In Konoha.
Inside a dessert shop along the street, Kurotsuchi was sitting with her head lowered, focused on eating pastries. Her eyes occasionally sparkled with delight.
Delicious!
This is way too delicious!
People in Konoha really know how to enjoy life. Not only are these desserts beautifully made, but they taste incredible!
Back in Iwagakure, she had never eaten anything this good.
The more she ate, the happier she became. The pleasant feeling made her legs under the table lightly swing and kick without her noticing.
Suddenly, she felt her foot bump into something.
She looked up, only to realize that at some point, a man had sat down across from her.
Seeing the man staring at her without blinking, she frowned slightly.
She pulled her chair back and prepared to leave.
At that moment, the man spoke, "Kurotsuchi, where are you going?"
Her pupils shrank sharply, and her entire body tensed.
Here… a stranger had just exposed her identity in one sentence. That was definitely not a good thing.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, she could only sit back down.
She smiled and said, "I don't know why you think that, but I don't know any Kurotsuchi."
The man chuckled and casually picked up a piece of dessert from the table, putting it into his mouth. "Since I've already found you, do you really think denying it will help?"
"Or is it that, as Ōnoki's granddaughter, you can't even read the situation?"
She knew there was no escaping now. Forcing herself to calm down, she said in a low voice, "Who are you? What do you want?"
The man didn't answer. He simply stood up and walked outside. "If you don't want your identity exposed, follow me."
Seeing this, she could only follow him.
Because of Deidara's attack, the relationship between Konoha and Iwagakure had suddenly become tense.
Every Konoha villager she had seen supported launching a war against Iwagakure.
In such a situation, if her identity as Ōnoki's granddaughter were exposed, even if she didn't die, she would be imprisoned forever.
Following behind the man, the two of them walked deeper and deeper into a secluded area, soon arriving at a hidden training ground.
After carefully observing the surroundings, a ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.
Her hands quietly formed seals. "Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Jutsu!"
A mixture of lime and water shot out from her mouth, instantly solidifying the man in front of her in place.
Immediately after, her hands continued moving. "Earth Release: Earth Stone Bamboo Shoot!"
Sharp rock spikes burst from the ground like bamboo shoots, piercing straight through the man's body.
However, his body turned into a puff of white smoke and disappeared.
"Not good… a Shadow Clone!"
Realizing something was wrong, she pushed off the ground with her long, well-proportioned legs, trying to leap into the air to assess the situation.
But just as she left the ground, a pair of large hands firmly grabbed her ankle.
Bang!
Before she could react, she was slammed heavily onto the ground.
"Kurotsuchi, I don't mean you any harm."
Hearing his words, she struggled to her feet and gritted her teeth. "That's nonsense!"
She didn't believe for a second that this man, who had suddenly approached her, had any good intentions.
Just as she was about to attack again, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.
"Kurotsuchi!"
She turned around in disbelief, only to see the person she had been longing to see—her father—standing right in front of her.
"Father?"
"No… don't come closer!"
She pulled out a kunai, staring at Kitsuchi warily. "Trying to trick me with this?"
"Even if I can't escape, I will never let you capture me alive!"
Seeing her hold the sharp kunai against her own throat, Kitsuchi's face filled with urgency.
He shouted, "Kurotsuchi, when you were little, you used to wet the bed all the time. I was always the one changing your sheets."
"When you were six, you ate too much and got a stomachache—you even messed your pants once."
"You were always like a tomboy when you were young. In summer, you said it was too hot and made me shave your head bald."
"And also—"
"That's enough!" Kurotsuchi rushed forward and covered his mouth with her hand.
"Stop talking. I believe you're my father."
Kitsuchi let out a sigh of relief, a familiar honest smile appearing on his face. "Kurotsuchi, why did you come here alone?"
Her face was still flushed as she lowered her head. "I came to gather information about you… but what about you…"
"Why are you here? Did you escape from prison?"
Kitsuchi scratched his head. "Escape? I was never imprisoned."
"Huh?" She was confused. "Weren't you captured by Konoha?"
He smiled. "I was captured, but they didn't lock me up."
Hearing this, she became even more confused.
Seeing her expression, he took the initiative to explain, "Back in the Land of Birds, I stayed behind to cover the retreat."
"My teammates died one after another. Han and I were captured by Konoha."
"Later, I was brought before Yuzuru, and we had a discussion about war, reform, and the future."
"After that, Yuzuru sent people to accompany me on a journey across the shinobi world, and that's continued until now."
She frowned. "Yuzuru…-sama?"
He froze for a moment, then nodded. "Kurotsuchi, during this time, I've traveled through the Land of Lightning, the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and those smaller nations conquered by Yuzuru."
"In those countries, roads extend in all directions, infrastructure is well-developed, there are no bandits or thieves, and everyone lives a peaceful and happy life…"
"Especially the Land of Wind. It used to be nothing but barren desert, but under Yuzuru's efforts, dozens of large oases have already been cultivated."
"Under Yuzuru's rule, nations are no longer restricted by geography. They complement each other's strengths, and resources are unified and allocated…"
A trace of admiration appeared in Kitsuchi's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Compared to the constantly chaotic shinobi world of the past, the nation Yuzuru has built is like paradise."
"So… Kurotsuchi, I've figured it out!"
"The current system has too many flaws. The old-era nations have become obstacles to achieving peace and happiness in the shinobi world."
"To allow everyone to live prosperous lives, to ensure the next generation no longer has to fear war, and to prevent strangers from killing each other on the battlefield…"
"I will serve Yuzuru and bring true change to this world!"
After hearing his words, Kurotsuchi froze on the spot.
Since Kitsuchi had been taken by Konoha, she had imagined countless possibilities—but never this.
Her father… the Tsuchikage's son… the commander of Iwagakure's forces…
Had defected?!