While Danzo was hiding under his blanket, crying his heart out, Rinjin had already returned to the Land of Grass.
Fortunately, everything was normal, and no unexpected incidents occurred.
After accompanying Team 11 back to the borders of the Land of Fire, the group found a cave and decided to rest.
Seeing the three kids looking utterly exhausted, Rinjin volunteered to stand guard at the entrance.
The night was deep and silent.
Before long, the sound of steady breathing came from inside the cave—it was clear the three kids were truly worn out.
And no wonder—having Rinjin as their team leader meant there was little chance to relax.
At the entrance, Rinjin sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the setting moon, lost in boredom.
Soon, soft footsteps approached from behind and stopped next to him.
Tsunade looked at Rinjin, who was gazing blankly into the distance, and slowly sat down beside him, hugging her knees.
"Rinjin, what are you looking at?" she asked softly.
Hearing her voice, Rinjin shuddered and instantly turned to look at her.
"Uh, little Tsuna, could you please stop speaking with that squeaky voice?"
...
This guy is hopeless!
The atmosphere Tsunade had tried to create was shattered. She covered her face with her hands and rolled her eyes hard.
After a long silence, Tsunade finally raised her head and shot Rinjin a fierce glare before scooting closer to him in a huff.
"From now on, don't say another word!"
Hearing this, Rinjin's face stiffened, and he nodded obediently.
Satisfied, Tsunade smiled and turned her gaze to the distant night sky.
"You know, Rinjin, you're always like this—so infuriating when you're being unserious. Sometimes, I wonder what you're trying to avoid.
Hey, Rinjin, I have a little brother now.
His name is Nawaki. He's chubby and super cute~
But unfortunately, like me, he can't inherit the Senju surname.
And my parents are always busy. Since leaving little Nawaki with Grandma, they've come home even less often.
Grandma has aged a lot in recent years. Even though the Uzumaki clan is known for their long lifespans, I guess it's because of the Nine-Tails."
Watching Tsunade mumbling on and on, Rinjin sighed silently in his heart.
"Hey, Rinjin, do you think you'll stay in Konoha forever?"
"..."
"I'm talking to you!" Tsunade pouted and glared at him.
Rinjin shrugged and mimed zipping his lips.
Seeing this, Tsunade pursed her lips and muttered, "Come on, say something~"
"I don't know. Probably not," Rinjin finally replied slowly.
"After all, I'm the Daimyo of the Land of Rain. There are countless citizens under my rule waiting for me to carve out a better future for them!"
Hearing this, Tsunade burst into laughter.
"You're such a liar. Do you think I'm stupid? Daimyo are just rich fools who throw money around~"
"Haha, that's because you haven't met the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning. That guy is stingy beyond belief."
...
The two chatted idly like this as the horizon gradually brightened with the first light of dawn.
As the sun rose, Tsunade suddenly turned to Rinjin and gave him a radiant smile.
"Hey, Rinjin, good morning~"
"Mm, good morning, little Tsuna."
The mission to purge the Land of Grass's rogue ninjas continued. But no one expected that this mission would last a full three years.
Time flew, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three years:
The wars in the Land of Rain came to a halt. All factions suffered heavy losses against the unyielding Hanzō of the Salamander.
Without Tsunade's medical ninjutsu or Chiyo's antidotes, countless ninjas found themselves helpless against the terrifying poison of Ibuse, Hanzō's salamander.
Additionally, the Land of Rain's numerous lakes and relentless rain greatly amplified Hanzō's strength.
Even so, the entire Hidden Rain Village was reduced to ruins.
Countless refugees fled this devastated land, seeking shelter at the borders of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain under the protection of Sand Village ninjas.
The Daimyo of the Land of Wind once coveted this influx of population. However, after Rinjin forcibly dragged him through the war-torn Land of Rain, that idea was quickly abandoned.
The Land of Rain became a barren wasteland, devoid of life.
Similarly, the Land of Grass grew eerily quiet.
The sporadic outbreaks of conflict that once plagued its vast plains seemed to vanish entirely.
The remaining ninjas, gripped by fear, holed up in the obscure little village of Hidden Grass, barely surviving.
For three years, nightmares haunted them constantly.
Team 11 of Konoha—three wandering demons of the land, ruthless executioners who slaughtered any rogue ninjas and drove away those who hadn't yet committed crimes.
The Daimyo of the Land of Grass once protested to Konoha, but the result was the complete eradication of the Daimyo's family.
All five members were burned to ashes.
Even Konoha's higher-ups issued orders for Team 11 to withdraw, but these were dismissed under the pretext of the mission being incomplete.
Rinjin was determined to use the sins of the Land of Grass to forge the terrifying reputation of Team 11.
Killing and hardship bring growth.
In the blink of an eye, it was now the 28th year of Konoha. Across the ninja world, aside from small skirmishes in certain regions, the five great nations had entered a period of recuperation and strategic concealment.
In the east, the sun slowly rose as Rinjin stepped out of the cave with a scroll half his height strapped to his back.
"Alright, kiddos, time to move out!" he shouted into the cave.
Before long, Tsunade and the other three emerged from their campsite.
Three years had passed in a flash. Tsunade had grown into a stunning young woman, standing gracefully beside Rinjin as she exited the cave.
Behind her, the once-little brats had started to take proper shape as ninjas.
"Let's go! We're taking down Hidden Grass Village and then heading back to Konoha to disband!" Rinjin said enthusiastically, pointing westward.
Behind him, the three young ninjas were equally excited.
At thirteen years old, the now-towering Teuchi clenched his fists with excitement, muttering to himself:
"Finally! I can go back to the village and open my ramen shop! These three years have been so tough!"
Beside him, the expressionless Fugaku Uchiha cast a sidelong glance at Teuchi, snorting arrogantly. However, the faint hint of reluctance in his three-tomoe Sharingan betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
The oldest of the group, Rii, yawned nonchalantly, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and was the first to stride into the distance.
"Let's move, Team 11!"
At her command, the three of them dashed toward Hidden Grass Village without hesitation.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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