"Good morning" Konan greeted everyone with a smile, but she couldn't help but sense that something was off in the atmosphere. she said, blinking her sparkling eyes. "What's wrong, Akihiko-nii, Fuso-nee?"
Nagato tried to interject weakly, "That's my mother," when he overheard her referring to his mother as his sister but nobody paid him any attention.
Fuso smiled awkwardly and didn't say much. She patted Konan's head and asked, "Are you awake now? Let's have breakfast first. We're leaving soon."
"Leaving?" Nagato noticed the luggage in the living room and his face tightened slightly. "Mom, are we leaving this place?"
"Yes, Nagato," Fuso nodded and crouched down to pat his head. "Mom and Nagato will live in a new place where there's no war and no bad people. You'll be able to make many friends there and won't have to hide at home or go hungry anymore!"
Fuso didn't know if the so-called Land of Grass was as the ninja described, but she didn't have much choice now. They could stay and wait for other ninja to arrive, or they could believe and see what awaits them.
She never thought that a ninja would take them away to abandon them. A widow and a Orphan. After all, they weren't ninjas! Unless their identity as Uzumaki clan was discovered. But if that was the case, they wouldn't be able to run.
They had to leave with hopes for a better life. Besides, if they stayed here, there wouldn't be enough food, and they wouldn't know where to find it.
As for last night's misunderstanding, Fuso had decided to forget it. It was too embarrassing to bring up again.
Nagato was momentarily stunned, but then he seemed to understand and nodded without asking why. Although his father had just passed away yesterday, after years of war and death, they had already prepared themselves and couldn't continue to dwell in grief.
Life had to move forward. If they moved to a place without war or hunger and with his mother, that was good enough.
He held back his reluctance, nodded, and said with a smile, "Wherever Mom goes, I'll go. I'll protect her"
"Then let's have breakfast first. We need energy to leave!" Fuso heard Nagato's words and smiled. "Thank you, Kusano-sama, for the food. He will take us away next"
"Thank you, Kusano-sama!"
Akihiko smiled and patted Nagato's head. "Let's eat! After we finish, we'll leave."
After a simple breakfast, they prepared to depart, but before leaving, they visited Nagato's father's grave.
Konan also folded a flower as a blessing and placed it on top, receiving a grateful "thank you" from Nagato.
"Well then..." Kusano sighed and smiled at his team, waving his hand. "Let's go!"
First, He would see them off, and then he would return. Once he found Yahiko, they would go home.
...…
Meanwhile...
The war had reached its critical moment as Konoha's forces penetrated deep into the heart of the Land of Rain. Rumor had it that the Third Hokage's three esteemed disciples led the charge, renowned as the strongest shinobi in Konoha. Though not led by the Third Hokage himself, their affiliation to the legendary Hokage and the presence of the Ninja World's God's granddaughter made them a fearsome group.
In a single night, the once vibrant Land of Rain transformed into a deserted and desolate landscape. The news prompted the Rain Village to prepare for imminent danger, with even their village leader personally joining the front lines in Konoha.
Even the Village Hidden in the Grass, Kusagakure, was caught off guard by the swift changes in the war. The renowned Three Sannin of Konoha, or rather, not yet referred to as such, Jiraiya and his companions, had made astonishing progress, surpassing expectations.
Akihiko had expected a delay of months before such a turn of events, but clearly, he had misjudged the situation. The sudden involvement of the Land of Grass might have triggered this rapid transformation. However, Kusagakure hadn't deployed any troops. Was the unpredictable Black Zetsu behind it?
Lost in thought, Kusano suddenly sensed something. His protective instincts kicked in, and he positioned himself in front of Konan and her companions. With a furrowed brow, he stared ahead intently.
Recognizing his response, Konan and the others halted their steps, standing silently behind him, fully aware of the imminent danger.
"Ah, Kusano-sama..." one of them began, but their words were interrupted.
A soft, ominous voice resonated, "Impressive. You've detected the presence of the three of us. You must be quite a skilled ninja."
Three figures materialized before them, donning the battle attire of high-ranking Konoha shinobi. One possessed lustrous white hair, another had golden locks, and the third wore a mischievous smile beneath long, straight black hair.
"I told you we should've attacked immediately, Jiraiya. Your naivety astounds me. This is a battlefield," commented one of them.
"They're with the child. Seems like he's accompanied by three ordinary individuals," suggested another.
"There are no ordinary individuals on the battlefield," interjected the first one.
He recognised them right away. Soon, they'll be referred to as "Three Sannin Ninjas."
"Enough already" Tsunade said impatiently, "We still have to deal with Hanzo"
As the words fell, the three of them looked at Akihiko with a frown. . "Are you a shinobi from the Rain Village?" they asked.
"No" Kusano raised an eyebrow, surprised to encounter them there. He shook his head and clarified, "I am an ally of Konoha!"
"An ally of Konoha?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with amusement. "I don't recall the Land of Rain being allied with Konoha..."
Before Orochimaru could finish his sentence, Akhiko silently removed the forehead protector bearing the Rain Village symbol and replaced it with the emblem of Kusagakure. With determination in his voice, he declared, "In truth, I am a shinobi of Kusagakure"
The trio gazed at the forehead protector with a perplexed expression, their lips twitching in unison.
'Is it even possible for a ninja to switch their forehead protector so easily?' they inwardly wondered.
They had heard about the fickleness of Grass ninjas, and now they were witnessing it firsthand. It was as they expected, and they had no doubt that this man was indeed from the Grass Village.
It was worth noting that most ninjas from other villages would only change their appearance and not perform such an obvious act of changing their forehead protector. Yet, this man didn't even use a transformation Jutsu.
However, the question remained: 'Why did he bring three ordinary people with him?'
"These are my secretary's relatives from the Rain Country." Kusano explained, grinning. "Due to the ongoing war in the Rain Country, they requested my help to bring them out"
Tsunade frowned at him and sneered, "Yesterday, your representative from the Grass Country claimed to have found his long-lost son and took him to the depths of the Rain Country. And now someone comes saying they're relatives?. How did people from the Grass Village end up in the Rain Country?"
The mention of a representative and a long-lost son caught the attention of Akihiko. Could it be Yahiko?.
Kusano was taken aback before sighing. "Well, the Land of Grass was previously devastated. Those who survived the chaos ended up seeking refuge here!"
As his words trailed off, Tsunade suddenly remembered the Uzumaki clan and looked towards the red-haired child by Kusano's side.
After their homeland was destroyed, the Uzumaki clan had scattered to various places. However, Due to the fear of the Uzumaki clan's power, even after their country's destruction, various nations in the ninja world hadn't given up on hunting them down.
Tsunade sighed, her tone growing impatient. "In that case, leave quickly! This place will soon become a battlefield"
"Thank you!" Kusano waved and led the still-frightened trio towards the front, smiling at the future Konoha Three Sannin. "The Land of Grass is a hospitable place with beautiful scenery and reasonable prices! If the three of you decide to visit, any expenses will be discounted by 80%! Please come and see us when you have the chance!"
"This guy..." A tick mark appeared on her forehead, while Orochimaru wore a playful expression, observing Kusano's departure. "He truly embodies the spirit of a Grass ninja!"
At a time like this, he's still promoting visits to the Land of Grass?. What could there possibly be to enjoy in such a small country?
"I heard there's an extraordinary individual in the Grass Village" Orochimaru licked his lips and narrowed his eyes. "His strength is quite formidable. He quelled the turmoil within the Land of Grass and rebuilt it. I must admit, I'm quite curious about who he is. His abilities are truly remarkable"
"Why are you so interested?" Tsunade's tone remained impatient. "We have more pressing matters to attend to. Let's wrap this up and move on to the next task" She glanced at Jiraiya, who still had a furrowed brow and was gazing ahead. "Jiraiya, what's on your mind?"
"I... it's nothing" Jiraiya snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head.
Those eyes...Forget it.
He raised his palm and made a comical gesture, grinning. "Allow me, Jiraiya, to bring an end to this war"
It's not the time to dwell on other matters. Ending the war takes precedence.
....
As the situation unfolded, on the other side, while they were barely halfway through, they caught sight of the Grass Ninjas sneaking out, and even Mubuki was among them. When he nodded at him, Akihiko knew...
That it was the perfect conclusion to the Grass Country's first Talent Recruitment plan.
Immediately, He turned to the three people behind him and exclaimed, "Let's go! We're heading home"