The Land of Vegetables, a small nation nestled between the Land of Snow and the Land of Demons, lay just southwest of Kimimaro's current position.
"The Land of Vegetables? Do you have any intel on it? I'd like to know more."
"Information costs money."
"Not an issue."
Kimimaro accepted the scroll and began reading carefully. As he read, his eyes grew brighter.
This land was ideal.
It didn't share borders with the Five Great Nations, but it wasn't too far either—meaning it maintained strategic relevance without being overwhelmed by the great powers. According to the intel, the country's daimyo was a benevolent ruler who genuinely cared for his people.
Of course, Kimimaro had no intention of toppling someone beloved by the populace. However, the Land of Vegetables was currently in a fragile state. The nobles were under the sway of rogue ninja, and these instigators were stirring unrest among the people. The daimyo's rule could collapse at any moment.
Kimimaro recalled a vaguely remembered anime filler arc—Naruto had once escorted a young noblewoman named Haruna, the princess of the Land of Vegetables, after her father was assassinated by mercenaries. He had only skimmed those episodes, but Haruna's name often popped up in compilations titled "Naruto's beautiful female encounters."
Kimimaro also remembered one disguised figure among her entourage—someone whose delicate features betrayed their supposed masculinity. Closer inspection confirmed it was a woman dressed as a man.
"It's her," Kimimaro muttered.
He made up his mind. The Land of Vegetables could be the perfect foothold for his future plans.
Later that day, Kimimaro approached a group near a transport hub.
"Hello. I heard you're looking for escorts to the Land of Vegetables?"
One of them looked up. "Yes, we have business there."
"I'm headed that way. Let me introduce myself: Kimimaro. May I ask your names?"
"I'm Kiku. This is my younger brother, Yuri. And our cousin... Haru."
Kimimaro blinked at the names. Haru, Kiku, Yuri? Are you sure this is the Land of Vegetables and not the Land of Flowers?
Then came the scrutiny.
"Are you strong enough?" Haru—no, Princess Haruna—asked coldly. Her tone was blunt, indifferent to his appearance. She wasn't the type swayed by good looks. Kimimaro immediately discerned her no-nonsense attitude.
"I'm simply offering because it's on my path. How much danger could a few merchants really face?" He smiled. "But if you're asking about strength—rest assured. I'm confident. I travel with eight others, and at least three are on the level of jōnin."
He added helpfully, "You might not be familiar with ninja ranks, but in short, we're capable."
This was a modest claim. Kimimaro himself was at least elite jōnin level, capable of fleeing or even confronting weaker Kage-level opponents, especially when using his Cursed Seal of Earth, though he avoided it due to its lingering tie to Orochimaru.
Guren possessed jōnin-level strength and could burst into elite jōnin territory in combat.
Jūgo, having awakened Crystal Release, was on the cusp of jōnin level. If he went berserk, his raw power rivaled Guren's—but at the cost of control.
Suigetsu was situational; depending on the opponent and terrain, he could operate at jōnin-level or lower.
Karin, Hanabi, and Ranmaru hovered around chūnin level. Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai allowed him to deceive even jōnin if deployed cleverly.
Shinji was a non-combatant.
Hearing this, Haruna's group exchanged alarmed glances. They were no strangers to ninja hierarchy. Their original plan had been to sneak into a caravan and later appeal to Konoha for help. But with Konoha's current manpower stretched thin, they'd likely be assigned genin at best—hardly ideal.
Now they were lucky: Kimimaro seemed to believe they were just merchants.
"Are you really that powerful?" Haruna asked, still skeptical.
"You don't believe me?"
"If I'm to entrust my safety to you, I need proof."
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, white bone spikes erupted from the floor, encircling the three in an instant. The floor, walls, and even the doorway were covered in Shikotsumyaku constructs.
Patrons in the bar froze. This wasn't just a bar—it was also an intelligence hub, and everyone now understood: this was no ordinary ninja.
Kimimaro's voice echoed from the doorway. "Never test a shinobi's patience. I'm taking you because it's on my way. You may question my strength once—no more. If you still want my help, the price has doubled. And remember, it's an invitation, not a job request."
To handle someone like Haruna, one had to be even more overbearing.
Kimimaro wasn't worried. If they didn't seek him out, he had other ways to get close. It was still "on his way," after all.
"Pri—Cousin," Yuri whispered, "maybe we should reconsider. This one's not someone we can handle."
Haruna's eyes gleamed. "People with real power always have an edge. If he's even half as strong as he claims, he's far better than whatever genin Konoha might send. We'll go with him. And once in the Land of Vegetables, perhaps we can even persuade his companions to assist us in reclaiming our land from those rogue shinobi."
"We need to return quickly," Kimimaro said firmly. "If we delay, the daimyo might be in danger."
The trio moved swiftly, disappearing into the distance as the crowd inside the bar broke into murmurs and chatter.
"Was that… chunin-level strength?" someone whispered.
"Don't be stupid," another replied. "With that level of chakra control and precision? Easily jōnin-level. And did you see that jutsu? Definitely a kekkei genkai."
"A jōnin with a kekkei genkai… amazing. What release was that?"
"Not sure. We're just civilians — way above our pay grade."
Behind the bar, the owner excitedly scribbled notes into a leather-bound ledger:
Suspected kekkei genkai: Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). Confirmed sighting of Kaguya Kimimaro — former subordinate of Orochimaru. Currently active in the Land of Earth.
"I heard that guy caused real chaos in the Land of Grass," someone muttered. "Kusagakure had to pay reparations to Iwagakure, and now the Land of Grass is raising taxes on civilians to make up for it."
The bar owner nodded knowingly, adding the latest information to his personal intel archive.
As for the damaged floor Kimimaro had left behind?
"Who cares?" the bar owner said aloud. "Would you dare bill someone who can level a platoon of ninja alone?"
Besides, the fee Kimimaro had paid earlier — in exchange for intel on the Land of Vegetables — had already covered any damages. And good intelligence always sold well.
"Truth be told, he was quite polite. It's those fools from the Land of Vegetables who were far too naïve."
Author's Note (Meta):
Since the Naruto manga does not clearly depict the Land of Vegetables or its geography, liberties in world-building are acceptable. The anime filler arc "Land of Vegetables Escort Mission" (Naruto ep. 187–191) places it vaguely in the region between Land of Grass and Land of Earth, but no canon map confirms this.
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