Chapter 21: A Land Scarred by War
The midday sun hung high over the caravan as Takahara Tokuma, the merchant leader, addressed the weary group. "The greatest danger has passed, my friends! Let's push on with courage—Kusagakure awaits!"
As expected, the second half of the journey was smooth, save for a band of rogue shinobi too weak to know better. The caravan's guards, led by Yugito Nii and Hyūga Neji, dispatched them with ease, their blades flashing like lightning in a summer storm.
Three days before the mission's deadline, the caravan rolled into the Land of Grass, home of Kusagakure. The landscape mirrored Konohagakure's lush plains and dense forests, but its vitality was choked by poverty and the scars of war. The grasslands stretched endlessly, marred by patches of blackened earth, as if the ground itself mourned. Years had passed, yet the grass seeds beneath refused to sprout.
Neji stood atop a wagon, his Byakugan scanning the horizon. The [Status Panel] in his mind flickered: Byakugan Lv3, Divine Diligence Active. In the distance, a collapsed bridge came into view—Godaimebashi, the bridge where Minato Namikaze's team had crippled Iwagakure's supply lines during the Third Great Ninja War, securing victory for the Land of Fire.
Strictly speaking, the Land of Earth wasn't the loser. The true victim was the Land of Grass.
Yugito Nii, her blonde hair catching the breeze, joined Neji atop the wagon. "Kusagakure's always played a dangerous game," she said, her voice sharp but thoughtful. "They cling to the strongest villages for protection, swaying like grass in the wind. First Iwagakure, then Konoha—sometimes both at once, selling secrets to whoever pays."
Neji's eyes narrowed, his Byakugan catching every detail of the scarred land. "So they follow power, no matter who it is?"
Yugito nodded, her tone serious. "During the Second and Third Wars, they allied with both sides publicly but fed intel to their enemies in secret. That's why Konoha and Iwagakure made this place their battlefield. It wasn't just strategy—it was a lesson."
The Land of Grass was a grim reflection of every small nation caught between the great powers. Neji's mind drifted to the Land of Rain, where even a legend like Hanzo of the Salamander could only delay the inevitable. A small nation's pride was fleeting when the Five Great Nations cast their shadows.
From another angle, the fault lay with the Grass Country's daimyo. A land this small could only survive by joining a greater power. If the daimyo surrendered to the Land of Fire or Earth, their people could buy goods at fair prices and avoid becoming a warzone. It would benefit both nation and citizens—everyone except the daimyo, whose pride stood in the way.
Neji's lips twitched. A world where only the daimyo suffered? Easier said than done.
As Kusagakure's gates appeared on the horizon, the surviving guards wept. Half the caravan hadn't made it—comrades who fought beside them yesterday now lay cold. Neji's Byakugan caught their grief, but his heart remained steady. A ninja's life was sacrifice.
The grain delivery complete, the mission was officially over. After collecting their ryō, Yugito and Neji declined Tokuma's offer to celebrate, opting to explore Kusagakure with the three days left before their return to Kumogakure.
That night, in a modest Kusagakure inn, Neji lounged on a worn sofa, peeling a tangerine. His Byakugan idly traced the blurry figure in the bathroom. Women are such a hassle, he thought, smirking. An hour already?
They'd booked a single double room—a decision Neji had initially resisted. Yugito's reasoning was ironclad: "You're a precious Byakugan prodigy, Neji-kun. The Fourth Raikage tasked me with keeping you safe. No arguments." Neji couldn't deny the logic. Besides, he wasn't that opposed—just cautious.
The sound of running water stopped, and Yugito emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe. Her skin glistened like polished jade, steam rising from her as if she carried the mist of Unraikyō. Neji's eyes lingered a moment too long.
"What're you staring at?" Yugito snapped, her glare more playful than fierce.
Neji, unfazed, grabbed a bar of soap and headed for the bathroom. "With these eyes, I can see whatever I want, whenever I want," he quipped, tapping his temple.
As he undressed behind the frosted glass, Yugito's voice cut through. "Neji, you're bringing a kunai into the bath?"
"Kunai? What kunai?" he replied, feigning innocence.
Yugito froze, then flushed as red as the Hokage's hat, realization dawning. This kid's not so little anymore.
Ten minutes later, Neji stepped out, bathrobe tied loosely. Yugito sat on the bed, her demeanor… odd. Gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, her bathrobe barely concealing her curves. Black silk stockings hugged her legs, swaying restlessly. Neji paused, sensing the shift.
Yugito glanced at him, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Neji, you…"
"Hold it," Neji interrupted, pouring himself a cup of cold water and downing it. "What's this about, Captain?"
Yugito's eyes flashed with indignation. "It's a mission from Lord Raikage. You're smart enough to figure it out, aren't you?"
Neji's brow furrowed. "That kind of mission?"
"Yes!" she snapped, her voice a mix of duty and shame.
Neji rubbed his temples, a headache forming. "I'm six, Yugito-san. A kid!"
"You're six, but you're no kid," she countered, her gaze pointed. Ninja matured fast—two to three times faster than civilians. After two years of Kumo's secret elixirs, Neji's body was far beyond his age, capable of… more.
He sat beside her, feeling her tension. "So, the Raikage orders you to do this, and you just agree?"
Yugito hesitated, then nodded firmly. "A ninja follows orders. You know that."
Neji's heart churned. The Naruto world—The Legend of the Eyes, The Five Villages' Feud, Black Zetsu's Scheme—was a filthy place. Ninja were tools, shedding blood for "honor" and "pride," stripped of self. Like Kisame, they sacrificed everything for the mission.
But Neji couldn't. His past life, his memories, made it impossible to fully embrace this world's cold logic.
With a swift motion, he drew a kunai, sliced his finger, and let blood drip onto the bedsheet. He cut the stained fabric and handed it to Yugito. "This should be enough to report back."
Yugito stared, confused. "?"