Meng Zong's expression turned grim the moment he heard the words. Realizing the situation had taken a turn for the worse, he tried to mask his concern with feigned anger.
"What do you mean by stopping me from going out?" he demanded.
Naruto replied calmly, "A ghost warrior appeared tonight, and the capital of the Bird Country is in chaos. We're worried that Master Meng Zong might be in danger if he leaves."
That explanation only deepened Meng Zong's suspicion.
They're on to me.
These Konoha shinobi must have uncovered something!
Meng Zong's eyes flicked from Naruto to Neji. Despite their reputation as competent ninja, they were relatively unknown compared to the rising legend of Konoha's younger generation—Morkel. Even wandering shinobi like Meng Zong had heard of Morkel's name, but barely recognized these two.
They're just nobodies. Maybe I can take a chance.
Determined, Meng Zong formed hand seals quickly. "Since you insist on blocking my way, don't blame me for being rude!"
Naruto and Neji shared a brief smile, having expected this.
Earlier, after the ninja who attempted to assassinate the Daimyo confessed, Hong Lu ordered troops to surround Meng Zong's mansion. Morkel and Hong Lu followed closely behind.
Outside the estate, the captain of the guard shouted, "Lord Meng Zong! Please come out and cooperate with our investigation! If not, we won't hesitate to act!"
The heavy gates of the mansion creaked open.
The guards, nervous and tense, tightened their formation. Though they were trained warriors, they knew they were no match for a ninja.
But...
Only Naruto and Neji stepped out.
Naruto stood tall, exuding pride like a general returning victorious. He grinned at Morkel in the distance.
"Hey, Morkel! I wrapped up this mission beautifully!"
"This Meng Zong guy? Totally useless. So weak."
Morkel raised a brow, sighing softly. Naruto had really picked up the local slang during their mission...
Meng Zong was swiftly handed over to the guards.
Hong Lu, standing beside Morkel, looked at him with surprise. "You... you planned all this in advance?"
Morkel answered modestly, "Not exactly. I just had a hunch about him and stayed alert."
Mission: Ghost Warrior – Complete.
After everything was resolved, Morkel and his team stayed in the capital for the night. Hong Lu made sure they were treated as honored guests.
The next morning, they prepared to leave.
Outside the capital gates, Hong Lu waited in her sedan, now dressed in elegant women's robes.
Naruto teased, "Didn't expect Brother Lu to look so good in women's clothes!"
Tiantian rolled her eyes. "I'm a girl, remember?"
Hong Lu blushed as she listened to their playful banter. She looked at Morkel, who stood not far away, and her expression turned serious.
"Morkel, I kept thinking about something last night…"
"Say it," Morkel replied, looking at her.
Hong Lu lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "Would you be willing to govern the Bird Country with me…?"
The lakeside breeze, her shy expression, and the early morning light made for a picturesque scene.
Tiantian and Neji were stunned by the question.
This was the dream! Win the girl, become a respected leader—who wouldn't say yes?
But Morkel answered without hesitation, "No. It's too much trouble. I don't even want to be Hokage, let alone manage a country."
Hong Lu's eyes dimmed as she looked away in disappointment.
Morkel gave a respectful bow. "Thank you for your hospitality. We'll be on our way."
With that, the group turned and walked down the road, their figures fading into the horizon.
Hong Lu stood still, watching until Morkel was out of sight.
Hong Ming, her advisor, noticed her sadness and tried to comfort her. "Such a man is born for greater things. Our small country could never hold him."
"I know," Hong Lu replied quietly. "Still, I wish he had at least left me something to remember him by…"
Suddenly, she paused, touched her lower back, and smiled softly to herself.
---
On the Road Back to the Village
Naruto asked, "Has the village really asked you to be Hokage?"
Morkel nodded. "Yeah. Lady Tsunade's mentioned it more than once."
Naruto groaned. "Why hasn't anyone asked me?"
After a pause, Naruto asked again, "Morkel, you love money. If you'd said yes to the daimyo, you'd be rich. Why did you turn her down?"
Morkel gave him a flat look. "You really don't know me at all."
"I care more about freedom than wealth. It's not money I love—it's the sense of security and independence it gives me."
Just then, a communication eagle swooped down from the sky.
Morkel frowned. "Whose eagle is this? I've never seen it before."
Neji, ever the top student, observed the bird. "This is the Cangyan Eagle—fastest bird in Iwagakure. Strange that it's here."
Morkel's expression stiffened. After all, he'd just stolen their Four Tails not long ago.
The eagle, however, landed right on Morkel's arm.
Curious, Morkel removed the scroll tied to its leg and opened it:
[Five Tails in distress. Requesting help from Morkel.]
Morkel blinked. "Why ask me directly? Shouldn't they report this through the village?"
Just as he spoke, another eagle—this time from Konoha—landed with a second scroll. It was confirmation from Tsunade, officially requesting Morkel to assist Iwagakure.
"I'll take you guys home first," Morkel said.
Tiantian protested, "Come on, don't send us back! Let us help!"
Morkel smiled. "No time to waste. I'll take care of it quickly."
Grabbing their arms, he activated the Flying Thunder God technique.
"Whoosh!"
The four of them instantly appeared inside the Hokage's office—mid-meeting!
Tsunade didn't even flinch.
She was used to this.
With an amused sigh, she said, "Looks like you got the message."
Morkel nodded. "But I'm confused. Iwagakure and Konoha aren't exactly allies. Why are they asking me?"
"They heard about your rescue of the Two Tails and One Tail," Tsunade explained. "It's fine if you don't want to go."
Morkel thought for a second. "Nah, I'll go. I did take their Four Tails as a gift, after all."
Tsunade choked. "You what?! Four Tails' Jinchūriki Lao Zi is alive and well!"
The room fell silent.
Three tailed beasts… sealed inside one guy?!
Unprecedented.
"Alright," Tsunade finally said. "Go. They've had Five Tails for two days—any longer and they'll lose it."
With a nod, Morkel vanished.
---
Hospital, Iwagakure
Morkel reappeared on a hospital bed, landing—unfortunately—on the leg of a patient who'd just undergone surgery.
"AHHHHH!"
The man screamed in agony.
Morkel calmly summoned medical chakra. "Don't panic. I'll fix it."
The man groaned. "You turned a fracture into dust…"
Morkel just knocked him unconscious and got to work.
Ten minutes later, the man awoke to find his leg fully healed.
Doctors were speechless. "Who was that? I want to be his apprentice!"
---
Tsuchikage's Office
Ohnoki was too proud to meet Morkel himself, so his son Huang Tu handled things.
Morkel sat casually. "Hard to help if the Tsuchikage won't even see me."
"We're offering 150 million for the job," Huang Tu replied.
Morkel perked up. Real cash? Not bad.
As he left, Huang Tu added, "We've assigned you two assistants to help."
Down the hall came two familiar figures.
Heitu ran up cheerfully. "Morkel! We meet again!"
He dodged.
Thud! She hit the ground.
"This is Heitu," Huang Tu explained, facepalming. "And the tall one is Akagi. They'll assist in recovering the Five Tails."
Morkel greeted them politely, but he wasn't fooled.
They were here to monitor him, not help.
---
Rain Country Border
Inside an Akatsuki base, Five Tails Jinchūriki Han was suspended mid-air, Chakra draining from his body.
A white Zetsu emerged. "Bad news! Iwagakure called in Morkel!"
The masked man scoffed. "Relax. We're far from the Land of Earth. By the time they arrive, it'll be too late."
"Besides, we've got reinforcements."
---
Rain Country
As they entered the Rain Country, Morkel asked about Han's capture.
Heitu explained: "There was a fire. Then we lost contact with Han. Later, we traced the captors here—but we don't know exactly where."
Rain Country was vast. Tracking down the Five Tails without a signal would be difficult—especially since Akatsuki had learned how to block Chakra signatures.
"This won't be easy," Morkel muttered. "But let's start at the ruins of Rain Shinobi Village."
Using his Flying Thunder God, he transported them again.
They landed in a dense forest.
"This… this used to be Rain Shinobi Village?" Heitu gasped. "Did you turn the whole place into a forest with Wood Style?!"
Morkel simply nodded.
Heitu and Akagi stared at him in disbelief.
They were beginning to understand—
This mission was anything but ordinary. And the man leading it… even less so.
---