After deliberately dawdling outside, the chakra clone, having reverted to his Souta persona, returned to the Sunlight Grass Village the next morning. To his surprise, Wulei was sitting alone at the village gate.
Upon seeing the chakra clone's figure, he shot to his feet, flew forward, and dropped to his knees, his head tilted up, his eyes filled with the joy of finding something precious that was lost and a deep, settled reverence.
"Leader Souta, you're finally back!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Following your orders, of course. Protecting the Grass Village." As he spoke, Wulei looked a bit bashful. "Actually, there's another reason. I wanted to be the first to see you, my lord."
"Hiss..." Even the well-traveled chakra clone couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. He patted Wulei on the shoulder and said with a sigh, "You, my friend, are one hell of a talent."
"Thank you for your praise, my lord! There is no way for Wulei to repay you, I can only offer this body to repay you for recognizing my worth!" Wulei said, choked with gratitude.
"Alright, I know you're loyal. From now on, just act normal. Going too far is as bad as not going far enough, you know?"
A shiver went down Wulei's spine, and he nodded quickly. "I understand, my lord!"
"Let's go. We're heading in."
"Yes!"
On the way, the chakra clone listened to Wulei report on the events that had occurred in the Grass Village over the past day. Wulei even recounted, in great detail, the story of him killing the unfortunate fellow who had tried to desert. The chakra clone didn't say much about it, simply asking him to prepare breakfast and hot water before returning to his own bedroom. There, he released Kurama from the plate inside his body.
Having been inexplicably locked up for a day, Kurama was ready to throw a tantrum the moment he was out. But the chakra clone was one step ahead, pulling out Madara Uchiha's Gunbai. "Do you recognize this?"
"This is...?!" Kurama's pupils contracted. He immediately moved closer, sniffing it with his small nose. "There's no mistake. This is Madara Uchiha's weapon. His chakra and scent still linger on it, which means it was in his hands not long ago. Where did you get this?"
It was Madara Uchiha who had captured Kurama with his Mangekyo Sharingan, beginning his life of misery. As such, the scent of Madara was deeply ingrained in his memory.
"Sigh. I was originally planning to secretly take you to a beautiful place as a surprise. Unexpectedly, a man claiming to be Madara Uchiha appeared midway, trying to snatch you and your chakra. Naturally, I refused. So, I fought him for a day and a night and successfully drove him back. This Gunbai is what he left behind."
"You, a brat like you, can defeat Madara Uchiha?" Kurama asked doubtfully.
"Er, shouldn't you first be surprised that Madara Uchiha came back from the dead?"
"You humans are treacherous and cunning. Nothing you do is surprising."
"Fine." The chakra clone answered his previous question. "I'm not weak to begin with, and I have your chakra. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to defeat Madara Uchiha?"
"Hmph. With my chakra, I suppose it's plausible."
Having laid the groundwork, the chakra clone revealed his true purpose. "Actually, what I wanted to say is, the outside world is full of people who want to capture you. It's not safe. I don't really care; they can't beat me. But you're different. You're at your weakest right now."
"Kurama, you wouldn't want to be captured and locked up again right after gaining your freedom, would you? So, for the time being, it's best if you stay with me. You can hide inside my body when necessary." As he spoke, he casually waved the Gunbai.
"..." Kurama carefully weighed the pros and cons. In the end, he was unwilling to risk his freedom. "If that's the case, then I have no choice. I'll stay with you for a while. But you can't just lock me up whenever you feel like it."
"Mm, of course not."
Afterward, the chakra clone disguised him as Eevee again and then left him alone, letting him nap on the bed. Having successfully tricked Kurama into staying, the chakra clone was in high spirits. He enjoyed a delicious breakfast by himself and even soaked in a hot bath.
Once he was ready, he sought out Wulei. "Tell me about the current political situation in the Land of Grass. You should be well-informed."
"Yes, my lord. I have already compiled the relevant intelligence. Please, take a look." Wulei pulled a small, folded piece of paper from his chest pocket, carefully unfolded it, and handed it over.
The chakra clone took it and examined it closely. "There were as many as twelve Grass Villages when the country split two years ago, and now only five remain?"
"Yes," Wulei nodded. "Some couldn't survive on their own and voluntarily merged with other villages. Others were forcibly annexed."
"Currently, the strongest is the village that was rebuilt on the original site of the destroyed Grass Village. It has at least five jonin. It has no prefix in its name, just 'the Village Hidden in the Grass,' and has always claimed to be the orthodox ninja village of the Land of Grass. However, the position of the Land of Grass's Daimyo is still vacant, so it has not received official recognition, nor is it acknowledged by other countries."
"The Daimyo's position still hasn't been decided?"
"Correct. The previous Daimyo died in an accident without leaving a will. His two sons both accuse the other of assassinating him and are still fighting for the title."
"Heh. The lives of ordinary people are just as cruel as those of ninja," the chakra clone sneered.
"After all, the essence of humanity is conflict, whether for fame or for profit."
"You see things clearly. Then, they must each have their own supporting ninja villages."
"You are correct, my lord. The Grass Village supports the eldest son, while the second son is backed by the Ryudai Grass Village."
"Ryudai Grass Village?"
"Its strength is second only to the main Grass Village. It has three jonin, and its leader is the former Anbu captain, Ryudai. He has a high reputation and is very strong. The other two Grass..."
"No need to introduce them. They're irrelevant." The chakra clone cut him off. "I'm only asking to find out their locations so I can go to them one by one and annex them. The Grass Village has been divided for too long. It ends in our hands."
Wulei's voice was filled with unrestrained passion. "Yes! I await your command at any time, my lord!"
"Also, the Land of Grass needs a Daimyo."
"Which side do you wish to support, my lord?"
"Neither. I will support a third party. A man as powerful as the Daimyo must have had some illegitimate children, right?"
"This... I haven't heard any news about that. I will go and investigate..."
"Heh. Wulei, you're still a bit young." The chakra clone patted him on the shoulder. "If I say he exists, then he exists. Understand?"
"..." Wulei swallowed nervously and nodded heavily. "I understand!"
"I'll leave this matter to you. I want someone obedient."
"Yes!"
"Which is the closest ninja village to us?"
"The Ryudai Grass Village."
"Then we'll start with them."
The next day, the Sunlight Grass Village, with all its members in tow, launched a brazen attack on the Ryudai Grass Village.
By noon that day, Ryudai and his forces had surrendered.