Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 118 Mission Location, Arrived!

[Sasuke! Sakura and I are taking on another mission outside the village! This time it's the Land of Silk, right next to you~ I'm the captain now, sneaking out to meet you is a piece of cake! Hmph, just you wait!]

This newly formed team is quite harmonious. Shin is indeed a cheerful and kind older brother, getting along very well with Naruto and being quite familiar with him. Matsuri, on the other hand, is much more reserved. When his brother isn't around, he's particularly quiet, and his favorite thing to do is take out his little notebook and doodle. Sakura, probably because she's been in the hospital for so long, isn't shy at all and can easily start a conversation with anyone. It's just that she's been studying so hard lately that she looks at everyone as if they were patient samples in a book, and she really wants to examine them one by one. Fortunately, they have a mission ahead of them and have to get going, so they don't have time for that. As for Yamaaki, he was quite shocked that Naruto knew so much about his hometown, but when they talked more deeply, he realized that some of Naruto's information was hearsay, so he couldn't help but correct these mistakes. Before long, he also became familiar with them.

Does Naruto really not understand the Land of Silk?

Of course not. He hadn't forgotten what Shin and Ji's mission were; what he outwardly showed was only what he knew as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

He sent a shadow clone to the base to retrieve and review the investigation report from the Land of Silk. The Uchiha clan's intelligence-gathering abilities were beyond question; they could uncover anything unknown. The report made his blood pressure soar, but these were not issues for "Naruto Uzumaki" to consider; they concerned "Kinrin Namikaze."

There are still too few people in Hui; there are so many places that haven't even seen the sun yet.

"These are the ninjas you hired?" The old man, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Yamaaki, swept his hawk-like gaze over the four ninjas, each with a distinct appearance. The old man's hair was completely white, yet he stood ramrod straight and exuded energy. He seemingly casually swept over each of them, finally fixing his gaze on Naruto.

"Hello, Grandpa Harada." The older generation always has a wonderful way of recognizing people. Naruto stepped out of the group in a generous manner and discussed the village's terrain, population distribution, farmland distribution, and past history.

The Konoha team and Yamaaki were completely bewildered. Apart from the first sentence, the rest seemed to have nothing to do with the mission, and they couldn't understand it at all. However, the old man's initially suspicious gaze grew brighter and brighter, and then, finding these four idiots too much of a nuisance, he chased them all out.

The four people looked at each other outside the house, and each saw their own confusion reflected in the other's eyes.

The letter asked, "Has he always been like this?"

Sakura shook her head. "This is the first time I've seen him as a captain. Kakashi-sensei doesn't seem to act like this either."

Ji scratched his head, then took out a notebook and wrote something down.

Shanming blinked a few times, then his mother grabbed his ear and scolded him, and he quickly went to arrange rooms for the ninjas.

In this era, ninjas were gradually replacing samurai and soldiers, and they were not as ruthless as during the Warring States period. As a result, their social status improved slightly, but not by much. If four adult ninjas had come, the villagers might have been a little scared, but seeing three twelve or thirteen-year-old children, their desire to protect their young made them overcome their fear and warmly greet them.

The three boys, now alone, were a bit bewildered. They had arrived at the mission location, but Naruto hadn't given any instructions before leaving, leaving them, accustomed to following orders, somewhat confused. They could only settle into their assigned rooms first. The three boys were put into one room with a long wooden plank serving as a bed, while Sakura stayed in the room of the family's youngest daughter. This was the only accommodation available in the village, which had barely managed to scrape together the hiring fee.

"Brother, do you think Naruto is a responsible captain?" Once they were alone, Matsuri suddenly asked this question. His mission from Lord Danzo was to assess Naruto Uzumaki, the captain. He had recorded everything he had heard and seen along the way.

Seeing his innocent younger brother, Shin's gaze was blank and somewhat lost. He didn't know how to answer, so he asked in return, "What does Ji think of him?"

"He looks a lot like his brother, but his brother is better!"

The answer was expected. However, he rarely saw so much emotion in Matsuri, which meant he genuinely liked Naruto. Of course, he felt the same way himself.

Lord Danzo, if everything you've done is for Konoha, then... why did you issue that order?

It wasn't until lunchtime that everyone saw the team leader again. After the meal, they went to great lengths to persuade the old man to give up his idea of ​​continuing. The four of them then gathered together for their first meeting since arriving at their destination.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect Grandpa Harada to be so talkative. I just wanted to ask about the basic situation." Naruto apologized to them first.

Sakura grumbled unhappily, "What does the guard duty have to do with population and land?"

“It’s extremely important. Only by fully understanding our situation can we unleash our full potential in battle.” Naruto smiled at Shin and said, “You think so too, Shin. How’s the scouting around the village going?”

Shin wasn't surprised that his actions were discovered, after all, he had done his homework before coming, and it was no secret that Naruto was a sensory-type.

"It's drafty on all sides and offers absolutely no protection."

Naruto sighed, "This is a common problem in the plains; this mission is going to be very difficult."

Sakura finally seemed to realize what was happening and said, "We're supposed to protect... the entire village?"

“‘Ensure the village successfully completes the autumn harvest,’ that’s what the mission says. Otherwise, why would they give us the highest bounty?” Naruto quickly sketched a map with a pen and paper, marking a few dots in the long, narrow village. “But don’t worry too much. These are outposts set up by the village. This village has its own wolf-hunting team, and they will assist us with the mission. However, I personally prefer to take the initiative. If any dangerous targets enter my detection range, I will notify you.”

"Are you going to keep your senses active all day long?" Sakura's voice rose.

Naruto felt a little guilty and explained, "My senses are different from ordinary people. Even if I sense malice while I'm asleep, I'll wake up on my own. It's okay."

Under Sakura's distrustful gaze, Naruto assigned tasks to the three of them. To be honest, Harada was definitely a man with a story. The village's outposts were cleverly constructed, with three outposts positioned so that each could see the others. The one in the very center could see all the other outposts, ensuring immediate information flow and rapid mutual support.

So their task was to take turns standing guard, four hours a day, with the person who wasn't on duty during the day taking the night shift. The rest of the time was theirs to use as they pleased. Of course, Naruto suggested they communicate more with the villagers, since the autumn harvest hadn't started yet, and the best time to harvest rice was seven to ten days, during which time it couldn't rain. They would be staying here for a long time.