I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 688 I hate sudden cold snaps the most; my thick clothes haven't been washed yet, and they still smell of last year's musty stuff.

"This Iron Country is so cold! Next time I come, I have to get a low-temperature allowance!"

Amidst the snow-covered landscape, Shikaku, dressed only in autumn clothes, shivered and huddled up his hands and neck, speaking to Tatsuma with dissatisfaction.

Tatsuma also tightened his trench coat. With his constitution, or even Shikaku's, it was unlikely that he would get sick from the cold.

However, just as Sun Wukong could endure forty-nine days of alchemical fire but still get burned by a bowl of rice, Chenma is not immune to cold, but he is not immune to it.

"We miscalculated. Should we go back now, put on some more clothes, and then come back?"

Tatsuma turned up the collar of his trench coat, covering his mouth and nose, and said to Shikaku, who shook his head and said, "I didn't buy any clothes to protect against the cold, and I haven't even taken out my winter clothes to wash and dry yet."

"Then you'll just have to hang in there. When you meet someone, you absolutely mustn't start shaking."

Tatsuma stomped his feet because he was cold, and his upper body kept trembling. If he didn't do that, he was really worried that he would get a cramp from the cold.

Although he had stayed in the Frost Country before, he wasn't dressed this lightly back then. Coupled with the tension of wartime, the cold he felt was nowhere near as bone-chilling as it was now.

"You should be careful. You're the Hokage, the face of Konoha. Don't tremble in fear when you see the Raikage and the Shogun of the Land of Iron."

Shikaku retorted defiantly, but his hands were already tucked into his sleeves, and he was tightly gripping the cuffs from the inside.

Tatsuma crouched down, extending a trembling hand from his sleeve. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and plunged his hand into the thick snow, channeling chakra into it like a drop of water creating ripples.

As the ripples spread and his senses became clearer, Tatsuma quickly located the Cloud Ninja's base.

Tatsuma quickly pulled out his hand, which was already red and even felt like it was burning, stood up, pointed in a direction, and said, "It's over there, let's go."

"I need to pee."

Shikaku said somewhat awkwardly, and Tatsuma was about to say that lazy donkeys poop and pee a lot, but a gust of cold wind blew by, and he shivered and said, "To be honest, me too."

"Would you dare take it out in this weather? I feel like mine is withering away."

"My senses have gone into hibernation too."

The two exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat troubled. Tatsuma rubbed his hands together and said, "No, it's fine to waste chakra, but we can't let our brother suffer!"

"I'm not your brother."

I wasn't talking about you.

Chenma formed the Tiger Seal with both hands, and in an instant, the chakra within his body was continuously transformed into Fire Release chakra, which overflowed and draped over his body.

"Sizzle~"

In an instant, the ice and snow within a radius of several meters around Chenma began to melt rapidly, and even the wind that blew in turned into waves of heat.

After warming up for a while, Shikaku stretched out his hands and neck again, scratched his back, and said, "It's too hot, it's a bit itchy."

Tatsuma adjusted his chakra output, and the heatwave instantly transformed into a chilly breeze that perfectly complemented their clothing. Shikaku nodded and said, "Shall we stand back to back?"

Shikaku didn't intend to stray too far from Tatsuma, and there weren't many trees or boulders around. Apart from the open space, they could only stand back to back. Tatsuma nodded, and then the two of them turned around at the same time.

"Phew~"

After a splash, Shikaku shivered and let out a long breath. Tatsuma finished shortly after and said, "It's me again this time."

"I didn't bet on that kind of thing with you!"

Shikaku's face darkened and he interrupted her abruptly. Even after all these years, and even after becoming Hokage, Sakamoto Tatsuma's perverse sense of humor hadn't disappeared.

Tatsuma pursed his lips, gathered water-style chakra in his hands, and washed his hands with the chakra. Seeing this, Shikaku said, "Give me some too."

Tatsuma handed over the water ball, but Shikaku quickly dodged it, saying, "Give me something clean!"

"whispering sound!"

After washing their hands, the two finally set off. Before long, they saw burly men exercising shirtless under the falling snow.

They not only trained, but also occasionally hit their companions, using an extremely simple way to combat the cold.

"Who goes there?!"

As the two drew closer, the Cloud Ninja in the camp noticed them and became alert. Chenma pushed out a gust of wind, like a heat wave, which scattered the falling snowflakes, allowing the Cloud Ninja to see them clearly.

"So it was the Fourth Hokage."

Someone recognized Tatsuma, and upon hearing this, the others relaxed their guard considerably.

After all, they had all heard that Tatsuma had come to help them mediate the conflict with the Land of Iron. Although the two sides had a deep-seated hatred for each other, they knew that now was not the time to provoke a powerful enemy.

"Lord Ai, the Hokage is here. Please... control your emotions."

Inside a dilapidated wooden hut, Tu Tai spoke to Ai, who nodded and replied, "I know. Whatever his motives may be, he's here to help me, so naturally I won't get angry at him."

After saying that, Ai stood up, pushed open the door that had absolutely no connecting structure, forced a stiff and strange smile, opened her arms, and said loudly, "Tatsuma! Long time no see!"

Anyone could see that Ai's enthusiasm was feigned, but Tatsuma didn't mind. He even displayed far more polished acting skills, stepping forward with a smile, hugging Ai, and saying:

"I said last time that we would meet as Shadow, and I never thought it would come true."

Ai forced a stiff smile. At that time, Chenma was just waiting for the succession ceremony, while Ai's father had died. These words were quite sarcastic and pointed at the time.

Now that it's being brought up again, it has a completely different meaning.

Tatsuma glanced at the Cloud Ninjas all around him, who were watching him, and said, "No wonder everyone says that the Cloud Ninjas' taijutsu is unparalleled in the ninja world. Shikaku, look at how they train! When you get back, you must urge the people in our village to learn from them."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

At this moment, Shikaku also put away the sarcastic tone he usually used when talking to Tatsuma, and behaved like a perfect subordinate.

Tatsuma appreciated Shikaku's courtesy and looked at Ai again, saying, "However, it would be better if we kept our conversation quiet. Everyone from the Cloud Ninja should also take a break."

As soon as he finished speaking, Tatsuma's chakra erupted once more, and streams of fire-style chakra surged out, melting the snow on the ground and turning the ice and snow on the heads and bodies of the Cloud Ninja into warm water that flowed down.

Ai's smile became more natural, and he quickly said, "Everyone, please give the Fourth Hokage some face today and take a break!"

He knew that the Cloud Ninja were all eager to rest, but some things couldn't be said openly. This was one of the lessons he had learned in his nearly two years as Raikage.

Ai welcomed Tatsuma into the drafty wooden hut, saying, "Tatsuma, if you can help me deal with the Sand and Mist ninja in the Land of Iron and the Land of Lightning, I'll owe you another favor!"

Ai got straight to the point, and Tatsuma nodded, saying, "You guys take a rest, I'll talk to Mifune. As for favors and such, we'll talk about that later."

Ai nodded and said, "Then it's settled! It's all that damned Iron Country's fault. We gave them face, and they really think they're something special. When I get back to the village, I'll make sure the Iron Country pays!"

"Don't you think the Land of Iron's reaction is too strange? Even after being closed off for ten years, surely Mifune wouldn't have forgotten the power gap between large and small countries?"

"Could it be that another ninja village is behind this?"

Ai frowned and asked. Tatsuma shook his head and said, "I don't know either. We'll have to meet to find out. By the way, didn't you say you would inform the Land of Iron beforehand that I was coming?"

"I notified them, and the person I sent out was immediately sent back!"

Speaking of this, Ai's face was full of anger again. Chenma raised his hand to suppress it and said, "Calm down."

Just then, a report came from outside that warriors from the Land of Iron had arrived. Tatsuma frowned and looked at Shikaku, who was also frowning.

The two had only just arrived in the Land of Iron when the warriors of the Land of Iron happened to arrive.

(End of this chapter)