The Land of Grass wasn't large, roughly the size of the Land of Birds, but their ninja population was surprisingly numerous.
This kind of structure was inherently unhealthy.
No wonder they played both sides, squeezing every bit of resource they could—
Especially when it came to outsiders.
Kyōichi's eyes scanned the surroundings. The Land of Grass had many farmlands, and if war broke out, these fields would be destroyed in an instant.
However, what he saw was a group of Kusa ninja who showed no signs of panic.
They carried on as usual.
But…
"Sensei!"
"Hmm?"
"Why are these people so unfriendly when we're here to help them defend?"
Shisui asked in a low voice.
The Kusa ninja didn't welcome them. When they saw Kyōichi's Konoha forehead protector, their gazes turned cold, showing no hint of camaraderie toward their supposed allies.
Kyōichi looked around.
All the Kusa ninja avoided him, refusing to make eye contact.
They could tell.
Kyōichi was a jōnin!
Konoha's jōnin were not to be trifled with.
"It's simple. Because we're blocking their path."
Kyōichi said with a smile.
Then, he gripped the hilt of his sword and walked step by step toward the chūnin at the village entrance who was in charge of registration.
"May I ask who you are?"
The chūnin didn't dare to be negligent.
Konoha's ninja army was at the border. If they were provoked, the responsibility would be far beyond what a mere chūnin like him could bear.
"Konoha jōnin, Kanda Kyōichi. I've been ordered to visit the leader of the Kusa ninja."
"They are my students."
Kyōichi handed over the official document.
"Yes! Once you've registered, you may enter. However, our leader might not be available…"
"That's fine."
Kyōichi smiled.
Not available?
Heh.
Even if he wasn't, it didn't matter. If the Kusa ninja didn't want to talk, he'd just post the notice on the leader's office door. Then it wouldn't be about whether the Kusa ninja wanted to talk, but whether he wanted to.
A bunch of short-sighted fools.
Kyōichi led Shisui and the others inside. Shisui carefully observed Kusagakure.
This was his first time entering another ninja village.
However.
It felt strangely off.
Despite the Land of Grass being on the brink of disaster, the Kusa ninja, who were supposed to protect it, seemed numb, even resentful of Konoha's intervention.
This…
Shisui couldn't quite understand it.
But Kyōichi knew very well.
Konoha was blocking their path to surrendering to Iwagakure!
However.
To be fair, the Land of Grass was in a tough spot.
What surrounded them?
The Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Waterfalls.
The first two were self-explanatory.
Even the latter two were major players among the smaller villages, not something the Land of Grass could afford to provoke.
But!
Kyōichi was from Konoha, and their forces were already at the frontlines. The Kusa ninja, however, had only made a token effort, sending people but not truly contributing.
So he couldn't bring himself to sympathize.
As they walked further in, Kyōichi subtly observed his surroundings, using his chakra sensing technique to probe the area.
There were quite a few ninja.
But with so many chakra signatures, it was impossible to distinguish which one belonged to the Uzumaki clan. He wandered around casually, and the Kusa ninja quickly hid themselves.
Asuma and Kurenai were also confused.
They didn't understand the situation at all, but since Kyōichi didn't explain, they could only try to figure it out themselves.
After some thought…
They came up empty.
Forget it, they'd just wait for the answer.
They stopped overthinking.
Kyōichi walked around and eventually reached a remote part of the village. The houses here were vastly different from the ones they'd seen earlier—dilapidated and surrounded by scattered piles of garbage.
Someone inside was watching them!
Of course.
If that were all, Kyōichi wouldn't have paid much attention. But through the cracks in the broken walls, he caught a glimpse of a vivid, blood-red color.
An Uzumaki?
His heart stirred. Then, he noticed many Kusa ninja observing them from the shadows, their hostility even more pronounced.
It seemed the Kusa ninja had already discovered her abilities and had even given her a separate house.
Kyōichi continued forward, planning to explore a bit more to avoid raising suspicions.
But…
The next moment, a figure landed in front of them.
"Kyōichi-sama, our leader has returned. Upon hearing of your arrival, he sent me to escort you to him."
A Kusa ninja.
Kyōichi glanced ahead and said, "No rush. I'd like to look around a bit more."
"Kyōichi-sama…"
"Fine, since the leader is in such a hurry, I suppose we'll have to meet him now. I was hoping to get a feel for the local culture of your village."
Kyōichi sounded genuinely regretful.
Shisui and the others followed behind, their expressions unchanged. But knowing their sensei, they could tell he was very interested in the person inside that house.
Because he had paused for a second or two.
Kyōichi left.
The Kusa ninja finally breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed, while Kyōichi was led by the Kusa ninja Anbu to the village leader's building.
The Kusa ninja leader had "returned."
He had no choice but to return. Though he didn't know what Kanda Kyōichi's intentions were, he had heard of this man.
A newly promoted jōnin from Konoha last year.
Rumored to be very strong.
If he were left waiting, there was no telling how much intelligence Kyōichi might gather.
"I heard you were away, so I thought I'd look around first before coming to see you. I didn't expect you to return so quickly. I hope my sudden visit hasn't disrupted your plans?"
Kyōichi spoke with apparent sincerity, his face full of apology, but…
To the Kusa ninja leader, it didn't sound genuine at all.
The leader stiffened. "N-Not at all! With the Iwa ninja launching large-scale attacks on our country, it's only thanks to Konoha's help that we've been able to hold them off. No matter how urgent my matters are, they pale in comparison to your visit!"
"Good."
Kyōichi gestured for him to sit.
The Kusa ninja leader's face twitched with anger, but he sat down nonetheless.
"Yesterday, I eliminated three Iwa elite squads in the Land of Earth. Their frontline prowess is... formidable. And with Konoha fighting on three fronts, our numbers are stretched thin."
"But... wasn't the eastern front resolved?"
The leader paled.
Three elite squads? If true, this man could decimate a dozen Kusa teams single-handedly.
Good thing they hadn't offended him.
They couldn't afford to!
"Who knows if Kiri will attack again? We can't pin our hopes on Kiri's mercy, so we've left a significant force in the east. Right now, we're short on manpower. I was wondering if your village could contribute more people so we can launch a counterattack together!"
Kyōichi cut straight to the point, not bothering to beat around the bush.
The Kusa ninja leader looked troubled. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Our jōnin squads have already been sent to help with the defense. All that's left in the village are chūnin and genin. They're not much use in a counterattack… It wouldn't be wise, would it?"
"Chūnin can still be useful on the battlefield. Also, medical ninja and supplies are indispensable. Konoha is stretched thin fighting on three fronts. If we can't get more support, Konaha may have to temporarily withdraw from this front."
Kyōichi sighed.
"W-Withdraw? That… that can't happen!"
The Kusa ninja leader panicked.
Some in Kusagakure wanted to side with Iwagakure, but he hadn't made a decision yet. From the current situation, Konoha had won in the east, and things were looking favorable.
Konoha might not lose.
If they made a move now, it might be too early.
Kusagakure had survived for so long by playing both sides, but now Konoha was acting unpredictably, throwing him into confusion.
Kyōichi's words forced the issue to the forefront—
Which side should they choose?
Kyōichi remained silent, simply watching him.
The leader's mind was in turmoil, but he asked, "Is this the Hokage's decision, or…?"
"The Hokage-sama is at the frontlines."
Kyōichi replied.
"…"
At the frontlines.
This was Sarutobi Hiruzen's decision!
How could that be?
He found it hard to believe that someone like Hiruzen, with his personality, would make such a decision, forcing Kisagakure to pick a side. He had planned to respond with vague words.
But.
Kyōichi didn't play along, simply smiling in response.
"If it really comes to that, perhaps the villagers of the Land of Grass could temporarily relocate to the Land of Fire. Once we defeat the Iwa ninja, they can return."
Kyōichi suggested.
"That… that's impossible!"
The Kusa ninja leader nearly cursed.
If they moved to the Land of Fire, there was no way those villagers would ever return!
He didn't fully understand the economics of running a ninja village, but he knew that the village relied on the Land of Grass and its villagers for support.
In short, he wasn't willing to let go of anything.
"In any case, this is our plan. If you're willing to join the counterattack, send someone to discuss the specifics. If not, then Konoha's ninja will withdraw within three days, without causing too much trouble for the Land of Grass."
Kyōichi finished, then turned and left without giving the leader a chance to respond.
It was an ultimatum.
As he left, he faintly heard the sound of something being smashed upstairs.
But.
There was no need to pay it any mind.
Kyōichi had achieved both of his goals in coming to Kusagakure. There was no need to stay any longer. After leaving the building, he headed straight for the village exit.
The Kusa ninja didn't dare to stop him.
Once they were out of the village, Shisui finally spoke up. "Sensei, it seems like you never expected the Kusa ninja to contribute in the first place. Is that right?"
"Mm."
Kyōichi nodded slightly. "If you've studied Kusagakure, you'd know that this village is situated between several major nations and has always been a battleground. Their strategy is to side with whoever is stronger."
"From the current situation, it seems like Konoha is at a disadvantage, but we recently won in the east…"
Put so plainly, Asuma instantly understood.
No wonder.
Right now, most of the Kusa ninja believed the Iwagakure would win, while the leader and a small faction thought Konoha still had a chance. That's why they were hesitating.
They didn't want to suffer heavy losses by committing, but they also hoped to maintain the status quo and watch how things unfolded.
What a beautiful dream!
He sneered and said, "No wonder the Kusa ninja at the frontlines all looked so listless. They were doing it on purpose."
"I wonder what they'll choose."
Shisui mused.
Kusagakure was now being forced to make a choice.
This situation…
It bore some resemblance to the Uchiha's predicament.
"They definitely won't choose to join the counterattack."
If the Kusa ninja had agreed, Kyōichi would've gladly led them in a counterattack. After all, they couldn't afford to keep fighting the Iwa ninja in a war of attrition.
But was that likely?
Not a chance.
Kyōichi didn't hold out much hope. Deep down, he was already planning when to return to Kusagakure to rescue that person.