Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 144 Surrender

Warning before reading: This chapter contains extremely illogical and counterintuitive passages. Please be prepared.

What is civilization?

It is a sign that humanity has completely broken free from the primitive savagery of wild beasts. The invention of writing allowed information to be transmitted in a more convenient way, people gathered together, had stable families, different divisions of labor, and they gradually grew into villages, cities and countries.

And so, civilization was born.

However, individuals within a civilization are diverse, and biodiversity is not only reflected in the natural world, but also in the clash of different ideas among humans.

Never assume that you are judging others by your own behavior patterns.

This was a lesson Naruto learned from death. From then on, he would always use the worst possible logic to judge anyone without principles, but he found that this still wasn't enough.

“…Please move aside.” Izumi’s eyes were bloodshot and tears streamed down her face. The knife she usually held steadily was trembling slightly. Behind her was a face that was equally pained and confused. Her partner arrived just a step too late and pulled her tightly into his arms, preventing those overly clear eyes from working any further.

Naruto gripped the sword. In the rush, he hadn't had time to draw his weapon and had to use his bare hand. If he hadn't quickly enveloped his hand with chakra, it would likely have been severed from his body, like the decapitated corpse lying at his feet.

Screams filled the space, neither large nor small, but no one had a chance to escape. Doors and windows were instantly blocked by earth and rocks, and the fleeing crowd was caught by the ground stretching out before them. They frantically tried to call for the guards, but their voices could no longer be heard.

The chaotic struggle knocked over the burning candlelight; the dry carpet provided the perfect accelerant. But the flames were extinguished before they could reach anyone. As the last source of light vanished, only a pair of golden eyes remained in the darkness. They were wide open, defying human physiology, radiating a clear yet mesmerizing light. The screams in the darkness disappeared under the sweeping gaze of those eyes. People held their breath, afraid to anger the owner of those eyes.

The clones couldn't use super senses, but Naruto had developed a habit of gathering information, and before the fire went out, he had taken in everything in the room.

He saw the dining table split in two, with "delicious food" scattered on the floor, seemingly all offal, some still stained with blood. These things weren't particularly unusual, as no normal person would associate food with something gruesome. However, among the scattered "food," one dish stood out. The only intact plate held "it," quietly curled up in the very center of the table. The air was filled with the distinctive aroma of spices from the Western Regions; "it" smelled appetizing enough to whet anyone's appetite, but just one glance would make a normal person nauseous and vomit until their stomach was completely empty.

Naruto couldn't deceive himself into thinking he was a curled-up "sheep." Having been sick for so long, he had become an expert on the human body and knew everything about its structure, so he could easily identify those features that shouldn't be there.

He gazed at the human silhouettes in the darkness and suddenly felt how absurd the world was. Some people gave everything to save others, while others were nothing but beasts in human skin, gathering together oblivious to others, huddling around the corpses of their own kind, reveling in the first rays of dawn.

Are they human or beast?

...It doesn't matter anymore.

The Four-Tails Jinchuriki, missing for several years, reappeared at the gates of Fukushu Castle. This news sent shockwaves through the already chaotic castle lord's mansion. Huang Tu, whose defense had failed the previous night, was released at lightning speed and sent to greet his nominal subordinates at the gate. Huang Tu was also bewildered by Lao Zi's sudden appearance. Unlike the others, he wasn't afraid of Jinchuriki; in fact, he was quite happy. They were old comrades from the Third Shinobi World War, and his father had nagged him endlessly about Lao Zi's long absence. Now that he had finally found him, his father was determined to persuade him to return.

However, as soon as the city gate opened, before Huang Tu's smile could fully appear, Lao Zi stretched out his hands and shouted, "I've come to turn myself in."

"I surrendered myself for accidentally killing Lord Fuxiu."

Huang Tu's smile froze. His eyes widened in shock, and he instantly appeared in front of Lao Zi, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He didn't seem to have lost his mind, wasn't being controlled, and was emotionally stable… No, something was definitely wrong!

"Old Zi, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Huang Tu tried to salvage his old comrade-in-arms. If he could just change his wording, he would use forceful methods to make everyone present forget what he had just said.

"No, I did accidentally kill Lord Fuxiu. He sent a pack of wolves to attack the caravan I was protecting. I didn't see clearly and accidentally killed him." Old Zi answered again with a strong voice, the contents of which shocked Huang Tu so much that he didn't think to cover his mouth for a moment.

Whispers spread through the crowd. There were not only city gate guards, but also merchants and commoners heading to the early market. Everyone living nearby knew that Lord Fuxiu had a penchant for keeping wolves; his wolves were kept outside the city, so the lord would frequently venture out. But to use wolves to chase caravans? There were indeed rumors of wolf attacks in the area, mostly targeting small and medium-sized caravans. Could it be that the lord, in all his power, would resort to robbing caravans?

"You..." Huang Tu wanted to curse, but when he saw his old friend's calm and resolute eyes, he immediately understood what was going on.

This is what Lao Zi wanted to say, what he had always wanted to say, and today, he finally said it.

Huang Tu's face darkened, and he quickly handcuffed the man, saying, "Just wait to be scolded by Lord Tsuchikage."

Old Zi just smiled and said, "You've become more long-winded."

"It's better than a guy who causes trouble without making a sound."

Naruto watched intently as Rōshi entered the city, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the Iwagakure ninja meant him no harm. Hideki firmly disagreed with his proposal to walk into a trap, and according to the principle of majority rule, Fugaku cast a crucial veto in the second round of voting, forcing him to carry out Rōshi's proposal.

Old Zi's attention-grabbing act was undoubtedly a great help, and Hui, who was secretly gathering evidence, was already preparing the first round of indictments. The primary goal of this round was to cut off the source of the supply chain, to identify the human trafficking organization disguised as a car dealership, and then to investigate the more complex customer composition. Currently, they have not yet tracked all the customers, so this matter will have to be investigated and exposed simultaneously.

Of course, they never placed their hopes on corrupt bureaucrats. Hui valued propaganda above all else, but due to restrictions, he had to first package himself as a harmless journal. The journal looked no different from others, featuring introductions to humanities and history, interpretations of current events, and serialized literary fiction. However, there was a special section that recorded many gossip-like rumors. But upon closer inspection and with the passage of time, one could only feel a chilling unease upon reflection.

Because all of this gossip is true.

Some people jokingly refer to this unassuming "Tomorrow's News" as a great prophet, and hopefully this booklet will continue to be published after this update.