Three figures emerged from the mist ahead, all clad in standard Konoha jonin gear. One had wild white hair, another spiky blond, and the last… tall, pale, with long black hair and an unsettling smile.
"I told you, we should've just attacked," Orochimaru muttered, eyes narrowing. "Jiraiya, you're being too soft. This is a battlefield now."
"He's got a kid with him," Jiraiya pointed out. "And those three behind him... they don't look like shinobi."
"There are no civilians on the battlefield," Tsunade said bluntly, arms crossed. "Either way, we don't have time to waste. Kato's still waiting for us."
The three turned their focus back to Charlie, eyes sharp.
"Amegakure shinobi?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.
Charlie raised a brow, clearly caught off guard by their sudden appearance. "No, uh, I'm an ally of Konoha," he said quickly, trying to steady his voice.
"Konoha's ally?" Orochimaru repeated, smirking. "Last I checked, Amegakure wasn't exactly on friendly terms with us…"
Before Orochimaru could finish, Charlie swiftly reached up and removed the Amegakure forehead protector from his brow. With a smooth motion, he swapped it out for a Kusagakure headband and said, without missing a beat, "Actually, I'm a shinobi of the Land of Grass."
The three jōnin froze. Their expressions twisted with disbelief.
'Did he just… swap headbands right in front of us?'
They'd heard that Kusagakure shinobi had a reputation for playing both sides, but seeing someone shamelessly switch allegiance mid-sentence was something else entirely.
Even among spies and infiltrators, no one switched headbands so brazenly, and without even using a Transformation Jutsu.
Jiraiya's gaze lingered on the group behind Charlie. "Then why are you traveling with three civilians?"
Charlie smiled and explained, "These are relatives of my secretary. The Land of Rain was in turmoil because of the ongoing war, so I was tasked with bringing these people out safely. "
When Tsunade heard this, she frowned and looked at the group. Seeing that they were just ordinary folks, she pursed her lips in thought.
"Yesterday, your Kusagakure envoy said they found their long-lost son and took him deep into the Land of Rain. Now you're saying they're here looking for relatives? Why are your people from Kusagakure wandering around the Land of Rain like this?"
Charlie was quiet for a moment before sighing. "Well, the Land of Grass was destroyed. Everyone escaped back then." Hearing this, Tsunade's expression shifted slightly as she recalled the Uzumaki clan.
Like Kusagakure, the Uzumaki clan had been scattered across the shinobi world after their homeland, Uzushiogakure, was destroyed. Even after their nation fell, fear of their powerful chakra and sealing techniques lingered, so much so that other villages continued hunting them down, one by one.
Tsunade exhaled heavily, but her tone turned sharp. "Then you'd better move. This area's about to become a battlefield."
"Thanks!" Charlie gave a cheerful wave, quickly guiding the still-nervous trio forward. He smiled warmly at the future Legendary Sannin.
"The Land of Grass is peaceful, scenic, and totally affordable! If any of you ever visit, I'll give you a 20% discount! Just show your Konoha headbands!"
Tsunade stared after him with a deadpan expression, a black line appearing on her face.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, chuckled lowly, eyes fixed on Charlie's retreating figure. "Typical Kusagakure shinobi..." he muttered with amusement. "Even in the middle of a war, they're still trying to promote their backwater village."
But then his tone shifted. "Still... I've heard rumors. That someone unusual appeared in the Land of Grass. Powerful enough to unify their factions, restore the village, and stabilize their nation. For a place like Kusa, that's no small feat." He licked his lips, eyes narrowing. "I'm curious who that could be."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Why do you always get obsessed with weirdos? We have more important things to worry about. Let's finish this already."
She glanced over at Jiraiya, who was unusually quiet, staring off toward the horizon. "Hey, what's with you?" she asked.
Jiraiya blinked, then forced a grin and scratched the back of his head. "Eh... it's nothing."
But his eyes said otherwise. He looked distant, as if sensing something... or someone.'Forget it,' he told himself, then raised his palm and made a dramatic pose. "Let the gallant Jiraiya be the one to end this war!"
Tsunade stared at him, unamused, as a visible tick mark formed on her forehead. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath.
Behind her, Orochimaru gave a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Some things never change."
Meanwhile, halfway along their route, they spotted Kusagakure shinobis sneaking in, with Mujie clearly among them. When Mujie gave Charlie a nod, it was clear, Kusagakure's first plan had worked perfectly!
Glancing back at the three behind him, Charlie raised his hand with a confident wave. "Let's move! We're going home!"
The journey back went smoothly, without any unexpected problems. Once they left the poisonous area of the Land of Rain, they met up with the shinobi from the Land of Grass, just as planned. Everyone was filled with anticipation.
Fuso, along with Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko, followed Charlie as they headed toward the Land of Grass. Fuso was stunned when she found out that Charlie was actually the leader of the Land of Grass and its shinobi village.
She couldn't understand why the leader of an entire country would sneak into the Land of Rain just to rescue a few ordinary civilians like them. If it had been only her and Nagato, she might have guessed Charlie was interested in them for their Uzumaki clan traits, the unique physiology they possessed.
That was the one valuable thing they had. Thinking back to that night made Fuso blush all over again. How embarrassing!
Just then, Charlie smiled and pointed ahead. "We've arrived. From today on, this will be your home. The Land of Grass is small and was only recently rebuilt, but I believe you'll like it here."
He glanced at Fuso, who suddenly blushed for no apparent reason. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no! Nothing at all," Fuso said quickly, shaking her head. Then, as her gaze drifted over the gentle hills of the Land of Grass, a warm smile softened her expression. "Thank you, Lord Kusa. I'm truly grateful to be under your protection from now on."
"Just call me Charlie," he said with a chuckle. "No need for titles. I plan to take Nagato and the others as my students."
"Really?" Fuso's face lit up with joy. Her mature, gentle smile caught Charlie by surprise. Unlike Kana's softness, Fuso seemed a bit older, more like a big sister. She bowed deeply. "Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it!"
"No need for that!" Charlie waved his hand with a smile, shaking his head.
He scratched his cheek, a thought crossing his mind. 'Who said all Uzumaki clan members were fierce women because of their chakra? Both Kana and Fuso were gentle, after all.'
Breaking the moment, he added casually, "Anyway, you're not alone. There are still a members of your clan living here in the Land of Grass."
"Clan members?" Fuso asked, but before she could finish, Charlie spoke again.
"Kana's here!" Charlie called out, turning.
"Charlie, you're back?" Kana's voice rang out from the path ahead.
A soft, cheerful voice came from nearby. Fuso looked up immediately and saw a beautiful young girl with a gentle smile. Her hair caught Fuso's attention, it was the exact same shade of red as hers. 'Could she be a survivor of the Uzumaki clan?'
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M*re Ch at P*t***n : InevitableWriter