“Little Renye, are we not there yet?”
On the way to Hot Spring Village, Senju Hashirama asked in confusion.
He always felt that Renye had taken a wrong turn.
Logically, Hot Spring Village shouldn't be this far...
“Little Renye, are you sure you didn’t take a wrong turn?” Senju Hashirama couldn’t help but ask.
Renye held a Ninja World map he had bought from a vendor, his expression resolute: “Don’t worry, Uncle Hashirama, I didn’t take a wrong turn!”
However, the fine beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed him...
He subconsciously reached out to wipe away the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself, ‘Did I really take a wrong turn?’
Renye felt a bit annoyed. This was the consequence of not studying properly; he couldn't even read a map.
“Really?” Hashirama leaned closer. “Let me see the map.”
Renye quickly put the map behind him and stammered, “Uncle, don’t worry, we’ll be there soon.”
“Alright, alright.” Hashirama ultimately chose to believe Renye and sighed, “So Hot Spring Village is that far.”
“Uncle Hashirama, we’re almost there.” Renye felt a bit guilty.
“Haha, then let’s pick up the pace! I can’t wait to experience the hot springs!” Hashirama laughed, hands on his hips.
The two of them quickened their pace.
Two days later, there was nothing but dense forest around them; no sign of human habitation could be seen.
It seemed they were getting more and more off track...
Renye looked at the surrounding forest, somewhat bewildered: “According to the map’s description, shouldn’t this be a small town?”
Senju Hashirama had a strange expression and couldn’t help but ask, “Little Renye, are you really sure you didn’t take a wrong turn?”
In two days, they had already left the Land of Fire.
Wasn't it said that the Land of Hot Water wasn't far from the Land of Fire's border?
Hashirama suddenly remembered that he seemed to have heard Mito mention before that the Land of Hot Water was located around the Land of Whirlpools.
But this was absolutely not the way to the Land of Whirlpools!
As for where they had arrived, he didn’t know.
For the past two days, Renye had led him in twists and turns; he had no idea where he was.
Renye looked at the map in his trembling hands, “Uncle Hashirama, I think I’m lost…”
Senju Hashirama: “???”
Did something so obvious need to be restated?
If he had known, he shouldn't have trusted Renye.
When he first noticed something was wrong, he should have looked at the map himself.
This couldn’t be blamed on Hashirama; he had never imagined that Renye, who could be promoted to Jonin, couldn’t even read a map.
Had the Ninja School teachers not taught such basic knowledge?
How did this guy even graduate from school?
It seemed that after they returned, this matter would have to be thoroughly investigated.
The Ninja School was an institution for cultivating Ninja with the fire will, not a place for back doors.
This unhealthy trend must be resolutely combated!
“Uncle Hashirama.” Renye stared intently at the map, his expression solemn. “I think the map was drawn incorrectly.”
Even now, he didn’t think it was his fault.
Senju Hashirama helplessly rubbed his forehead; he didn’t know what to say.
He had thought Renye had discovered something, but it turned out to be this after all that fuss.
“Little Renye, let me see the map.” Senju Hashirama said.
This time, Renye didn’t insist further and obediently handed the map to Hashirama, muttering softly, “How awful, they actually sold me a fake map.”
Senju Hashirama: “…”
He opened the map and compared it with the surrounding environment, and his vision immediately went dark.
“Where did you bring me?” Hashirama raised his voice, looking at Renye with a shocked expression.
If he wasn’t mistaken, they were currently located at the border of the Land of Grass and Takigakure Village, and were even almost in the territory of the Land of Earth.
This was completely in the opposite direction from their destination, the Land of Hot Water!
They were in the red circle position...
Facing Hashirama’s questioning, Renye scratched his head awkwardly, “So I took a wrong turn, I thought the map was drawn incorrectly.”
Hashirama’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t the Ninja School teach you how to read maps?”
Logically, teachers should teach such basic knowledge.
If not, it was the Ninja School teachers’ negligence.
He would report this matter to Tobirama when he returned.
“Uh…” Renye scratched his head, sounding a bit uncertain: “I think they did?”
Senju Hashirama looked bewildered, “You don’t know if they taught it or not?”
“Uncle Hashirama, I really don’t know.” Renye nodded awkwardly.
He always slept during his cultural classes and never listened.
He really didn’t know the answer to Hashirama’s question.
Senju Hashirama helplessly rubbed his forehead, “Forget it, this isn’t the time to discuss this.”
The most pressing matter was to leave here first.
Hashirama looked down at the map, compared it with the surrounding environment, and said, “Our current location is closer to Takigakure Village; we can go there to rest.”
“Takigakure Village?” Renye felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He quickly realized that this wasn’t the hometown of Kakuzu from the future Akatsuki Organization, was it?
It was said that this guy had once even fought Senju Hashirama, and he used to brag a lot about it when he was in the Akatsuki Organization. He wondered if it was true or false...
Anyway, the person involved was here; he could just ask to find out the truth.
“Uncle Hashirama, have you ever fought a guy named Kakuzu?”
“Kakuzu?” Senju Hashirama looked a bit bewildered, seemingly recalling the person in his mind, “I don’t recall.”
Upon hearing this, Renye showed an expression that said, ‘I knew it.’
Case closed, Kakuzu was bragging...
If the other party had truly fought Hashirama head-on and successfully escaped, Hashirama would definitely remember.
But now Hashirama had no impression of Kakuzu at all, so there were only two possibilities.
One was that Kakuzu had never fought Hashirama and was just bragging.
The other was that Kakuzu hadn’t fought Hashirama head-on, but had hidden far away, secretly thrown a few Shuriken, and then fled before Hashirama could act.
Renye couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing; he had always thought Kakuzu was a rather honest person, but it turned out he had misjudged him.
Senju Hashirama didn’t dwell on the matter and led the way with the map.
Renye silently followed behind Hashirama; he still felt it was the map’s fault.
All along the way, he kept hoping that Hashirama would also get lost, so that it could prove it wasn’t his own problem.
Unfortunately, what Renye hoped for did not happen.
Before long, a small-scale Village appeared before the two of them.
Renye looked at Takigakure Village in the distance and fell silent.
——————
Outside Hot Spring Village, Land of Hot Water.
Kakuzu squatted on a tree, carefully observing his surroundings.
This road was the only way into Hot Spring Village; as soon as Senju Hashirama appeared, he would discover him immediately!
But he had been here for two days and still hadn’t found any sign of Senju Hashirama.
“Could the intelligence be wrong?” Kakuzu opened the intelligence given by the Village higher-ups: 【Senju Hashirama is going to Hot Spring Village to soak in the hot springs…】
He decided to wait one more day; if he still hadn’t seen him, he would return to the Village to report.