I, Naruto Uzumaki, don't need your approval.

Karin nodded, but remembering how the Grass Ninja had treated her in the past, she didn't move an inch.

The Hidden Grass Village took in the mother and daughter, and even allowed this remnant of the Uzumaki clan to study at the Ninja Academy, while they were responsible for treating the severe injuries of the Grass Ninja.

This was originally a mutually beneficial deal, but she and her mother underestimated the greed of the Grass Ninja.

Because of the free medical care they provided, the Grass Ninja began to act recklessly. Sometimes, even injuries that only required a few days of rest to heal would be taken to them by the Grass Ninja.

This persistent fish nibble eventually led to the mother's death and her desire to leave the area.

Therefore, when she saw Cao suffering from injuries and even unable to move, she even felt a little pleasure, and her body began to tremble with excitement.

Karin's reaction reassured Naruto somewhat, but at the same time, he began to mutter about Karin's masochistic tendencies.

From a physical standpoint, Karin definitely has the potential to become an elite Jonin, but the fact that she is still devoted to Sasuke even after he pierced her body makes her a true fangirl.

This kind of obsessive woman... Naruto looked in the mirror and suddenly felt that obsessive woman personality wasn't such a big deal.

Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Naruto looked towards the end of the street, where Jiraiya and Tsunade finally appeared, in addition to the Akatsuki members and White Zetsu.

I'm really looking forward to seeing their expressions when they meet the Akatsuki members. Should I reveal Pain's true identity?

Since mastering Sage Fox Mode, he is no longer so eager to improve his strength. The only way for him to quickly increase his strength is through the chakra of the other seven tailed beasts and the other half of the Nine-Tails.

To acquire these things, one must inevitably invest a great deal of time.

……

After extending an invitation to Tsunade, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune arrived at Kusagakure.

Kusagakure is not only a powerful village in a small country, but it has also signed a defense agreement with Konoha to deal with pressure from Iwagakure and Amegakure.

Out of goodwill towards Kusagakure, they also planned to meet the village leader.

After all, even if they succeed in seizing power, their attitude towards Kusagakure will most likely not change. Two major powers will inevitably need a buffer state to alleviate the pressure on each other.

Upon entering Kusagakure, Tsunade headed straight for the casino, but encountered Satoru on the street.

Wu hovered in mid-air, still holding a huge rock in his hand. When he spotted Tsunade, he released his grip and let the boulder fall freely.

With a loud bang!

Tsunade used her superhuman strength to shatter the rock, her face grim as she stared at Satoru in the distance. She stomped her foot on the ground and then unleashed another powerful punch.

But Wu dodged again, narrowly avoiding the monstrous punch.

After several attempts, Tsunade's expression changed. Her attacks were completely unable to hit the monster in front of her, and Satoru didn't seem to have any intention of attacking immediately.

"Is this a monster created by Kusagakure?" Shizune asked, puzzled.

Tsunade gently shook her head: "It shouldn't be. These Grass Ninja lying on the ground must have been killed by a monster. I've never heard of such a bizarre monster before. My attacks can't hit it."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiraiya, who was hiding in a blind spot, launched an attack, shouting, "Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

In an instant, Jiraiya spat out a fan-shaped flame that swept towards Satoru.

Even with its massive range, the Fire Release technique was still dodged by Goku, who only burned off a few feathers before instantly recovering.

After being attacked one after another, Satoru became somewhat annoyed and lunged at Jiraiya.

However, Satoru's attacks posed little threat to Jiraiya. After several unsuccessful lunges, Satoru sped away into the distance.

Jiraiya did not rashly pursue, but returned to Tsunade's side, frowning as he said:

"Where did this monster come from? It's not very strong, but it seems to be able to read minds and predict my next move."

Tsunade frowned and slowly said, "It's not just a possibility; this monster definitely has the ability to read minds. As long as we can create a wide-range ninjutsu attack, we can still destroy it."

"Then shall I try using magic?"

Tsunade shook her head: "This is not Konoha. Using large-scale ninjutsu rashly could be considered an invasion of Kusagakure. Let's ask the Kusagakure ninja about their situation before making a decision."

As they were talking, Shizune found several injured Grass Ninja and brought them to Tsunade's side.

Upon seeing the blood on the injured person, Tsunade held her forehead, enduring the dizziness as she used the Healing Palm Technique, and then asked about the situation: "I am Tsunade. What was that monster that attacked Kusagakure?"

"We don't know either..."

"You'd better make it clear that Kusagakure cannot withstand such a monster."

The grass ninja hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Jiraiya beside him before continuing, "Iwagakure has stationed a large number of troops on the border. In order to deal with the Iwagakure ninja, the higher-ups are secretly manufacturing weapons... We don't know anything more than that."

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's face darkened considerably. He had initially thought it was a natural disaster, but it turned out to be a man-made one. Shouldn't Iwagakure have notified Konoha about their troop deployment on the border?

How could such a monster be created? If this flying monster were to escape from the ninja village, it would be a natural disaster for ordinary people.

After having Shizune treat the wounded, Tsunade said to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya, we must find the leader of Kusagakure immediately and kill this monster that can read minds as soon as possible."

Just then, Jiraiya seemed to sense something and looked into the distance.

Chapter 177 Don't Give Them Too Many Illusions

Jiraiya, with his keen senses, quickly spotted the mysterious figure standing on the second floor of the izakaya.

The familiar makeup and chakra made him recognize Naruto at a glance, but doubts immediately arose in his mind. Wasn't Naruto the leader of Uzushiogakure? How could he be in Kusagakure?

Could it be that the monster that swept through Kusagakure was released by Naruto?

Tsunade stopped and followed Jiraiya's gaze, frowning as she said, "Jiraiya, is that person the culprit behind the current state of Kusagakure?"

Jiraiya shook his head slightly and used the Body Flicker Technique to rush towards the izakaya.

Tsunade was puzzled, but she still followed behind Jiraiya. Her intuition told her that the mysterious person wearing the black fox mask was very strong and must know something.

A moment later, Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived at the second floor of the izakaya.

Upon seeing the two figures, Naruto casually smiled and said, "I'm really lucky to see two of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha in Kusagakure. I wonder if you two have had lunch yet? I'll go ask the restaurant to make a few more meals."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade frowned and stared intently at Naruto.

Jiraiya knew Tsunade had a fiery temper, so he quickly said, "We've already eaten, let's talk about business. Why are you in Kusagakure?"

At this point, Jiraiya's expression became extremely solemn, and a murderous aura permeated the air.

Legend has it that the killing intent of the legendary Sannin is enough to intimidate ordinary Chunin and Genin. Naruto was naturally not afraid of killing intent, but he also did not want to start an unnecessary conflict, so he said with a smile:

"Of course we came here for tourism. We're tired of the island scenery, so we came to see the forests and grasslands."

The leader of Uzushio Village came to Kusagakure Village just for tourism, and monsters appeared as soon as he arrived. Jiraiya didn't know how to convince himself of this.

At that moment, Tsunade noticed Karin eating dessert behind Naruto, her striking red hair drawing attention.

"Little sister, you must be from the Uzumaki clan, right?"

Karin glanced at Tsunade, then at Naruto, and nodded: "I'm Uzumaki Karin. What do you want?"

Upon hearing the name "Uzumaki," Jiraiya and Tsunade suddenly understood.

They may have misunderstood Naruto. Naruto's target is not Kusagakure, but Karin, who possesses the Uzumaki bloodline.

Relieved, Jiraiya pulled up a stool and sat down, then asked Naruto, "Naruto... Menma, how much do you know about that flying monster outside?"

Naruto said while drinking his juice:

"I don't know if you've heard of the Box of Bliss. That monster came out of the Box of Bliss. It's the son of a Jonin from the Grass Village named Satoru. In addition to having Tailed Beast-level chakra, Satoru also has the ability to read people's minds. He can sense if someone attacks with malice."

"I see……"

After obtaining information about Satoru, Jiraiya seemed to have thought of something and continued, "Since you have information about Satoru, why don't you step in and deal with that guy..."

He stopped talking halfway through his sentence.

Naruto stared at Jiraiya, then said with a smile, "The Grass Village didn't give the Uzumaki Village any commission, so why should I deal with Satoru? Besides, this monster was released by the Grass Village itself, and I haven't even settled accounts with the Grass Village leader for what the Grass Village did to the Uzumaki clan yet."

Jiraiya fell silent, while Tsunade approached Karin and said earnestly, "Karin, can you tell me everything that happened to you in Kusagakure?"

Karin hesitated for a moment, but still recounted her experiences over the past few years.

After hearing these experiences, Tsunade fell silent. The actions of the Grass Ninja towards Karin and her daughter were indeed despicable, and she understood why Naruto had stood by and done nothing.

After letting out a soft sigh, Tsunade said to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya, let's not waste time here. Let's go and deal with that monster."

Jiraiya nodded and used his Body Flicker Technique to follow.

Naruto had his reasons for disliking Gosho, and they also had their reasons for taking action.

Having been instilled with the Will of Fire from a young age, they cannot accept the death of weak, ordinary people in front of them, because that is their ninja way.

After Jiraiya and Tsunade left, Karin said with some doubt, "Menma-sama, you've protected so many ordinary people, why didn't you tell them about your existence?"

Naruto glanced deeply at Jiraiya and Tsunade in the distance: "It's better to cut ties cleanly with some things. Don't give them too many illusions. I'm not the same person I used to be."

Karin, though confused, could only remain seated as a bystander.

She knew that Menma-sama was a person of stories, but it was best not to inquire too much about such past events. Some past events, even just memories, are enough to tear one's heart apart.

……

Jiraiya and Tsunade chased each other all the way from the izakaya to the Kusagakure Building.

The group of grass ninjas here are attacking Satoru together. Under the combined effect of their ninjutsu, Satoru inevitably suffered damage, but his wounds are healing rapidly.

The leader of Kusagakure Village stood with his arms crossed, staring at the monster in mid-air with an unpredictable expression.

He never expected that the monster that escaped from the Box of Bliss would attack Kusagakure, nor did he ever imagine that the monster was so weak.

How did the elders of the Land of Grass almost unify the ninja world when the monster was so weak?

At this moment, a Jonin from Kusagakure discovered Jiraiya and Tsunade's presence. After hearing the report, the leader of Kusagakure looked at Jiraiya and Tsunade in the distance and muttered to himself.

But he still ran over and greeted them, saying, "Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, please help me deal with this monster. After it's done, I will personally go to Konoha to express my gratitude to the Hokage."

Jiraiya waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me. Konoha and Kusagakure have always been partners... Dealing with monsters is just a matter of course. However, we want to know the origin and weakness of this monster."

"We don't know how this monster appeared. It might have been sent by Iwagakure, or it might be from the neighboring Amegakure... But it's very strong, and it seems to be able to read minds."

"So that's how it is!"

Jiraiya gave the leader of Kusagakure a deep look. He was sure that either the leader of Kusagakure or Naruto had lied to them, but he was more inclined to believe that Naruto's version of events was true: the monster originated from the Box of Elysium.

In that case, the attitude of Kusagakure becomes worth pondering; they are not a very reliable ally.

Since the idea of ​​becoming the Fifth Hokage first came to mind, Jiraiya's thinking has begun to align with that of the Hokage. In addition to internal reforms, he also needs to carefully consider foreign policy.

The leader of Kusagakure was startled by Jiraiya's gaze. Did Jiraiya know the truth?

Come to think of it, it would be strange if two of the three legendary Sannin of Konoha appeared in Kusagakure together without possessing crucial intelligence.