Chapter 128: Resolve
Kael nodded slightly.
Judging by the series of actions taken by Konoha and the Hidden Cloud, they didn't really take the Hidden Hot Water Village—or Kael himself—seriously.
They only viewed each other, fellow members of the Five Great Nations, as worthy opponents.
"Just let my Hidden Hot Water develop for a few more years. Then you'll know the meaning of regret!" Kael sneered internally.
With the Synthesis System boosting their combat power and the Feudal Lord's financial backing, the rise of the Hidden Hot Water Village was unstoppable.
He was eager to see the scene where the Shinobi World was shaken by the power of his village.
The thought of the Hidden Hot Water, which he had planned and developed single-handedly, standing tall in the Shinobi World made his blood boil with excitement.
As a transmigrator, building a force that could make the ninja world tremble was definitely something to be proud of.
The arrogant, dismissive attitude of the Five Great Nations, acting as if they dictated the entire course of the ninja world, disgusted Kael, a ninja from a small nation. Pulling them down from their altars and grinding them into the dust would be incredibly satisfying.
Afterward, the two chatted about Rouran.
Kael had previously asked Watanabe Musashi to inquire about the Dragon Vein of Rouran.
"Legend has it that there is indeed a Dragon Vein deep underground in Rouran, where a negligible kingdom—the Kingdom of Rouran—is located! But because it sits in a remote desert, very few people go there. Why are you interested in that place?"
Watanabe Musashi looked puzzled.
"You know I have the ability to cultivate Summoning Beasts. But this ability doesn't come from nothing. I need energy—whether material or intangible—as capital to upgrade my summons' strength. So, I am indeed interested in the legendary Dragon Vein."
After a brief pause, Kael explained to Watanabe.
At this time in the Shinobi World, very little was known about the insignificant ancient kingdom of Rouran located within the Land of Wind. If Kael hadn't specifically asked Watanabe to investigate, the older ninja wouldn't have even known such a unique country existed.
Perhaps because it was located deep in the desert hinterlands, not only had ninja from other countries never heard of Rouran, but even the Land of Wind likely knew little about it.
A place with no profit wasn't worth the attention of high-and-mighty ninja or Daimyos.
"I sent people to the Land of Wind to ask about it, but most people were vague. Only a few old men knew some details, but when they heard it was the Kingdom of Rouran, they looked fearful, as if it were some kind of scourge!"
Speaking of this, Watanabe Musashi looked confused.
A tiny kingdom in the desert—if it could even be called a kingdom—didn't even appear on the ninja world map. It was incomparable even to the Land of Hot Water, yet it made people afraid.
"After bribing those guys, they finally told me the story, though it was mostly hearsay.
"Legend has it that Rouran is an ominous place, cursed by the gods. It is constantly shrouded in sandstorms. Even the most experienced camels often get lost there, never to return, let alone ordinary people. Entering by mistake means getting lost forever, so no one dares to approach it easily."
Watanabe Musashi made it sound terrifying, but Kael just smiled, looking unconcerned.
In his opinion, those were just superstitions of the uneducated. A powerful ninja wouldn't fear getting lost. Of course, without sensory abilities or a detailed map, it was indeed very easy to get lost in the endless sands.
"This just shows the unique advantages the great ninja villages possess..."
Kael sighed inwardly.
Whether it was sensory ninja or comprehensive maps of the Shinobi World, only the great villages possessed them. Other small villages struggled just to feed a few ninja; how could they cultivate specialized sensory types?
Let alone sensory ninja—even medical ninja and genjutsu ninja were rare finds in small villages once in a century. This was the greatest manifestation of the resource gap.
For example, Konoha possessed two of the Three Great Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai: the Uchiha's Sharingan and the Hyuga's Byakugan.
Genjutsu in Konoha was divided into several schools, the most famous being the Uchiha and Kurama clans.
Genjutsu was something with a high skill floor but also a high skill ceiling.
Although not the mainstream ability in the ninja world, the role genjutsu could play at certain times was often greater than ninjutsu or taijutsu.
But what most people didn't know was that Yin Release techniques, which affected the brain through the five senses to disrupt the opponent's chakra and induce hallucinations, were actually divided into several different systems.
The first was the Auditory Genjutsu, seen in the original story. The primary user of this ability was Tayuya.
As a subordinate of Orochimaru and one of the Sound Four, Tayuya uncharacteristically specialized in genjutsu.
Her most famous battle was using her Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains to control Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha simultaneously. Although Itachi eventually figured out a way to break it, it was enough to prove the power of Tayuya's genjutsu. (Note: Kael is referencing the Kabuto fight in the War Arc where Kabuto uses Tayuya's ability).
The second was Olfactory Genjutsu, associated with the Second Mizukage.
In the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Second Mizukage was reanimated by Kabuto and summoned his clam, the Giant Clam!
His genjutsu played the numerous Allied Shinobi Forces like monkeys. If not for Gaara using sand for physical detection and Onoki's Lightened Boulder Jutsu, they wouldn't have been able to break it. This alone proved the terror of olfactory genjutsu, trapping people without them even realizing it.
And the third was Visual Genjutsu, represented by Shisui Uchiha's Kotoamatsukami!
Visual genjutsu was mostly the domain of Uchiha ninja. Since the Sharingan was naturally a manifestation of Yin Release, Uchiha ninja had a huge innate advantage in the path of genjutsu.
And Kotoamatsukami, capable of altering a person's will and thoughts without them knowing, was the highest symbol of visual genjutsu.