Youma immediately lowered his head, clearly embarrassed.
"Sorry, Lord, still no luck," Youma reported.
Charlie nodded with a kind smile. "That's alright. I guess I was just being too impatient. It's a tough job. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come to me or Kana."
"I'll give it my all! Whether it's sealing barriers or working with chakra capacitors!" Youma said earnestly. "To repay your kindness, the Uzumaki clan will do everything we can!"
"Don't push yourself too hard. The New Year's coming up, make sure you get some rest," Charlie said, waving his hand gently. "Besides, your clan just arrived and needs your support. Take care of your people first!"
"I understand! The Uzumaki clan will never betray your trust," Youma promised.
After Youma left with Yojin, Charlie stretched and got to his feet. The Land of Grass Medical Research Institute had just been completed, and Kana had been busy preparing the Medical shinobi Program for the year ahead. There hadn't been a moment to relax, with only the veteran Kusa shinobi Mujie by his side.
"Chakra capacitor?" Mujie asked, looking curious. "Lord, what's that? Eh~" He winked. "If it's a secret of the Land of Grass, you don't have to tell me!"
Charlie sighed. Even something as simple as that got him into trouble. "It's just a kind of scientific shinobi tool."
"Scientific shinobi tool?!" Mujie's eyes widened.
"Well, how do I explain it..." Charlie thought for a moment. "There's not really a concept for scientific shinobi tools in the shinobi world yet. Basically, it's a shinobi tool made with advanced technology that can replace some of a shinobi's abilities."
The Land of Grass had to make a sharp turn to catch up with the Five Great Nations. When scientific shinobi tools first came out, even Konoha's elder, and Naruto himself, were hesitant.
But Charlie didn't care, like the saying goes, it doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. They just needed to strengthen shinobi training to keep basic skills sharp.
"These tools can make life easier for both shinobi and ordinary people."
Mujie stared, confused. "Huh? Wait, what are you even talking about?"
Then he laughed and shook his head. "Lord, you've gotta stop throwing out weird lines like that."
"It's just a special kind of shinobi tool!" Charlie replied.
"Oh, well why didn't you just say that?" Mujie let out a breath and chuckled. "You always make it sound way more dramatic than it is. But hey, sounds useful. You think it'll help strengthen the Land of Grass?"
"It should!" Charlie answered confidently.
"No, it will!" Mujie said with a crafty smile. "Looks like the Land of Grass is headed for greatness. You know, when I first met you, I just knew you weren't ordinary. That's why I pledged my loyalty right away."
There was a brief pause before Mujie continued.
"And I was right! You ended the chaos, cleaned up corrupt politics, restored order, laid out a five-year development plan, and even came up with that amazing strategy.
That's why the Land of Grass is thriving like never before. I truly believe that under your Lordship, the Land of Grass will grow into a powerful nation."
Charlie's eyelids twitched as he looked at the shameless Mujie. Even he dreamed of a strong nation.
After all, as a shinobi from a small country caught between two great powers, who wouldn't want that? But still…
"I remember you were pretty fierce back then! If I hadn't held a kunai to your neck, you'd have been yelling, clutching explosive tags, insisting you'd never surrender and that we'd have a big fight!"
"Who said that? I totally surrendered because I saw your wise and mighty presence, your extraordinary aura, and your qualifications to unify the Land of Grass! I admired you right then and there! Lord, you have to trust my judgment!"
***
Morning in the Land of Grass was cold and silent, with heavy snow still blanketing the area. As the year drew to a close, the chill in the air was sharp and biting. Charlie had no plans to leave his home today, after everything he'd been through recently, he just wanted to rest.
The last few days had been exhausting, from founding the country to handling countless delicate matters that all demanded his personal attention. In the early days of the Land of Grass, capable people were few and far between. Only Konan, and the rest had proven themselves truly reliable.
The rest of the Kusa shinobi either lacked strength or stubbornly clung to the old ways, which made Charlie uneasy. Even Mujie was a bit of a wildcard, if there had been anyone else, Charlie wouldn't have dared to send him out on his own. He was always worried Mujie might cause some big trouble behind his back.
But things were improving. With the Uzumaki Clan and the Chinoike Clan joining the Land of Grass, they now had more skilled shinobi to rely on. And with the birth of a new country came a fresh start; many of the Kusa shinobi began to change, embracing Charlie's progressive vision.
They grew stronger in their ideals, took on more responsibility, and worked hard to become better. Charlie was confident that soon, the negative reputation Kusagakure had in the wider shinobi world would finally start to shift.
Sure, the village had a history of shady dealings, selling out teammates was almost a tradition, as long as you didn't get caught, but Charlie was determined to change all that. At first, he thought today would be a good day to just relax at home. But then the door opened.
"Sorry to bother you, Charlie Sensei!" Konan stepped in, followed by two little kids.
It was early morning, and it was clear Charlie's day off was over before it had even started.
"I told you," whispered Yahiko, peeking at Charlie as he yawned.
"Stepfather Mujie quietly told me that Charlie would definitely be lazing around at home this morning. Stepfather Mujie said Charlie's the kind of guy who won't work if he can slack off.
Back when he was cleaning up the Land of Grass's mess, Stepfather Mujie said it was all thanks to him. If it weren't for that, the Land of Grass wouldn't have been rebuilt for another seven or eight years!" Yahiko muttered quietly.
Though his voice was low, Charlie, being a shinobi, could catch every word from where he stood. 'Really, Mujie had no shame at all, claiming "thanks to him"?'
That guy was lazier than Charlie himself and always the first to run when things got dangerous.
'Thanks to him? If anything, the Land of Grass wouldn't even be rebuild! Definitely an elite Kusa shinobi,' Charlie thought sarcastically.
Raising an eyebrow, he accepted the hot tea Konan handed him, took a sip, and slipped into his serious teacher mode.
"You two clearly have a break right now. Why aren't you out playing? Why come here? Don't tell me you think there's too little homework!"