18 CH - 18 Loyality

Ninjas.

In the ninja world, they are different from ordinary people. Ninjas are individuals who long for recognition and care. Once they become wanderers, they are like homeless people, abandoned by the entire ninja world. However, if you show them some care during this time, they will be devoted to you wholeheartedly and follow your orders.

You should understand that even the Uchiha clan, labeled an evil clan by the Second Hokage, faced rejection and restrictions. Nevertheless, they upheld the agreement with the Senju clan and protected Konoha. They always desired to send clan members to the Third Hokage to improve the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village.

Their rebellion only occurred when they could no longer bear it. However, in the end, their clan leader chose not to rebel and instead chose to die quietly. This reveals a lot, doesn't it? Therefore, when recruiting wandering ninjas in the ninja world, it is best to be straightforward about it.

Of course, there are also ninjas who do not adhere to the ninja code, such as the wandering ninjas who later went to the Land of Birds. Those individuals had intentions of overthrowing the country and establishing their own ninja village.

However...

There are those who follow orders and stay in the Valley of Hell at all times, even after the Uchiha clan left and the ninja village system was established. They remained here until... after the clan was wiped out, with only two survivors in hiding.

So, it is highly unlikely that the Chinoike clan would lack principles to that extent!

Akihiko looked at the silent Takeshi Chinoike, his face filled with concern, and smiled. "The Chinoike clan awakens their abilities through intense emotional stimulation..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Takeshi Chinoike suddenly looked up, staring at Akihiko. "How do you know so much about the Chinoike clan's secrets?!"

"It doesn't matter how I know. What's important now is to rely on emotions... How long can the Chinoike clan maintain themselves in the oppressive atmosphere of the Valley of Hell?" Akihiko continued with a dose of harsh reality. "I suppose many members of the Chinoike clan have already started experiencing mental problems," he added casually. "Perhaps in the future... the Chinoike clan will perish at the hands of their own people."

As Akihiko finished speaking, Takeshi Chinoike paused, his face growing even gloomier.

After all, Akihiko was right.

The Chinoike clan awakened their eyes through emotional stimulation, making them even more sensitive to the oppressive atmosphere. That's why, even with fewer than a hundred clan members here, more than half of them had awakened their eyes.

Surviving in this environment was easier for ninjas, and the oppressive atmosphere stimulated the clan members to further awaken their eyes.

Takeshi Chinoike took a deep breath, his mind racing with thoughts about the future of his clan. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily upon him as he realized the dire predicament they were facing. The Chinoike clan had already suffered immense losses, and if they didn't take action, their existence would be extinguished.

As the clan leader, Takeshi knew that if things continued like this, the Chinoike clan would eventually be wiped out.

He fell silent for a moment, then looked up again. "What does the Chinoike clan need to contribute?"

"Loyalty!" Akihiko replied firmly.

Takeshi only looked at him, waiting for something more. Seeing no further response, he couldn't help but think, "Isn't that natural?"

However, as things seemed to be going well, Akihiko's face lit up with enthusiasm. He spread out a stack of documents and exclaimed, "Let me tell you! You've stumbled upon a great opportunity! The Land of Grass has just been rebuilt, and the country and village are flourishing! Therefore, talent is highly valued."

As he spoke, Akihiko handed the documents in his hand to Takeshi Chinoike, allowing him to review the information. "Now, by joining the Land of Grass, not only will you immediately obtain citizenship in the Land of Grass and enjoy all the rights of the country, but the Land of Grass will also provide housing, protection, and free quality education for eligible children within the country."

"Consider the Uchiha clan in Konoha, who joined from the beginning alongside the Senju clan and have now become prominent figures in Konoha! And you..." Akihiko pointed directly at Takeshi. "In the Hidden Grass Village, there is hope for you to become the next Uchiha!"

Takeshi Chinoike was completely stunned by this sudden change in the situation. The prospect of becoming the next Uchiha, even in a small remote country like the Land of Grass, was almost unbelievable. After so many years, they no longer cared about the conflicts with the Uchiha clan. All they wanted was to live a normal life.

Initially, Takeshi had thought that before joining the Land of Grass, the Chinoike clan would have to engage in some questionable activities, as it was a tradition in the ninja world. No country or village would accept a group of wandering ninjas without a reason, unless they were qualified to become tools.

But now, it seemed that going to the Land of Grass might be a good choice, if the information provided was true. A brief smile appeared on Takeshi's exhausted and hungry face.

He then pointed at the document, his expression serious, and asked, "Rights and... obligations? What obligations does the Chinoike clan need to fulfill?"

"These are the rights of being a shinobi citizen of the Land of Grass! As long as you are a shinobi citizen of the Land of Grass, while enjoying the rights, you also need to fulfill corresponding obligations," Akihiko explained in a serious tone. "It's not just the obligations of the Chinoike clan; the rights and obligations of all related parties are listed there. You can see for yourself."

After hearing this, Takeshi glanced at the document and was immediately taken aback, not out of fear but because of how ordinary the obligations seemed. Isn't it the duty of a shinobi in the Hidden Grass Village to protect the country and the interests of the village? The responsibilities listed in the document appeared to align with that.

"The Village Hidden in the Clouds..." Takeshi uttered with a mix of fear and uncertainty.

"As long as you are a shinobi citizen of the Land of Grass, you will receive the protection of the Land of Grass," Akihiko assured him earnestly.

At this point, Takeshi realized that the Village Hidden in the Clouds likely no longer cared about the Chinoike clan. The start of the Third Shinobi World War was not long after the end of the Second Shinobi World War, and the Village Hidden in the Clouds was one of the participating nations. It was probable that they were now focused on preparing for war and had no time to deal with a ninja clan that had been abandoned for so many years.

Moreover, the Land of Grass already had the Uzumaki clan, which was being targeted by the entire ninja world. Adding one more clan, the Chinoike, probably wouldn't pose a problem.

As Akihiko finished speaking, Takeshi felt a tremor of excitement, and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at Akihiko respectfully and said, "Yes! Leader-sama!"

The Land of Grass accepting the Chinoike clan... success!

"Great!" Akihiko nodded with a smile and was about to instruct the Chinoike clan to leave for the Land of Grass when a Grass shinobi rushed in. The shinobi bowed respectfully and said, "Leader-sama, we have received a message from Mubuki-sama. They have found a group of Uzumaki clan members, about fifty of them!"

Akihiko's face lit up with a smile. "Found them? Did they bring them to the Land of Grass?"

The Grass shinobi hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well... Mubuki-sama sent word that they encountered some trouble. That group of Uzumaki clan members is currently within the borders of the Land of Fire, under surveillance by a mysterious group of ninjas. Mubuki-sama said they currently don't have the ability to bring them back."

Akihiko was stunned by this news, realizing that the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

….

Move the time back a little.

Here is a secluded small town in the Land of Fire.

At this moment, a young girl with black short hair looked hesitantly and worriedly at the woman with long, golden wavy hair beside her. Finally, she bit her lip and spoke up, "Lady Tsunade, you can't go on like this."

It had been about a month since Tsunade had arrived in the town. During this time, the young girl had witnessed the once-legendary Sannin and hero of the Second Shinobi World War spiral down into despair and indulgence.

Tsunade had become immersed in gambling, even though she kept losing. She would laugh it off, but it was clear to the girl that something was wrong. If it weren't for her belief that Tsunade was still capable of being saved, she would have thought that overwhelming sorrow had taken its toll on Tsunade's mental state.

"Lady Tsunade, even Dan-uncle wouldn't want to see you continue like this. And... and..." The girl seemed a bit embarrassed as she continued, "If we keep losing like this, we'll run out of money!"

"Hahaha! No money? Shizune, my dear! You underestimate me! I'm so broke that all I have left is money." Tsunade pinched the girl's cheek affectionately and laughed as if she had no sorrow. "The money left by my grandfather, my uncle, and my grandmother Mito, as well as the houses in the village, no matter how I spend it, I won't run out!"

"But, but..." Shizune still wanted to say something.

"No more 'buts,' Shizune! Listen to me! Don't worry, we won't run out of money! Not in this lifetime!" Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. Then she glanced at the nearby gambling hall and snorted. Those people dared to call her their cash cow? Today, she will show them!

As she prepared to enter the gambling hall, Tsunade noticed a crowd gathering not far away and paused. "Why are there so many people? Is it a new gambling hall?"

Just then, she heard someone shouting, "Grand Opening Special! Grass Land Cinema presents a blockbuster film from the ninja world, giving you a completely new and unparalleled experience, experiencing the prowess of the Gambling God!"

"Now you can enter for just one coin, and the first one hundred... will also receive a free bucket of popcorn~"

Tsunade was stunned. What was all this about? A Gambling God? A movie? She was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. Intrigued, she squeezed through the crowd and saw an advertisement board nearby that left her momentarily stunned. It read, "Uzumaki?"