In a ninja mission, the most frightening thing is not the danger itself, but the uncontrollable unknown.

Accurate intelligence is the most reassuring guarantee.

Shuimu seldom goes to the Land of Thunder. He had visited it a few times in the past for some reasons, but most of the time he just stayed in the border area for a while before leaving.

The Land of Thunder located in the north is not a pleasant country.

Although the terrain is not as high as the Land of Earth, the distinct terrain still makes people extremely uncomfortable.

The deeper you go into the Land of Thunder, the more uncomfortable you feel walking among the rolling mountains.

The mountain stream here is bottomless, the almost straight peaks penetrate deep into the clouds, and the air currents from bottom to top roll up clouds and mist.

Shuimu couldn't help but wonder how such a powerful country like the Land of Thunder could be born in such a ghost place.

Almost all human settlements in the Land of Thunder were developed in more habitable areas between the mountains, and most of them are located halfway up the mountain at extremely high altitudes.

Although this place looks desolate, a closer look reveals that it is not.

Although the climate of the Land of Lightning is relatively cold, since most of its areas are under the influence of the marine climate, it is not as blessed as the Land of Fire, but it can be said to have good weather and good harvests.

In addition, the Lightning Nation has no powerful neighbors other than the Fire Nation, is rich in resources, has a strong economic strength, and a large population, making it the only powerful country that can challenge the Fire Nation.

The location of the Hidden Cloud Village is not difficult to find. Unlike the Hidden Mist Village which is surrounded by mist, the Hidden Cloud Village is looming in the clouds. After walking in, there is no feeling of poor visibility.

This time, in order to avoid trouble, Mizuki came to this uncomfortable country alone on behalf of Konoha.

Accompanying them was Oshisuke, a master of Iaijutsu from the Land of Iron. It was he who represented Mifune to negotiate in Konoha Village last time. Also accompanying them was a samurai named Rikkaku.

This is the first time that Mizuki has traveled with two old-fashioned samurai. If there is a next time, he will definitely not act with these guys.

These guys who should have been eliminated by history long ago are so boring. When they were in the Fire Nation, they were fully armed and never took off their heavy armor. Their steel helmets covered their faces, making it difficult to see their appearance. They carried two long swords on their backs and looked like they kept strangers away. Shuimu didn't want to deal with these "mission props" from the bottom of his heart.

The weather in the Fire Nation is no longer cool, but even at this level, they don't think it's too hot.

After entering the Land of Thunder, the temperature dropped a lot, and Shuimu no longer had to worry about them dying from heatstroke.

But they were carrying dozens of kilograms of steel on their bodies, and they continued to climb mountains and wade through rivers with Shuimu without a single complaint. Shuimu had to admire the will of these guys.

"I say, aren't you two tired? Do you want to take a break?"

The two warriors' pace was obviously much slower than before.

Several days of traveling were truly a torture for these tin cans, especially in the Land of Thunder.

Fortunately, there were no approaching thunderclouds during this time, but even so, it was still quite a test of our physical strength.

"Thank you for your concern. We are all determined warriors who will not be defeated by even a little bit of fatigue."

These stubborn people are indeed stupid, Shuimu sighed.

"Okay, I'm tired and want to rest for a while. Let's stop in the town ahead to rest!"

It’s still early for the sun to set, so we can have half a day longer to rest than usual.

"All right!"

The leader Okisuke hesitated for a moment but finally agreed.

Although the samurai is a combat profession that hones one's skills and will, in the era of the rise of ninjas, it was inevitable that they would also study some chakra usage techniques and combine them with traditional samurai combat methods.

But as they still adhere to tradition, it is certainly impossible for them to make big changes.

Unlike ninjas who use chakra to give themselves all-round enhancements, samurai are good at using chakra for direct attacks. They disdain to use lazy methods such as using chakra to save energy.

Physical training is also a means of self-improvement. Opportunistic methods like those of ninjas have always been rejected by the warriors of the Iron Kingdom.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to stop and rest, Mizuki finally saw the true faces of the two warriors. As expected, both of them had old-fashioned and unkind faces. Wearing helmets for a long time and the relatively cold climate of the Iron Kingdom made their faces look slightly pale.

Okisuke looked quite old, around 45 or 46 years old, with a strand of white hair already appearing on his temples.

Li Jiao is a little younger, and being in his prime, he is full of arrogance and looks like a skilled master.

"The wind in the Land of Thunder is so strong!"

Different from the flying sand and rock gales in the Land of Earth, this kind of swirling air currents and the painful mountain winds that cut your face are something that anyone who is not a resident here would not want to endure.

"No wonder the people here have a slightly grayish skin. The climate, with all the wind and sun, is so different from the Fire Nation."

Regardless of gender, most residents of the Land of Lightning have a bronze complexion, which can be considered a result of adapting to the environment.

"It's much better than the cold wind in the Iron Kingdom!"

The Iron Kingdom has a climate somewhat similar to the Frost Kingdom. For some reason, there are more days with snow than sunny days, and there are even cases where the snow does not melt completely throughout the year.

"The Fire Country is blessed by nature, occupying the most fertile land in the Ninja World."

"Really? Haha!"

Mizuki ignored these jealous words. It was impossible for the Fire Nation, which was so powerful and possessed the essence of the ninja world, not to attract jealousy. A few sour words could not change the fact that the Fire Nation still dominated the ninja world.

"Isn't this your first time in the Land of Lightning? You don't seem to be surprised by this place."

“I traveled here when I was young!”

"That's really enviable. I've only been to some small towns on the border of the Land of Lightning before. This is the first time I've been so deep, so I'm a little curious about this place."

Mizuki said with a smile.

"Please feel free to do as you please, I'm going to walk around this town and see if there's anything of interest."

“It’s good for young people to see more.”

Okisuke nodded to Mizuki in a condescending manner and spoke in a very stylish manner.

Shuimu didn't say anything more. After saying goodbye to the two, he walked in this relatively prosperous town like an ordinary tourist.

Shuimu was of course very interested in seeing different customs and practices, but this was not his main purpose...

Walking through the streets and alleys, Shuimu observed the surrounding situation silently.

Not long after, a middle-aged man who passed by calmly and covertly handed a rolled-up piece of paper to Shuimu.

"Using illusion to control ordinary people to pass on information is really cautious!"