Success

Ninjas.

Unlike ordinary people in the ninja world.

Ninjas were a group of people who longed to be acknowledged and cared for!

Once they became drifters, it was as if they had become homeless and been abandoned by the entire ninja world. At times like that, as long as someone showed them a little care, they would devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving that person and obeying their orders.

Even the Uchiha Clan, whom the Second Hokage had called an evil clan, had remained faithful to their agreement with the Senju Clan to protect Konoha despite being ostracized and restricted!

They had always wanted to send clan members into the Third Hokage's ranks, using them as bridges to ease the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the village.

It was only when they could no longer endure it that they launched their rebellion. Yet in the end, their Clan Head still did not wish to rebel and instead chose to quietly accept death.

It was easy to imagine.

Therefore, recruiting Rogue Ninjas in the ninja world only required speaking plainly.

Of course, there were also ninjas with no ninja ethics at all. For example, the Rogue Ninjas who later went to the Land of Birds... those people had wanted to stage a coup d'état and establish their own ninja village.

However.

One clan had accepted orders and remained in Hell Valley, never leaving. Even after the Uchiha Clan withdrew and the ninja village system was established, they still chose not to leave.

They stayed here all along until... after their clan was exterminated, only two people left, surviving under assumed names.

So, the Chinoike Clan probably would not be that shameless!

Kusana watched Oyakamon fall silent, his face full of conflict, and said with a smile, "The Chinoike Clan's ability awakens their eyes through intense emotional stimulation..."

Before he could finish.

Oyakamon suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Kusana. "Why do you know the Chinoike Clan's secrets so well?!"

"How I know isn't important. What's important now is this: relying on emotions... how long can the Chinoike Clan last in Hell Valley's oppressive atmosphere?" Kusana continued with another heavy blow. "Surely quite a few members of the Chinoike Clan have already started developing mental problems, right?" His tone was unhurried. "Perhaps one day... the Blood Pond will disappear at the hands of its own clansmen."

As soon as those words fell.

Oyakamon froze, his expression turning even gloomier.

After all, this guy was right!

The Chinoike Clan relied on emotions to awaken their eyes, so the oppressive atmosphere made them even more sensitive.

That was why... although there were fewer than a hundred clan members here, more than half of them had awakened their eyes.

Ninjas found it easier to survive here, and the oppressive atmosphere was even more capable of stimulating clan members to awaken their eyes.

Like the Uchiha Clan, it was not so easy for the Chinoike Clan to awaken their eyes.

As Clan Head, he knew as well... if this continued, the Chinoike Clan would ultimately face nothing but extinction.

He fell silent for a moment, then raised his head again. "What must the Chinoike Clan give?"

"Loyalty!"

"..."

Wasn't that only natural?

However.

Seeing that the matter had been settled, Kusana broke into an enthusiastic smile and spread out a stack of documents. "Let me tell you, you've stumbled upon a great opportunity! The Land of Grass has just been rebuilt, and both the country and the village are in the midst of rebuilding from the ground up! So we're placing great importance on talented people."

As he spoke, he handed the documents to Oyakamon.

"Join the Land of Grass now, and you will immediately receive Land of Grass citizenship and enjoy all the rights available in the Land of Grass. At the same time, the Land of Grass will assign you homes, protect you, and provide every child who meets the age requirements with free, high-quality education within the Land of Grass!"

"Think of Konoha's Uchiha Clan. They founded Konoha alongside the Senju Clan and joined Konoha from the very beginning. Now, they have become one of Konoha's great clans! And you..."

He pointed at Oyakamon.

"You also have the chance to become the next Uchiha in Kusagakure!"

"..."

The sudden shift in tone left Oyakamon completely stunned.

The next Uchiha?!

If he had not known that the Land of Grass was merely a remote little country, he might have almost believed it.

After so many years, they no longer cared about their conflict with the Uchiha Clan. Now... they only wanted to live normal lives.

He had originally thought that after joining the Land of Grass, the Chinoike Clan would have to do dirty work for some time. After all, that was also a tradition in the ninja world.

No country or ninja village would accept a group of Rogue Ninjas for no reason.

Unless they were qualified to become tools!

But now, it seemed...

Perhaps going to the Land of Grass was not a bad choice.

If everything written above was true.

A fleeting smile appeared on Oyakamon's exhausted, sallow face.

Then he pointed seriously at the document. "Rights and... obligations? What obligations does the Chinoike Clan need to undertake?"

"These are the rights of the Land of Grass's ninja citizens! As long as one is a ninja citizen of the Land of Grass, they must undertake corresponding obligations while enjoying their rights." At this point, Kusana's tone became serious as well. "These aren't merely the Chinoike Clan's obligations. The relevant rights and obligations are all listed afterward. You can read them yourself!"

"..."

After hearing that, Oyakamon glanced through it, and his heart immediately skipped a beat.

Not because he was frightened.

But because...

It was too ordinary.

Wasn't it only natural for Kusagakure's ninjas to safeguard the interests of the country and the ninja village?

However.

"Kumogakure..."

"As long as they are ninja citizens of the Land of Grass, they will receive the Land of Grass's protection."

Kusana spoke earnestly.

By now...

Kumogakure probably did not care about the Chinoike Clan anymore.

The Third Shinobi World War began not long after the Second Great Ninja War ended, and Kumogakure was one of the combatant nations in the Third Shinobi World War.

Therefore, they were probably focused on preparing for war right now and had no time to pay attention to a Ninja Clan that had been abandoned for so many years.

Besides, the Land of Grass already had the Uzumaki Clan, who had been hunted by the entire ninja world. Adding one more Chinoike Clan... would not be much of a problem!

As soon as those words fell.

Oyakamon shuddered, then smiled as he looked at Kusana before him and said respectfully, "Yes, Leader!"

The Land of Grass's recruitment of the Chinoike Clan...

Succeeded!

"Good!" Kusana nodded with a smile. Just as he was about to have the Chinoike Clan leave for the Land of Grass.

Suddenly.

A Kusagakure ninja ran in and said respectfully, "Leader, Lord Mujie has sent word. They found a group of Uzumaki clansmen, around fifty people!!"

"?!" Kusana's face broke into a smile. "They found them? Have they brought them back to the Land of Grass?"

"Well... Lord Mujie sent word that they encountered some trouble." The Kusagakure ninja hesitated before adding, "That group of Uzumaki clansmen is within the Land of Fire, and they appear to be under surveillance by a group of mysterious ninjas. Lord Mujie said they currently have no way to take them away."

"?!"

Time moved back slightly.

This was a remote little town somewhere in the Land of Fire.

At this moment.

A little girl with short black hair looked hesitantly and worriedly at the blonde woman with wavy hair beside her. Finally, gritting her teeth, she said, "Lord Tsunade, you can't keep going on like this."

How long had they been out?

Only about a month.

Yet what had she seen during that month?

Lord Tsunade, one of Konoha's Sannin and a hero of the Second Great Ninja War, had chosen to fall into depravity because of grief.

She had become immersed in gambling!

Even when she kept losing, she laughed loudly.

If Shizune had not believed that Lord Tsunade was still normal, she would have thought that Lord Tsunade's grief had become so great that she had developed mental problems!

"I believe Uncle Dan wouldn't want to see you go on like this either. And... and..." She seemed somewhat embarrassed. "If you lose this much, we'll run out of money!"

"Hahaha! Run out of money? Little Shizune, you underestimate me too much! This old lady is so rich that all I have left is money." Tsunade pinched the little girl beside her and laughed as though she felt no grief. "The money my grandfather, second grandfather, and Grandma Mito left me, plus the houses in the village—no matter how I spend it, I won't be able to spend it all!"

"But, but..."

"No buts! Shizune, listen to me! Don't worry, we won't run out of money! We won't run out of money in this lifetime!"

Tsunade waved her hand and spoke unconcernedly.

Then she looked at the gambling hall beside them and snorted.

Those people actually dared to call her a fat sheep?

She would make them pay today!

As she rolled up her sleeves and was about to enter, she suddenly noticed the crowd gathered in the distance and paused. "Why are there so many people? Did a new gambling hall open?"

The moment she said that.

"Grand opening special! Grass Film's ninja world blockbuster is now showing, bringing you an experience you've never had before! Experience the style of the God of Gamblers!"

"You can watch the movie now for just one coin! The first hundred customers... will even get a free bucket of popcorn~"

"???"

God of Gamblers?

A movie?

What was that?

Tsunade froze as though she had heard something, then hurriedly squeezed her way inside. When she saw the advertising board standing nearby, she was immediately stunned. "Uzumaki Jin?"