The Land of Grass was a country wedged between the great nations.
It had once enjoyed the glory of being the continent's strongest nation, but had gradually declined with the passage of time.
Now, its reputation in the shinobi world did not even measure up to that of the neighboring Land of Rain. At least the Land of Rain had produced someone like Hanzō. Kusagakure, meanwhile, existed for little more than serving as a buffer between Iwagakure and Konoha.
After crossing the border into the Land of Grass, Zou Hyuga and Oto, disguised as travelers, made no ostentatious moves as ninja.
They knew perfectly well that the Akatsuki's base was not in Kusagakure, but in Amegakure.
The country once ruled by a demigod had welcomed a new god, Pain. In a sense, Nagato, who could bring the dead back to life, was no different from a god.
They entered an izakaya in Kusagakure and ordered their food, then went upstairs. As they enjoyed their delicious meal, they gazed out over the village.
Unlike bustling Konoha, Kusagakure looked somewhat run-down. Its mission reception office, however, was lively, with a constant stream of Grass Ninja and clients coming and going.
Only after asking the bartender did they learn that hiring Grass Ninja cost considerably less than hiring ninja from other villages.
Hearing how cheap it was to hire Grass Ninja, Zou Hyuga could not help entertaining the idea of accepting missions and then outsourcing them to Grass Ninja, pocketing the difference.
Beside him, Oto could not help frowning. "With prices that low, can the Grass Ninja really cover their costs?"
Ninja might earn sizable fees, but most of that money went toward buying and maintaining ninja tools. If they happened to get injured, several missions' worth of pay could end up going