After going over the information in his mind, Charlie frowned and took a moment to think before heading toward Hell Valley. As he neared the entrance, two shinobi with blood-red eyes stepped forward, blocking his path. They were Chinoike clan shinobi.
"Stop! Leave this place!" they commanded. Charlie remained calm and replied, "Tell your clan head The lord of the Land of Grass has come to visit."
The mention of the Land of Grass's Lord caught them off guard, they weren't expecting him and didn't understand why he was here. After a brief pause, they bowed respectfully. "Please wait here."
Though the Land of Grass was a small nation, its Lord held the status of a daimyo, so shinobi wouldn't dare to offend him unless absolutely necessary. Soon, someone appeared and motioned for Charlie to follow. He was led inside a stifling, rocky chamber.
The Land of Hot Water was known for its hot springs, attracting travelers and merchants who often stopped to soak for a day or two. But Hell Valley was different, it sat inside an extinct volcanic crater, a harsh and unforgiving place.
The land around it was barren, with no soil suitable for farming. The air was thick with a sharp, unpleasant smell, and inside the chamber, the heat was almost unbearable.
As Charlie looked around, a middle-aged man entered the room. This was Kado Miyashiro, The lord of the Chinoike clan. He eyed Charlie suspiciously. "Lord of the Land of Grass?" he asked.
Charlie recalled hearing reports from shinobi on patrol that they had been watched recently, and considering the Chinoike's delicate situation, he had told his clan to ignore them for now. Could those watchers have been sent by this very Grass Lord? He paused before asking, "May I ask your purpose here? Is there a mission you want to entrust to the Chinoike clan?"
"No! It's just... to take you away."
"Take us away? Leave Hell Valley?" Kado's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"That's exactly what I mean," Charlie said with a slight smile. "Doesn't the Chinoike want to leave?"
Kado fell silent. Of course they wanted to leave, after all these years surviving here, they knew better than anyone how brutal this place was. But leaving wasn't simple.
To leave recklessly meant risking annihilation by Kumogakure, possibly even the extinction of their clan. The Raikage had ordered them to stay. So, staying meant survival; leaving meant death.
Kado stared intently at the young man standing before him. It had been a long time since anyone had come forward to offer acceptance to the Chinoike clan.
Shinobis were different from ordinary people, without a true place to call home, they were forced to wander the shinobi world alone until death.
Kado felt conflicted. But thinking about the Chinoike's current situation, he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, but you must leave. The Chinoike clan will not abandon Hell Valley, not while I lead them."
Charlie didn't seem bothered. With a persuasive tone, he asked, "Do you want recognition? To guide the Chinoike clan back into the shinobi world? To receive missions and ensure your people live happy, stable lives, with enough food and warm clothes?"
His voice grew softer. "If that's what you want, then join us. Join the Land of Grass, and everything you desire can be yours.
Earn a steady living with us, live peacefully under the Land of Grass, so, what are you waiting for? Join our family."
Kado remained silent, caught between hope and loyalty.
shinobis aren't like ordinary people in the shinobi world. They're a group of individuals desperate for recognition and care. Once they become wanderers, they're essentially like the homeless, completely abandoned by the entire shinobi community.
At that point, if someone shows them even a little kindness, they'll dedicate themselves wholeheartedly, following orders without question. Take the Uchiha clan, for example.
Even though the Second Hokage labeled them the "evil clan" and they were ostracized and restricted, they still honored their ancient pact with the Senju clan and protected Konoha. There was always talk of sending clan members to serve undercover under the Third Hokage to ease tensions between the Uchiha and the village.
They only rebelled when pushed beyond their limits, and even then, their head didn't really want a revolt, instead, he chose to die quietly. You can imagine how deep their pain ran.
So, when it comes to recruiting rogue shinobis from across the shinobi world, honesty is the best policy, just be straightforward. Of course, there are always exceptions, some wanderers lack shinobi morals. Take those who showed up later in the Land of Birds, for example; they schemed to overthrow the country and establish their own shinobi village.
But there's one exception: a group that accepted orders and stayed in Hell's Valley, never leaving even after the Uchiha clan withdrew and the shinobi village system was set up. They stayed until their clan was wiped out, with only two survivors disappearing into anonymity. That's why Charlie believe the Chinoike clan isn't so shameless.
Charlie smiled at Kado, noticing his troubled silence. "The Chinoike clan awakens their special eyes through intense emotional stimulation…"
Before he could finish, Kado suddenly looked up sharply, his eyes locking onto Charlie's. "How do you know the secrets of the Chinoike clan?!" he demanded.
"It doesn't matter how I know," Charlie replied. "What matters now is this: relying on emotion, how long can the Chinoike clan hold on in the suffocating atmosphere of Hell's Valley?"
He pressed on with a harsh truth. "I'm guessing many of them are already starting to lose their minds. Maybe, in the future, the Chinoike will be undone by their own people."
His words lingered in the air, leaving Kado stunned and his expression darkening. After all, Charlie was right.
The Chinoike clan's doujutsu awakens through emotional triggers, so the heavy, tense atmosphere around them only heightens their sensitivity. That's why, even though fewer than a hundred clan members were present, more than half had already unlocked their eyes.
Life as a shinobi here was tougher, but the pressure actually pushed the clan members to awaken their powers more quickly. Just like the Uchiha, it wasn't easy for the Chinoike to open their eyes.
As clan head, Kado understood that if things kept going this way, the Chinoike would inevitably face extinction. He paused for a moment, then looked up again. "What does the Chinoike clan have to offer in return?"
"Loyalty."
"Wasn't that obvious?" Still, the answer hung in the air.
Charlie's face brightened with excitement. He spread out a stack of papers and said, "Listen up! You've struck gold! The Land of Grass has just been rebuilt from the ground up, so everything here is starting fresh. Talent is highly valued."
As he spoke, he handed the documents to Kado. "If you join the Land of Grass now, you'll get immediate residence registration, full rights as citizens, assigned housing, and protection. Plus, all children of eligible age will receive free, top-quality education!
Think about it, the Uchiha clan joined Konoha at its founding alongside the Senju, and now they're one of Konoha's great clans. You guys…"
He pointed at Kado. "…have the potential to become the next Uchiha of the Kusagakure Shinobi!"