Konan's eyes widened. 'Ghosts again?' They had scared her for days last time!
If Charlie Sensei hadn't said it was fake, she might have believed it. She looked stunned for a moment but relaxed after Nagato explained.
Then she turned to Yahiko and said firmly, "There's no such ghost! That's definitely fake! Charlie Sensei wouldn't believe something like that!"
"But…" Yahiko pouted, "I think Charlie Sensei might believe it this time?"
"No way!" Nagato and Konan said together, without missing a beat.
Meanwhile, at Charlie near the border of the Land of Grass, Charlie listened carefully to the strange rumors whispered by the nearby Kusa shinobi.
'A poop-loving ghost student? They still hadn't figured out who it was?' As their Lord, Charlie raised an eyebrow and wondered what he should do.
He twitched his mouth in disbelief. 'Seriously? Was this White Zetsu trying to add another story to the Land of Grass Academy's "Seven Academy Mysteries" or something? Couldn't they just stay quietly underground for once and stop causing trouble?'
He rubbed his forehead, then glanced out toward the Land of Grass standing before him. Nearby, several shadowy figures lingered, and behind him, the excited Uzumaki clan exclaimed, "Elder, everyone! The lord wasn't lying!"
Charlie smiled and shook his head, deciding to forget about it for now. Then, he called out loudly toward the Land of Grass, "I'm back!"
***
At the same time, in Konoha, the strongest shinobi village in the world, inside a conference room, the atmosphere was tense and serious.
The Third Hokage sat with his hands folded before his chin, his expression stern. "What do you all think about this?" he asked.
Last night, a remote village in the Land of Fire was rocked by a massive explosion, leaving severe destruction in its wake.
From the burnt remains and explosive tags found at the scene, it was clear that a fierce battle had taken place, accompanied by a powerful blast and a large fire.
However, the question remained: who was behind it, and why would a fight break out within the Land of Fire's borders? There were hardly any clues.
After the initial report was delivered, everyone gathered to review the documents with heavy expressions, exchanging worried glances. No one seemed to notice that near the Hokage's advisor, Danzo, his hand trembled slightly, and his face darkened with concern.
Utatane Koharu, one of Konoha's advisors, spoke gravely, "The explosive tags and evidence at the scene suggest that a pile of papers was deliberately burned. Have we identified the enemy?"
"No," Hiruzen sighed, "and that's what worries me most. Recently, no Konoha shinobi have been sent to that area. The Daimyo's office is pressing us for answers.
The war just ended not long ago, and suddenly these attacks are happening. Everyone is on edge."
Mitokado Homura , another advisor known for his sharp strategic mind, adjusted his glasses seriously.
"No Konoha shinobi were dispatched outside, and the explosion destroyed everything. It looks like outside forces invaded the Land of Fire and clashed with enemies, sparking this fierce battle."
He studied the intelligence again. "The scale and number of combatants seem significant. Have you questioned any locals?"
The Third Hokage's expression darkened further. "Yes. A few days ago, a group of red-haired refugees arrived here."
At the mention of red hair, everyone froze and exchanged surprised looks. Could they be from the Uzumaki clan? If so, this battle suddenly made more sense.
The plight of the Uzumaki clan was well known. The room fell silent as Hiruzen rubbed his forehead and sighed helplessly. "Forget it. In that case, I'll personally inform the Daimyo's office. Konoha's shinobi will investigate this thoroughly."
Next, the topic shifted to the shinobi from Kusagakure. Folding his hands under his chin, he scanned the room once more. Everyone had quietly put aside the issue with the Uzumaki clan, for now, it was a delicate matter that needed thorough investigation before any further discussion. But Kusagakure issue was different.
"Kusagakure shinobi carrying out normal business inside the Land of Fire?" Koiharu's eyes widened in surprise.
"They're not just selling intelligence anymore? They've actually started legitimate trade? And they even filed official reports with the Daimyo's office? Seriously?"
That level of formality was unexpected. It didn't seem very "Kusagakure" at all. Even the other elder looked surprised.
Everyone knew Kusagakure shinobi were considered weak and rarely took missions beyond their own Land. Traditionally, their survival depended mostly on selling intelligence. And now they'd stopped selling intel altogether?
"Yes, they did file reports," Hiruzen confirmed, raising an eyebrow with an odd expression. "According to investigations by Konoha's shinobis, it's related to some new play. Apparently, it portrays Konoha in a negative light."
He paused and then asked, "So, what do you think we should do about it?"
The room fell silent, lost in thought. A play that paints Konoha negatively? That wasn't all that surprising, after all, the Five Great Shinobi Villages often took jabs at each other. But for a small Land like Grass to openly mock Konoha, they must have grown bolder since their reconstruction.
Koiharu glanced over information about the Land of Grass and its Lord, Charlie, the man who had single-handedly ended the chaos there and rebuilt the country. He seemed like a capable shinobi, no doubt.
Because let's be honest, Kusagakure's shinobi had always been mediocre at best; otherwise, they wouldn't have been wiped out in the first place. The Land of Grass was very different from Uzushiogakure.
Looking up at Hiruzen, Koiharu asked, "How exactly are they mocking us?"
Hiruzen answered, "They're mocking the destruction of Uzushiogakure."
The room fell silent again, stunned. Ever since the fall of Uzushiogakure, many villages had blamed Konoha for it. But deep down inside the village, everyone knew that was impossible. Konoha and Uzushiogakure were like brothers.
There was no way Konoha would take such a drastic step! The teasing was mostly harmless, after all.
Even Danzo scoffed coldly, saying, "They should just mind their own business. A shinobi needs to stick to what they're meant to do."
Just then, Mitokado, Konoha's sharp strategist, cleared his throat twice and spoke seriously. "In response, Konoha should officially condemn the Land of Grass and demand they stop airing that... play."
But before he could finish, some of the elder hesitated. "Are you sure that's a good idea? The Land of Grass is currently our ally and acts as a buffer between us and Iwagakure. If we're too harsh, what if they turn toward Iwagakure instead?"
"Is that really the main concern?" another asked.
"How could it not be? Kusagakure helps keep Iwagakure's advances in check."
"No, I mean, does our condemnation actually affect whether Kusagakure sides with Iwagakure or not?"