Naruto - Leader of Kusagakure

In the end, as Black Zetsu watched the White Zetsus continue their revelry, he let out a long, sorrowful sigh and left, his silhouette desolate against the lively backdrop.

Outside the cave, he found a tree to lean against, gazing up at the moon with deep melancholy. These fools... How can they indulge in such pleasures at a time like this? Don't they realize that Mother is still waiting to be rescued? This is their mission, after all.

Lost in his thoughts, a voice interrupted him from behind. "It can't be helped, really~"

It was the main body of White Zetsu, who approached with a pile of food in hand. He sat down beside Black Zetsu with a sigh. "After all, there's nothing we can do right now."

He took a hearty bite of a chicken leg, his eyes reflecting his own sorrow. From the very beginning, he had suspected that their new leader was nothing more than a fraud. Now, it seemed his instincts were right—he was a complete scammer.

As he sighed, he turned to Black Zetsu and offered him some food. "Want some?"

"No! I, Black Zetsu, would rather die than eat anything those fools brought!" Black Zetsu snorted, dejected.

"Uh... you do realize we won't actually die if we don't eat, right?" White Zetsu paused awkwardly before responding.

"Shut up!" Black Zetsu's mouth twitched at the sight of the equally nonchalant White Zetsu. He shouted angrily, "Mother is still waiting to be rescued! I won't eat a single bite! Look at you all—corrupted, indulgent, enjoying life!" He lifted his head defiantly. "I am nothing like you!"

"Really?" White Zetsu's main body suddenly became curious. "So, do you have a plan?"

"Of course!" Black Zetsu stood up again, hands behind his back, channeling the aura of a thousand-year ninja mastermind. He spoke calmly, "While you were busy working in factories, picking up trash, and reporting, do you know what I was doing?"

"Repeating grades for seven years?" White Zetsu interjected curiously, his tone was genuinely inquisitive.

"...Shut up and let me finish!" Black Zetsu glared at White Zetsu's main body, realizing just how annoying his partner could be.

He snorted coldly, his gaze drifting back to the moon, filled with longing. "Seven years! Seven years! Do you have any idea how I spent those years? I pretended to be a foolish, avoiding advancement in school, and I was ridiculed by everyone for it!"

As Black Zetsu's words hung in the air, White Zetsu's main body fell silent, gazing at the barely visible figure in the darkness. Black Zetsu's remarks sparked a sense of admiration within him. He had always assumed Black Zetsu was simply too dim to learn, but it turned out his struggles were entirely intentional.

Reflecting on this realization, White Zetsu's main body felt a twinge of shame. While they had long since given up, Black Zetsu had persevered against all odds.

With a serious expression, White Zetsu's main body asked, "So, what's the plan?"

"I can't share that with you," Black Zetsu replied, his demeanor shifting to one of intensity, his eyes gleaming with intelligence and determination. "Mother! I will definitely rescue you!"

With the White Zetsus now rendered useless, he realized he could only rely on himself. Without saying anything more, he lifted his gaze once again to the moon and murmured, "I wonder what those two kids are doing right now?"

…

Meanwhile, in the Sand Village, this year's end was particularly significant, marking the first year-end celebration since the village's reconstruction. The entire community was immersed in the festivities, reveling in this momentous occasion.

At that moment, Chiyo and Ebizō, who had reluctantly taken charge once again, gazed out at the vibrant village from their window.

Both couldn't help but smile, their hearts swelling with emotion. "This is wonderful!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"Indeed it is!" Ebizō replied, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "I never expected the new leader to release the Jinchūriki. Isn't he concerned about the potential disasters that might follow?"

Before Chiyo could respond, a calm voice interjected.

"You see the Jinchūriki as the village's ultimate weapon," the voice stated, as if it were an obvious fact. "But to that guy, he's just a talented kid."

Both Chiyo and Ebizō were momentarily taken aback. Then, unfazed, Ebizō chuckled heartily. "It seems so. We've been thinking too narrowly!"

It was understandable. From the outset, Jinchūriki had been cultivated as formidable weapons by all the major villages, even Konoha, the largest of them all. If that weren't the case, they wouldn't have waged war on the Grass Village so desperately after losing their own Jinchūriki, leading to severe repercussions later on. Especially the Nine-Tails; even the First Hokage had referred to it as a fearsome beast.

"Let's not keep bringing up the Fourth Kazekage's decisions. The Sand Village had no choice back then. And besides, Rasa has already sacrificed himself," Chiyo said, shaking her head in exasperation. She then glanced at the person leaning against the wall behind her—Pakura. "I didn't expect you to bring that child here. Speaking of which…"

She sighed. "We owe him an apology, don't we?"

"Absolutely," Pakura replied with a shrug, her gaze following the children playing nearby. After a moment, she added, "That kid is far smarter than Rasa ever was. You don't have to worry; he doesn't hold any grudges."

"Really? That's a relief," Chiyo said, smiling and shaking her head in gratitude.

At this point, she had let go of those worries. Seeing her grandson had lifted a weight off her shoulders, and she felt a newfound lightness.

However, Chiyo's expression turned peculiar as she glanced at the red-haired woman laughing heartily nearby. She recalled a recent article in the Root Daily. "Your leader... he's quite something, isn't he? He even managed to win over the Fourth Hokage's wife."

Pakura's expression mirrored Chiyo's, but she managed to laugh it off. "Hahaha~ That guy… he just didn't want to see a kid grow up without his mother."

"Leader Akihiko is indeed a broad-minded person," Chiyo finally said, not entirely sure how else to respond.

"Truly admirable!" Ebizo nodded in agreement, also at a loss for words.

Pakura's mouth twitched as she watched the two elderly figures praise Akihiko without a shred of shame. "It looks like you've really embraced the 'Grass Spirit'!"

"It's truly eye-opening!" both Chiyo and Ebizō nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Chiyo added with admiration, "Leader Akihiko, the author of that book, has truly surpassed the First Hokage!"

"Every word strikes a chord. I discover new insights every time I read it!" Ebizō chimed in, echoing his sister's sentiments.

"Alright, enough already~ Even if you sing his praises, I won't be passing this along to him!" Pakura exclaimed, covering her face in exasperation. "You know what? Do as you please. I'm going for a walk; I haven't taken a good look at this new village yet."

With that, she turned and left, no longer paying any attention to the two shameless elders. Chiyo and Ebizō exchanged amused glances and chuckled together.

Ebizō shook his head as he watched Pakura's retreating figure. "This kid… still has so much to learn!"

He turned to his sister, but seeing her gazing quietly toward the Land of Rain again, his smile faded into a bitter expression. Ever since she returned from the Land of Rain, she had been staring in that direction constantly.

At first, he assumed it was due to rivalry—that she was simply upset about the progress in the Land of Rain. However, he soon realized that every time she looked that way, her eyes reddened, her lips trembled, and her expression was filled with deep emotion, melancholy, and longing. What had happened between her and Hanzo?

Once, in an attempt to gauge her feelings, he had cursed Hanzo in front of her, but she had snapped back, "Don't ever speak ill of Hanzo again! That guy… is actually a good person!"

A good person, my ass. What on earth happened during that trip to the Land of Rain? Ebizō sighed internally, his frustration building.

Even now, his sister was still gazing into the distance, murmuring, "I wonder how he's doing. Is he eating well? Does he think about me?"

Could someone please explain what had happened during her last trip to the Land of Rain? Ebizō's mouth twitched as he sighed and shook his head. "This is… such a mess!"

…

As night deepens, the end-of-year atmosphere becomes increasingly palpable, with a variety of events unfolding across the three ninja villages.

Some reminisce, a faint smile playing on their lips, while others throw parties in underground hideouts, celebrating the conclusion of a busy year. Some gaze at the bright moon, vowing to rescue their mother; others look into the distance, longing for their grandchildren. Some play joyfully in the desert, while others watch their sisters with expressions filled with melancholy. Meanwhile, 'some' stare blankly at the towering walls before them, their eyes devoid of light.

And just like that, another quiet year comes to an end.

…

Meanwhile, a few days later…

At the border of the Land of Grass, a blonde woman stood confidently, surveying the landscape that stretched out before her. "So, this is the Land of Grass?"