Konoha: My peaceful life was betrayed by the system.

"Iron ones don't suit my style, so I had them custom-made by the Red Woman. They're alright, I guess."

Hiruzen nodded: "Sure, sure, if I looked like you, I'd definitely dress even more stylishly than you!"

Danzo then added, "What a pity, all of you Sarutobi clan members have big beards, you can't grow a face like Torifu."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen immediately retorted angrily, "What did you say! Wasn't I handsome in my twenties?! Back then, when I went to the women's bathhouse for an exchange program, even if they found out, they wouldn't blame me!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Koharu then launched a flying kick at Hiruzen from behind, sending him flying several meters away!

"How dare you publicize such a shameful thing! I'll tell Biwako as soon as I get back!"

Hiruzen stood up and dusted himself off: "Tch, I only said that because we're all close friends!"

"And I never go to the women's bathhouse anymore! That was just youthful recklessness!"

Hiruzen spoke with conviction, but no one believed a word he said.

But Touka felt there was something else in Hiruzen's words. Could it be that he had already developed the telescope technique?

Developing this technology is quite difficult, but it would be perfect for use as a village-wide surveillance system.

However, inventors always seem to use their inventions in unexpected ways, such as for spying...

The group joked and played around like this for about half a day before finally arriving at Yuhai Village.

It's around two or three in the afternoon now, and the villagers have finished their afternoon nap, so it's a lively time.

When a group of outsiders arrived, the guards at the village gate were naturally very vigilant, but upon seeing the headbands on their heads, they immediately went forward to greet them.

"Having met you, esteemed ninjas, may I ask what important matter you wish to discuss?"

Qu Feng waved his hand: "Don't be nervous, we're here to rent a boat to the Land of Whirlpools."

The guard breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as long as it had nothing to do with his village.

After all, most ninja missions involve bloodshed.

"Alright, please come in, gentlemen."

The guard then summoned someone to open the gate, and Qu Feng and the others entered the village.

Because it is a port village, it frequently trades with villages in the Land of Water, so it is naturally much wealthier.

The village is surrounded by high walls, but it's still far inferior to Konoha Village.

After entering the village, the group headed straight for the dock to solve the boat problem before considering what to eat.

People along the way bowed and paid their respects to Qu Feng when they saw him.

Few villagers in Konoha act like this; at most, they would nod, and if they encountered an unfamiliar ninja, they wouldn't even speak.

The people here are probably still quite afraid of ninjas.

Upon arriving at the pier, a sea breeze blew in, carrying a salty, fishy smell in the air.

Flocks of seagulls gather at the pier and occasionally steal a few fish that the fishermen have just caught.

The sunlight shone on the sea, making it sparkle.

Everything was so wonderful; every fisherman's face was beaming with smiles as they boasted to their friends about their day's catch.

This was Chiri's first time at the beach, and the beautiful scenery overwhelmed her; everything was new and exciting for her.

"How about it?"

"It's even more beautiful than I imagined. The people here are so lucky."

Qu Feng nodded: "It is indeed a nice place."

He then walked to the shore and asked a boatman, "Master, a few of us need to rent a boat to the Land of Whirlpools. Do you have any recommendations?"

The boatman frowned upon hearing this: "The Land of Whirlpools... It seems they've closed their borders recently, so the boat can't dock."

"Is the country closed off?"

The boatman nodded: "Yes, even fishing boats can't get close. If they cross the line, they'll be warned."

"It's alright. We are all ninjas from Konoha Village, and we're here to resolve this matter. You stay near the coast, and we'll go over by ourselves."

Hearing what Qu Feng said, the boatman naturally couldn't refuse.

"Alright then, I won't make any recommendations. Just take my boat. When do you plan to depart?"

Qu Feng smiled upon hearing this, surprised that the boss was quite courageous.

“We’re going to have dinner in a bit, so we’ll probably leave around 4 or 5 o’clock. We’ll give you double the price if we take the night boat.”

Upon hearing this, the boatman immediately agreed: "Okay, that's settled! You go and eat first, and come find me when it's time to leave. I'll always be here."

Qu Feng responded and then turned to walk towards his companions.

"Is it done?"

"It's all done. The boatman has been waiting for us. We can find him when we're ready to set off. Since we'll be traveling at night, I've asked for double the price."

After hearing this, the group felt there was no problem. He was just a boatman; he couldn't do anything special. Besides, ninjas could walk on water, so renting a boat was just to save energy.

Now that the matter was settled, the group decided to find a restaurant in the village to eat. Apart from Toru and Chiri, who had eaten military rations along the way, the others were a bit hungry.

Chapter 258 This is the Third Hokage's order

Now that the matter was settled, the group decided to find a restaurant in the village to eat. Apart from Toru and Chiri, who had eaten military rations along the way, the others were a bit hungry.

It was the first time any of them had visited this small fishing village, so naturally they were unaware of its local specialties.

They saw a restaurant on the street that was quite crowded, so they went inside.

Upon seeing this, the restaurant owner immediately came out to greet them, and everyone in the village knew that a group of ninjas had arrived.

He naturally received the news immediately, but he never expected that the ninjas would actually come to his restaurant.

"You gentlemen must be tired from your journey. I am the owner of this restaurant. Please come in."

The owner led Qu Feng and his group to the largest and best private room in the restaurant.

That way, no one can bother them.

They were already used to it; in the Land of Fire, the identity of a ninja was arguably the highest rank besides that of a daimyo.

Even the officials in the capital city could not compare; they would receive respect and special treatment anywhere.

After all, if you anger the ninjas, killing a few civilians is not a big deal.

However, if Konoha discovers this, they will be severely punished.

"Boss, this is the first time any of us have been to Yuhai Village. Just bring us all your local specialties. Don't worry about the price."

Upon hearing Feng's words, the boss was overjoyed: "Alright, gentlemen, please wait a moment, I'll instruct the kitchen to prepare it right away."

He then withdrew very humbly.

"Ninjas really have a high status."

Jing said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. Ordinary people don't understand us. They're probably afraid that if we don't provide good service, they'll kill us all."

Qu Feng smiled and said, "They should be used to this by now. They might never encounter a ninja in their entire lives, so it's understandable that they're afraid."

Then Qu Feng told his companions about his conversation with the boatman.

"Which boatman said that the Land of Whirlpools was closed off, so he could only take us to the shore near the Land of Whirlpools?"

After hearing this, the group expressed their understanding, since the Land of Whirlpools had just experienced this incident, and closing the country to the outside world was perfectly normal.

Even in normal times, fishing boats are not allowed to approach freely.

After thinking for a moment, Zhili said, "We still need to keep watch tonight while sailing. Although one boatman is not a threat, we are just in case."

As ninjas, caution and prudence are their defining characteristics. They are not arrogant because of their strength, a lesson their teachers taught them from the very beginning of their schooling.

“Zhili is right, then I’ll keep watch for the first half of the night.”

Qu Feng was the first to respond to Zhili's call, then glanced at her, and the two smiled at each other.

Seeing this, Xiaochun said helplessly, "You two are really something, can you stop flirting all the time?"

Then, they all laughed.

Before long, dishes were served one after another, very quickly. I just don't know if the taste will be affected.

"My lords, this dish is steamed crab, this is steamed sea urchin with egg, braised sea cucumber with scallions... and grilled scallops."

There were more than ten dishes in total, and every single one was seafood. After all, this is a coastal village, and seafood is definitely the specialty here.

But why do all these dish names sound so familiar?

But no one cared about that anymore, and everyone picked up their chopsticks and got ready to eat.

It's rare to visit a coastal fishing village, and we don't usually get to eat these things, so everyone is prepared to have a big meal today.

The people here don't have the speed of ninjas, so if seafood were delivered by manpower, it would be stale by the time it reached Konoha Village.

Therefore, restaurants in Konoha Village rarely serve seafood dishes.

After the group started eating, the owner stood smiling at the door until Xiaochun said, "It's delicious!"

He then wiped the sweat from his brow, bowed, and withdrew.

Qu Feng was currently gnawing on a crab. Whether in his past life or now, he had never eaten more than ten crabs in total.

Therefore, some food waste is inevitable.

Everyone else was the same, so no one laughed at anyone else.

While eating, the group chatted idly, feeling as if they were going on a picnic rather than a mission.

Hiruzen let out a burp: "Sigh, if my son knew I was having a seafood feast outside, I don't know how much he would cry and throw a tantrum."

Qu Feng was already quite full by this time, since he hadn't digested the soldier's rations from the morning yet.

He placed his chopsticks on the plate and said to Hiruzen, "Just bring some back for him. I can keep them fresh with my Ice Release."

At this moment, not only Hiruzen, but also the others' eyes were fixed on Torifu.

Qu Feng naturally understood their expressions and said helplessly, "Alright, alright, take whatever you want back with you."

Chiri was overjoyed to hear this: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten about your Ice Release. But it seems you've never used Ice Release for anything worthwhile."