Naruto: The King Behind the Curtain

The night fell, and the chirping and bird calls died down.

Mui lay on the ground trying to fall asleep, but he kept tossing and turning.

"Fake! All fake! That whole 'gazing at the stars' thing? Total pipe dream with no basis in reality!"

"One person's destiny might be changeable, but *Grass Country*'s future was decided long ago! No matter how hard we try, we can only struggle for survival squeezed between great nations!"

"But... is it truly useless? If I could become a powerful figure like Hanzo from *Rain Country*, maybe I could protect our village!"

"That's impossible. My talent might be considered top-tier in Hidden Grass, but even three random genin from Konoha would outmatch me! Someone as ordinary as me will never become that strong!"

"What should I do?" Mui asked himself with a lost gaze at the endless stars. "Father, if it were you..."

Elsewhere, Seiki sat meditating with closed eyes.

Suddenly, a voice echoed within his mind.

"Don't panic everyone. This is Inoichi Yamanaka using our clan's [Tōshin no Jutsu]."

"To put it bluntly, that Mui guy seems to have hidden part of his strength. Considering this, he's very likely a spy sent by Iwagakure!"

Silence followed—lasting one second, then two...

Inoichi couldn't help asking, "Why aren't any of you speaking? By the way, just think silently to respond."

Asuma had already been bursting to speak, and once understanding how, immediately said, "Hah! Knew it all along, buddy—he's definitely a spy!"

Inoichi blinked in surprise—"he'd only drawn that conclusion after years of careful analysis. When had Asuma gained such insight?"

Asuma chuckled, "Not just me—Seiki and Kurenai figured it out too!"

The corner of Inoichi's mouth twitched faintly in the physical world. "So what you're saying is... apart from him realizing he's been exposed, all of us already know the truth and are just playing along with his charade?"

At that moment, he suddenly felt pity for that young man called Mui.

Asuma laughed, "Well, he treated us like fools trying to pull the wool over our eyes! Although actually, Seiki was being the cruelest—he kept tricking him completely!"

Seiki sighed softly, "Whenever there's a lie, eventually the truth comes out. Therefore, I technically haven't lied to him at all."

But here's the kicker—sometimes the truth can trick people even more than a lie!

Kurenai expressed concern, "Seiki, what about you though..."

"I don't care," Seiki replied quietly. "Precisely because I've experienced confusion and wandering before, I cherish my present path even more—and I hope Mui can also move forward beyond his past."

"You're being far too generous," grumbled Asuma, "to a spy like him!"

Smiling gently, Seiki responded, "We still don't fully understand the current situation in Grass Country, so naturally we shouldn't reject forces potentially sympathetic toward us."

Asuma exclaimed, "Wait a minute—if we already have a spy among us, does that mean Grass Country hasn't yet fallen under control?"

"Inoichi answered, "Firstly, we must consider whether Iwa intentionally created the illusion that Grass ninjas have been compromised. Secondly, perhaps only certain factions within Hidden Grass have shifted allegiance toward Rock. Premature judgment might unintentionally push those originally inclined toward Konoha into our enemy's arms."

"Therefore, our primary mission remains to gather intelligence!"

"I understand."

Glancing at Seiki, Inoichi added, "You could also try gathering intel from that boy, Mui—but tread carefully."

Seiki nodded. "I know what needs to be done."

...

Two days later, the group finally arrived at Hidden Grass Village.

Contrary to what Seiki and the others had initially imagined, Hidden Grass wasn't desolate at all—it even gave off a somewhat prosperous vibe. This unexpected sight caught everyone off guard.

"With so many bandits roaming Grass Country, how does Hidden Grass look so orderly?" Asuma asked, scratching his head.

"Because those big shots don't care about commoners' lives!" Mui scoffed. "The only thing they do is sacrifice their own country's interests to appease surrounding nations—using so-called diplomacy to maintain their rule!"

Shaking his head, he said, "Sorry, I let myself get carried away. Anyway, now that you've reached Hidden Grass, we should part ways here."

No one tried to stop him; they simply asked, "Senior Mui, where's your home? We'd like to treat you to dinner before leaving."

"You saved me, so it should be me treating you," Mui said with a smile. "As for accommodation, I actually haven't decided where to stay yet, since Hozuki Castle is on a small island nearby."

"If you're looking for me, feel free to visit the guesthouse north of the village. I'll probably rest there."

"Then we'll go report our mission completion first. Goodbye, Senior Mui."

Only after the caravan left did Mui drop the smile on his face. "They don't even know about Hozuki Castle. Looks like they aren't related to that incident."

...

Under Bei Chongzhi's leadership, Seiki and the others arrived in front of an extremely luxurious mansion.

"Yamanaka Jonin, the one who requested these supplies from Konoha is none other than our Grass Country's Finance Minister. Let me apologize beforehand—we had no choice but to use the cover name of a caravan to avoid the covetous eyes of those bandits."

Inoichi Yamanaka wasn't surprised—the matter had already been explained clearly before they took on the mission.

Entering the mansion, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes was already waiting.

"Friends from Konoha, thank you very much for your hard work," the man warmly invited everyone into the living room. "My name is Ueno Shin, Grass Country's Finance Minister, as well as the client who commissioned this task."

Right away, he began pouring out complaints.

"Our Grass Country has suffered greatly… Indeed, we have suffered terribly…"

After detailing how 'difficult' life was for the citizens, shinobi, and officials of Grass Country, he suddenly shifted tone, praising the deep friendship between Konoha and Grass Country.

Finally, wiping away tears dramatically, he elevated his theme: "For the peace of shinobi no sekai (the ninja world), and for the friendship between our two nations, I fervently request additional supplies from Konoha!"

Asuma looked at him with feigned admiration. Military supplies were valuable strategic resources to begin with.

It was generous enough selling you some in the first place—you've got some nerve asking for freebies now!

Jonin Inoichi Yamanaka gently tapped his fingers against the table. "Regarding your request, I shall personally inform the Hokage accurately."

"Actually, I have a different idea."

Ueno Shin's face lit up with a broad smile. "Please, do share."

Inoichi Yamanaka chuckled. "Why not simply commission our Leaf ninja to eliminate these bandits? That way, you won't have to worry about your supplies being stolen, and it will ensure the safety of your own ninja forces."

A brief flicker of hesitation crossed Ueno Shin's face before he sighed dramatically. "That won't work. After all, this is our Grass Country's internal matter. If we ask for help from Leaf ninjas, the people might misunderstand! It's fine if they criticize us, but how can we let our allies bear a bad reputation?"

Inoichi Yamanaka didn't press further. "Is that so? Seems like I didn't think this through properly."

Ueno Shin grinned widely, his smile almost blinding. "Haha! Jonin Yamanaka only has our best interest in mind!"

Inoichi glanced toward the door. "Looks like it's getting late. We should start our journey back to the Leaf early..."

At this moment, Asuma shouted out as planned, "Teacher Yamanaka, let's return to the Leaf tomorrow. It's rare for us to come out, so going back so soon would be such a waste!"

"This..."

Seeing Inoichi hesitate, Ueno Shin chimed in persuasively, "That young fellow makes a great point! Since we're already out here, why not take the chance to experience some local Grass Country flavor!"

With that, he had already made the arrangements, "My place might not be fancy, but it can certainly accommodate a few guests. Jonin Yamanaka, all of you are welcome to stay with me tonight!"

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