"I'll go with him."
Muku looked at Ning Feng with a resolute expression and spoke without hesitation.
His father was dead.
He had also seen the true face of Kusagakure.
On top of that, he had already signed a contract with Ning Feng.
Whether out of gratitude or obligation, he had every reason to follow him.
"You really are... sigh."
Ryūzetsu pointed at Muku, who seemed beyond saving, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
She wanted to say something, but swallowed the words before they left her lips.
Ever since coming out of that box, Muku's personality had changed dramatically.
The timid, gentle boy she once knew was gone.
In his place stood a decisive and forceful Muku who acted without hesitation.
Is this change a good thing or a bad thing...?
Ryūzetsu sighed inwardly.
After hearing Ning Feng's earlier advice, she had already begun to waver.
Now that Muku had made his choice, she could only follow his lead.
"Then let's defect as well."
She looked at Ning Feng.
"Are you coming with us?"
"Me?"
Ning Feng pointed at himself with a strange expression.
This girl actually thought he was encouraging them to defect and then wander the world on their own?
"I've heard another great ninja war is happening outside."
Ryūzetsu looked helplessly at Muku.
"Once we leave Kusagakure, the entire world will probably be in chaos."
"But after what Kusagakure did to Muku, there's no way we can stay there after going through all this."
She left one thought unsaid:
You killed everyone in charge of the Box of Paradise.
If the two of us return alone, the village elders aren't idiots. They'll suspect us immediately.
"The Fourth Great Ninja War is indeed underway," Ning Feng explained.
"But it's already entered a relatively calm phase."
"If you travel now, the chances of encountering danger are quite low."
Then he turned toward Muku.
"What do you think?"
"Muku, if we're leaving, we should do it as soon as possible."
"Someone might discover this place at any moment."
As she spoke, Ryūzetsu shot Ning Feng a fierce glare.
His techniques had been massive and impossible to miss.
Any shinobi passing through would immediately notice the area.
"By the way, how strong are you exactly?"
"Since we're defecting because of you, the least you can do is make sure we're safe before you leave."
Ryūzetsu cleaned up traces around the battlefield while speaking in a rather unfriendly tone.
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say."
Ning Feng raised both hands in surrender.
He knew the girl was genuinely worried about their safety.
Even if the war had calmed down, the two of them would still struggle to survive in the turbulent shinobi world.
As for Ryūzetsu's indirect attempts to make him escort them through guilt and moral pressure—
He understood them perfectly.
After all, he already intended to bring both of them into Amegakure.
That was why he'd encouraged them to defect in the first place.
"Muku, you can actually store the Box of Paradise?"
While Ning Feng was thinking, Muku had already absorbed the massive box into his body.
With the Sage Chakra Ning Feng had provided, he could now perform some basic manipulations of the Box of Paradise.
Something as simple as storing it within himself was no challenge at all.
The Next Day — Outside Kusagakure
"Finished packing, Muku?"
Ryūzetsu stood ready for departure and looked toward him.
"Yeah."
"Let's go, Ryūzetsu."
Muku adjusted his pack.
He had sealed away several clan scrolls and techniques before leaving.
Ryūzetsu stuck out her tongue.
She had no parents and no family left.
The only things she had brought were a few clan secret techniques.
Nothing else.
"And where exactly are you two planning to go?"
Leaning casually against an ancient tree, Ning Feng watched them and asked.
"None of your business!"
"You just need to follow us!"
Ryūzetsu replied irritably.
The truth was that they couldn't afford to lose him.
She had no idea how strong he really was.
But anyone capable of effortlessly killing Mui and numerous Kusagakure ANBU had to be extraordinarily powerful.
Not making use of such a person would be a waste.
"If you don't have anywhere specific in mind..."
"Why not come to Amegakure?"
Seeing the opportunity, Ning Feng immediately pressed his advantage.
He had no intention of letting their talents go to waste.
Muku alone could transform into Satori and control the Box of Paradise.
As for Ryūzetsu—
She would become an exceptional shinobi in the future.
Her clan's secret technique could literally trade her life to revive another.
In the movie, more than a decade later, her Fire Release mastery had reached an astonishing level.
Even while suffering under Fire Release: Heavenly Prison, she could still unleash devastating Fire Release techniques.
Her talent was undeniable.
"Amegakure?"
Ryūzetsu repeated the name curiously.
Even isolated Kusagakure had heard rumors in recent years.
Amegakure had undergone enormous changes.
The details were unclear, but one thing was certain:
Places that experienced major upheavals were usually chaotic for some time.
Perhaps Kusagakure's hunter-nin would never think to search for them there.
"Sounds good."
"Let's go take a look at Amegakure first."
She turned toward Muku.
"What do you think?"
"That's fine."
Muku naturally agreed after noticing Ning Feng's gaze.
"Alright."
"Then Amegakure it is."
Ryūzetsu nodded before suddenly narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Ning Feng.
"You've been trying awfully hard to convince us to go there."
"You aren't plotting something, are you?"
Ning Feng inwardly cursed.
Sharp girl.
He immediately waved his hands.
"Not at all."
"I just figured you two needed a place to settle down."
"I've visited Amegakure several times before."
"It's perfect if you want to stay hidden long-term."
"A place to hide long-term..."
Ryūzetsu nodded thoughtfully.
That was exactly what they needed.
If they stayed hidden long enough, eventually Kusagakure's pursuit teams would move on to more important targets.
The shinobi world was filled with major events every day.
Sooner or later, two insignificant missing-nin from Kusagakure would be forgotten.
"Alright."
"Then we'll head to Amegakure."
After checking her map and determining the direction, she looked at Ning Feng once more.
"Are you absolutely sure there won't be any problems?"
"Relax."
"If I wanted to harm you, would I really have gone through all this trouble?"
Ning Feng shrugged.
Ryūzetsu thought about it and nodded.
Given his strength, that was true.
If he wanted to kill them, a simple wave of his hand would have been enough.
Neither of them was even as strong as Mui.
How could they possibly oppose someone who had split Mui in half with a single strike?
"Follow this route."
She pointed to the map.
"In about three days, we'll reach Amegakure."
"Let's set out now."
And with that, the three of them began their journey toward the Land of Rain.
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