Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 217 Operation in Progress

"Do you think we'd be kicked out if we asked the local officials if we could see Mr. Jinlun?" Qianqiu felt like she was daydreaming.

“Our government wouldn’t do something so unreasonable. As long as you don’t do anything bad, you won’t be in trouble.” Zhi Shui couldn’t help but defend his companions, even though he knew that governments in other places probably treated ordinary civilians the same way.

"Will we be able to see Mr. Jinlun?" Youhe asked as well.

Shisui used all his strength to avoid looking at a certain person. "Lord Jinlun is very busy, so it's probably 'difficult' to see him."

Feng Cheng sighed and said with emotion, "That's true. If Mr. Jinlun were a staunch idealist, he would certainly be working tirelessly without ever letting up."

Infected by those words, Shisui finally couldn't control his gaze and looked at Kawana. This slightly rugged-looking man, who seemed completely unrelated to Naruto, was actually one of someone's clones. Throughout their journey, this clone had always been watching over them, a remarkably competent bodyguard. He suddenly recalled his first meeting with Naruto; if it weren't for Tobirama's guarantee, he wouldn't have believed his savior was a child barely taller than him. Aside from the initial few years of activation, Naruto, now the Golden Wheel, hadn't let his guard down for a moment, firmly gripping the rudder of the super chariot, ensuring they remained on the right path.

Compared to Naruto, his job was so easy. He couldn't continue being so willful; he had to work harder to share the burden with this child.

“Perhaps we can try our luck?” the man named Kawana suddenly said. “Just because no one has done it before doesn’t mean it can’t be done. We can go to the government office to ask first, and then take a good look around this city. I don’t know what scholars are like, but as long as someone has a sword fight with me, I can feel the person’s thoughts from their swordsmanship.”

Feng Cheng suddenly realized and exclaimed, "I have learned a lot from you, Mr. Kawana. If you had switched careers to become a writer, you would surely have made a name for yourself in history."

"It's just that my skill level has reached that point. If the opponent is too strong, I'll be too busy to even keep up with their attacks, let alone have time to think about what they're thinking." Kawana smiled modestly, pointed to a small shop near the station, and said, "Let's go buy a map first; they usually sell them near the station."

"Okay, let's do as Mr. Kawana says."

"No, you really want to see him?"

"Hmm. I'm not the type to be unattractive in public, so why can't I be seen in public?"

Do you know how rigorous Hui's selection process is? The people sent to you are all absolutely loyal to us.

"They are foreign guests, and receiving foreign guests is an important responsibility of the leader. I can't stay hidden in the shadows forever. How can I attract people with courage if I don't have the courage to step forward?"

"You haven't told them about this yet, have you? According to principle, it should be decided by vote!"

"Only by raising questions can we better solve them. I think it's good to have Mr. Toyoshiro as the first person. However, I really can't be the leader of Dongfeng anymore. Fortunately, the initial publicity wasn't too intense. News of Hui's affair will definitely cause a reaction in the Land of Fire. The Daimyo aren't that stupid; look at how quickly Chiaki's father reacted!"

Shisui was practically laughing in exasperation; he was reminded of the fear of being dominated by this kid. Naruto had definitely already written out the plan, just waiting for those seniors to fall into it, and the damn thing was they couldn't find a more convincing reason to refute it, always getting led by the nose. It wasn't that Naruto's chosen path was wrong, but it made them, these adults, look incredibly stupid, completely unable to keep up with Naruto's endless stream of ideas! Looking at it this way, wouldn't his future work be even more stressful?

The medical field should have originally belonged to the Senju clan, but the difference between ninja doctors and ordinary doctors is too great, resources cannot be fully deployed, and there simply aren't enough people. Furthermore, ninja doctors tend to focus on treating internal and external injuries; minor illnesses are something ninjas can usually handle themselves. However, serious illnesses for ordinary people mostly occur after the age of forty, and the average lifespan of ninjas isn't even that high—where would they find research samples? Therefore, they needed to recruit ordinary doctors to fill the gaps. And so, this ninja who doesn't rely on chakra to heal was forced into this role.

As expected, everything unfolded exactly as Naruto had predicted; that kid was definitely doing it on purpose!

"Tsk, rich people really know how to enjoy life."

"What's the use of enjoying yourself if you can't fight back?"

"They should have been beaten up a long time ago! What else can that bully do besides enjoy himself? He doesn't care about our lives at all!"

"You can't say that, can you? If the old city hadn't done anything at all, would Wande have been able to prosper until now?"

"Hiss... What do you mean? You even called the old city lord?"

"Wande City is the largest port city in the southern part of the River Kingdom. You believe that even a dog could survive there until now? If it weren't for Hui, you would have drowned in the flood long ago. How could you still be barking like a dog here?"

"I was just saying a few fair words, why are you cursing me? Hui didn't kill the city lord, did he?"

"You dare to speak fairly? I think you're completely biased!"

"Do you think it's better to kill him or let him work on the sewing machine every day? That old thing should be properly reformed. After he's reformed here, he can be reformed in the Pure Land. It won't delay anything."

"Are you... even human? He repented and you still want him to die?"

"Hehe, kid, how about we go outside and have a chat? I'll make sure you know whether I'm human or not."

"Shouldn't he have died?!"

At this point in the conversation, the agitated man grabbed a passerby and asked, "You be the judge! Did that old bully deserve to die after he repented?"

Hashirama Senju, who was enjoying the gossip, was suddenly pulled and stumbled, replying at lightning speed, "Damn it!"

"Well said, young man!" The uncle greatly appreciated the energetic reply and then turned to the next person, asking, "What about you? Do you think he deserved to die?"

“Repentance and atonement with death are not contradictory.” Naruto answered more comprehensively. He was already used to explaining his thoughts to others. “Repentance cannot make up for the sins committed. He should pay the price for them. Whether he admits guilt or not, whether he is truly repentant or not, if his hands are stained with the blood of injustice, he should pay with his life.”

"Do you feel the verdict is unfair? If you have evidence to prove the former city lord's innocence, you can appeal to the Ministry of Justice."

Now, that gossipy mouth shut up, and he fled in disgrace amidst the crowd's scorn. The older man, however, led the applause, praising Naruto highly.

"This kid's got a high level of awareness, unlike that little brat who can't even tell east from west before he's fully grown. If that were my kid, I'd beat his mouth to a pulp! Young man, can we get to know each other?"

“Excessive corporal punishment is also wrong,” Naruto politely declined with a smile. “I’m just an ordinary passerby.”