Chapter 127: Entering the Land of Waterfalls

Torifū, observing the two adults bickering, found it quite peculiar. His teacher was clearly the elder brother, yet he was always the one being lectured. He truly couldn't understand the relationship between these two brothers.

The inauguration ceremony had proceeded smoothly. In the coming days, Tobirama would likely introduce a series of new policies, such as perfecting the ninja system, education system, and security system. Many policies enacted during Hashirama's tenure also needed further adjustment. It was safe to say he would be swamped with work. However, for a workaholic like Tobirama, it should be nothing more than a minor challenge. Moreover, with Kagami's assistance, things should progress even faster.

Returning to the office, Hashirama found a small stool and sat down, while Tobirama settled into the Hokage's chair. This was his first time sitting in that position as the Hokage in the true sense of the word. The feeling was profoundly different.

After giving instructions to Kagami, the two immediately plunged into work. Torifū, Naori, and Hashirama also chose to leave at this point, not wanting to disturb them. Hashirama took a shortcut home, perhaps to avoid being surrounded by the enthusiastic villagers. Torifū and Naori had originally planned to go for a meal, but considering the sheer number of people on the streets, eating would certainly be inconvenient. So, they decided to have a big meal at the barbecue restaurant another day and just head home for now.

Torifū first used a Cloud Surge to send Naori back to the compound, then he transformed into a cloud bird and flew away. It was fortunate that Torifū possessed flying ninjutsu; otherwise, getting home would have been a challenge. In that surging crowd, one misstep could easily push him onto another street. Unlucky ones might even find themselves getting further and further from home.

Upon returning home, Torifū found that for some reason, Aokumo and Ryūfū hadn't gone out to play today. It felt like the sun had risen from the west. Seeing Torifū return, both cranes flocked to him, rubbing their heads against him.

"Torifū, it was so lively outside today! What was happening?"

"Yeah, yeah! Aokumo and I stayed in the village because we wanted to watch the commotion, and then we saw them crying and laughing; we don't understand."

Hearing Aokumo and Ryūfū's words, Torifū pondered how to explain it so that these two cranes would immediately understand.

"Hmm... simply put, Konoha Village has a new village leader. You'll need to be more careful when flying from now on."

Aokumo and Ryūfū understood the concept of a new village leader. After all, they had lived in the village for several years; there was no way they wouldn't know who the village leader was. But what direct connection did a new village leader have with how they flew?

"Of course it does. I heard the new village leader is very fond of eating birds. He might just roast and eat you if he catches you."

Torifū's lie was full of holes, but it was more than enough to deceive these two birds. Sure enough, they believed him. When Aokumo spoke again, there was a hint of caution in his voice.

"Then... then if we make less of a fuss in the future, will it be okay?"

"Perhaps, but it also depends on the village leader's mood. Try to fly out less."

Hearing this, Aokumo and Ryūfū's heads drooped. If they lost their freedom, wouldn't this grand estate be no different than a cage! Torifū was unaware of the elaborate thoughts going through Aokumo and Ryūfū's minds, and he wasn't bothered to find out. He just wanted to trick them into staying calm for a few days. These two birds actually had some intelligence; in a few days, they would realize Torifū had lied to them and would continue to fly out again.

No longer teasing the two cranes, Torifū went back inside and changed out of his black and gold robes into his usual white robe. His body immediately felt much lighter and cooler. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Torifū lay on his bed and immersed a large part of his consciousness into the Sharingan puppet. This time, Torifū deliberately left a portion of his consciousness behind, wanting to train his ability to control puppets with his mind. He also wanted to test his limits.

It proved possible to control the puppets with a large portion of his consciousness. After entering the puppet, Torifū controlled the four puppets to emerge from the mark. Kakuzu, who was still traveling, was startled by the sudden appearance of the four puppets. But he immediately realized they had emerged from the silver mark on his arm. This was their first appearance since they drilled into the mark last time. He still remembered the scene of being ruthlessly overwhelmed.

Before Kakuzu could speak, Torifū said, "Have you changed your mind these past few days?"

Kakuzu shook his head. "Let's just continue with the previous bet. If I lose, I won't break the agreement."

Torifū nodded upon hearing this. He was a man of his word, completely forgetting that Kakuzu had only agreed to the bet because he lacked the strength to refuse.

"Where are we now?"

"We should be at the border of the Land of Fire. The demarcation line with the Land of Waterfalls is ahead."

Torifū nodded. It couldn't be more convenient; he could visit other countries without leaving his house. And he had heard that the scenery in Takigakure was quite beautiful, so today was a good opportunity to see it.

After a while, the one person and four puppets arrived at the border between the two countries. It wasn't like the Land of Iron, which had unique vegetation as a reference. The topography of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Fire were highly similar, so the trees were basically the same and couldn't be used as a reference. This made the border with the Land of Waterfalls somewhat indistinct; travelers could only rely on their instincts to determine it.

As they passed a not-so-conspicuous pile of stones, Kakuzu quietly stated, "We have entered the Land of Waterfalls."

This act of bringing enemies into his own country made Kakuzu feel a bit uncomfortable, but he also didn't want to die so inexplicably in some forest. As long as the elders didn't make a move against him, he would win the bet, thus saving his life. If he lost the bet, he would still live, he would just have to obey the orders of these four. However, what he found strange was that in both conversations, it was always the person with the golden Sharingan who spoke. The other three were silent, like dead men, and even when they did speak a word, it was without any emotion. They were just like... yes! Like puppets!

The questions in his mind grew wild like weeds, but he didn't dare to ask Torifū. He was afraid that if he truly exposed them, Torifū would kill him on the spot.

"How long until we reach Takigakure?"

"Just keep following me. When you see a huge waterfall, that's the entrance to Takigakure."

It was precisely because of this natural barrier that Takigakure had managed to survive between the four great nations. One could say it was quite lucky.