"Ah... Dads actually a good guy. He can be a little strange sometimes, but most of the time he's okay. Its just that a few days ago, Kaien came to talk to me..." Yahiko sighed.
"If I had any other choice, I wouldn't do this. But Kaien said only Charlie-sensei can control Dad Mujie."
Just then, a commotion broke out nearby. The three looked up and immediately smiled. Charlie-sensei had arrived! 'Clap!'
"What?"
'Clap, clap, clap!'
"I said, what is it?" Mujie turned around, clearly annoyed by the shoulder taps. "I have a feeling this time I'm going to get an orange light. If you jinx it, you owe me..."
Before he could finish, he noticed the guy smiling at him. Mujie blinked, then shivered as if coming back to his senses and forced a sheepish smile.
"lord, what are you doing here? Oh, its late. I should get going to cook for the kids."
"Don't lie to me. Your wife does the cooking, and sometimes even Kaien helps out. you're the dad who can't do anything!" Charlie rolled his eyes and stepped in to block Mujie.
Mujie's family was tiny, so small that one accident could wipe them out. Just him, Kaien, his wife, and a few clan members.
Most clans in the Land of Grass were like that. Seeing Mujie's embarrassed face as he tried to argue, Charlie sighed quietly.
'This guy really earned his keep this time, and he'd only just come back a few days ago. Maybe it was time to let him relax or even reward him?'
After a moments hesitation, Charlie lowered his voice. "If you want any of those things, just tell me. I have some at my factory...I can get you a complete set. You Don't need to get so obsessed," Charlie said casually.
But Mujie frowned, clearly not happy. "lord, are you insulting me? As an excellent Kusa shinobi, how could I be obsessed? Its not obsession, just a bit of curiosity!"
He stood proudly among a pile of figures, tilting his head back at a 45-degree angle. "I'm not focused on the result. I just enjoy the thrill of the process."
Charlie blinked, staring first at Mujies confident face, then down at the figures scattered at his feet. Well, that made sense. shinobis were known for their self-control, he wasn't exactly Tsunade, searching for some kind of spiritual comfort.
Maybe Mujie just needed a little break to unwind. Charlie smiled and patted his shoulder, about to say something, when Mujie suddenly leaned in and whispered.
"So, when are we getting them all? Should we pick a dark and windy night?
Oh, can I design one myself? Maybe one with less clothing... Don't worry, I promise I'll only, "
Before he could finish, Charlie raised an eyebrow, looking at Mujies hopeful face with disbelief. Then he sighed deeply and said seriously, "Mujie, I'm very disappointed in you."
He waved his hand, and instantly several Kusa shinobi guards appeared. "Take him away! This time, a thousand repetitions of copying, then release him."
"What?!" Mujie gasped, but before he could react, the shinobis grabbed him. "lord, what are you doing?"
"Take him away! Take him away!"
"No! lord, I'm sorry! Ive already memorized all those figures by heart! I just made a big contribution to the Land of Grass, I shed blood for it! I just got back! You can't treat me like this!"
But no one was listening. Within moments, he was dragged away. Jiraiya blinked, watching the strange scene unfold before him.
'Weren't they having a good time just a moment ago? Why was Mujie being taken away again? Could it be... they found out about yesterdays book-buying incident with Mujie?'
The thought made Jiraiya's heart tighten. No wonder the Kusa shinobis have such a reputation for intelligence gathering, seeing this today, its true. Less than a day, and they got caught.
Thinking about himself, Jiraiya grew anxious about getting caught again. He quickly packed up his figures, let out a sigh, and looked up at a 45-degree angle with a wistful expression.
Then, hurrying along, he said, "Its time to go. The shinobi world still needs this hermit to save it!"
He had indeed been in the Land of Grass far longer than planned, and unfortunately, he still hadn't found Mr.Inevitable. Maybe fate just wasn't on their side.
But just a few steps later, a voice called out, "Hey, hey, traveler from the Land of Fire! You havent paid for those hundred blind boxes yet!"
Jiraiya reached into his pocket, his face stiffening. Without a word, he took off, disappearing under the watchful eyes of everyone around.
The shop owner was left stunned, shouting loudly, "Someones stealing the blind Box!"
With the funds finally secured, the Land of Grass quickly burst into a whirlwind of construction and revitalization. The academy budget was approved, the research institute received funding, the security departments finances were secured, and the medical division got its share, everything was greenlit.
Charlie, now flush with cash, eagerly approved every reasonable funding request he came across. For a while, money had been tight; after all, you cant spend every last coin on rebuilding without keeping the country and village running.
Many projects had stalled or completely stopped. But now, with the budget in place, it was time to accelerate progress.
After signing off on all the budgets, Charlie leaned back, ready for a break, when a sharp knock on the door caught his attention. Instantly alert, he sat up straight.
Papers were piled high on his desk, but he folded his hands calmly and called out, "Come in!"
The door opened, and Kado stepped inside with a slight bow, his expression serious. "Lord lord! Sir Jiraiya requests an audience."
"Jiraiya?" Charlie frowned in confusion. "Whats he doing here?"
Considering that Jiraiya should have been preparing to set off again on his quest to find a Child of Destiny, Charlie wondered why he suddenly had time to visit the Land of Grasss lord.
After a brief pause, he looked at Kado and said, "Fine. Let him in."
"Right away!" Kado replied, hurrying off to deliver the message.
Soon after, Jiraiya entered, wearing a broad grin. His eyes glanced over the mountain of documents on Charlies desk, and he let out a quiet sigh. It was clear to him, the Land of Grass had truly found an extraordinary lord this time.
Though Jiraiya hadnt found any trace of Mr.Inevitable back then, he had been watching the small country transformation with keen interest. The Land of Grass now radiated a vibrant, inspiring energy.