Land of Hot Water, located in the west of the Land of Water, is surrounded by mountains and has many hot springs.
As soon as Linto stepped onto the land of the Land of Hot Water, he smelled a faint floral fragrance.
"The Land of Hot Water has a lot of natural hot springs, so there will be a slight sulfur smell, like rotten eggs. To suppress this smell, many flowers are planted in the cities and streets of the Land of Hot Water," Kakashi said.
He had been on missions for many years and traveled all over, so he was very familiar with the different customs of various countries. Seeing that Linto was interested, they walked and chatted:
"The Land of Hot Water, including Yugakure (Hidden Hot Springs Village), values peace, has simple customs, and never participates in battles. Ninjas practice Ninjutsu to help with the construction of villages and towns.
The people of this country believe that hot springs have the divine power of 'purifying the heart,' and they hold the 'Hot Spring God Festival' every major holiday.
At that time, people will wear beautiful kimonos and yukatas, men and women will bathe together, and for more details..."
Kakashi held up the book in his hand: "Please see 'Make-Out Paradise.' Jiraiya-sama's observations on this part are particularly detailed. Want to take a look?"
"No need at all."
Linto refused the recommendation.
Kakashi shrugged and didn't insist. Instead, he asked, "But, why didn't you bring Sasuke and Momo-chan with you this time?"
"They have their own training," Linto said.
Sasuke and Momo-chan stayed behind to learn swordsmanship from Miyamoto.
As for Amber, Mayuri, and the others, Linto taught them Ripple (Hamon) energy as soon as they arrived in Kirigakure, and they are now practicing both Ripple and Ninjutsu.
In addition to physical training, they are also responsible for receiving guests from Konoha and continuing to teach based on their own understanding.
This is also a kind of inner training.
The two walked and stopped, sometimes using Hermit Purple to explore, and sometimes asking locals for information.
The Land of Hot Water is not large. After searching all the way, in less than three days, they inquired at a hot spring inn and learned...
"Are you here to find that sickly, busty beauty?"
An elderly old woman said, holding a sugar cake in her left hand and a cigarette in her right. She seemed to be hard of hearing, and her tone was loud, attracting a lot of attention.
Hearing that Linto and Kakashi were looking for a "busty beauty," the women cast disdainful glances, while the men nodded slightly, expressing their appreciation with their eyes.
"Grandma, have you seen her? Is she still here?" Kakashi asked.
The old woman took a puff of smoke and said, "She left this morning. Before leaving, she bought a lot of rice balls. I have to say, women who can eat a lot are the ones who grow those—"
Linto looked at the time. It was just past one in the afternoon. In Tsunade's condition, she couldn't have gone far. He interrupted the old woman and asked, "Do you remember which direction she went?"
"Which direction..."
The old woman was about to raise her hand when suddenly, she looked wary:
"I can't tell you. A lot of people have died in the city recently. Who knows if you're bad guys?"
A lot of people died?
Kakashi wanted to explain.
Linto didn't want to waste any more time.
"White Snake!"
White Snake appeared behind the old woman. This time, it didn't slap her, but gently touched the back of her head.
Buzz—Click!
Two discs popped out.
Linto checked the memory.
From the old woman's perspective, many people had indeed died recently, including tourists from other places and local residents. There was no pattern, it was like completely random killings.
Many people were eating with their families one moment and suddenly coughing up blood and dying the next.
Even more terrifying was that this indiscriminate, strange killing incident was spreading like a plague.
Multiple cities across the country had outbreaks. Because they were too afraid, people called it—
"The Demon God Killing Incident"
The Land of Hot Water has always been a peaceful country. People living here had never experienced anything like this before. They were all frightened, so naturally they wouldn't casually reveal the whereabouts of others to strangers.
"Let's go."
Linto knew the direction Tsunade had left in.
From the old woman's memory, Tsunade's condition was very bad. She couldn't even walk steadily and could die at any time.
Linto and Kakashi moved quickly until they passed through a small alley.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
A faint sound of wind came.
Countless flying needles shot towards them, accompanied by a powerful woman's roar:
"It wasn't for nothing that I pretended to be sick for a week. I finally fished out you murdering lunatics!"
A shadow appeared on the ground.
Linto looked up in the direction of the voice and made eye contact with a pair of angry, bright brown eyes.
Tsunade.
She wore a grass-green haori (coat), her light blonde hair dancing in the wind. Underneath was a sleeveless gray top with a wide neckline, revealing a bandaged area on her chest.
Tsunade was indeed seriously injured.
But who said that being injured meant being half-dead?
She had the Strength of a Hundred Seal (Byakugo Seal) and Slug Healing.
Even if her head was cut off or she was cut in half at the waist, Tsunade could still fight like she was healthy.
A few days ago, Tsunade encountered an attack by a strange organization. She easily defeated them, killing some, and two or three escaped with their lives.
At the time, Tsunade had been drinking and was in a good mood, so she didn't bother to chase them. But that very night.
A wound that could not heal appeared on her chest.
After that, Tsunade tried many methods to no avail. Even the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest could only relieve the injury, but could not cure it completely.
"It's a curse."
The Slug Sage said.
Tsunade thought about it and the only way was to find those lunatics and force them to reveal the way to remove the curse.
She killed people from the lunatic organization, so they would definitely retaliate.
So, Tsunade pretended to be half-dead to lure out the hidden enemies.
"You've made me wait for a long time!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth. Thinking of the pain over the past few days, she hated them.
"Die!"
"Super Strength" activated. Tsunade clenched her fist, and the air in her palm made an explosive roar under the squeeze. A circle of distortion appeared in the air around her fist.
Thousands of flying needle traps, Tsunade descending from above, and not far away, Shizune formed hand seals, using Earth Release to block the path.
Kakashi looked up. He, who always seemed lazy and relaxed, showed rare panic when faced with Tsunade's punch:
"Tsunade-sama, don't punch! It's me!"
Kakashi?!
Tsunade didn't expect to meet people from Konoha here, but the falling fist was already too late to stop, she could only shout:
"Get out of the way!"
But how could this punch be easily avoided?
Kakashi grabbed Linto with one hand and jumped back, hoping to stay as far away as possible from the attack range of the Super Strength punch.
But Kakashi found that he couldn't pull Linto.
"This unexpected unreliable feeling... truly worthy of being a classmate."
Linto said, taking a step away from Kakashi.
"Star Platinum: The World!"
With Linto as the center, a circle of gray-white ripples instantly released outwards, and the entire world froze.
Linto glanced at Tsunade's fist, which was close at hand, and then continued upwards along her arm. The images from his previous life's memories surfaced...
He looked away and sighed softly:
"Luckily, it's only five seconds."
"If it were five minutes, or fifty minutes... the test of willpower would be too great."
Star Platinum grabbed Tsunade, adjusted her posture, so that she was punching the sky instead of the ground.
And took Kakashi out of the range of the needles.
Five seconds ended.
"Time begins to move."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Long needles pierced into the wall. Tsunade's Super Strength punch slammed into the sky. She staggered a few steps, steadied herself, and looked at Linto, who was standing a few steps away, with a dazed expression:
"What did you do to me?"
Shizune, holding the pink pig Tonton, trotted over and nodded in greeting to Kakashi.
Linto waved his hand, not intending to explain, and gave Kakashi a look, signaling for him to explain the situation.
Kakashi explained the Third Hokage's decision to retire.
Tsunade also briefly recounted what had happened in recent days.
One of the reasons she came to the Land of Hot Water was because of Linto.
After learning about Orochimaru's death at the hands of Linto, Tsunade knew that Orochimaru's crimes deserved death ten thousand times over, but on the other hand, she still missed her former classmate and comrade.
So, she came to the Land of Hot Water, which was rumored to be the most peaceful and tranquil, to relieve her troubles, but unexpectedly encountered the "Demon God Killing Incident."
"Not unexpectedly."
Linto checked the memories of past fatalities in the old woman's memory. There was no relationship between the dead. Their professions, genders, and nationalities were different. The only thing they had in common was:
Most of the dead were strong, energetic young people.
Linto analyzed:
"Although you are older, your life force is much stronger than ordinary people. As long as you appear in front of those people, you will definitely be targeted."
"Older."
The corners of Tsunade's mouth twitched slightly, her eyes flared, and she stared at Linto: "You're the Linto who killed Orochimaru and overthrew Yagura?"
"That's me."
Tsunade took a step forward, gazing at Linto up close. After a full ten seconds of staring, she suddenly reached out and forcefully patted Linto's shoulder:
"Young, you did a good job. When I become Hokage, would you like to return to Konoha and work with me?"
Kakashi looked happy.
"Tsunade-sama, you agreed to become Hokage?"
Tsunade shook her head and said, "I have to talk to Teacher Sarutobi before I can make a decision, and—"
She opened her collar, revealing the bandages that were still bleeding.
"Without killing the caster of the curse, it would be meaningless even if I went back."
Konoha doesn't need a Hokage who is constantly in a state of illness.
Tsunade clenched her fist tightly: "It's a pity that those rat-like guys are hiding too deep."
Hearing this, Kakashi waved his hand and pointed at Linto, saying, "If it's about finding people, don't worry, we have 'Linto's Wonderful Little Vines'."
"Don't use such a strange description, and..."
Linto looked hesitant.
"And?" Tsunade asked.
Linto said, "I have to touch your wound to activate the ability."
After activating Hermit Purple time and time again, Linto roughly understood its principle. The purple vines are like lines connecting "cause and effect."
For people Linto has met and is familiar with, he himself is the source of cause and effect, so he can directly activate the ability.
When he is not directly connected to the cause and effect, he needs to use corresponding props to connect with the corresponding cause and effect in order to more accurately activate Hermit Purple.
"You're talking about this!"
Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought you were going to ask me for money."
She beckoned to Linto, opened her collar and bandages, and with a face full of anticipation:
"Come! Touch me quickly! I can't wait..."
"To blow up those murderous villains!"
Linto's mouth was half-open.
Is this the boldness of a middle-aged woman?
The wound was bloody, and Linto wasn't a pervert, so he wouldn't have any feelings at this time, but he was worried that she would mind.
Since Tsunade didn't mind, Linto took out a Polaroid camera from his backpack, put one hand on the wound, and clenched his other hand, the Polaroid camera broke apart, spitting out a photo:
A dead corpse, lying in the middle of a ritual.
Many people surrounded the corpse, naked, their bodies painted black with paint.
Behind them stood a terrifying and strange statue, and above the statue stood a sign with three words written on it:
"Jashin Cult."
---
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