*Kusagakure*
"Kusano-sama," a voice interrupted his slumber. Akihiko Kusano, who was dozing off on a table, slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his assistant—a gentle and virtuous woman with vibrant red hair.
"Kusano-sama, it's time," she reminded him of the current hour.
He rose from the table, stretching his body with a comfortable sigh, and gazed out the window at the settling sun. "Apologies for oversleeping again, Kana."
Kana smiled softly. "It's alright. After all, Kusano-sama has been tirelessly working to rebuild the Land of Grass."
With a hint of appreciation in her eyes, Kana regarded the young man before her with black hair. He had saved her and brought her to the Land of Grass, liberating her from a life of aimless wandering.
"By the way, Mubuki-san mentioned that you should head to the meeting room as soon as you wake up. It appears something of great importance is taking place," Kana informed him.
"Important matter? What could it be?" Akihiko furrowed his brow slightly as he directed his gaze towards Kana.
"Didn't I tell you not to concern yourself with other matters for now? Our sole focus should be on rebuilding the Land of Grass!" he replied, his annoyance seeping through.
Akihiko Kusano—that was his current name. He had reincarnated into the Shinobi World as the Daimyo of the Land of Grass over ten years ago, ascending to the position of the Kusagakure Village's leader.
In small countries, it was common for the Daimyo to also hold the title of village head. After all, smaller nations often lacked sufficient population and military strength. Thus, for the sake of stability and consolidating power, military authority rested in the hands of the Daimyo.
With "Kusano" as his surname, symbolizing his authority over the Land of Grass, it was worth noting that the Land of Grass predominantly referred to individuals by their first names. In the ninja world, surnames were typically reserved for nobles, with clans being regarded as a form of nobility, hence possessing their own clan names.
The Land of Grass, situated in the northwest of the Land of Fire, shares borders with the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Rain. Similar to the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass had often been a battleground for the great powers, making it an inhospitable place to live. It had suffered destruction during the latter part of the First Ninja World War and was now undergoing reconstruction after more than a decade.
Kana had also arrived in the Land of Grass during its rebuilding phase. With her red hair and belonging to the Uzumaki clan, she was undoubtedly the future "medicine pouch" of the Grass Village and the mother of Karin, a woman who had endured tragic experiences.
However, as the current lord of the Land of Grass, Akihiko would not engage in despicable acts. Instead, he appointed her as his assistant on the spot, even asking her to conceal her unique abilities. Now, she served as his secretary, assisting him in handling all the necessary affairs in the Land of Grass.
Oh, and let's not forget to mention the Uzumaki Clan. Although there was currently only one member present, more Uzumaki would join the Land of Grass in the future.
Speaking of which... the name "Land of Grass" seemed quite fitting. Like a resilient weed, it survived in the crevices of major countries. Without proper ninjutsu, they resorted to theft and imitation. In the absence of missions, they excelled at intelligence gathering, relying on diplomacy and information exchange between the Fire, Earth, and Wind countries for survival opportunities.
They were like weeds, aligning themselves with the strongest village of the time. Today, they would join Iwagakure, and tomorrow, they would proclaim a long-standing connection with Konoha, saying, "Kusagakure and Konoha have shared ties since ancient times; we are one of them." They lacked any sense of shame.
But it was precisely this adaptability that allowed the small country of the Land of Grass to persist tenaciously amidst the ongoing wars, unlike Uzushiogakure, which had been completely destroyed, wiping out even the ninja clan.
Of course, it could also be attributed to the awe-inspiring reputation of Uzushiogakure, with everyone fearing its resurgence. But what about the Land of Grass? What kind of entity was it?
Even the ninjutsu within the village were based on counterfeits. These individuals looked down upon anyone who engaged in imitation. They scorned the people of the Land of Grass!
"Never mind," Akihiko muttered with a yawn, gazing at the well-dressed and impressive Kana standing beside him. After a period of time, Kana had transformed into a highly competent assistant.
"Let's go and see," he said in a serious tone.
"Understood," Kana replied with a gentle smile and nod. However, as she glanced at Akihiko's fatigued face, a hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she whispered, "Kusano-sama."
Akihiko looked up, noticing Kana's blush. A question mark formed on his face. "Hmm?"
Bowing slightly, Kana said, "How about I help you feel more energized?"
…...
In a short while, Akihiko who was in high spirits, led the still blushing Kana into the conference room of the Grass Ninja Village. The temporary setup didn't boast an impressive appearance.
As they entered, Akihiko took his seat at the head of the table and glanced at the Grass Ninja Village Council before him. He interlocked his fingers and rested his hands on his chin, wearing a serious expression.
"What is the matter that has made you all so anxious?" Akihiko asked sternly.
"Kusano-sama" came with a respectful response as everyone bowed.
The Grass Country, along with Akihiko and Kana, had only seven members on the council. Apart from Akihiko, Mubuki and Ryuushikei possessed greater strength, while the others were notably weaker.
"I apologize for disturbing you, Kusano-sama" spoke Mubuki, a clever individual with expertise in persuasion, also known for his diplomacy and social skills, which was a traditional ability of the Grass Ninja Village.
The reconstruction of the Grass Ninja Village owed much to him. However, when faced with danger, this guy would not hesitate to run away without a second thought.
Although most of the ninjutsu in the Grass Ninja Village were plagiarized, Mubuki possessed several outstanding fire ninjutsu. Thus, compared to the others, this Jōnin's strength was among the best in Kusagakure.
However, Akihiko couldn't help but think about him and comment inwardly , 'This guy gets things done, even if it means resorting to questionable methods.'
"The people from Konoha have learned about our reconstruction efforts and wish for the Grass Ninja Village to continue cooperating with them. They want us to attack the Land of Rain and assist them in their battle to end the Second World war quickly!" Mubuki announced, having read the letter from Konoha.
Upon hearing Konoha's proposal, the conference room fell silent, except for Kana, who flinched slightly. The others displayed expressions of undeniable refusal on their faces.
There was no way Kusagakure could participate in this war. They had just finished rebuilding and simply didn't have the resources to spare—everyone shared this unanimous sentiment.
"It's impossible," declared Ryuushikei, a white-haired and cold-faced woman, shaking her head. "The top priority in the Land of Grass is reconstruction. We are understaffed and cannot afford to engage in a war."
"That's right," echoed one council member.
"To hell with Konoha! We have betrayed them before, and we can do it again. This time, let's turn to Iwagakure!" added another, sharing the same sentiment.
"Yes, Iwagakure is also flourishing now!" chimed in yet another.
As they started arguing with each other, Akihiko looked at each of them blankly, his expression devoid of any emotions. They openly discussed their lack of integrity without a trace of shame. In fact, they seemed to take pride in it. After all, this was the survival strategy of the Grass Ninja Village—jumping to the side of the stronger party.
Hearing their responses, tick marks appeared on Akihiko's forehead. While playing both sides had once been considered a traditional virtue of the Grass Ninja Village, doing so in such a brazen manner was unacceptable. Moreover, they couldn't rely on this tactic indefinitely—it was not a forward-thinking or healthy mindset.
Even in the future depicted in the original story during the Third Ninja War, the Grass Country would have faced near defeat and annihilation by smaller nations if it hadn't been for Kana's exceptional medical abilities. The mere thought of this possibility infuriated Akihiko, who deeply cherished and recognized the value of Kana's contributions.
Recovering from his mood and sighing at their behavior, Akihiko thought, 'It seems the old mindset of these people needs to change. Education Is necessary, and it needs to be arranged as soon as possible.'
He turned his attention to the system he possessed. Yes, he had arrived in this world with a system, but for now, it seemed like a low-tier version from a second or third-rate game.
[Ninja Task System]
As the name suggested, this system rewarded him with points for completing tasks. Akihiko could use these points to purchase basic items and common ninjutsu, but secret techniques or more advanced skills were unavailable.
There was also a special task tab, indicating which character had a task. However, it seemed to be bugged, as he couldn't see the details of each character's task. Furthermore, some characters who hadn't even been born yet were already listed in the system. It appeared to be a direct copy from the game, and Akihiko didn't mind as long as he could become stronger. While examining the system, Mubuki continued the conversation.
"I think we can agree. In some ways, Konoha is preferable to Iwagakure. At least they won't initiate a war on their own," Mubuki said, shaking his head and smiling. "The Grass Ninja Village is currently focused on reconstruction and needs time. There's no need to make an enemy of Konoha. We can contribute without directly participating in the war. We can cooperate with Konoha on one end while communicating with the leader of the Rain Village on the other. I believe they don't want any more ninja villages joining the war, even a small one like us."
Akihiko stared at Mubuki in speechless disbelief. He was indeed a master of the Grass Ninja Village's "sitting on the fence technique." To be able to utter such shameless words, advocating for playing both sides, was truly astounding.
At that moment, Mubuki pulled out a stack of documents and handed them over. "Moreover, as part of our 'Talent Acquisition' plan in the Grass Ninja Village, we have located the target that you mentioned, leader."