"The Suna ninja have retreated for now."
"Minato and the others did a great job this ti."
In the Konoha assembly hall, only Kawakaze and Tsunade remained. At this mont, Kawakaze could not hide his praise for Minato and the others, grinning from ear to ear.
"We can finally catch our breath." Tsunade also had a smile on her face. The chain reaction caused by Minato and the others' actions this ti had broken Konoha's stalemate.
"Ōnoki will definitely make a coback. We need to think long and hard about our next move." Kawakaze was happy but remained on guard.
If their enemies ran out of supplies, they could just return for more. They had resorted to such tactics more than once before.
"Well, it will be difficult to destroy Iwagakure's supplies in the future."
It was one thing to succeed once, but repeating the strategy would insult Ōnoki's intelligence. Tsunade wasn't foolish—she was a capable and strategic commander.
"There's still ti. Let's rest up. Everyone's tired."
"In a few days, our heroes will be back." Kawakaze couldn't help but smile, imagining the proud expressions on the kids' faces.
At that mont, Minato and Nawaki were walking through the Land of Grass. There was no longer any need to hide their identities on the return journey. Even if the ninja from the Land of Grass sold this information to Iwagakure, it wouldn't matter anymore.
This ti, they chose to travel on the main road instead of small paths, occasionally stopping for a proper al in town. The Land of Grass, however, had only average economic strength. The lives of its common people couldn't compare to those in Konoha. Food was cheaper here, and their briefcase full of money allowed everyone to eat well.
One day, they passed through another small town, and everyone habitually went inside. With no imdiate pressure, Minato didn't stop anyone. Nawaki, however, wasn't eager to linger, insisting they hurry back to hand in the mission.
In reality, a al didn't affect their schedule, and the group was making good ti. But as the money briefcase grew lighter, Nawaki began to feel bad. While Nawaki's family wasn't short on money, he was used to hardship.
Tsunade had confiscated his allowance and lost it all gambling, a habit that had understandably shaped his cautious personality about money.
"Nawaki, let's just have one last al, okay?" Minato coaxed him like a child.
"Promise, it'll be the last ti." Nawaki reluctantly agreed, though his dissatisfaction was evident.
"Mm-hmm." Minato nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking rice.
Following the aroma of barbecue, they arrived at a crowded restaurant. A table of Kusa ninja glanced at them a few tis before looking away.
A weak country had no voice, especially during warti. If they dared to act aggressively in peaceti, now—amid the war—they had no choice but to be cautious. Konoha's strength made it clear that defeating Kusagakure wouldn't take much effort.
This confidence was why Minato and his group moved so freely through the Land of Grass. After all, who in this land could stop them?
Minato led everyone into the barbecue restaurant, which quickly beca packed. The nervous owner, who had never seen so many foreign ninjas, approached and asked cautiously:
"What would you like to eat, my lords?"
"Just the best at you have," Minato replied. The owner hurried off to prepare their al.
With such a large group, it would take ti to cook. The owner silently worried—if they decided to eat without paying, what could he do? For the common people, ninjas—especially foreign ones—were synonymous with danger.
After a while, the oppressive atmosphere caused the Kusa ninja to leave without even waiting for their food. No one paid attention as they were deep in conversation. By the ti they looked around, they realized they had taken over the entire restaurant.
"We really are unpopular," Minato said, shaking his head with a laugh. This wasn't the first ti they'd experienced sothing like this.
"It's normal during a war," Fugaku replied, understanding how their unruly group must look to others.
"Eat quickly and leave once you're done."
Nawaki, already stuffing at into his mouth, ate the fastest, though he looked distressed at every bite.
"You..." Minato sighed, at a loss for words as he watched Nawaki. Back in the village, he hadn't noticed how stingy he was. Could it be because he didn't have to pay the bill there?
He realized he might have made a mistake handing over the money to Nawaki.
...
After everyone finished eating, Nawaki obediently paid the bill and even negotiated with the owner. This startled the man, who quickly insisted he wouldn't charge them.
"Am I that kind of person?" Nawaki shouted, refusing to exploit the situation. He paid the full amount and walked out of the restaurant, making it clear he wasn't so an as to bully an ordinary civilian.
Just as the group was about to leave town, Nawaki heard a girl crying nearby. It was accompanied by a man's harsh curses.
Looking over curiously, Nawaki saw a fierce-looking Kusa ninja gripping a girl's long hair. The man muttered to himself, "I heard that if we bite you, we can heal our injuries. I wonder if it's true."
"Let go of !" the girl cried, struggling weakly. Her small fists hit the Kusa ninja, but they lacked any real force.
Nawaki initially had no intention of getting involved, but the sight of her red hair made him pause. It was very likely that she was from the sa clan as his grandmother, Mito Uzumaki.
"What kind of man bullies a woman like this?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Nawaki disappeared and reappeared in a flash, sending the Kusa ninja flying with a single kick. Even though he held back, it was enough to make an impression—it wouldn't have been hard for him to kill the man outright.
The red-haired girl managed to free herself from the man's grasp.
"Thank you," she said, looking up at Nawaki. Her delicate features and good looks exuded a vulnerable charm that made one instinctively want to protect her.
"Are you from the Uzumaki Clan?" Nawaki asked bluntly, always one for honesty.
"I..." The girl hesitated, her fear evident as if revealing her identity might lead to trouble.
"Don't be afraid. My grandmother is Mito Uzumaki," Nawaki said, volunteering Mito's na without hesitation. As the princess of the Land of Whirlpools, her reputation was well-known and reassuring.
"Lady Mito is your grandmother?" the girl exclaid, inadvertently revealing her identity as a mber of the Uzumaki Clan.
"Well, I'm a ninja from Konoha. My na is Nawaki," he said, flashing a sunny smile upon confirming her identity.
"My na is Misaki Uzumaki," she replied. Her tears had dried, and her voice no longer carried a hint of sadness.
"That's a very nice na," Nawaki said warmly.
Before he could continue comforting her, Minato and the others approached, curious about the situation.
"What's this about?" Minato asked, surprised. In his experience, Nawaki wasn't soone who liked causing unnecessary trouble.
Misaki, seeing the large group of Konoha ninjas, grew nervous and hid behind Nawaki.
"She's from the Uzumaki Clan," Nawaki explained. His words imdiately dispelled Minato's doubts.
Another Uzumaki clan mber would surely make Kushina happy.
"What is it to you? She's from our Land of Grass," a voice interrupted.
The Kusa ninja Nawaki had kicked earlier returned, now supported by a few of his companions.
"Now I'm taking her with . Do you have any objections?" Nawaki's face turned serious, his deanor sharp as he stared down the Kusa ninjas like they were already dead.
Minato and the rest of the group stepped forward as well, ready to back Nawaki without hesitation.
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