, we use money to get things done. These days, anything that can be solved with money isn't really a problem."
With a plan in mind, Gekko Chizan didn't hesitate. He finished all his food and headed north.
Soon, he saw the samurai's castle.
"Who goes there!"
"Ara ara, no need to be so tense. My name is Shuan, from Takigakure. I'd like to meet the general of the Land of Iron."
Gekko Chizan wouldn't expose himself. Shuan was a jōnin of Takigakure—and a jōnin who had already been eliminated.
As for the reason, wasn't it because he was born rebellious?
He'd been dealt with by Yahiko long ago. Using his identity now to gain some benefits was quite cost-effective.
"A ninja from Takigakure?"
"What are you doing in the Land of Iron?"
"And you want to see the general? Who do you think you are?"
The gate-guarding samurai were extremely hostile. That was understandable—the Land of Iron originally didn't participate in ninja affairs.
But during the Second Shinobi World War, Amegakure had actually launched a war against the Land of Iron, catching them completely off guard and causing massive losses.
That left these samurai with zero goodwill toward ninja.
"Ara ara, looks like being friendly won't work?"
"Come, come. I've long heard that the swordsmanship of the Land of Iron's samurai is amazing. Let me experience it for myself!"
Gekko Chizan smiled slightly and waved his hand. Wrapped in his chakra, the surrounding wind and snow instantly transformed into flowing water, and soon a long blade of water formed in his hand.
This was also an application of Water Release, called:
Water Release: Water Fang Blade.
Seeing Gekko Chizan draw his blade, the six gate guards all drew their dual swords.
"Hmph! Causing trouble in the Land of Iron—take him down!"
"Go!"
All six charged forward, their dual blades coated in chakra.
Gekko Chizan's swordsmanship was terrible, but his strength and speed had improved tremendously. So, from the bottom of his heart, he never intended to fight them using sword techniques.
"Hehehe, once I defeat you, your general should come out!"
"One slash per kid! Come on!"
With Body Flicker, he closed the distance instantly and slashed downward with overwhelming force.
The first samurai to meet the attack was full of disdain—Gekko Chizan didn't look particularly impressive.
But the next second, he realized he was wrong. Because this guy was dirty as hell! This wasn't a sword duel at all.
The moment the water blade descended, it split into six streams of water. This wasn't swordsmanship—it was pure bluffing.
Water Release: Water Flow Whip.
The samurai had raised both swords to block, ready to receive the strike. And then—
The blade was gone, replaced by a bunch of whips. How the hell was he supposed to block that?
The battle ended in an instant. He had no time to adjust, and could only watch as the six streams of water bound his body, wrapping him up like a rice dumpling.
"Ara ara, you didn't really think I'd duel you with swords, did you?"
Gekko Chizan wore a smile—one filled with sheer cunning.