The awkward atmosphere quickly dissipated. Everyone was just a little surprised by the clone's sudden disappearance and the original's sudden appearance. Once the reason was explained, things returned to normal.
"I learned everything that happened today through the clone. You all did great. If you want, you can return immediately tomorrow," Torifu said while eating.
But Minato wasn't very willing to leave yet; he hadn't mastered his Sage Mode. Even if they were to leave, he felt he needed to master Sage Mode first.
Jiraiya understood what Minato was thinking. He knew the young man had been working very hard to practice Sage Mode these past few days.
So he spoke up, "Let's wait a few days. We'd like to see the scenery of the Land of Rain."
Torifu naturally wouldn't refuse. With Jiraiya watching over them, nothing major would happen. The children might have grown bored after staying in Konoha for so long over the New Year. Coming out now for a change of pace was perfect, and the Land of Rain wasn't particularly dangerous at the moment.
The second task on Torifu's mission board had not yet unlocked. Once the second task was unlocked, it wouldn't be too late to decide on their return based on the circumstances. It was unlikely that the moment Task Two unlocked, the Land of Rain would immediately descend into chaos. Things needed a period of development.
As long as they were vigilant and observed the movements across all parts of the Land of Rain, they didn't need to worry about unseen dangers.
Konoha's Anbu ninja had quickly spread out across the Land of Rain, collecting information while checking suspicious locations and searching for the base of the local, behind-the-scenes leader.
The members of the Lotus organization, having managed the Land of Rain for so long, were certainly more familiar with the area. They were all sent out together, leaving only Kakuzu and a few people he trusted to help manage the central city.
Following Torifu's instructions, the other two villages adopted the same measures, sending out their own Anbu to search, reporting any news immediately. Torifu had consulted with the Kazekage and Tsuchikage before issuing the commands, so there was no need to worry about the ninja from the other two villages outwardly agreeing but covertly disobeying.
This way, the entire Land of Rain territory was within Torifu's scope of surveillance.
Not to mention, Torifu had also cast the Crystal Connect Jutsu across the entire Land of Rain—the same technique he had used against Uchiha Madara years ago. Ninja operating outside often discovered tiny crystal flowers in the wilderness, which they all mistook for a specialty of the Land of Rain. In reality, they were Torifu's jutsu.
It was this technique, combined with the Cloud and Mist Perception Jutsu, that allowed Torifu to detect the location of every single enemy camp. It could be said that the entire Land of Rain was completely under Torifu's watch; any small disturbance would be noticed by him.
There was even less need to worry about danger. Once the visible Kage-level enemies were all killed, the entire Land of Rain should be free of any impassable areas.
"Ah, the only bad thing about the Land of Rain is that it's always raining. The air is too damp, making it easy to get sick."
Jiraiya lamented, "Otherwise, it would really be a perfect place to retire."
If one were to retire in the Land of Rain, they would likely be stiff with pain and unable to walk after just one day. Living for a week would be a sign of a strong constitution, as chronic rheumatism would be triggered daily—who could endure that?
"Due to its geography, the Land of Rain is the lowest point in the ninja world, and water from all sides converges here, so it's naturally humid."
However, the constant rain was truly excessive. It was possible that the Sage of Six Paths had done something here back then. The harsh environments of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth were a result of the Sage of Six Paths sealing certain things.
Torifu reasonably suspected the Land of Rain might be the same, but he was too lazy to delve deeper and search.
Everyone at the table chatted and laughed happily; they didn't have this feeling when they gathered for a meal at home, but they found it especially enjoyable in the Land of Rain. Even after the food on the table was finished, no one was eager to leave the table.
"Oh, after this mission is over, I definitely need a good rest," Tsunade said, stretching.
It had been a long time since Tsunade had treated so many people, many of whom were heavily injured by those Kage-level enemies in the forest. Tsunade had worked for a long time just to save their limbs. She hadn't performed operations like this in Konoha for a very long time.
"It can't be helped. Medical resources are very scarce here, so you just have to endure it. Fortunately, the mission will be over soon. Once all the enemy camps are dealt with, Tsunade can return to Konoha directly."
Tsunade made an OK sign, unable to contain her smile. It was clear she had been looking forward to this for a long time. Even though she hadn't been here long, she already felt homesick.
Naori felt differently. She knew Akihara was with the Uchiha Clan right now, so she was completely at ease. With her father there, she could afford to play outside for a bit longer. Torifu could be left alone for a few days. Since she had the rare opportunity to be on a mission here, she definitely had to look around first.
It seemed the ninja mentality had changed. Previously, ninja on a mission couldn't wait to return to the village to report their completion. Now, they wanted to wander around for a bit before going back.
However, Torifu felt this was the choice of a normal person. The previous mentality was simply born out of necessity. If there was no other choice, one naturally had to comply.
"By the way, Torifu, how are those Samurai doing? They seem quite low-key in the central city. I've only seen a few scattered ones come in for treatment. Were they not badly injured?" Tsunade suddenly remembered the matter.
In fact, Mifune's mission had been very successful this time. He had broken through every obstacle, even killing a Kage-level enemy. They were simply low-key, and also, Samurai were generally equipped with very thick metal armor, with defense several times that of a ninja.
There was absolutely no need to worry about injuries, as they had all-around defense. They were completely encased from head to toe, making it genuinely difficult to injure them. Against such defense, a ninja with average strength would quickly fall into a disadvantage or even be killed.
However, there were strange techniques to counter them, such as the Destruction Bug or Puppet Jutsu. The former could bypass the defense and attack the person inside directly. The latter could turn a person into a puppet and control them while alive, though only a Puppet Master could likely accomplish that.
"They're all doing well. They are currently preparing to lead their squads back to the Land of Iron."
Tsunade nodded upon hearing this. She was only curious and had no interest in the Samurai's whereabouts.
Yahiko and Konan, however, felt a great pity. They had been talking about wanting to spar with Kaito-senpai, but now, not only could they not spar, but they didn't even get to see him.