Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 48 Groundbreaking Ceremony

"The Konoha ninja from other smaller countries have all arrived and accepted their missions," the intelligence department reported as usual. "The Iwagakure ninja are generally of average strength, none are particularly outstanding, but if there are any truly difficult opponents, our people will also step in. As for Kirigakure, apart from the Land of Waves team which is relatively strong, the rest are of average strength. Lord Shisui has arrived in the town where Gato is located and is looking for opportunities to approach the target. The list of those with recorded engagements is as follows..."

After leaving Konoha, Naruto was basically in a state where he could slip away anytime, anywhere. He only dared not run around recklessly because Mei Terumi's team posed a significant threat, and could only obediently send shadow clones back to base. In addition, he also inspected Zabuza's governance achievements and the growth of the seawater rice experimental fields while wandering around the Land of Waves. It must be said that Zabuza was indeed a talent, with incredibly strong execution capabilities, managing to transform the Land of Waves to this extent in just one year. And Wood Release is truly a god in agriculture! It greatly shortens the breeding time while increasing the chance of obtaining beneficial mutant seeds. However, these seeds cannot always be stimulated by Wood Release chakra; after two generations of selection, they must be planted in the field to prevent them from forgetting their natural growth state.

Naruto produced a report highly praising the Land of Waves' "Fire Seed" project, but also specifically emphasized the need to slow down the pace slightly. Since Zabuza's arrival, construction in the Land of Waves had been nonstop. Once the bridge construction began, it would be three projects progressing simultaneously—the cost was a minor issue, the main problem being the manpower required. Therefore, he suggested halting the second phase of the port project and focusing efforts on completing the bridge. As for the lighthouse, it was an essential facility and couldn't be halted lightly.

The report was delivered to Zabuza's desk the very next day. To avoid revealing Naruto's identity, the Flying Thunder God technique of Dongfeng Naval was used. The next day, Naruto noticed that Mr. Tori was visibly nervous. He didn't sit in his office all morning, instead standing at the port, repeatedly observing the Dongfeng Naval cargo ships docked there over the past few days. He probably assumed that Lord Kinrin had come with the merchant caravan, completely ignoring the troublesome person he had thrown out. By dinner time, his mood had become exceptionally irritable and disappointed, making Naruto consider whether to use a shadow clone to deal with him.

So Zabuza really cares about "Golden Wheel Lord" that much? "Golden Wheel Lord" has only met him twice.

At this moment, Naruto had no idea of ​​the heights he had reached in the eyes of the brilliant and resourceful members of "Hikaru," nor the astonishing effects his seemingly ordinary decisions and words had achieved. As for the "Collection of Golden Wheel Lord's Golden Sayings" circulating among the members, he was even more unaware of that…

The second sparring match between the three children took place on the very day Naruto was writing his report. Naruto proved with his strength that having a lot of chakra meant being able to do whatever you wanted.

This guy started with Shadow Clone Jutsu, then immediately used his teleportation ability to release a group of shadow clones onto the stage to fight Haku. Haku's secret techniques are mainly used for one-on-one battles. Once the opponent has more people, his chakra isn't enough to create enough ice mirrors, so he can't trap them. Against a player like Naruto who has all five elemental jutsu, he can casually unleash combination techniques. The ice mirrors simply can't withstand the drain from the combined attack from both inside and outside, and they quickly dissipate.

When White Naruto collapsed to the ground, his chakra depleted, all the Narutos present on the battlefield turned into smoke. Only then did the real Naruto emerge from the ground, smiling as he healed his wounds. Anyone who saw this would be furious, and that would be all they could do.

At this moment, Haku's thought process finally aligned with Sasuke's, who had been beaten since childhood: Just what kind of monster is Naruto?

The three children practiced in the morning, reviewed their performance in the afternoon, and went home in the evening to comfort their teammates who couldn't participate in the competition. Their busy schedules were comparable to those of the adults. Time flew by in this fulfilling life, and the groundbreaking ceremony was just around the corner.

The construction of the bridge was no small matter, and almost everyone in the Land of Waves who wasn't working and could move around wanted to join in the fun. Fortunately, the width of the main road limited the number of people. Patrol teams who couldn't participate physically separated the crowd to prevent a stampede. The workers preparing to start construction and the ninjas, who were in a tense standby, arrived at the starting point of the bridge early in the morning. They would all witness Mr. Tori laying the first foundation stone.

As the heavy hammer struck the wooden pillar again and again, the once clear weather turned foggy once more, blurring the clear continental line—a bad omen indeed. But Tao Li did not stop, seemingly oblivious, continuing to hammer the bridge foundation.

A muffled, inhuman roar came from the sea, accompanied by towering waves, its power immense. The ordinary workers' faces paled as they watched the unknown behemoth rapidly approach, but not one of them retreated, for Mr. Taoli was still there.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

Naruto, who was prepared, slammed his hand on the ground. Long before the Hidden Mist Technique was activated, he had already confirmed the enemy's location and relayed it to everyone except Zabuza. The dragon-shaped phantom formed by the Water Dragon Bullet Technique was approaching from the sea; they already knew what the enemy was planning. Disrupting morale and forcing them to back down was the only permanent solution. As for faking divine punishment, that depended on whether the ninjas agreed.

A giant earth dragon rose from the ground, leaping across the sea to entangle the water dragon. Even with the terrain advantage, when it came to chakra consumption, Naruto was the one who could afford to expend the most. The water dragon, already smaller, was quickly pulverized by the earth dragon and merged into the sea. The earth dragon, still possessing some energy, seemed to have a life of its own, changing direction and lunging forward before disappearing into a water barrier that suddenly rose from the sea. A woman's figure appeared behind the water curtain; she was at a disadvantage in this battle.

"Bang!" The heavy hammer swung down for the last time. Tao Li symbolically wiped his sweat and ordered the people behind him, "You guys retreat for a while and wait for the ninjas to deal with the trouble."

Only then did the islanders evacuate in an orderly manner under the guidance of the patrol team. After a year of being harassed by river bandits, they were not so easily swayed by such a scene.

“I have to admit, this is a good place.” Mei Terumi walked slowly across the water. “But we have reasons to take action.”

The decapitation sword has reappeared. Tao Li, carrying the sword, twisted his neck and retorted, "We also have reasons why we cannot back down."

"Stop talking nonsense, let's fight. I've been holding back for years, it's time to stretch my muscles."

A great war is about to break out!