Return to the Village

Seeing that Maki Uzumaki still wanted to say something, Chiba Shun gave her no chance and said directly, "Your Uzumaki clan has already been wiped out. What's the point of still talking about all this hatred?"

"Don't tell me you think you alone can overturn the Four Great Shinobi Villages and avenge the ancestors of Whirlpool Nest Village?"

"Besides, even if you really destroyed the Four Great Shinobi Villages, the only one to benefit in the end would be Konoha, that so-called ally!"

Maki Uzumaki suddenly fell silent.

She truly had no thoughts of revenge, and she was not particularly fond of Konoha either.

When Whirlpool Nest Village had been destroyed, she had been young, but she had already barely qualified as a shinobi.

She had heard many elders of her clan complain about Konoha. Some said they should not have lost so many powerful people to save Konoha, while others said Konoha had stood by and watched them die.

Otherwise, why would she have fled all the way to the Land of Grass? Wouldn't it have been better to go straight to Konoha and seek protection?

Seeing that Maki Uzumaki was no longer speaking, Chiba Shun struck while the iron was hot. "I came on behalf of Lord Raikage."

"Lord Raikage has promised that he will not make any of your Uzumaki people become Jinchūriki!"

Maki Uzumaki's expression changed slightly. This was one of the reasons she did not want to go to Konoha.

Everyone knew that the Uzumaki clan's immense chakra reserves made them naturally ideal candidates for Jinchūriki.

Konoha had had two Uzumaki clan members: one was the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and the other was the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

Chiba Shun knew that there had been a third Uzumaki clan member in the original story—the future Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

Behind Konoha's glamorous facade lay nothing but schemes. Chiba Shun had not exaggerated that point during his propaganda at the Ninja Academy.

Seeing the change in Maki Uzumaki's expression, Chiba Shun continued, "Konoha claimed it was too late to support you, yet it managed to save a girl suitable for becoming a Jinchūriki in time!"

"I wonder whether it was because the leaders of your Uzumaki clan once refused Konoha and were unwilling to provide a Jinchūriki that Konoha just so happened to save only one member of your clan."

"Oh, right. I heard Konoha also moved your Uzumaki clan's Mask Storage Temple away in time."

Maki Uzumaki's hands immediately clenched into fists.

Seeing this, Chiba Shun knew that the first step was complete. Maki Uzumaki no longer had any favorable impression of Konoha.

Next came the second step: inviting her to join Kumogakure.

Chiba Shun said, "We Kumogakure shinobi are different. Lord Raikage's word is final. If he says he will not use you as Jinchūriki, then he absolutely will not break his promise."

"To be honest, Kumogakure also has members of other major shinobi clans, but that is classified information, so it would not be convenient to tell you right now."

Maki Uzumaki glanced at Chiba Shun. She did not quite believe him.

Other than the Uzumaki clan, which had already been destroyed, what other major shinobi clan would join another shinobi village?

Chiba Shun smiled. "You'll know once you see Kumogakure with your own eyes."

Maki Uzumaki said, "I haven't agreed to join Kumogakure yet!"

Chiba Shun smiled. "If you don't join us, where do you plan to go?"

"You don't want to go to Konoha, but would you dare go to the other three Great Shinobi Villages? Would they even accept you?"

"Other than the Five Great Shinobi Villages, after what happened this time, would you still dare trust a small shinobi village like Kusagakure?"

"If you join those small shinobi villages, there is only one fate waiting for you: becoming their tool."

Chiba Shun glanced at Maki Uzumaki's arm, then added, "For example, becoming their medical blood bag!"

Maki Uzumaki's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly tugged down her sleeve, covering the bite marks on her arm.

Chiba Shun said solemnly, "Don't worry. We Kumogakure shinobi are not low enough to treat our own people as medical blood bags!"

"If you are willing, you can join Kumogakure's medical division."

"I believe that with your special constitution, you'll learn Medical Ninjutsu quickly."

"Then, you can become a medical shinobi."

"Kumogakure's Medical Ninjutsu is quite underdeveloped. If you can improve the village's Medical Ninjutsu, your status in the village may even surpass mine."

Maki Uzumaki was somewhat tempted.

Mostly because her experience in Kusagakure had frightened her badly.

Seeing that Maki Uzumaki was still hesitating, Chiba Shun said, "You are actually rather fortunate. Right now, only that Jonin in all of Kusagakure has discovered your special constitution."

"If he fails to keep the secret, what do you think will happen to you?"

Maki Uzumaki thought about it, then shuddered all over.

What would happen? She would become the entire shinobi village's medical blood bag and be drained dry!

Maki Uzumaki thought for a long while before murmuring, "Can't I just become a wandering shinobi?"

Chiba Shun said, "Of course not. If you were useless, then naturally it would be fine."

"But your special constitution means that without a major shinobi village to rely on, you will ultimately become a medical blood bag, or be locked in some powerful person's laboratory and turned into an experiment!"

That had been Karin's fate in the original story.

At the words "experiment," Maki Uzumaki jolted violently.

Chiba Shun knew she had abandoned the idea of becoming a wandering shinobi, so he persuaded her further. "Only Kumogakure has taken the initiative to invite you. We have actively given you a promise, because we believe you hold no ill will toward the village."

"Other shinobi villages, whether major or minor, will not give you promises like we have."

"And even if they do promise you something, do you think they would believe you can let go of your hatred?"

"They think you don't trust them, so they won't trust you either!"

Chiba Shun's words were somewhat convoluted, but Maki Uzumaki understood. She knew her own situation better than Chiba Shun did, and she had considered far more than he had.

She sighed, then said, "If I go to Kumogakure with you and find that it isn't a good place, can I still leave?"

Chiba Shun smiled. "I actually don't have the authority to answer that question."

"But from what I know of Lord Raikage, he would be willing to let you leave."

After a pause, Chiba Shun added, "In the worst-case scenario, if Lord Raikage is unwilling to let you leave, I am friends with Lord Raikage's son, the future Fourth Raikage."

"Once the Fourth Raikage takes office, I am fairly confident I can persuade him to let you go."

Maki Uzumaki gave Chiba Shun a strange look. Who said something like that? Wasn't he cursing his own Kage to die?

Still, Chiba Shun's words carried some credibility. He had not simply agreed outright; instead, he had told her in detail what he was capable of doing.

After a moment of silence, Maki Uzumaki finally said with some difficulty, "I'll go with you!"

She knew that once she said those words, her future would be entirely entrusted to Kumogakure.

If Kumogakure treated her as a medical blood bag like that Kusagakure shinobi had, then she would truly be finished.

And given Kumogakure's scale, she doubted she could even last through a single battle.

But it seemed she had no other choice.

Thus, Chiba Shun and the other three set out on the road back to Kumogakure with the anxious Maki Uzumaki.

This time, however, Chiba Shun was extremely cautious.

Especially within the Land of Waterfalls, he did not dare make contact with anyone.

He bought a large amount of food in Kusagakure and had Ayana store it in Sealing Scrolls. Then the five of them traveled by day and moved by night, taking only sparsely traveled paths and never showing themselves before others.

Only after passing through the Land of Waterfalls and entering the Land of Iron did Chiba Shun dare enter a town.

Maki Uzumaki was very curious and asked, "Why were you so cautious in the Land of Waterfalls?"

Chiba Shun said awkwardly, "Because I'm on the black market bounty list. An S-rank rogue shinobi wants to kill me for the reward."

Maki Uzumaki opened her mouth, looked left and right, and wore a similarly frightened expression.

If she had known Chiba Shun was being hunted too, perhaps she would not have returned to Kumogakure with him.

Chiba Shun took out a map, studied it, and said, "Next, we'll take the sea route. We'll set sail from the Land of Iron, then return to the Land of Lightning."

Chiba Shun did not know that this choice was precisely what allowed him to evade Kakuzu's pursuit.

Kakuzu had indeed gone to Takigakure for Chiba Shun last time, but Takigakure shinobi had discovered him.

The Takigakure shinobi clamored about reclaiming Earth Grudge Fear and directly began hunting Kakuzu with the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.

This caused Kakuzu to lose Chiba Shun's trail.

But he did not give up. After battling the Seven-Tails and the Takigakure shinobi, he replenished the two hearts he had lost, then headed straight to the Land of Moon to wait for Chiba Shun.

In Kakuzu's eyes, Chiba Shun was a Kumogakure shinobi. No matter what mission he had gone out to perform, he would eventually have to return to the Land of Lightning.

And to return to the Land of Lightning, he would definitely have to pass through the Land of Moon.

If he investigated the Land of Moon carefully, he would surely uncover Chiba Shun's whereabouts.

Bounties this expensive were rare these days.

Meanwhile, the five of them returned safely to the Land of Lightning by sea.

After setting foot on the soil of the Land of Lightning, Chiba Shun still did not relax. The five of them hurried at full speed, only truly feeling relieved upon reaching Kumogakure's gates.

Maki Uzumaki was quite dissatisfied. She seriously suspected that Chiba Shun simply did not want to treat her to a meal, which was why he had rushed back so quickly.

Since they had brought an outsider with chakra, Chiba Shun registered at the village gate.

ANBU soon came to verify their identities.

Upon learning that Chiba Shun had been carrying out a mission personally assigned by the Third Raikage, the ANBU obtained the Third Raikage's approval and directly brought Chiba Shun and Maki Uzumaki to the Raikage's office.

The Third Raikage looked at Maki Uzumaki, whose red hair was exposed before him, then sensed her chakra and nodded. He said to Chiba Shun, "You did well. Does she have any requests?"

Chiba Shun looked at Maki Uzumaki, then said, "She wants to become a medical shinobi."

The Third Raikage's eyes lit up. "Does she know Medical Ninjutsu?"

Chiba Shun answered for the somewhat embarrassed Maki Uzumaki, "She doesn't know Medical Ninjutsu. She was still young when she left Whirlpool Nest Village and had not learned much ninjutsu."

"However, she should be highly talented in Medical Ninjutsu."

After a pause, Chiba Shun said something that someone of his status should not have said. "This subordinate suspects that she may be able to improve the village's Medical Ninjutsu."

The Third Raikage gave Chiba Shun a somewhat strange look.

It was not that he disliked Chiba Shun speaking beyond his station. Rather, he found it strange that Chiba Shun could judge that Maki Uzumaki had talent for Medical Ninjutsu.