The Land of Hot Water.
Lin Yu and the other two, who were supposed to return to Konoha to report on their mission, were now on their way to a town in the Land of Hot Water.
There were many reasons. Firstly, Lin Yu felt that the advancement of his Mangekyo Sharingan would cause quite a stir. Returning to Konoha would be too restrictive, and he was too lazy to go back to Konoha and then leave again. If it were in the Land of Grass, Lin Yu wouldn't feel at ease. After all, if he wasn't there, that fool Obito would be easily corrupted by Uchiha Madara in minutes!
That wouldn't do. Obito could only be corrupted by me, Uzumaki Lin Yu. Hmph! It should be steered onto the right path of life!
Secondly... the Land of Hot Water was a great place for tourism, and he also had businesses there!
Two weeks had passed since Lin Yu and the others completed the Kannabi Bridge mission. Without the heavy burden of missions, even Kakashi seemed relaxed, if one ignored his words, "I want to return to the village and take on new missions!"
This made Lin Yu very confused. Why had Kakashi, this old slacker, become so diligent? Was it really for the glory of the Hatake family, as he explained?
Kakashi: I just want to stay away from Obito! And you, my unconventional teacher, Uzumaki Lin Yu!
"Phew, we're finally here!"
Lin Yu looked at the scenic town ahead, and his mood immediately brightened. It was worth taking a detour and wasting two weeks.
"Teacher Lin Yu, is this really okay? This shouldn't be part of the mission, right?"
Kakashi stood far away from Obito. Although he was asking Lin Yu, his eyes were always on Obito, preventing any "surprise attacks"!
"What's the big deal! The mission is already completed, what's wrong with a little travel and relaxation?"
"Right, right, and the scenery here is really beautiful, Kakashi!"
Obito looked at the pleasant scenery of the town in the Land of Hot Water, appearing a bit unworldly and curious about everything.
"Hmph! Then why didn't you bring Rin with us? Why send her back to the village alone?"
Kakashi stared at Lin Yu and Obito with a suspicious gaze. One of them must be acting strangely!
"That's because someone needed to report on the mission, right? This way, there won't be any delays. Besides, I wrote a letter of recommendation for Rin, encouraging her to apprentice with Tsunade. Rin left with a happy expression."
Lin Yu patted Kakashi's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, didn't you see Rin enter Konoha Village? There's no need to worry at all. And, this Land of Hot Water has excellent trade, with many comic books you haven't seen before!"
Kakashi's originally stern face instantly turned red. He retorted, "Who! Who likes reading those things! Even you, Teacher Lin Yu, can't slander me!"
Kakashi shook off Lin Yu's hand, turned his head, and entered the town.
He wanted to prove that even if he saw those comic books with his own eyes, and even if they were ones he hadn't seen before! He, Hatake Kakashi! Wouldn't even glance at them, let alone pay money to buy them!
"Hey, Kakashi, why are you walking so fast? No one's going to snatch those comic books from you. We can even help you queue up to buy them!"
Kakashi's steps faltered, his face darkened. Why did everyone think he liked reading comic books? He was simply studious and had no interest in such things!
Even... disdainful!
Yes! That's right!
"Idiot Obito, stay away from me. I'm going to scout for information. You stay with Teacher Lin Yu!"
As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, he leaped onto a nearby rooftop. With a few jumps, he disappeared.
"Damn Kakashi, leaving me to have fun again!"
"Let's go, Obito. Let's book a room first and stay for a few days to relax!"
...
Entering the town of the Land of Hot Water, the commercial street was not as lively and prosperous as Lin Yu had imagined. Perhaps it was because they were still in a state of war. Small countries feared being caught in the conflicts between major powers, as even a single team of ninjas could wipe out this town.
However, the Land of Hot Water had a superior geographical location, and its economy was still several times better than that of ordinary small countries, even in times of depression.
Lin Yu led Obito into a hot spring inn. Obito didn't pay much attention, only noticing the large characters "Heavenly Hot Springs." He scratched his head, wondering if he had seen a similar inn in Konoha. Was he mistaken?
"Welcome! Hello, this is the Heavenly Hot Springs Inn. Are you here for accommodation or to bathe?"
A woman in a simple kimono stepped forward to greet Lin Yu, speaking in a gentle tone.
"Yes, both accommodation and bathing. Please prepare two rooms for me, one with a large bed and one with twin beds, thank you!"
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Lin Yu was very satisfied with the waitress's attitude. It seemed his training had yielded good results.
That's right, Heavenly Hot Springs was Lin Yu's business, established with the bounties he had obtained from Hanzō of the Salamander, that "treasure boy," during those four years.
However, only the head office located in Konoha knew that Lin Yu was the behind-the-scenes owner of Heavenly Hot Springs. The other branches were unaware, as Lin Yu was a low-key person.
"Teacher Lin Yu, why only two rooms? Aren't there three of us, you, me, and Kakashi?"
After the waitress left, Obito looked at Lin Yu with a puzzled gaze. Did Teacher Lin Yu have a problem with his math?
"Obito, you've misunderstood your teacher."
Lin Yu said with a smile, "Obito, the twin beds are two separate beds, so you and Kakashi can share. Because our budget isn't very sufficient, we need to save some money. You should understand, right!"
Obito suddenly realized, and then said, "Then Teacher Lin Yu, you take one room! I'm used to sleeping on tatami mats, and I don't think Kakashi would mind. The three of us can sleep together!"
*Clang!*
Lin Yu instantly sat on the ground, patted his chest, and forced a smile, "That's not necessary! Teacher Lin Yu can still afford the cost of two rooms. Besides, this is an opportunity for you and Kakashi to talk and reconcile!"
Obito looked confused, "Reconcile? Kakashi and I aren't fighting."
"Obito, haven't you noticed Kakashi has been keeping his distance from you lately? Acting as if he's wary of you. This is not good. Teammates should love each other. Tonight, you must have a good, in-depth conversation with Kakashi!"
Obito was stunned. It seemed to make some sense. Kakashi had been avoiding him lately, and the last incident was just a misunderstanding!
Obito now realized that it was all Teacher Lin Yu's fault. But he couldn't do anything to Teacher Lin Yu.
Sigh!
He had to communicate well with Kakashi tonight. That incident was just an accident!
"Guests, the rooms are ready for you. Please follow me."
Lin Yu and Obito stopped their conversation and followed the waitress into the hot spring inn.
Meanwhile, Kakashi, who was supposedly "scouting for intelligence," was staring intently at a small stall, or rather, at the series of comic books displayed on it!
Wow! These were all types he had never seen before. He had to buy them!