Naruto - Leader of Kusagakure

Tsunade gazed curiously at the Land of Grass, taking in the vibrant landscape. Even though she had stepped away from the ninja world for a time, she had kept herself informed about the remarkable transformations occurring in this region over the past few years. The changes were so significant that even she, a seasoned kunoichi, found herself taken aback.

The Land of Grass, once easily overshadowed by any ninja clan, had risen to become a formidable power, one that even the Great Ninja Villages could no longer afford to underestimate. The most astonishing development was Sand Village—one of the original Five Great Ninja Villages—choosing to ally with the Land of Grass.

To be honest, when she first heard this news, she had been incredulous. How could Sand Village, a cornerstone of the Great Nations, turn its back on its legacy to join forces with a smaller nation? Even her grandfathers would have found such a shift hard to believe. But the reality was undeniable.

With Sand Village's departure from the Land of Wind, chaos erupted in the region. The Land of Wind was no longer regarded as one of the Great Nations, while the alliance between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain appeared poised to fill that vacuum.

No matter how many times she reflected on the situation, it still seemed surreal to her.

Tsunade sighed, but her enthusiasm didn't wane as she continued exploring her surroundings. Contrary to her expectations of chaos, the area was prosperous, surpassing even some of the renowned towns within the Land of Fire.

This was merely a small border town in the Land of Grass, yet its development was impressive. The town bustled with life and had a variety of peculiar and interesting things that piqued her curiosity. She wandered around, examining everything with keen interest.

"Tsunade-sama! Wait for me!" A voice called out from behind, both exasperated and complaining. "This is the territory controlled by the Grass Village. I've heard their leader, known as the Grass Thief, has no regard for ninja ethics and is notorious for seducing married women. Why are we here? We should be careful."

"It's nothing to worry about. He's just a man with a taste for married women," Tsunade replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Moreover, Neither of us is married, so what's there to be concerned about?"

As for her reasons for coming here, Tsunade was driven by more than mere curiosity; she had heard that the Uzumaki clan had established roots in this area.

Moreover, Kushina's child resided here, and without the protection of Konoha, she couldn't help but wonder how the jinchūriki was being treated. Tsunade was acutely aware that, aside from Grandma Mito, the life of a jinchūriki was fraught with challenges.

In Konoha, however, jinchūriki were able to live in relative safety. As valuable assets to the village, Konoha would ensure their protection, guarding them more fiercely than most ninjas.

Yet, the revelation of Konoha's mistreatment of Kushina's child had filled her with anger. She felt a strong urge to return and confront the Hokage, demanding, "Is this how you treat the child of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina?"

Still, she was aware that she had distanced herself from Konoha's affairs long ago. Why complicate things now? If she returned, she would likely find herself embroiled in troublesome issues once more.

Since Konoha had failed to retrieve the jinchūriki, she resolved to check on him herself. She also wanted to meet the now-famous leader of the Grass Village. It was astonishing to think that the shameless ninja she had encountered alongside Orochimaru and Jiraiya in the Land of Rain had become the leader of the Grass Village.

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively at Shizune's concerns. "Relax. We're just here to explore, not to stir up any trouble. If anyone finds us, so what? Besides, Konoha has an alliance with Grass Village now. It shouldn't be as dangerous as you're making it out to be."

Shizune was left speechless by Tsunade's comments. Konoha and Grass Village allies? Had Tsunade-sama even taken the time to examine the current state of relations between Konoha and Grass Village?

Sure, on the surface, they were allies, but Grass Village had a reputation for treating its allies quite harshly.

With a sigh, Shizune cradled Tonton in her arms and murmured, "Has Tsunade-sama forgotten that time we were surrounded by all those Jiraiya figures during that Gacha box incident?"

The memory still pained her. Why had she ever believed Tsunade-sama's nonsense about the Senju clan's wealth being limitless? How many years had it been? The vast fortune left by Konoha's once-great family had been completely squandered by Tsunade-sama on her own whims.

Even now, reflecting on it seemed incredible. Should she admire Tsunade-sama for that? And since when had Tsunade-sama known the leader of Grass Village?

Just as she was lost in thought, Tsunade's voice rang out, "What are you daydreaming about? Come on, hurry up!"

At the sound of Tsunade-sama calling her, Shizune quickly caught up, trailing closely behind her mentor. As they walked, she couldn't help but glance around with curiosity. She had to admit that the Land of Grass appeared to be more prosperous than the Land of Fire.

Suddenly, a high-pitched sound broke through the air: choo, chug, and chuff~

"Is that the green train that Grass Village invented?" Shizune exclaimed, watching the massive green serpent-like train speed by. "It looks... incredibly fast!"

"Fascinating!" Tsunade mused, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "I heard the train now connects to Sand Village and that it takes only about a day to get there. That guy is truly impressive!"

Her thoughts turned to the Uzumaki clan, and a bitter sigh escaped her lips. The fate of the Uzumaki clan weighed heavily on her mind. Back then, things had been far too chaotic. By the time they understood the gravity of the situation, the clan had already been decimated, even while Grandma Mito was still alive.

In the end, the village managed to save only one child. Yet, the abandoned Uzumaki clan found a new purpose in this small nation.

'With the Uzumaki clan here, Kushina's child shouldn't be suffering too much,' Tsunade thought, her eyes narrowing with determination. 'Don't worry, Kushina. I promise I will look after your child, no matter what.'

This was her vow as one of Konoha's legendary Sannin and the granddaughter of the First Hokage. 'Rest in peace in the Pure Land.'

…

"Ah-choo!" Kushina shivered involuntarily, rubbing her nose as she said, "Why do I suddenly feel a chill?"

She glanced around, but everything seemed normal. "Is someone talking about me?"

At that moment, Karin tilted her head, a frown crossing her face as she contemplated. "Daddy?"

Before Kushina could respond, Naruto interrupted with a scoff.

"No way!" he declared, wiping his slightly swollen nose and dismissing the thought. "If it were Uncle Akihiko, Mom wouldn't feel a chill. It must be some other scheming person! Besides…" He sighed dramatically. "Uncle Akihiko has Aunt Kana, Aunt Fuso, and Aunt Mikoto with him. How could he be thinking about… Ugh! Mom, don't hit me! I'm sorry!"

"I just helped Gaara deal with those brats, and I'm still recovering!" Naruto rubbed his head, looking pitiful. "No, really, you're right. It must be Uncle Akihiko thinking about us!"

"Enough! I told you not to fight here!" Kushina's face flushed slightly, and her hair settled down as she pulled back her fist, glaring at her son. What nonsense is he talking about?

She then looked toward Grass Village, pausing for a moment before sighing. "We should head back."

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