A Scene of Devastation

The next day at noon.

Tokugawa Takaharu informed everyone that the greatest danger had passed, encouraging them to continue their journey with peace of mind.

As expected, the latter half of the journey was smooth sailing, encountering only a few foolish mountain bandits who were quickly and easily repelled by the supply convoy.

On the third to last day before the mission deadline, the supply convoy successfully arrived in the Land of Grass.

The natural environment of the Land of Grass was very similar to Konoha, primarily consisting of plains and dense forests. However, it was far inferior to Konoha in terms of resources.

Furthermore, the battlefield scars of this small country had yet to heal.

Vast grasslands were covered in large areas of conspicuous, scorched black.

Even after several years, the grass seeds in the ground still hadn't taken root and sprouted.

Neji stood on the roof of a cart, gazing into the distance. At the edge of his vision, a collapsed bridge appeared.

The Kannabi Bridge!

During the Third Shinobi World War, Minato Namikaze's team had destroyed the Iwagakure supply lines at this location, allowing the Land of Fire to win the war.

Strictly speaking, the Land of Earth was not the loser; the only loser was the Land of Grass.

Yugito said, "The Land of Grass's foreign policy is to rely on powerful nations for protection. Therefore, the country's leadership and its name are similar, wavering."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Whoever is strong, they follow?"

Yugito nodded, then said with a serious expression.

"During the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, the Land of Grass allied with Iwagakure and Konoha. However, in private, they frequently provided intelligence aid to the nominal enemy factions, and even to both major shinobi villages simultaneously.

"It is precisely because of this flexible foreign policy that they are considered an uncertain factor, even a potential threat, by Iwagakure and Konoha, who must be vigilant."

"During the Third Shinobi World War, Iwagakure and Konoha tacitly agreed to make the Land of Grass their battlefield, partly due to these considerations."

The tragic fate of the Land of Grass was a microcosm of all the small countries that struggled to survive by being caught between great powers.

However, from another perspective, the sorrow of small countries mainly stemmed from their own Daimyo.

For a tiny territory to develop long-term, the optimal solution was to be annexed by a great power.

Even if a brilliant "Hanzō" appeared in the Land of Rain, using his strength to carve out a small country's dignity, it would only be a temporary solution.

Who among the five great nations would even look at the Land of Rain now?

If the Daimyo of the Land of Grass voluntarily joined the Land of Fire or the Land of Earth, both Daimyo would gladly accept.

The civilians of the Land of Grass could purchase daily necessities at low prices from other regions.

When war broke out, they would not become battlegrounds.

It would benefit both the country and its people.

The world where only the Daimyo got hurt would be achieved.

But everyone knew that it was impossible for a small country to voluntarily join a great power.

Kusagakure came into view. Many guards looked at the team, which was now only half its original size, and tears welled up.

Companions who fought alongside you yesterday had suddenly become cold corpses.

Only after escorting the supply convoy into Kusagakure was the mission truly considered complete.

After receiving their payment, Yugito and Neji declined Tokugawa Takaharu's invitation. With three days still left on their mission deadline, the two decided to have some fun in Kusagakure.

Late at night, in an inn in Kusagakure.

Neji lay lazily on the sofa, peeling an orange.

He glanced at the blurry figure in the bathroom and thought to himself, "Women are so troublesome. It's been almost an hour."

They had only booked one double room.

Initially, Neji had some reservations.

But Yugito had her reasons.

She said Neji was a precious Byakugan cub and must be protected without fail.

She also said that the Fourth Raikage had tasked Yugito with being Neji's supervising teacher, and one of the objectives was for her to protect Neji.

After much thought, Neji felt it made sense.

So he agreed.

The main reason was that he only had some reservations; to say he was disgusted would be too hypocritical.

As the sound of splashing water filled the air, the bathroom door opened, and Yugito emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe.

Her skin, freshly washed, was smooth and lustrous, as if coated in a layer of mist, looking delectable and alluring.

Neji couldn't help but stare for a few extra moments.

"What are you looking at?" Yugito glared fiercely at him, but her demeanor lacked any real authority.

Neji, with his unusually thick skin, grabbed the soap and headed towards the bathroom, pointing at his eyes as he spoke, "If I want to look, when can't I look?"

The rustling sound of clothes being removed could be heard. Yugito turned her head to look. Through the glass, only a blurry silhouette could be seen.

But soon, she frowned and said, "Neji, do you bring kunai when you bathe?"

"Kunai? What kunai?"

Neji didn't understand what Yugito was talking about.

Yugito's expression paused for a moment, and she quickly reacted, her pretty face instantly turning as red as a monkey's backside.

This brat, he's really not small.

Men bathe much faster than women.

Ten minutes later, Neji walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe.

The first thing he saw was Yugito sitting on the bed.

For some reason, she was wearing gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her loose bathrobe could hardly conceal the white snow on her chest. Her waist was slender, and her hips pressed against the bed, revealing astonishing elasticity. Her two long, slender legs were wrapped in black stockings, shaking restlessly.

Seeing this scene, Neji was slightly stunned, realizing something was off with Yugito.

Yugito shyly glanced at Neji and mustered her courage, saying, "Neji, you..."

"Don't speak."

Neji interrupted Yugito and poured himself a glass of cold water, downing it in one go.

"Captain, what are you doing?"

Yugito said angrily, "This is a mission Lord Raikage gave me. Aren't you smart enough to guess?"

"A mission? Is it that kind of mission?"

"Mhm!"

After his guess was confirmed, Neji rubbed his temples with a headache. "But I'm only six years old, I'm still a child!"

"You are only six, but you are no longer a child."

Yugito said meaningfully.

A ninja's cells are two to three times that of an ordinary person, and their bodies mature extremely early.

Furthermore, Neji had been taking a secret medicine for two years, and his physical potential had been initially developed, making him capable of reproduction.

Neji walked over and sat beside Yugito, clearly feeling her nervousness.

"Lord Raikage asked you to carry out a mission, and you agreed?"

Yugito first paused slightly, then nodded heavily.

She didn't expect Neji to ask a question that shouldn't even be within a ninja's scope of consideration.

An excellent ninja must obey orders absolutely and complete missions with all their might.

Neji felt a mix of emotions.

The Naruto world, also known as the Legend of the Eyes in the Warring States of the Five Villages, Black Zetsu's Quest to Save His Mother, My Village Chief Grandpa, Dad, Teacher.

The foundation of this world was outrageously filthy.

Ninjas were emotionless tools of slaughter.

They sacrificed their lives for the sake of so-called "glory" and "pride," and took pride in it.

The ninjas who grew up in this environment had no sense of self.

To become a true ninja, one must let go of personal emotions and abandon the self.

Just like Kisame.

But Neji couldn't do it.

Having experienced that era, he ultimately couldn't truly integrate into the ninja world.

Whoosh!

Neji took out a kunai, cut his finger, and let blood drip onto the bedsheet. He then cut off a piece of the bedsheet and handed it to Yugito.

"This should be enough for you to report back."

"?"