Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 98 Karin's Mother, the Beastly Kusagakure
The land of grass is dominated by vast grasslands and dense forests, with a relatively rich natural environment, but not particularly outstanding in terms of resources.

Moreover, the vast grasslands are not only covered with vibrant greenery.

Many glaringly blackened patches resemble huge festering sores, and even after weathering storms, the roots of plants buried deep in the ground cannot sprout again.

The bridge, known as "Kannabi Bridge," was destroyed by Minato Namikaze's team during the Third Shinobi World War, and the passage that once supported the economy has not been rebuilt to this day.

"film."

"Ok?"

"Do you think that if Hanzo had actually accepted Yahiko's ideals, would the Land of Rain have ended up in the same state?"

In the woods, Nagato stood on a tree, gazing at the distant ruins, and asked.

“Probably.” Behind him, ‘Shadow’ smiled. “The way the Grass Country takes when facing pressure from a major power is similar to the ‘diplomatic negotiation’ practiced by Yahiko.”

"As for the result, you've probably seen it yourself."

The Land of Grass might be in a better situation than the Land of Rain, but it is also located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth.

The diplomacy of the Grass Country, to put it nicely, is about skillfully using diplomatic means to maneuver among various powerful nations; but to put it bluntly, just like its name suggests, it is no different from a weather vane.

They tend to seek refuge with the most powerful force at present, thus adopting an indecisive, fence-sitting policy and diplomatic strategy.

They allied with Konoha or Iwagakure during both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, but sometimes they even provided intelligence and assistance to both opposing sides.

This may be a last resort to survive in the cracks between powerful nations, but it is therefore only regarded as an unreliable pawn or a variable that needs to be guarded against.

Thus, the result of countless compromises was that it became one of the main battlefields of the Third Shinobi World War, the very place where the fate of Kakashi and Obito was decided.

Yes, due to Hanzo's assertive attitude and power during the Second Shinobi World War, both Iwagakure and Konoha bypassed the Land of Rain and chose the Land of Grass as their battlefield.

This is enough to prove just how naive and childish Yahiko's original ideas were.

If Hanzo had truly accepted his idea of ​​seeking peace through negotiation, the Land of Rain probably wouldn't have even had the peace that lasted for over a decade before and after the Third Shinobi World War.

"..."

Nagato is now increasingly able to understand Yahiko's past mistakes, and his mind is no longer filled with just simple and extreme "pain".

He is thinking.

Under Jiraiya's tutelage, the demise of Yahiko's first Akatsuki organization was almost inevitable.

Thinking of this, Nagato sighed inwardly, turned to look at the 'Shadow' behind him, and asked, "You said before that the Land of Grass has my kin, was that information accurate?"

'Kage' ignored his doubts, glanced at Kakuzu who was frowning beside him, and laughed: "Stop looking at your manicure, tell me what you know about the situation in Kusagakure."

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu, who had been looking down at his green fingernails, couldn't help but darken his face, but still said, "I don't know the specifics."

"However, I have indeed heard that there is a red-haired woman in Kusagakure who can heal injuries by biting you. I used to think this was just a rumor."

Kakuzu didn't know much about it, but how could Nagato, who was also a member of the Uzumaki clan, not know?
This body possesses such powerful energy that it can heal injuries simply by biting and chewing.

It is something that only the Uzumaki clan can possess.

"Kusagakure Village..."

The thought of his own clansmen being treated this way brought a hint of gloom to Nagato's usually cold face.

Seeing through Nagato's thoughts, 'Kage' decided not to rush things and took the initiative to speak up: "So, before going to Hozuki Castle, shall we stop by Kusagakure on the way?"

"I don't care." Kakuzu, already numb to the ugliness of the ninja world, said in a flat tone.

He has lived from the very beginning of Konoha's founding until now, and has witnessed far too much darkness.

That's why he sees money as the only reliable solace.

With Nagato nodding silently, the three figures instantly disappeared into the woods.

------

In a dilapidated house in Kusagakure Village.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered in the night wind that seeped through the crack in the door, casting a distorted and warped reflection on the walls of the dilapidated hut, and also revealing a withered and emaciated figure on the bed.

The woman leaned against the wall, her hair, which should have been blood-red, was now mostly a striking frosty white.

Only a few strands of hair hidden behind her ears still retained a faint crimson hue, like the last embers of her life.

"Get over here!"

A burly grass-covered ninja, clutching his abdominal wound, dragged the woman over by the arm with a gloomy expression.

The woman's arms were so pale they were almost transparent, covered with bruises and old and new teeth marks and scars.

But the Kusagakure ninja showed no pity or concern, opening his mouth menacingly to bite down, the bite embedding itself deep into flesh like a hyena gnawing on carrion.

"Well!"

The eerie crimson blood meandered down her pale skin. The intense pain caused the woman's numb face to twitch, and a suppressed whimper escaped her throat.

Sweat soaked the few strands of dry, white hair on her forehead, and her breath flickered like the light of a lamp. All her strength was used to shield the shivering, curled-up red-haired girl behind her.

A gaunt arm reached out from the side and covered the girl's wide-open, terrified eyes.

"Don't look... Karin... she'll be fine soon..."

Her faint whispers and words of comfort were the only refuge she could offer.

But Karin's eyes, through her trembling fingers, could inevitably see that terrifying scene.

In the dim, flickering light, it looked like a monster ready to devour its prey.

The grass-hidden ninja greedily gnawed and swallowed, and with his rough movements, the woman's face lost even more color, and her already dry hair turned even whiter.

In contrast, the wound on the Grass Village ninja's arm, which had been haphazardly wrapped with bandages, began to scab over at a visible speed, and even new skin and flesh began to grow...

Gradually, the woman's breathing weakened, with only the barely perceptible rise and fall of her chest proving that she was still alive.

Karin stared blankly at the scene, a primal urge beyond fear suddenly gripping her small body.

"Enough! Let go of my mother!"

A sharp, trembling, childish voice rang out, and the Grass Village ninja raised his eyes in surprise, only to see a small, thin figure crashing into him.

boom.

Caught off guard by the sudden impact, the grass ninja staggered backward, his teeth involuntarily slipping from the woman's arm.

He never expected that this little thing, who had been hiding behind the woman, would dare to rebel.

But soon, the shock turned into rage.

"You little beast! You're asking for death!"

A savage glint flashed in his eyes. He cursed and suddenly raised his arm, swatting Xianglin away as if he were swatting a bug.

Bang!
With a dull thud, Karin's thin body flew out like a tattered sack, crashing into the cold earthen wall with a muffled groan. Her vision went black, and she almost suffocated.

"Hmph!" The grass ninja snorted coldly, grabbed the woman's hair roughly again, and bit her neck hard.

This time, it was no longer the previous biting, but rather like revenge, like venting anger, with teeth digging deeper and more viciously into the flesh!

"Ugh..."

The woman, who could no longer make a sound, let out a painful groan, and her hand, which she had tried to raise, fell limply to the ground.

Finally, the grass ninja suddenly raised his head and roughly shook off the woman's arm.

"Pah!" He smacked his lips, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his face showing no gratitude or guilt, only disgust as if he had tasted a defective product.

He immediately tore off the blood-soaked bandage, saw the wound on his arm that hadn't fully healed, and couldn't help but curse, "After biting for so long, what a useless thing!"

Karin then managed to stand up, her pupils trembling as she looked at her mother.

"Mom?" she called out cautiously.

But this time, her mother didn't respond to her as gently as before.

The grass-hidden ninja also heard her voice. Looking at her blood-red hair, he seemed to suddenly realize something, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Although we said we couldn't touch the little one for the time being, he has risked his life for the village after all, so it shouldn't be a problem to secretly take a bite, right?

Thinking of this, a hint of undisguised lust flashed across his eyes, and a grin spread across his bloodied lips as he reached for Karin, who stood frozen in place...

"You, damn it."

A chilling voice came from behind.

Before the grass ninja could react, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

puff! !
The blood flowed slowly down like a fleeting flower.

"puff!"

The grass ninja coughed up blood, his strength drained away in an instant, and his lips trembled as he looked down at his chest.

Then, a hand emerged from his chest, grasping a bright red, beating heart.

"You beast, is your heart red too?" someone said coldly from behind.

*Thud!* *Bang!*

Nagato withdrew the hand that had pierced the Grass Ninja, letting his body fall to the ground with a dull thud, a trace of bewilderment still lingering on his face.

After killing the Kusagakure ninja, Nagato's anger subsided somewhat, but when he looked up and saw the woman's face, a surge of rage reignited within him.

These damned beasts!

(End of this chapter)