Naruto : I Became the Daimyo of the Land of Grass

"Oh, That's the new Kusa Spirit, created by our lord," Mujie said casually. "It represents the Kusagakures strong will and their fighting spirit."

Kodos interest faded. He found it odd that such a tiny village, one that could easily be wiped out, had its own village spirit. But he didn't dwell on it. 

Every shinobi village had something like this: Konoha had its will of Fire, their Hidden Stone Village had the will of Stone, unyielding and immovable. The Kusa shinobi, however, were known for being more flexible, like the wind. 

Their so-called "new Kusa Spirit" seemed like a shameless attempt to rewrite their reputation. Everyone knew the Kusa shinobis true nature was to drift and adapt, not to hold fast or never give up.

"Advisor Mujie, where to next?" Kodo asked.

"No idea. How about we just wander?" Mujie shrugged.

Kodo raised an eyebrow but hesitated. "Actually, we came under the Tsuchikages orders to promote peace between our nations…"

Before he could finish, Mujie pointed ahead. "Look, were here! The Land of Grass is in the middle of the autumn harvest. The breeze is perfect, let's take a moment to enjoy it."

Following the Kusa shinobi advisor, they strolled along the wide roads lined with golden wheat fields, the autumn breeze rustling through the crops. The air smelled faintly of earth and ripened grain.

As they wandered deeper into the fields, something unusual caught their eye, a strange machine that seemed entirely out of place. It was a large, contraption of metal and wood.

At first, they were curious and approached it, wondering if such a device had some hidden use or ingenious mechanism that could be adapted for shinobi purposes. But as they took a closer look, they quickly realized it was nothing more than a simple tool invented by common folk, with no real use for shinobi training. The Iwa shinobi quickly lost interest, they had a serious mission to focus on. 

But every time the conversation drifted back to their mission, Mujie would change the subject, enthusiastically patting them on the shoulder and chatting about the tractor.

"Hey, you know, these machines are quite something! You should really think about getting one. Imagine how much easier life would be with one of these," he said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. 

"I could even sell you one, if you're interested. One of these machines can cost a million, you know! Imagine the time you'd save…" 

The Iwa shinobi exchanged bewildered looks. A million for a machine meant for farming? It was a ludicrous suggestion. 

After all, what would a shinobi need with such a device? Farming wasn't a shinobis job! 

"Thank you, but we'll pass," Kodo said politely, trying to steer the conversation back to their mission.

The Kusa shinobi advisor didn't seem to mind the polite refusal. His enthusiasm quickly faded, and he simply moved on, leading the visitors around Kusawood, a famous spot in the Land of Grass. 

Honestly, Kusawood quickly captured their interest far more than anything they had seen so far. Unlike the typical tourist spots, this area held a certain charm that was hard to ignore. 

After all, many movies from the Kusagakure were filmed there, some of which had gained a fair amount of popularity across the land. It was pretty entertaining, especially the ones that secretly made fun of Konoha. That was even more amusing! 

As they wandered further through the village, they came across several local shops, displaying various trinkets and figuirine that recently make tsunade pull her hair. Some were simple one, while others were more detailed rare figurine, showcasing the village's craftsmanship.

After wandering around a bit longer, as dusk settled, the Kusa shinobi arranged lodging for them. 

"The accommodations for tonight," Mujie said, gesturing toward the building with a hint of satisfaction. "I've arranged rooms for all of you. Get some rest, we'll need to prepare for tomorrow." 

The Iwa shinobi exchanged looks, then reluctantly entered. They hadn't made any progress on their mission.

Later, in a small room, the Iwa shinobi gathered in a circle. Kodo looked serious and a bit troubled. 

"It seems the Kusagakure has already guessed our intentions. They're avoiding the topic and keep changing the subject."

He sighed. "What about you all? Any new information?"

A female Iwa shinobi pushed up her glasses and said, "From what Ive gathered, the Kusa shinobi lord has a pretty solid reputation in the Land of Grass. Considering the recent changes in the Land, maybe we need to rethink our views."

"Maybe," Maruho yawned, clearly uninterested. "But that advisor, Mujie... I have a bad feeling about him. That guys definitely not trustworthy."

Kodo and the other two looked at the female shinobi, confused by her bluntness. 

She flipped through her intel and explained, "From what Ive secretly learned, Mujie is probably an old-school Kusa shinobi, stubborn, foolish, and indecisive. Deep down, he's likely unhappy with the Kusa shinobi lord.

Civilians say Mujie once betrayed the Kusagakure and was caught by the lord. He was imprisoned for over a month. 

After his release, he kept in contact with Konoha shinobi, possibly involved in secret dealings.

Some villagers saw him sneaking out alone at night, entering a small grove. Soon after, another sneaky figure joined him there, and within days, Mujie was imprisoned again!"

"Wait, what?!Was this Kusa shinobi advisor a rogue shinobi? But if so, why hadn't the Kusa lord dealt with him for good?"

"He's not exactly a rogue shinobi," the female shinobi shook her head. "Coming from one of the two major Kusa clans, his influence is probably significant. Or maybe the Kusa lord still finds him useful."

"This is what I found during my undercover investigation," Kodo began, spreading out the information on the table. 

"It looks like the advisor has a pretty good relationship with Konoha. And the Kusa lord didn't punish him too harshly afterward. 

Maybe… our mission is doomed. The Kusagakure really values their alliance with Konoha." 

The others sighed, feeling defeated. But Kodos eyes narrowed, and a sly smile crept across his face. 

"No! We havent lost yet! We might not be able to reach the lord directly, but…he.. We might have a change." 

He slammed his large hand down on one particular piece of intelligence. Everyone glanced at his hand, then focused on the document beneath it. 

It read: 'Kusagakure Advisor: Mujie, Suspected Traditional Kusa Shinobi'. 

Elsewhere, Charlie lowered his head after hearing about the Iwa shinobis plans. He studied the intel carefully, his eyes narrowing as they settled on a certain young man who looked a bit foolish. "Kamizuru clan…" he muttered quietly.