Over the next few days, Kazuyama stayed in the Land of Birds to rest and personally train Yugito.
Yugito was thrilled—after all, training under a strong master was a rare opportunity.
To make future visits more convenient, Kazuyama even bought a separate residence, effectively establishing a foothold in the area.
"Yugito, you'll be living here from now on."
"Tagitsuhime, I'll be leaving Yugito in your care."
Fully prepared for departure, Kazuyama gave his student a few parting words.
Yugito looked at him with reluctance—she had learned so much in these past few days. Kazuyama had held nothing back in his teachings, sharing everything he knew. He had even passed down some special ninjutsu, including basic Fūinjutsu and Snake Ninjutsu.
To ensure nothing went wrong in his absence, he even took a day to communicate with Matatabi.
Not that he really needed to—out of all the Tailed Beasts, Matatabi was probably the easiest to talk to. Plus, they had already spoken before, and Matatabi had a good impression of Yugito, so the chances of a Tailed Beast rampage happening with her were basically nonexistent.
"Don't worry, just go. The Land of Birds is a great place for her to train, and I'll keep an eye on her."
"The money you left behind is more than enough for me to buy snakeberries. If I run out, I'll have the snakes in Ryūchi Cave notify you."
Kazuyama was left speechless.
Listen to this. Is this really something a Snake Princess would say?
What does she mean by "Just go"?
And what's with using the money to buy snakeberries? That's supposed to be Yugito's living expenses!
With that, he set off once again.
...
Entering the Land of Earth, he found himself in a region where the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning converged.
Plains stretched alongside towering mountains. There were fewer dense forests, but in their place stood countless cliffs and steep precipices.
"It's like the war hasn't affected the Land of Earth at all."
"This is so damn unfair."
Kazuyama looked at the town on the outskirts of the country. It was just as bustling as ever, completely untouched by the war.
He had only seen this happen in a handful of places. Even Kumogakure had entered a state of alert after its defeat in the war, not to mention the Land of Fire.
Aside from small, neutral nations like the Land of Birds, the Land of Earth was the only place that remained prosperous in the midst of war.
"Tsk tsk, Kazuyama, are you feeling unbalanced?"
"That's easy to fix—just mess with them a little."
"Isn't setting Iwagakure's backyard on fire your favorite pastime?"
Chōmei let out a sinister chuckle, making Kazuyama Gekkō shake his head.
He did plan to stir things up, but this was Iwagakure, not Kumogakure. Back then, Kumogakure was fighting on two fronts, and the Third Raikage was on the verge of death. That gave him the freedom to make bold moves in the Land of Lightning.
But Iwagakure was different. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was a terrifying figure, wielding Dust Release—an ability that surpassed Kekkei Genkai. Even Kazuyama had to admit, the old man was on another level.
The worst part? Despite his age, Ōnoki was still more than capable of fighting. Even in his sixties, he could charge into battle.
And he could fly.
That kind of mobility was a nightmare. If they got discovered, the old man wouldn't just send people after them—he'd fly straight over himself.
"We'll take it one step at a time. Whether we can stir up trouble depends on how fast the Land of Earth relays information."
"If things get out of hand, we retreat immediately."
Chōmei didn't get it.
Kazuyama, scared? No way. They had faced countless enemies together, even Kage-level ones.
Why was he acting so cautious now that they were in the Land of Earth?
"You don't get it. That old Tsuchikage is terrifying—his Dust Release surpasses Kekkei Genkai."
"One hit and you're dead. It activates fast, too. Unless I suddenly feel like experiencing death, I'm not going anywhere near him."
The sheer danger of Dust Release was undeniable. It was powerful enough to shatter even Susanoo.
Only those monsters who had been resurrected could afford to fight Ōnoki head-on. Kazuyama didn't consider himself a monster, and he had no intention of messing with something that deadly.
"Dust Release? Never heard of it. Is it really that strong?"
"How does it compare to the First Hokage?"
"If he's not as strong as the First Hokage, then what are you afraid of? Let's take him on together!"
Kazuyama: Chōmei, you're fearless! Take him on together? What, so we can both get obliterated? You want to eat a Dust Release attack or just get punched into the ground?
Too tired to argue, Kazuyama ignored him and walked toward the town ahead.
On the way, he had already stashed away his Konoha forehead protector. As an intelligence operative, he had even changed into a suit, looking every bit the serious businessman.
The perfect example of a proper outfit on a completely improper person.
Eat, drink, and gather intel—business as usual.
And what he learned was surprising.
The war had completely shifted.
Iwagakure had beaten Kumogakure so badly that they didn't dare step outside the Land of Lightning.
The conflict in the Land of Grass had been decisively won.
And now, Konoha was being pushed back to its own doorstep.
Even civilians were talking about it. The military strength of the Land of Earth was overwhelming—unlike anything else.
Konoha, by contrast, had to evacuate civilians the moment war broke out.
After all, ninja wars didn't directly involve civilians, but there were always those who took pleasure in slaughtering them. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
Kazuyama's expression turned serious—but only for a moment. Big-picture strategy wasn't his concern.
No point overthinking it.
With that, he headed straight for the hot springs.
Why stress when a bath was far more relaxing?
...
That night, in his hotel room, Kazuyama started planning his next side hustle.
This time, borrowing money like he had in the Land of Lightning was out of the question.
Some things only needed to be done once.
This time, his sights were set on the mountains of the Land of Earth.
A sly grin spread across his face.
"Hehehe... Sometimes, messing with people doesn't require direct attacks. And you don't have to steal from them, either."
"Kazuyama, that grin is downright creepy. You got some new scheme in mind?"
Chōmei was instantly curious. Kazuyama's ideas were always outlandish. Even after all this time, he still couldn't predict what was going on in his head.
Kazuyama didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed a map of the Land of Earth and studied it carefully.
Chōmei was dying of curiosity.