Kusagakure's Decision

Why is he panting? When he was training in the village, this short distance was like a piece of cake for him.

It's all because of the Kurotsuchi! She's too heavy!

That idiot always eats so much!

"Not only can you walk, you can eat even more..." Deidara sighed, but stopped anyway.

At this speed, it's practically the same as not running at all.

Deidara put the Kurotsuchi down and plopped down on the ground.

He made the most of his time to recover his strength.

The opponent is likely a sensory-type ninja, otherwise they wouldn't be able to launch a Wind Release attack from such a distance.

He didn't believe it when you said he was just randomly shooting.

At the same time, he began to think of countermeasures.

At first, he instinctively ran back the way he came, but now that he thinks about it, he realizes it's a bad idea.

That monstrous Ninjutsu would probably require his own teacher to deal with.

The ground is no longer shaking. There are two possibilities: either the opponent ran out of Chakra and stopped their Ninjutsu, or the opponent has already overcome all obstacles.

The former is fine, but the latter is terrible.

Brother Shou is probably dead.

After this battle, the Demolition Corps was no longer able to play a full role in this war.

The survivors probably felt their legs go weak just thinking about it.

Thinking about this, Deidara felt he was carrying a burden that shouldn't be on someone his age.

He's only eight years old! Why make him think about such complicated things?! He's just a kid who likes watching explosions!

And... how could he run into someone like this on his first mission outside the village!?

It was supposed to be just a training session with the Demolition Corps, so this is how the village's Jonin usually work themselves to the bone?

"Deidara." Kurotsuchi's weak voice reached Deidara's ears.

He turned around and saw Kurotsuchi looking at him with a worried expression, tears welling up in his eyes.

Sigh... He's only a year younger, how can he be so immature!

It's one thing to twist your ankle while running away, but how can you show such a weak expression on the battlefield?

"Don't cry." Deidara's little face hardened. "Or you won't get to eat Dango."

"Yes!" Kurotsuchi nodded heavily.

Getting caught is fine, but not being allowed to eat Dango is unacceptable.

"Don't worry, we can definitely escape," Deidara reassured her. "I've already thought of a plan."

"Wow, that's amazing! As expected of Deidara!"

"Hmm." Deidara proudly raised his head.

Although this junior sister is a bit clumsy and greedy, she has one good quality: she's very well-behaved.

"Let's head north to the Land of Grass," Deidara said.

"Huh? But... Grandpa said all the people there are bad people..."

Of course you know that! Once you step outside, who won't be a bad person to you?

"It's precisely because they're bad people that we can exploit them." Deidara was speechless. "If they were all good people, what would be the point of going there?"

Kurotsuchi suddenly realized.

He then nodded happily.

"Let's go." Deidara felt he had rested enough, stood up, picked up Kurotsuchi again, and ran north.

A while later, Inuzuka Keita and his Ninja Dog appeared at the spot.

"This is it, Blackhead." Inuzuka Keita patted his friend's head.

Behind him, Uchiha Shingen and Hyuga Yayoi stepped out.

"Captain, are we just going to keep following him like this?" Hyuga Yayoi asked.

She was puzzled, since Uchiha Shingen had clearly caught up with the other person.

"This kid's got a quick mind; you guys really should learn from him," Uchiha Shingen said.

"Captain, isn't this guy afraid of falling into the hands of the Grass Ninja? My dad told me that the Grass Ninja would capture lone ninja from other villages during wartime."

"Your father is being conservative," Uchiha Shingen said, his expression unchanged. "The Grass Ninja like to secretly capture lone ninjas from major ninja villages during wartime. They are very good at erasing traces. Many of the Grass Ninja Ninjutsu are stolen from Iwagakure, Sand Village, and Leaf Village. They also make a living by selling information from these three villages."

"Then why not cause them trouble?"

"According to the official statement, there is insufficient evidence." Uchiha Shingen tapped Hyuga Yayoi the head. "A girl shouldn't be so reckless, always picking fights with people."

"Captain, are we just going to follow them like this?" Inuzuka Keita scratched his head.

"Okay, follow them." Uchiha Shingen nodded. "No rush, the best is yet to come. The Demolition Corps won't abandon these two kids; they'll definitely reunite in the Land of Grass."

"Then have the Grass Ninja capture them and hand them over to us?"

"What are you thinking about?" Uchiha Shingen looked at Inuzuka Keita with a sympathetic gaze. "Keita, besides when you're fighting, you should use your brain more often and think of people in a bad light."

"Oh..." Inuzuka Keita began to rack his brains.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out how bad the Grass Ninja could be.

Uchiha Shingen could say was, "Youth is wonderful."

"Keita."

"Ah, Captain."

"I ask you, in the current situation, how many parties are involved?"

"Us and the Rock Ninja? And the Rain Ninja and Grass Ninja?"

"That's right, we didn't forget to include the Grass Ninja. So, who do you think is the worst?"

"That must be the Grass Ninja."

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Yayoi gave Inuzuka Keita a disdainful look.

She had already understood what Uchiha Shingen meant.

Why is her childhood sweetheart, despite being quite capable, so dense? Other people's childhood sweethearts are both handsome and strong.

"Let's go, let's see just how evil the Grass Ninja are." Uchiha Shingen didn't say anything, but simply gave the order, "You all stay close and don't lose them."

"Yes, Captain."

The two answered in unison.

Next, the three of them stayed far behind Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

As they continued north, they approached the border of the Land of Grass.

As Uchiha Shingen had anticipated, the remnants of the previously scattered Demolition Corps began to regroup.

These Rock Ninja found Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

The Rock Ninja who regrouped were less than half of their original number.

The number of remaining people was roughly the same as what Uchiha Shingen had estimated.

The ninja army is very disciplined. It is common for them to infiltrate each other or for their units to be scattered. Being able to disperse and regroup is a basic skill.

The rest of the Demolition Corps should be here.

Under Uchiha Shingen's Chakra perception, the regrouped force paused only briefly before continuing northward.

The Kusagakure doesn't have a good reputation in small countries. Grass Ninja have always adhered to the principle of serving the greater good, belonging to the type of people who are despised by large villages and looked down upon by small villages.

But Grass Ninja only looks like a dog; he's not like that at heart.

Uchiha Shingen hoped that the Grass Ninja would be bolder, just like before.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Kusagakure's Decision

A group of ninjas are speeding across the vast green plains.

The country names in the Hokage world are simple and straightforward. The Land of Grass has such a name because of its many meadow environments and rich biodiversity.

The most distinctive feature is its herbaceous plants; the grasses in this country are tall, dense, and have a magnificent appearance.

Not to mention the two little kids, Deidara and Kurotsuchi, even the Rock Ninja from the Demolition Corps had almost half their bodies submerged in the sea of grass.

The boundless meadow stretches to the horizon like a green carpet, and when the wind blows, the grass ripples in waves.

This is a beautiful view that cannot be seen in the Land of Earth, but the Rock Ninja have no interest in appreciating it.

The grassy sea can conceal more than just their figures.

The Demolition Corps ninjas knew very well what kind of people their neighbors were.

Now that the unit has been reduced by more than half, and most of them are still wounded, it remains to be seen whether the Grass Ninja will remain respectful or reveal their ferocious side.

And then there's the White Ghost of Leaf Village, who might very well pursue them into the Land of Land of Grass. A master like that wouldn't dare cross the border in a small country, let alone kill a few ninjas from a small country if he was in a bad mood. Those small ninja villages wouldn't dare utter a sound.

It is precisely because they are so humble in ordinary times that they become more ferocious than ever when they bare their fangs.

The group hurried on their way.

Fortunately, the Third Shinobi World War was not long ago, and the Demolition Corps had fought against the Leaf Village ninja army here. They were quite familiar with this land and it was not unfamiliar to them.

"Captain Deidara, do you need to rest?" a Rock Ninja asked, noticing Deidara's apparent fatigue.

No matter how much of a genius Deidara is, the reality is that at only eight years old, he cannot compare to these adult elites of Iwagakure in terms of physical strength.

The Demolition Corps members thought Deidara's performance this time was exceptional, far beyond what they could have achieved at his age.

This eight-year-old boy was very clear-headed. Without any intelligence support, he made a relatively correct choice in the face of a terrifying opponent like the White Ghost Leaf Village and brought Kurotsuchi out.

He proved his worth and potential, so as Iwagakure's elite and members of the Demolition Corps, these Rock Ninja will do their best to protect him.

"It's okay, I can manage." Deidara shook his head.

After reuniting with his companions, everyone agreed with his decision to detour through the Land of Grass to return home.

They all shared this idea; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to successfully reunite within the Land of Grass.

"Alright, Captain, you need to conserve your energy. We're in a really bad situation right now."

"I know how long it will take for the Kurotsuchi to recover."

"It's a minor issue. We'll take turns carrying her. Her injury isn't serious; she'll recover quickly."

Deidara nodded upon hearing this and stopped talking, focusing on continuing on his journey.

The same was true for the Rock Ninja around them.

They have already accepted this eight-year-old "team leader".

Special units like the Demolition Corps can only be joined by ninjas with "pure and upright" backgrounds in Iwagakure, reflecting a strong sense of collectivism.

Therefore, after the Rock Ninja reunited, they did not insist on selecting a new temporary captain and had no objection to Deidara's captaincy.

The Rock Ninja's actions were quite efficient, without any hesitation, but they were still discovered by the Grass Ninja.

It should be said that the Grass Ninja never let their guard down.

After the Rock Ninja army entered the Land of Rain, the Kusagakure went into a state of total mobilization.

Their people even entered the Land of Rain, all to keep a close watch on the battle between Iwagakure and Leaf Village.

The Third Shinobi World War devastated the Land of Land of Grass, leaving the Kusagakure resentful but unable to speak out. Although the Land of Grass was not the target of the Iwagakure Village this time, the Grass Ninja did not feel safe at all.

The ninjas of the five major villages never consulted the opinions of the smaller ninja villages when escalating wars.

"Allies" is just a euphemism.

Furthermore, the Grass Ninja also covet the Ninjutsu of the great ninja villages and hope to have a chance to snag some this time.

But they didn't expect such a big leak.