Rescue Successful, Another Look at Kusagakure

"Uzumaki Kana thanks you, my lord, for saving my life!"

After hearing Karin's description, Karin's mother fell to her knees before Mo Chen and bowed deeply, knocking her forehead against the ground.

When she got back up, she said earnestly, "Thank you for saving my daughter and me, my lord. From now on, Kana's life belongs to you. Whatever you ask me to do, I'll do everything in my power!"

Mo Chen had given her a second chance at life. She had to repay him for it.

Even if Mo Chen, like Kusagakure, wanted her for her abilities, she would accept it. It would just mean jumping from one pit of fire into another.

At least she would get to spend more time with her daughter. That alone was a gain.

Watching her mother, Karin hesitated for a moment, then started to kneel as well.

Mo Chen quickly stopped her, and took the opportunity to help Karin's mother to her feet, too.

"I didn't save you because I wanted anything in return, and it had nothing to do with your abilities," Mo Chen said, stopping Karin's mother from trying to kneel again. "Don't worry. From now on, you're free."

"I just couldn't stand the way Kusagakure treated you, and I felt sorry for what you'd been through, so I stepped in. As for what comes next, you can make your own plans for your lives."

Karin and her mother were both members of the Uzumaki Clan, with exceptional sensory abilities. They could tell that Mo Chen had spoken from the heart.

Most people would have been overjoyed by now, ready to go and live their newly free lives.

But Karin's mother, Uzumaki Kana, wasn't thinking that way. Instead, she seemed worried.

Mo Chen thought she was concerned about pursuit and gently reassured her, "You don't need to worry about Kusagakure. They have their hands full right now, and I won't give them another chance to capture you."

Uzumaki Kana sighed. "Karin just told me that you destroyed most of Kusagakure. They're at war with a neighboring country, and their defeat is all but certain. So I'm not worried about Kusagakure."

"But you must already know about our abilities. A man may be innocent, but he can still be guilty for possessing a treasure. We don't have the strength to protect what we have. Even if you don't need us to repay you, I must shamelessly ask you to shelter us."

"At the very least, please take in my daughter, Karin. She's still young, and she hasn't had a peaceful environment in which to train. If you give her time, she'll surely become a valuable asset to you!"

A parent's heart was a tender thing!

Kana's words stirred Mo Chen.

Without anyone to protect them, Karin and her mother would struggle to live in safety even after leaving Kusagakure.

A beautiful mother and daughter with little fighting ability and unusual bodies didn't have many options, even if they were free.

"All right. Come with me to the Land of Fire for now. I'll find somewhere to settle you, and we can figure out the rest later," Mo Chen said after thinking it over.

He hadn't planned to abandon Karin and her mother anyway. Karin's talent would certainly come in handy in the future, and she was also a member of the Chat Group.

Mo Chen's ability to fabricate the future was closely tied to the group's members.

In other words, he could use it to improve the group members' strength and grant them new abilities.

Before that, of course, he had to make sure they were loyal to him.

"Thank you, my lord!" Kana was overjoyed. She took Karin by the hand and was about to bow to Mo Chen again.

"All right, all right. Don't kneel every time. I'm not fond of that." Mo Chen waved his hand, removed the mask from his face, and said, "My name is Mo Chen. Just call me by my name from now on."

Then he briefly introduced himself.

After all, they would be on the same side from now on. Judging by Kana's behavior, she would probably see herself as his servant.

Mo Chen didn't expect that of her, but he wasn't going to make a fuss or go out of his way to do anything about it.

He couldn't take Karin and her mother straight into Konoha yet. Even setting aside Kusagakure, their Uzumaki bloodline was sensitive.

Mo Chen left behind a Wood Style Clone while his real body took them toward the Land of Fire.

He had already achieved his main objective in Kusagakure, but he hadn't forgotten that he still had a mission.

Whether Kusagakure would still have the time to send anyone to Konoha's joint Chunin Ninja Exams was no longer something Mo Chen needed to worry about.

Before long, his Wood Style Clone returned to Kusagakure.

The Kusagakure leader had been so enraged that he'd fainted, and the entire village had nearly fallen apart.

Fortunately, the commotion soon woke him. He forced down his muddled thoughts and began organizing the villagers to carry out rescue efforts.

Once the Kusagakure leader took charge, the situation finally stabilized. Each department got to work, and order was maintained amid the chaos.

Mo Chen picked some unlucky straggler at random, took his place, and slipped back into Kusagakure.

"Hey, you over there! Come here!"

Mo Chen had just changed his identity and stepped out from a deserted spot when a Grass Ninja called out to him.

He turned around and saw that it was the Great Sword Grass Ninja.

The Great Sword Grass Ninja now had a face like a pig's head, and his body was covered in bruises and other injuries. Mo Chen's Shadow Clone had done all that.

The man held a very high position in Kusagakure, probably about equivalent to Kakashi during Tsunade's time.

To avoid revealing his identity for the time being, Mo Chen could only hurry over to him.

But he hadn't expected several figures to file out of the building behind the Great Sword Grass Ninja. They were none other than Team Guy, led by Might Guy.

Pointing at Might Guy and the others, the Great Sword Grass Ninja said to Mo Chen, "These are guests from Konoha. But our village is in a difficult situation right now, so we can't host them. Take them back to their village for me."

Then he gave Mo Chen a subtle look.

But with both of his eyes swollen on that pig's head of his, Mo Chen couldn't make out what he meant.

Mo Chen guessed he wanted him to make sure Guy and the others had left Kusagakure's territory.

Given Kusagakure's current situation, there was no way they would let him attack Guy and the others.

Besides, the person Mo Chen was impersonating didn't have the strength to do that.

With no other choice, Mo Chen took the job and led Might Guy and the others toward the village entrance.

"Sorry we haven't been able to host you properly. I hope you understand."

As Mo Chen performed his 'official duties,' he led the way and apologized to Guy and the others. "Once our village has recovered, if you have a chance to visit again, we'll be sure to give you a proper welcome."

"Hahaha, it's all right! We understand!" Guy grinned, showing off his bright white teeth.

Anyone who didn't know better would have a hard time guessing that he was a powerful ninja.

"But there's something I'm curious about. I hope you won't take offense." Guy still had a silly grin on his face.

Mo Chen shot him a quick glance and replied calmly, "You're honored guests of Kusagakure. Feel free to ask. As long as it isn't confidential, I'll tell you what I know."

"Well..." Guy said, carefully choosing his words. "The casualties just now were enormous. At first, I thought it was the work of ninjas from the neighboring country you're at war with."

"But if they'd really done it, they wouldn't have let such a good opportunity pass. They would've sent in a large force and kept pressing the attack. So I'm curious: if the one who caused such a commotion wasn't a ninja from an enemy nation, then how deep must that grudge have been?"