Warm Wine Beheading: There's Something Wrong with This Wine!

Inside the palace, Naruto saw Kazahana Koyuki and walked over while yawning.

When the kingdom's guards saw that it was him, they all lowered their heads and stepped back, none daring to look him in the eye.

The Land of Snow is a small country, and relatively isolated from the outside world. It is precisely because of this that the scene of the former emperor's abdication six years ago seems like only yesterday.

"You've arrived?" Kazahana Koyuki stood up, secretly relieved.

"What happened?" Naruto asked calmly, as there was nothing that could worry him at the moment.

If there's anything that could make him nervous, it's probably the arrival of the Otsutsuki. But the problem is, the Otsutsuki is probably still on his way on horseback, so there's no need to worry about that now.

So, Kazahana Koyuki recounted the whole story, including the "sincerity" the person had mentioned.

After hearing this, Naruto didn't react much. In the past, he might have been angry, or he might have controlled his expression to hide it, but he would definitely have been angry inside.

But right now, he felt no emotional fluctuation. Three Jonin from Kusagakure—were they strong? To him, they were nothing more than insects, and even the entire Land of Grass was nothing.

He really wanted to punish them; he could have easily destroyed the entire military force of the Land of Grass and taken over Land of Grass control. But the problem was, it wasn't necessary. The Land of Grass was practically a dumping ground for Shinobi World.

They take in all sorts of nobodies, and the top powers control the Land of Grass, while the common people are reduced to pigs and dogs. What's even more perverse is that the upper class throws lavish parties and revels while telling the lower class to strive to climb the social ladder.

Over time, the Land of Grass not only became internally chaotic, but its culture also became extremely distorted. Things like NTR, **, and **** were practiced in increasingly perverse ways.

None of the Three Great Nations wanted to conquer the Land of Grass, partly because they were constrained by other factors, and partly because they genuinely looked down on it.

Conquering territory is for greater benefits, not to burden oneself.

"Are they still here?" Naruto nodded and asked again.

"Here." Kazahana Koyuki leaned closer and tugged at his clothes with some concern. The scene was somewhat comical, considering that Naruto looked even younger.

"They... you won't be in any danger, will you?"

"I can handle it." He hugged Kazahana Koyuki to comfort her, then looked around. "It's getting dark, let's serve the food first. Find someone to show us the way, I'll be back in a bit."

"Hmm." Kazahana Koyuki was no little girl after all; she knew when to rely on a man.

She'll be clearer about when to trust a man, and will simply focus on doing what she can. Instead of worrying, she'll ask someone to prepare a warm meal.

As for having her cook, well, forget it; the food isn't very good. Sometimes it's not just the thought that matters, but the taste too.

The guards led Naruto out of the Land of Snow palace, Naruto remained calm. He was thinking to himself how these rats had managed to get their hands on the Land of Snow; the Land of Grass's reach was too far.

At a lodging in the Capital City of the Land of Snow, the three from the Land of Grass were preparing to leave. The time promised by Kazahana Koyuki had arrived, and they needed to go and verify it.

The final result is not really important.

The crucial Kazahana Koyuki's attitude: will she submit or resist? Whichever path she chooses, it doesn't matter to the three of them; the Land of Snow is already theirs.

"Are we just going to go like this?" one of them asked.

"What else?" Takigami grinned unabashedly, turning to look at his companion. "Hey, don't be such a coward."

"What danger could there be in a place like this?"

Boom!

The next moment, Takigami's head exploded. Blood splattered onto the faces of the remaining two, causing them to shudder and freeze in shock.

It was so sudden, like finding love around the corner.

A Jonin from the Land of Grass died so hastily, and in such a shocking way. The Land of Snow guard who accompanied him was completely stunned, a chill running down his spine.

Before coming, the guards had prepared themselves mentally. They might witness a major battle, but they never expected to run into those three around the corner.

What was even more unexpected was that the man died so tragically, his head completely exploded.

The guards didn't even see when Naruto made his move, nor did they see any change in Naruto's expression. In the blink of an eye, the Jonin from the Land of Grass was dead.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, the headless corpse stood still.

The remaining two looked on in terror. Before one of them could react, his chest caved in with a loud thud. Naruto had kicked him in the chest without anyone noticing.

That kick was like a heavy hammer blow, as if it were crushing an ant, producing a crisp, teeth-grinding cracking sound. The next second, the man crashed heavily to the ground, his face contorted in pain and agony.

With a scream, his chest was completely crushed into a thin sheet of paper, and he died on the spot.

The remaining person was wearing glasses, the lenses of which were covered in blood. He was completely too afraid to move. He couldn't see the person in front of him clearly, and his whole body was trembling violently.

Jonin strong? Probably yes. Even though there's a lot of hype Jonin Land of Grass, they're still Jonin, after all. In Kusari's mind, both of his companions were ninjas with considerable strength.

Even against a powerful opponent, they shouldn't have been without time to retaliate. But the result was already clear: both were dead, instantly killed.

As if he had crushed an insect, the other person seemed nonchalant, even somewhat disappointed. Through his thick glasses, he saw Naruto walking towards him looking exactly like this.

Naruto was indeed somewhat disappointed. He glanced down at the two people lying on the ground and wondered to himself, "What kind of wretched place is this Land of Grass? Is its level so low?"

Having killed two, he didn't care about killing a third.

He looked up at the remaining person, and the bespectacled Land of Grass Jonin went weak in the knees and knelt down with a thud. In the face of death, all are equal.

Moreover, such a violent killing method had completely terrified him. How could he possibly escape? He was instantly killed, without even the will to resist.

"Spare me! Spare me!" Kusari knelt on the ground, his head hitting the ground as he wept bitterly.

He was a ninja, a Jonin, and had never been afraid of death. But such a thrilling way to die filled him with a deep sense of dread.

"How do you know about the Land of Snow?" Naruto asked.

"It's a message, a message from a mysterious person," Kusari said tremblingly. "He said that the Land of Snow is a piece of fat meat."

"A mysterious person?" Naruto lowered his eyes slightly and stomped the Kusari heavily into the ground.

With a loud bang, the walls on both sides were instantly stained crimson. The Kusari its body, was lifeless; it swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

Who else in the Shinobi World could be that mysterious figure besides Black Zetsu? It seems that the empty threat from last time didn't have much effect on Black Zetsu.

So now, instead of targeting him openly, they've started attacking his own forces. If that's the case, then the Kumogakure Village might also be in danger.

Black Zetsu, byd.

He cursed inwardly and made a mental note of it. Black Zetsu deserved to die; he had no magnanimity, and those who offended him deserved severe revenge.

If you repay evil with kindness, how will you repay kindness?

"Have someone clean this up, and make sure they pay the compensation." After doing all this, Naruto turned to the guard beside him and said, and logically, his next sentence should have been, "It's on my paycheck."

Naruto paused after considering his own financial situation. He swallowed the words that were about to come out of his throat and instead waved his hand grandly.

"Put it on your Queen's head!"

Good grief, he's really living off a woman's money. Naruto didn't blush at all as he spoke; after all, Kazahana Koyuki is rich.

Besides, the Kazahana Koyuki are all one's own; there's no difference between them.

However, the money from the Land of Snow must be kept in the accounts for economic development. Even though Naruto is not currently wealthy, he cannot covet that money.

He understood all of this, and he had never thought of it that way. Money had once been just a string of numbers to him; now it was merely a tool for making ends meet.

No matter how much money he has, it's just sitting in his Sealing Space, untouchable. Naruto's daily diet remains unchanged.

However, it would be far more meaningful to use this money to develop new technologies for the Konohagakure Intelligence Department and spark a revolution in communication technology, or to support the development of the Land of Snow.

When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should readily help others.

"Okay!" The guard didn't think much of it and was in a semi-numb state.

Damn it, this big shot kills without blinking an eye. If we don't go along with him now, are we supposed to ask him if his eyes are dry? Damn it! The guards didn't dare to move.

Having done all that, Naruto happily headed home. Although the matter wasn't completely resolved, things had come to this point, so he decided to eat first.

We'll deal with the Kusagakure side when we have time; we'll keep them around for other purposes.

When they returned to the Land of Snow palace, the food had only just been served. They hadn't even had time to add fuel to the fire before Naruto was back, leaving Kazahana Koyuki completely bewildered.

She knew Naruto was very strong; the scene of the undead attacking the Land of Snow palace six years ago was still vivid in her mind. But she knew that traveling back and forth would take time, and dealing with the situation would also require time.

It looks like they went there and then immediately came back?

"Those three have been dealt with. Sit down and eat." Naruto had a trace of blood on his shoes, but it wasn't too noticeable, and there were no signs of fighting on his body.

"Okay." Kazahana Koyuki felt a little numb, but sat down with him.

"Those ninjas from the Land of Grass, they..." she asked hesitantly, holding up her chopsticks.

"They're all dead, just some small fry." Naruto grabbed a chicken leg and mumbled, "Don't worry about it anymore, I'll take care of the rest."

Upon hearing this, Kazahana Koyuki breathed a sigh of relief. Since he said there was nothing to worry about, then there was nothing to be concerned about, and she couldn't help but admire Naruto even more.

She was just an ordinary person, and it was already quite difficult for her to lead a small country through the ninja world. It was impossible for her to govern the country without any external help.

She had seen her fate clearly from the very beginning. Life doesn't offer endless possibilities; when opportunities arise, one should seize them with all one's might.

Even if it takes time to wait, don't miss out.

This is what Kazahana Koyuki did: she waited six years, waiting for her boy to grow up. She made a bet, betting that Naruto hadn't forgotten her, and that they would eventually reunite sometime after six years.

Fortunately, she won her gamble.

Right now, for Kazahana Koyuki, Naruto is her only pillar of support. He is her only pillar of support, both spiritually and physically.

"Wow, you're really amazing." Kazahana Koyuki propped her head up and looked at him, her eyes curving into crescents.

What's wrong with women having a few little tricks up their sleeves?

"Really?" Naruto was busy gnawing on a chicken leg when he turned around and saw Kazahana Koyuki looking up at him. He couldn't help but swallow hard.

From this angle, the sense of accomplishment is off the charts.

"Yes, after all, those three are Jonin." Kazahana Koyuki didn't let the topic drift off the table, and appropriately offered a glass of wine, which was still warm, a truly thoughtful touch.

"Oh, Jonin they don't count as Jonin." Naruto took the sake and took a sip. The warm sake made him feel inexplicably comfortable.

"What kind of wine is this?" he asked when he had a moment to pause.

"I'm not too sure about the medicinal wine that's supposed to strengthen the body and bones. It was prepared by the people in the Medical Department." Kazahana Koyuki smiled and covered up her misunderstanding. "I don't really like drinking spirits. That's for you men."

"Oh, shochu, no wonder my stomach feels hot." Naruto was puzzled, feeling that something was wrong. He looked at Kazahana Koyuki more and more, as if she had a built-in beauty filter.

However, the feeling wasn't very strong, and Naruto hadn't been acting recklessly for a while. So he didn't pay much attention to it, just kept drinking one cup after another.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, and with nothing urgent happening in Konohagakure for the time being, he was in a real hurry on his end.

Kazahana Koyuki was somewhat surprised to see Naruto drink so much alcohol yet his steps remained steady. She thought to herself, "If a bear were here, it would be drunk by now."

This is a medicinal wine made by soaking dozens of highly nourishing ingredients using a special method. Even an old man on his deathbed could sit up straight and run twenty miles after drinking it.

In the hot spring, white mist swirled, and Naruto squinted his eyes as he soaked in the hot water.

Why does this wine feel so strange? Is it some kind of medicinal wine to strengthen the body and bones? Damn it, this is clearly a complete overhaul of the wine. Luckily, I have some self-control.

This is too weird. I have to confiscate them all before I leave.

"Why does this bath feel weirder and weirder?" Naruto suddenly felt water on his nose, and instinctively reached up to touch it. Holy crap, it was red.

Is your nose bleeding?

He suddenly looked down into the hot spring, where a large pile of medicinal herbs lay at the bottom. In an instant, Naruto's face turned almost white. Was Kazahana Koyuki going to eat him?

Nothing happened overnight, but thankfully the person wasn't melted.

Fortunately, he was still alive; unfortunately, he was gone. Even when Naruto left Kazahana Koyuki couldn't come to see him off, leaving Naruto to depart in desolation.

This do-or-die attitude terrified Naruto. Kazahana Koyuki didn't gain anything either, and she'll never forget that day.

Konohagakure.

After Naruto returned, he rested for a day as usual. He ate something in the evening, took a walk, and then fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up the next day, he was as good as new.

Just as he was pondering what to eat next, Uzuki Yugao stood outside the balcony and knocked on the window, still with that icy expression.