Kusagakure

Kusagakure.

As a small ninja village located at the crossroads of multiple countries, the Grass Ninja are well-versed in the art of being opportunistic and adaptable.

They oscillate between different countries and ninja villages, maintaining their existence and slowly growing stronger. However, their overly smooth style has caused the Grass Ninja to lose their fierce and valiant spirit.

The fighting strength of the Grass Ninja is just like their name suggests; they are truly like grass on the wall, swaying with the wind, completely unreliable.

In comparison, his two neighbors, Rain Ninja and Waterfall Ninja, were much stronger than him. Rain Ninja's fighting strength goes without saying; they were tough guys who dared to challenge the major ninja villages, although they were ultimately dealt a terrible blow by Konoha.

However, even in defeat, there was honor, after all, too many had fallen to Konoha.

Waterfall Ninja, on the other hand, has a deep- Jinchuriki foundation and possesses a Waterfall Ninja, so it is naturally not an ordinary small ninja village.

"Lord Katsuki ······"

"Call me clan leader. You are my clansman, my junior, not my subordinate. There's no need for that title." Katsuki smiled as she looked at Karin who was standing beside her.

There were quite a few people heading to Kusagakure, and Katsuki didn't intend to leave them behind and go alone.

There are three purposes for going to Kusagakure: first, to teach Kusagakure a lesson that the Uzumaki Clan is not to be trifled with; second, to help Karin get rid of the shadow cast by the Grass Ninja; and third, to broaden Rindou's and Miki's horizons.

Along the way, with the soothing touch of time, Karin gradually calmed down and was able to respond with a word or two when Katsuki spoke to her.

"Clan... leader." Karin murmured the unfamiliar term twice before asking, "Clan leader, do you know much about the Grass Ninja?"

"I wouldn't say I know much about them, I've only dealt with those opportunists before, but that... that was over a decade ago," Katsuki said with a sigh. Only then did he realize how fast time had flown by; he was now over thirty, middle-aged.

Fortunately, the training Hito Hito no Mi made him look like he was already in his twenties.

"Clan leader, what are we going to Kusagakure for?"

Carrying the still unconscious Jugo on his back, Rindou asked with concern.

"What are you doing?" A strange smile appeared on Katsuki's face. "Of course, I'm doing what I should do. The Grass Ninja don't like cleaning up trash, so I'll reluctantly help them clean up the environment."

"Cleaning up the trash? Uncle, I don't think the Grass Ninja would like you cleaning for them."

Miki muttered a quiet complaint from the side.

"Haha, Miki, you're right, but I can't care whether Grass Ninja is happy or not. What they should be considering is whether they can satisfy me."

Katsuki smiled nonchalantly, a fleeting glint of intense killing intent flashing in her eyes.

Aside from Kimimaro's eye twitching slightly, the other little ones were completely oblivious to this.

"It seems the Grass Ninja is really in trouble this time. They've been targeted by their uncle, that jinx. How pitiful."

Miki grinned.

This kid is very similar to his father in temperament. Unlike typical Uchiha clan members, such as the aloof genius Sasuke, the brothers are all quite unconventional, or to put it bluntly, unreliable.

"Hey, Miki, who are you calling a jinx?"

Katsuki looked at her nephew with a smile.

Miki's eyes widened. "..."

"Stop glaring at me, you already said it." Katsuki shook her head and said, "Rindou, it's time to change shifts. Give that thing on your back to Miki, let's take turns, it's tiring for one person to carry it."

Rindou was overjoyed upon hearing this. Carrying this murderer on his back was not only exhausting, but also filled with anxiety that something might happen. He had long wanted to get rid of this thing.

"Miki, thanks! I'll treat you to ramen when we get back to the village."

With the heavy weight of the serial killer pressing on his shoulders, Miki looked as if he had swallowed a bitter pill, his face contorted with such sorrow that it seemed as if he could squeeze out tears.

"Ramen? Even if I don't go for fancy sushi, I should at least have some yakiniku (grilled meat)! A bowl of ramen is not enough to satisfy me."

Miki said through gritted teeth.

"You think you look down on ramen?" Rindou glanced at Miki.

The two are at odds again, but unlike Naruto Sasuke Sasuke, Naruto always clash when they meet, these two are usually very close, and their bickering is always over trivial matters.

"Rindou, Rindou, come here and talk to me."

Sakura was secretly making hand gestures.

Rindou raised an eyebrow, glanced at Sakura and Karin who had unknowingly fallen behind the group, and slowed down as well, the three of them huddled together.

What are you doing?

"Why are you asking? I heard... the Principal's idea is that we're going to attack Kusagakure?" Sakura glared at Rindou, that idiot, and continued in a low voice, "I asked Karin, and although Kusagakure isn't as big as Konoha, it still has several thousand ninjas! Aren't we just asking for trouble with just a few of us?"

Seeing the strange Rindou's face, Karin mustered her courage and said, "Um, the clan leader is a very good person, and everyone has been very kind to me. I don't want you to be in danger."

Katsuki and Kimimaro walked at the front, seemingly oblivious to the actions of the little ones behind them.

"Sakura, Karin, do you really not know the clan leader's name?"

"What?"

Sakura stared wide-eyed, asking in confusion.

"You really don't know?" Rindou looked at Sakura as if she'd seen a ghost. "It wouldn't be surprising if Karin didn't know, but Sakura, haven't you ever heard of the name [Calamity]?"

"Natural disaster?" Sakura read it aloud, frowning slightly. "It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it."

"... Let me put it this way! The clan leader alone could wipe out Kusagakure. Around the time of the Third Shinobi World War, the clan leader personally killed the Third Mizukage and the Third Tsuchikage right here in the Land of Grass, Stone Ninja army..."

Rindou excitedly embellished the legends he had heard from his family elders and told them to Sakura and Karin.

Katsuki's past deeds have long been a legend in the Shinobi World. The Uzumaki Clan members spare no effort in praising their clan leader's great achievements and instilling these ideas in children like Shuyuan and Rindou, so that the clan can be united with Katsuki at its core.

Growing up in such an environment, the clan leader was the object of worship for all the younger generation, and Rindou was no exception.

"You're kidding, right? You killed two Shadows?"

Sakura's mouth was so wide open that a duck egg could fit inside.

After more than a decade of silence, apart from a few powerful clans, very few of the younger generation knew the name of the Konoha Calamity.

Especially for children like Sakura who come from ordinary ninja families, in their simple worldview, the most powerful people in the Shinobi World are the Five Kage.

However, telling her now that their good-natured Principal had actually killed two Kage was a shocking revelation that shattered Sakura's worldview, leaving her struggling to process it.

"Anyway, don't worry about what those Grass Ninja can do. Didn't the clan leader say that the Grass Ninja should be worried about whether they can satisfy the clan leader? We're just going to watch the show, it won't cause any trouble." Rindou patted his chest to assure them. (To be continued)