Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 186 Confusion and Decision

The desert truly is a deadly place. The shifting sand dunes and chaotic magnetic fields make it easy to lose one's way. Without a detailed map and unable to decipher landmarks, it's practically a death sentence; even if you survive, you'll be badly injured. Afei admitted he'd underestimated the desert; traveling under the moonlight was far from wise. According to the map, this direction should have led him to an oasis, but all he saw were pale sand dunes, utterly devoid of any sign of life.

Did he misread the map? Or was there a problem with the compass? Or had this oasis already been swallowed up by the forces of nature? Did he have no choice but to go back and start all over again?

Dawn was breaking, and soon he'd have to repeat yesterday's actions, repeatedly appearing in the same place being the worst option for concealment. This was just a small country; successful cases in small countries had regional limitations and couldn't be widely applied. Why should he bother paying attention to it? Didn't he already have a goal? Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi was successfully activated, the entire world would sink into a dream, and there would be no more war. This was the fastest and best method; hadn't he already thought of it?

What is he doing now?

“Naruto, you should know very well that ninjas are only here to carry out missions; they do not have the authority to negotiate.”

Not long after the meal, the team was taken to their pre-arranged accommodations. It was in a very good location, just one street from the city center, and the former royal residence could be seen through the window. Although Naruto was very willing to help, he always answered questions and didn't give any definitive answers. He knew that the current captain was Kakashi-sensei, and he had to give him some face. That's why he was given the privilege of being called aside for a private talk as soon as he arrived at the inn.

Naruto's attention wasn't on the conversation; he unconsciously walked to the window, carefully observing the Flying Eagle Academy not far away. This school, which brought together several age groups, had been operating for over three years. By day, it was a paradise for children, and by night, a night school for adults—making the most of its resources. This was the norm in many of Hui's territories; remote areas were limited by population and resources, and couldn't expand so rapidly in the short term. The best lands they had acquired were parts of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire, major rice-producing areas, which could feed themselves while also supplying other less food-producing regions. Cash crops requiring special growing conditions were mostly planted in less desirable locations, lacking abundant water resources, so the local people could exchange these crops for other necessities.

Currently, a dynamic balance of resources has been achieved among Hui's territories, but the increasing number of newborns each year is urging them to act quickly. Look at this college, which was completely empty when it was first built; now it's packed with people. It seems a new campus must be prepared for construction, and the issues of building materials and site selection must be finalized as soon as possible. Speaking of which, the limestone mine deal is still in the negotiation stage, right? If they can secure that limestone mine, the pressure of producing building materials will be much less.

"Are you listening?" Kakashi's helpless voice pulled Naruto back from his reverie.

Naruto readily replied, "Of course. I know they don't have the authority, but what the Land of Wind is afraid of is that the Land of Owls will also be controlled by the Land of Earth. You saw the attitude of those three; they would never compromise with the Land of Earth, and the same goes for the Land of Wind."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm afraid they're not the ones who can decide this."

"Heh." Naruto let out a cold laugh. "I think that the bigger a country is, the more it should behave like a great power and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries."

"The daimyo will not care about the voices of small countries."

"So if there is a strong enough third party to supervise, the conversation should go more smoothly."

"We also have no right to negotiate."

"We just chatted with a few Sand Village ninjas. What they do is none of our business."

Kakashi really wanted to sigh, but the chiming of the clock on the windowsill caught his attention. He saw groups of children scattered in the square inside the school gate, playing and frolicking, enjoying their short break. Ten minutes later, the clock struck again, and the crowd quickly disappeared into the buildings on both sides.

Knowledge has always been a monopoly of the nobility; the catalogs of private and national libraries are worlds apart, and the same applies to schools. Most people remain illiterate their entire lives, lacking access to education and struggling to survive. But this school before him seemed different. He saw a variety of clothing—new and old, elaborate and simple, flamboyant and plain—everything imaginable. This was a sight he had never seen anywhere else. In his memory, school campuses were either filled with ninjas or lavishly dressed children. Elsewhere, sending a child to school was harder than climbing to heaven, but here?

"Kakashi-sensei, do you believe that a world of 'equality for all' will come?"

Naruto asked Kakashi's question, and the conflicting conclusions drawn from reason and emotion churned in his mind, causing him to hesitate to give an answer.

But Naruto didn't actually need his answer; he saw the golden sun shining gently and dazzlingly around him.

He said, "I believe it will."

Kakashi finally nodded in agreement.

To avoid putting too much pressure on the other party, Kakashi decided to bring only Team 7 to visit first, while Team 10 would stand by nearby, ready to provide support at any time.

The Sand Village ninjas did not travel as a group; they entered the country separately and eventually checked into the same inn. Believing they hadn't attracted the attention of the Land of Owls, and after confirming there was no surveillance, they set out. They didn't meet up as a group, but missions and reports were still delivered to each individual in various forms. Perhaps it was stopping at a breakfast stall, or perhaps passing by on the street; in short, they acted like curious travelers, but their real purpose was to collect detailed maps of the city and spy on the itinerary of the so-called "people's leader."

As the mission progressed, differing opinions clearly emerged within the team.

Maki noticed that Temari's reports were becoming increasingly brief, and the maps were drawn very hastily, without clearly indicating the purpose of each building. Although Temari argued that the functions of these buildings were redundant and there was no need to mark them repeatedly, he still sensed that this immature female ninja had shown inappropriate pity.

Showing pity for the enemy and the mission objective is the most foolish thing to do; a ninja shouldn't have such emotions. He originally wanted to have a serious talk with Temari, at least to complete this crucial mission, but the news of the Konoha ninja entering the city disrupted his plans.

The intelligence clearly stated that only two female ninjas were safe, posing no threat whatsoever. But today, when he secretly peeked into a shop on the street, everything went black.

Good heavens, they've all come! Why didn't the intelligence department say Naruto Uzumaki was here too?! How could this Flying Thunder God Ninja possibly fail?! Are those guys idiots? They actually let two people go!

Maki was going crazy. He turned around and gathered all the team members, not caring at all about the possibility of being exposed. He just felt that his right eyelid had been twitching ever since those people arrived, and he knew it was definitely going to be bad news!

However, just as they were plotting how to get rid of Bai Shan, there was a knock on the door.