The Land of Grass was as peaceful as ever today.
Though it was likewise a remote land bordering two great nations, compared to the Land of Rain—which had crippled itself in a war and fallen straight into endless internal strife—the Land of Grass was far more peaceful.
Under the five-year plan Kusana had formulated, the Land of Grass was now immersed in construction and development. No one had the desire or the time for anything else.
However.
As the weather grew colder, the Land of Grass seemed to have hit pause. Compared to usual, the entire country was much quieter.
Even the schools had suspended classes.
Yet amid that quiet, there was faintly an atmosphere of happiness.
"Nagato, what are you doing?"
Wrapped up tightly, even his ears covered, Nagato looked chubby in his thick coat. Hearing someone call him, he turned to glance at Yahiko, who had just walked in, then ignored him and turned back to quietly shovel snow.
Yahiko walked over and looked curiously. "Why are you shoveling snow here?"
"Planting flowers!"
"??? Do flowers bloom in winter?"
"They do!" Nagato nodded, then sighed wistfully, as if he had recalled something.
A few days ago, before the weather had turned cold, he had found several flowers that bloomed in winter and transplanted them here.
As a result.
They had all flattened!
Forget it. Better not talk about it!
Ever since coming to the Land of Grass, he had been curious about everything, and he had even taken up flower planting.
Perhaps the weather in the Land of Grass was nice.
There was not so much rain, and there were winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
It was suitable for growing flowers.
Of course.
He had also come to enjoy cooking for himself. Sometimes, he would bring his own lunchbox to school in the morning.
However.
He was not really clearing snow today to plant flowers. It was so cold that anything planted now would definitely not survive.
But if he did not say he was busy, Yahiko would probably start nagging again.
Sure enough.
"Come on, stop messing around." Even saying he was busy was useless. Yahiko directly grabbed him and said, "It's rare to have a holiday. Shouldn't we enjoy it properly?"
Perhaps because he had not wandered for very long and had not experienced war or lost friends, Yahiko seemed even more like a child now.
Carefree and boisterous!
"Listen, this New Year... the Land of Grass is holding an incredibly lively New Year celebration! Teacher Amang came up with it! It'll be the liveliest New Year the Land of Grass has had in years. It's a rare chance."
"..."
You said that as if you had celebrated New Year in the Land of Grass before!
We only came here this year!
Still, curiosity showed in Nagato's eyes. Because of the war in the Land of Rain, his mother's identity, and the weather there, he had never enjoyed a New Year celebration in the Land of Rain!
He had always hidden at home.
However.
He already knew about this, since Teacher Amang lived next door!
"You're looking forward to it too, right? We can go out and have fun together then!" Yahiko said with a grin. "These past few days, everyone in the Land of Grass has been buying things. It's really lively outside. What a shame!" He sighed again. "Father Mujitsu is away, otherwise he would definitely be out shopping too! Oh, right. Want to go out and play now?"
"I..."
Before he could finish.
"Let's go! Bring Konan along. I'll call Wu Wei too. Let's have a snowball fight!" Yahiko dragged Nagato outside, speaking mysteriously as they walked. "Let me tell you, the academy is haunted..."
"You told me that last time!" Nagato helplessly pulled his hand free, though he still followed. "I can walk by myself!"
Teacher Amang had already said...
Don't believe rumors, and don't spread them. Be careful not to get scammed!
Learn to judge for yourself. Do not let others fool you. He had even said that he had heard rumors in his day that his own school had been built over a graveyard.
As long as it was a school... it basically had this kind of rumor!
"So the academy haunting is fake. We are the new generation of students in the Land of Grass. We've gone to school. We must believe in ninja studies and believe in science!"
However.
"This time is different!" Yahiko shook his head, his face grave. "It's real! I got this information from the class next door. It's genuine! You know... a few days ago, while the neighboring class was in session..." His tone turned eerie. "There was suddenly one extra person!"
"???"
What did he mean, suddenly one extra person?!
Nagato froze.
Before he could ask, Yahiko continued in a gloomy tone, "I'm telling you, it was incredibly strange! They were in class that day. At first, the teacher did not notice, but as the lesson went on, a student suddenly pointed out that there was one extra person among them!"
His tone shifted again, and even his face darkened. "Especially in art class, many people said they had seen that mysterious student too. And apparently... it was a good student who loved learning and asking questions, except it always asked strange questions, like how to draw poop so it looked real and even smelled real! So it was called the Outstanding Poop Ghost Student. They still have not found it. It appears and disappears without a trace!"
"..."
At first, I somewhat believed it. I even wondered whether some other student had walked into the wrong classroom.
But now...
Only a ghost would believe that!
Who normal would ask something like that?
Even ghosts probably would not ask!
Nagato immediately lost interest. He rolled his eyes and said flatly, "Don't believe rumors! Don't spread rumors! That must be something other students deliberately made up to attract attention."
"Is that so? But I think this time it's real! So many people said the same thing!" Yahiko scratched his head, but continued mysteriously, "And we formed an organization to uncover the truth and explore the secret. So we called it the Akatsuki Organization. Nagato, do you want to join? I'll make you vice president!"
"...Not interested!"
They had actually formed an organization over this?!
How boring!
Uncover the truth?
Akatsuki Organization?
There was no way he would join!
After saying that, Nagato prepared to knock on the door.
However.
Before he could knock.
Konan, with her blue hair tied into a bun, bounced out. Her cute little face was beaming. "Oh, Nagato and Yahiko? I was just about to look for you!"
"???"
"Teacher Amang is back! Sister Kana just received the news!"
The moment she said that.
Nagato and Yahiko both froze.
"Teacher Amang is back?" x2
"Mhm, mhm, mhm!" Konan nodded her little head. "I was just going to pick up Teacher! Do you want to come too?"
As she spoke, she headed forward, and Nagato immediately followed.
"Wait for me! Nagato, Konan!" Seeing this, Yahiko hurried after them. He still kept inviting Nagato, saying, "Nagato, I'm telling you, it's real. Do you want to join? This definitely isn't a rumor. So many people said they saw it!"
"I'm not joining! And don't believe rumors or spread rumors!" Nagato shook his head. "Teacher is back. If you don't believe me, ask Teacher! It must be fake!"
After he said that.
Konan looked at the two of them curiously. "What's fake?"
"Yahiko said there's a ghost student who loves asking about poop and studying!"
"???"
Ghosts again?
Last time, she had been scared for days!
If Teacher Amang had not said it was fake, she would have thought it was real!
Konan froze. After hearing Nagato's explanation, she sighed in relief and looked at Yahiko. "How could there be such a ghost? It must be fake! Teacher Amang won't believe it!"
"But..." Yahiko pouted and said weakly, "I think Teacher Amang might think this time it's real?"
The moment he said that.
"How could that be?" x2
The two answered in unison without hesitation.
However.
It was possible!
Near the border of the Land of Grass, Kusana listened to the Grass ninja beside him report the news in a mysterious tone, and his eyelid twitched!
A ghost student who loved asking about poop and studying!
They still had not discovered who it was!
They were asking what he, their leader, planned to do about it.
Kusana's mouth twitched.
What the hell!
Was White Zetsu trying to complete the Seven Mysteries of the Academy for the Land of Grass?!
Could it not just stay underground properly?
Why was it always causing trouble?!
He rubbed his forehead, but as he looked at the Land of Grass right before him—
Especially when he saw several figures faintly standing in the distance—he looked back at the excited Uzumaki Clan behind him, who were saying things like, "It's Elder Yang Zheng and the others! The leader didn't lie to us!"
Amang smiled as well and shook his head.
Forget it. He would deal with that later.
Then.
He shouted toward the Land of Grass ahead, "I'm back!"
At the same time.
Konoha.
In the strongest ninja village in the ninja world.
At that moment.
The entire meeting room felt especially grave.
The Third Hokage—his hands clasped before his chin—said with a solemn expression, "What do you all think about this?"
Before you continue