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The Land of Spring.
A small island nation located in the southern seas.
The entire country's area couldn't even compare to the Five Great Nations; it was much smaller even than the surrounding Land of Tea and Land of Rainbows.
But the Land of Spring was a nation with a very prosperous and flourishing economy.
One reason was its climatic environment. Just as the name suggested, this country was like spring all year round. Any crop could thrive on this country's land. The citizens of the Land of Spring not only didn't need to worry about their own food production but could also export to surrounding countries, earning considerable income.
Another reason was the Land of Spring's excellent geographical location. Unlike the Land of Tea and Land of Rainbows, which still seemed somewhat remote, the Land of Spring was located in the intermediate zone between the continent and the various southern countries. Even if citizens of the Land of Plain Water wanted to go to the continent, the Land of Spring was one of the best transit points.
This brought massive business opportunities to the Land of Spring.
Countless merchants and travelers passed through the Land of Spring. The influx of a large number of outsiders further drove the development of local tourism and service industries. To this day, the entire Land of Spring had become an incredibly wealthy nation.
To use some specific terms from Menma's previous life society... while the Land of Spring's overall GDP total indeed couldn't compare to the Five Great Nations, its GDP per capita, per capita income, and other figures were already in the leading positions of the entire world.
It could even wrestle with the Land of Fire.
Additionally, the multiple Great Ninja Wars had never affected this small country. There wasn't much internal strife either—at most, occasional competition and killing between Daimyo heirs, but that wouldn't affect the overall development of the Land of Spring.
For decades, even a century, the entire country had maintained a flourishing posture.
It is worth mentioning that in this country, the development of science and technology was also at the forefront of the world. Except for some truly high-end scientific research technologies involving the military industry, the Land of Spring possessed all other scientific technologies, and they were the most advanced kind.
Therefore, when Menma stepped into this country...
He rarely felt a tiny bit like returning to the society of his previous life.
Is this the Land of Spring? It really exceeds expectations somewhat.
Menma boarded the largest port city in the northern part of the Land of Spring, a rare look of amazement appearing on his face.
If the Land of Spring could maintain this pace of development, and if subsequent Daimyos, high-ranking officials, and nobles paid more attention to the development of technology, Menma had ample reason to believe that this country's future would develop faster than any other country in the current world. Perhaps in a few decades, it could truly enter the modernized mode of Menma's previous life society.
But that was just a thought.
In a world with a supernatural power like chakra, getting the tech tree on the right track wasn't a simple matter. The Daimyos and politicians of various countries were unlikely to possess such awareness; if they did, it would have developed long ago.
Even less likely to wait until now.
As for Menma, he had even less inclination to interfere in such matters.
Unless everything came to an end and he successfully cleared away all enemies, only then would he have the mind, interest, and most importantly, qualification to interfere in such matters.
For now, he'd better just honestly consider how to make himself stronger!
Filing directly into this port city.
As a master of planting seeds...
In the Land of Spring, Orochimaru also established a small stronghold of his own. The purpose was simple: to collect passing intelligence as much as possible and conduct necessary information transmission work.
Kabuto Yakushi led Menma directly to the vicinity of this stronghold located along the northern coast of the Land of Spring.
However, the scene before them exceeded the expectations of both Menma and Kabuto.
This scene had clearly turned into ruins.
Everything indicated that this stronghold had been destroyed artificially.
Menma spread his sensory perception but detected no chakra fluctuations under the ruins.
This meant Orochimaru's subordinates within the stronghold were either all dead or had fled.
But judging from Kabuto receiving no information, the probability of the former was undoubtedly close to 100%.
At this moment, the expression of Orochimaru's confidant was extremely gloomy. A stronghold being destroyed wasn't the first time. As an existence wanted by both the Leaf and the Akatsuki, and occasionally colliding with other ninja villages in the past years...
Orochimaru's ninja dying on missions and their strongholds being destroyed happened more than once or twice.
But almost every time, corresponding intelligence would be transmitted.
And it wouldn't be destroyed so thoroughly.
But today was different.
This stronghold was destroyed cleanly. Most importantly, not a bit of information was transmitted out.
As the one with relatively the highest status under Orochimaru, Kabuto knew far more than ordinary people. Seeing this scene, Kabuto naturally associated it with many aspects.
"Looking at the traces on the scene, this should have happened not long ago, no earlier than yesterday. And the strength of the attackers should far exceed Orochimaru-san's subordinates in the stronghold; there are hardly any signs of resistance," Menma stepped on the ruins, looked around for a while, and said with a light chuckle.
"Mist ninja? Six-Tails? Or someone else?"
Menma turned to look at Kabuto. The words spoken with implied meaning, especially the tone deliberately emphasized at the end...
Even without any evidence.
In this moment.
Menma directly suspected the Leaf, especially Danzo Shimura.
Kabuto could naturally hear the deeper meaning in Menma's words. He took a deep breath and said, "All are possible. Need to investigate first."
"Heh, that's your business, Kabuto-san. But what I need now is intelligence on the whereabouts of the Six-Tails Jinchuriki—Utakata-san! With this stronghold destroyed, Utakata-san's whereabouts become hard to lock onto," Menma said indifferently.
He rushed all the way here for Utakata. This was one of the important combat forces in his future plans. No matter the method, Menma had to pull Utakata into his team.
"Please rest assured on this point, Menma-kun. The trackers are still there. This stronghold's problem isn't big; it might just take a bit more time."
Kabuto took a deep breath, returning to his previous smiling expression. For Kabuto, just a stronghold wasn't a big problem; what needed attention were the issues extending from it.
"Heh, that's good then. Please hurry up, Kabuto-san. Maybe that Utakata-san will leave the Land of Spring directly. I don't want to work in vain," Menma chuckled lightly.
This wasn't unfounded worry. Two or three days had passed since receiving the news until Menma arrived today. This time might not be much for ordinary people, but if a ninja really went all out to speed, they could cover a very long distance.
Not to mention an existence like Utakata.
"Mhm, I understand, Menma-kun!"
If the stronghold were still there, he could connect directly with the trackers without wasting time. But now, with the stronghold destroyed, Kabuto would have to spend more time reconnecting with those people. Most importantly, with the stronghold destroyed, whether those trackers were unharmed was also a big question mark.
Therefore.
Kabuto took action immediately.
While feeding the news here back to Orochimaru through summon beasts to seek further support, he also immediately mobilized personnel from surrounding strongholds to conduct a carpet search of the entire Land of Spring, conducting special code connections one by one to see if the trackers arranged previously could still be contacted.
Almost as Kabuto took action...
Southeast of this destroyed stronghold, in the hinterland of the Land of Spring.
"Cloud ninja? Why are you blocking my way!?"
A young man wearing a blue open-chested haori with a bubble-blowing tool at his waist looked at the dozen or so figures surrounding him. A look of coldness flowed in his orange pupils.
The blatant standard Cloud ninja attire and the Cloud forehead protectors...
All announced their identities.
And the chakra auras flowing from them were each colder and stronger than the last.
Especially the white-haired man in the lead.
With just a glance, Utakata could judge that this Cloud ninja's strength must be extremely formidable.
Utakata's intuition wasn't wrong.
This white-haired young man was currently the strongest Jonin in the Hidden Cloud Village and the recognized candidate for the next Raikage.
Darui, who already possessed power infinitely close to the Kage level!
"Six-Tails Jinchuriki—Utakata. We are under the Raikage's orders to invite you to be a guest at our Hidden Cloud Village."
Darui looked at Utakata below with a lazy expression, speaking in a flat tone.
The words sounded very polite, but the blatant meaning of refusing rejection...
Made Utakata's expression unprecedentedly solemn.
"And if I say no?"
Utakata replied with a cold expression.
"Heh, then I'm afraid it's not up to you, Lord Utakata."
Darui narrowed his eyes slightly, a chilly look flowing in his pupils.
As the subordinate the Fourth Raikage trusted most, and regarding himself as the strongest existence in the village excluding those few seniors...
Darui had his own pride.
The Six-Tails Jinchuriki!?
Indeed very strong.
But so what!?
There was no possibility of letting go of prey targeted by their Hidden Cloud Village.
"Go!"
A deep shout.
The powerful chakra erupted directly.
Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt!!
Darui struck first. A streak of black lightning, black as ink, flashed abruptly.