Meanwhile, Charlie glanced over at Mujie, who was also looking down with a conflicted expression. After a moment of hesitation, Charlie asked, "The Land of Grass hasn't treated you badly, has it, Mujie?"
Mujie's eyes flickered nervously, his voice trembling and almost tearful as he replied, "Lord! Please don't say things like that right now! I… I'm scared!" Deep down, he felt as if he had truly betrayed his country.
Charlie rolled his eyes as he looked at Mujie, who stood nervously in front of him. "Come on, spit it out! Why do you look like some spy?"
But inside he was baffled. 'One of them was just selling books, the other buying, was all this suspicion really necessary?'
But before he could say more, Mujie shot him a look full of frustration. "Didn't you, The lord, tell me to be careful?" he snapped. "Honestly, it was terrifying! So many pairs of blood-red eyes staring at me, I nearly dropped to my knees! I thought I'd messed up big time!"
Charlie suddenly remembered. Ever since Yahiko got caught trying to sneak books out, he had given a stern warning, not to corrupt the kids of the Land of Grass, not to ruin their future.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Charlie smiled a little and asked, "So, how did you end up hanging out with the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha?"
Mujie shrugged. "I just found out yesterday! Turns out we have a lot in common. Plus, he heard I have a signed copy of a book by Mr.Inevitable, so he came to buy it."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You only found him yesterday?"
Mujie nodded proudly. "Yeah! Saw that guy sneaking around and caught him red-handed. Don't underestimate Kusa shinobi, we're not just peddlers of fake intel. Our reconnaissance and counterintelligence skills are top-notch!"
Charlie twitched the corner of his mouth, almost forgetting that Kusa shinobi were known for their practical skills and impressive intelligence gathering, sometimes even rivaling the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Still, he wondered what exactly this guy was doing here.
Could it have something to do with The Gambler Den? That movie was supposed to attract Tsunade, after all. Speaking of which, where was that wealthy lady? Why hadn't she shown up yet?
Sighing quietly, Charlie watched as Mujie sat down by himself, poured a cup of hot tea, and took a slow sip. Shaking his head in resignation, Charlie asked, "Do you know why he's here?"
Mujie suddenly patted his own head like he'd just remembered something important, setting down his teacup with a serious look. "Oh, right! Almost forgot!"
"Lord, there's something important I need to tell you!" Mujie burst out eagerly.
"Go ahead, spill it," Charlie replied, curious.
"I want you to issue an order, to find Mr.Inevitable!" Mujie declared.
Charlie barely had time to react, "Mr.Inevitable?"
Mujie's eyes lit up. "Yes! Mr.Inevitable is the talk of the shinobi world right now. One of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, the Toad Sage, Jiraiya, actually came all the way here just to meet him! To learn about writing, of all things!"
He sighed in admiration. "I never imagined someone like Mr.Inevitable would be from the Land of Grass. His literary talent is dazzling, his writing is captivating and stirring.
To create such masterpieces, he's truly a master of his craft. If we find him, we can have him write stories for us, and then produce them, just like you said, Lord! That'll make the whole shinobi world fall in love."
His eyes gleamed with excitement. "And once we catch him, I'll have him write 100,000 characters and draw ten chapters every single day! Hahaha!"
There was a pause. Charlie wasn't sure whether to say anything. He called out calmly toward the door, "Where's the guard squad? Where did they disappear to?" Before he could wait for an answer,
"Lord!" Eiichi rushed in, looking confused at the strange scene.
Charlie's face was cold, while Mujie was grinning arrogantly, like he'd just found treasure. '
What was going on?' Before Eiichi could ask, Charlie stated flatly, "Someone reported that Advisor Mujie plans to betray the country. In the interest of fairness and justice, the investigation hasn't found solid evidence yet, but we also can't confirm his innocence. So, he will be detained until the truth is clear. Once that happens, he will be released."
"And during his detention," Charlie added, "to improve his spirit, strengthen his resolve, and deepen his discipline, make sure he copies The New Spirit of Grass a thousand times a day. No breaks, no sleep."
Both Mujie and Eiichi stared at Charlie, stunned. Mujie snapped out of his excitement and quickly said, "Lord, don't mess with me!" Even Eiichi hesitated, unsure what to say.
"Take him away! Take him away! I don't want to see this guy right now!" Charlie ordered sharply.
Charlie waved his hand impatiently, and Eiichi immediately understood what was happening. Mujie must have offended The lord.
Nodding knowingly, Eiichi waved back and called out, "Guards! Take Mujie away and keep a close eye on him while he copies! No finishing early, no food!"
"Hey! Let me go!" Mujie struggled as several guards, confused but obedient, restrained him.
They were quick, and he was subdued almost instantly, unable to fight back. Squirming, he was dragged away.
"Let me go! I've served the Land of Grass! I've bled for it!
You can't treat me like this! Eiichi, I introduced you to The lord!
Lord! Lord! I have two kids to take care of! I want to go home!"
But his desperate cries faded as he was pulled out of sight and finally silenced. Eiichi looked at Charlie with a puzzled expression,
while The lord smiled contentedly. He hesitated before speaking, "Lord, about Mujie, "
Before he could finish, Charlie waved him off, crossed his arms, and walked over to the tea table.
Picking up his cup, he said solemnly, "I'm not targeting him personally. Mujie there..." He sighed deeply. "He has serious ideological problems." His words struck hard, firm and unwavering. "If we don't stop this now, it will definitely cause major trouble later."
Hearing this, Eiichi suddenly understood. "I see now!"
"Exactly. Keep an eye on him," Charlie leaned in and whispered, "Two meals a day. Wild vegetables and rice cakes only. He can only be released once he finishes copying."
"…Yes!" Eiichi responded, watching Charlie's serious expression and unwavering orders as he left. Charlie nodded in satisfaction. Looks like Eiichi is finally settling into his role as head of the guards.
He sighed again, then turned to the window, watching the slowly melting snow. "A new year has come," he murmured. The Land of Grass was entering a new beginning.
Meanwhile, elsewhere,
"Sorry to bother you. I'm a friend of Mujie, really! He's not a traitor. I can prove it! We're all innocent!"
"Alright, can I see him? This concerns me too." After receiving permission, Jiraiya's expression grew complicated as he looked at the visitation approval form.
Led by a Kusa shinobi, he stepped inside and soon found himself standing before a dimly lit, solitary cell. Inside was Mujie, not the confident businessman he once knew, but a shadow of that man, staring blankly at the ceiling with a numb expression.
He sighed softly. "I didn't realize the laws here in the Land of Grass were so harsh. No wonder you warned me to be careful back then."
He paused, thinking about the book sales. "Wait, selling a book is considered treason now? Also..." He hesitated, then asked quietly, "Are you still selling those books?