Chapter 34: The Secrets of the Shinobi World, the Dusty Gem.

In the Land of Bears, the Daimyo's residence.

The ninja and samurai guarding the Daimyo lay sprawled on the ground, their fate unknown.

The Daimyo himself was hanging high on a flagpole like a dead dog.

Only one figure sat confidently, holding a bowl and eating heartily, the dishes stacked over a meter high in front of him.

After a thunderous belch, Hanma picked his teeth, looked at the trembling chef, and waved his hand, asking:

"Where does your Daimyo usually keep his money? I'd like to borrow some."

The chef, kneeling on the ground with his hands on his head, was trembling violently, severely traumatized by the scene just now.

This demon had appeared out of nowhere, asked who could cook, and in the next second, everyone had fallen to the ground.

If he hadn't instinctively answered that he was a chef, he would probably be lying on the ground as well.

Hanma looked at the speechless chef, shook his head helplessly, lowered his tone, and asked kindly:

"If you don't speak, you'll die."

Hearing these comforting words, the chef was moved to tears, struggled to control himself, and stammered in response:

"Hon-Honorable one, the Daimyo keeps his banknotes on him. When he's bored, he likes to count them."

Hanma nodded in understanding, searched the body, took out a thick stack of banknotes, and contentedly put them into his pocket.

He then took out a small bundle, handed it to the chef, and whispered: "I am Hanzo from the Land of Rain; do you understand?"

The chef, startled, carefully tucked the notes away, nodded frantically in joy, then suddenly got up and ran to collide head-on with a pillar in the hall, passing out on the spot.

Hanma clapped his hands in admiration, respecting the wisdom in people regardless of their strength.

During these days at the Daimyo's residence, Hanma indulged himself thoroughly, restoring his body.

Hanzo's salamander venom had indeed brought Hanma significant trouble, but it also gave him a gift.

The super recovery power brought by the "Wild Growth" had completely healed his body and provided him with a new trait.

"Poison Immunity": After days of honing by deadly toxins, your liver and kidney functions have altered, significantly enhancing your immune system. Biological toxins are no longer a concern for you.

This is the domineering effect brought by Wild Growth.

What doesn't kill Hanma only makes him stronger!

Next time he encounters Hanzo or even Chiyo, those poison-loving ninjas, Hanma will surely give them a big surprise.

During his days at the Daimyo's residence, Hanma lived extravagantly; if it weren't for Tsunade waiting for him, he wouldn't even want to return to Konoha.

This place was rich in resources, with low guard levels, and scenic beauty, a perfect vacation spot.

He could get whatever he wanted—food, drinks—conveniently.

When on missions for the Anbu, if conditions allowed, he would always stop by the nearby Daimyo residence along the way.

Even the night he took Tsunade, the wine they drank was from the Land of Water's Daimyo's residence.

As the saying goes, "Stockpile arms, not supplies; everywhere is a granary." How else can ninjas earn some money on missions?

These small countries' Daimyo's guards are merely decorative in front of elite jōnin-level ninjas.

For these pig-like nobles, Hanma has no shackles in his heart; they are just a bunch of shameless leeches.

Hanma agreed to go to the Land of Bears for Danzo, to find the lost funds for Root, not to befriend him.

It was just a pretext, a means to verify his conjectures and pave the way for his further extraordinary path.

In the world of Naruto, besides the Five Great Nations, there are many small countries with mysterious powers, highly valuable for someone with Hanma's abilities.

In the movie versions, these so-called villains often maxed out at Kage level.

Abilities like "Devour," "Immortality," "Time Manipulation"—though limited by certain conditions—don't seem that powerful.

But in Hanma's eyes, they are rare gems buried in the small countries.

Hanma only needs to absorb their extraordinary traits, plant a seed of ability within himself, and fully unleash their power using his traits.

Grass Ninja with the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Ghost Ninja with the Sealed Moryo, Waterfall Ninja with the Hero Water, Dragon Vein in the depths of the desert, and many other places in the ninja world to explore.

Since his transmigration, Hanma truly feels that the entire ninja world is a huge treasure map.

Besides the obvious resources, like the tailed beasts fought over by the Five Great Nations, some millennia-old secrets are even more worth studying.

For Hanma, obtaining these little-known treasures from smaller nations is much more cost-effective than vying for tailed beasts.

After all, showing an interest in tailed beasts would not only land him in trouble with the Five Great Nations but also catch the attention of Uchiha Madara, making things extremely complicated.

The Star Ninja Village in the Land of Bears is Hanma's current target.

Thousands of years ago, a meteorite fell here, treated as the village's treasured artifact, named "Star."

"Star" could influence and mutate a ninja's chakra, granting them the ability to shape chakra and even fly.

This mysterious, inexplicable meteorite had long intrigued Hanma, but previously limited by his own strength, he had hesitated to act.

After all, causing trouble in another nation or ninja village without sufficient strength would leave many loose ends, causing problems.

If discovered, it could escalate to Konoha or even the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Fire, a serious matter.

Moreover, Hanma is an Uchiha, and if something happened, the Hokage's office would definitely seize the opportunity to make a big deal out of it.

But now, it didn't matter anymore; mere Star Ninja couldn't even last a round against him. It was time to harvest these precious ninja world gems.

Star Ninja Village.

The village head, Hoshikage Ensei, looked solemnly at the village's treasured artifact before him, his face full of sorrow.

Since discovering this meteorite-like object on their land two hundred years ago, everything had changed.

The village head at the time found that "Star" could mutate the chakra within ninjas, greatly enhancing their combat abilities, and thus grew ambitions he shouldn't have.

He bestowed upon himself the title of Kage, naming himself "Hoshikage" and led the village in training, developing a secret technique—the "Mysterious Peacock Method."

When the whole village was excited and invigorated by the powerful secret technique brought by the Star, things took a turn.

As the villagers used the power of the Star more frequently, more ninjas died suddenly, and the probability of children dying prematurely also increased dramatically.

The first Hoshikage died suddenly, and the second Hoshikage also inexplicably died vomiting blood. All of these pointed fingers at the Star.

Yet, no one paid attention. For a small country to acquire such a secret technique, what did a few deaths matter?

Ensei was a cautious person, and at seventy years old, he had become suspicious.

The power of the Star came at the cost of the ninjas' lives.

If this continued, no matter how powerful the Star's energy was, Star Ninja Village was headed for destruction.

"We cannot train anymore; it's time to abandon these foolish illusions!"

Ensei made up his mind to ban the practice of the Mysterious Peacock Method and save the village, even though most villagers were obsessed with the Star's power.

Chapter End