Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 177 On the Journey

The stories of the desert are often filled with regret and bloodshed. Although Ayhan discovered species that could improve the environment, he was unable to implement his ideas. Constant regime changes, relentless plunder, and the repeated destruction of his research bases, funding shortages, and even threats to his life led him to despair of the country, yet he couldn't truly abandon his homeland. He persevered, waiting, and finally, a glimmer of hope appeared.

"You mean, unification was achieved with the assistance of external forces?" Kakashi always knew how to grasp the key points. Having been nurtured by several generations of Hokage, his political acumen far surpassed that of the children. A new term was being repeatedly mentioned, and Konoha currently had no information about it whatsoever.

Hui, usually translated as sunshine, is a word synonymous with the sun.

In any positive cultural ideology, the sun is a positive symbol. An organization that names itself after the sun is like broadcasting its ambitions directly through a megaphone.

From Ayihan's description, everything Hui did was positive, whether it was mediating wars or developing the economy. They seemed to be doing their utmost to guide a country towards a better future, even if it meant suffering considerable losses and paying a heavy price. However, Kakashi, who leans more towards realism, didn't believe that such selfless acts truly existed in the world. Besides, that was an organization! An organization means having members, and members crave benefits; every action requires funding. Even non-profit organizations are rife with dirty deals behind the scenes.

Take the Konoha Orphan Foundation as an example. It took him and the Fifth Hokage half a year to uncover the true inner workings of the foundation. Only a small portion of the donated money actually went to the orphans; the majority flowed back into the pockets of the donors through falsified accounting. The donors gained a good reputation and tax avoidance channels, the foundation gained performance and extra rewards, and they cooperated happily. Meanwhile, the orphans received substandard supplies and were expected to be grateful to these people—it was utterly disgusting.

Kakashi didn't like to assume the worst about anyone, but reality could be so surreal, even more cruel. He said nothing, simply putting away the "Icha Icha Paradise" app, seemingly unintentionally but actually scanning his surroundings more frequently.

Konoha isn't far from the border of the Land of Fire; a ninja could easily run there in a day, but Mr. Ayihan clearly lacked the stamina. Naruto suggested he buy a horse, but Ayihan firmly refused, saying the ninjas all walked and he couldn't be given special treatment. Actually, the funds Hui gave him were more than enough for a comfortable return to the Land of Birds, but this frugal farmer felt the money should be spent on more useful things. The Land of Owls was just starting out, and there were expenses everywhere. He could endure hardship himself, but he couldn't let research funding suffer. When he bought food, he ordered plenty of meat for the ninjas, while he himself ate only a little white flour and vegetable leaves.

After walking for about a day and a half, Naruto, disregarding whether it would expose his uniqueness, insisted on holding a meeting with everyone.

"As far as I know, horses are relatively plentiful in the Land of Fire, but they're an absolute rarity in the desert. There's even a competition among the wealthy about the number of horses they own," Naruto bluntly stated, clearly aware of a trading company dealing in horses. "Shandan, which we're about to pass through, has the largest horse farm in the Land of Fire. Seven horses would barely be enough to negotiate a lower price..."

"Wait, you mean you're going to buy us too?" Ino exclaimed in shock.

Naruto said matter-of-factly, "We can sell the horses in the Land of Wind. Even after deducting the cost of fodder, we'll still make a profit. The space scroll we brought can store the fodder and water the horses need. As long as we calculate the time well, we won't need to spend extra money. We can replace the horses with camels once we enter the oasis."

Choji raised his hand and said, "I only brought one spatial scroll, and it's completely full."

"It's alright, I brought quite a few, just in case." Naruto smiled and took out his scroll reserves. Although he only took out one scroll, the rows of sealing characters inside meant the end of the match.

Shikamaru, who had already calculated the value of this scroll, was completely blank-faced and said, "Did you rob a bank?"

"I can do it myself; it's not difficult except for being time-consuming."

This really stirred up a hornet's nest. Those high-capacity spatial scrolls are incredibly difficult to make. The complex runes aren't the most troublesome part; the real problem is that the chakra sealed within the scroll must circulate along a specific path, otherwise a stable space simply can't be constructed. Space-time ninjas are just so capricious; they can make something like this on a whim!

"Wouldn't riding a horse make us too conspicuous?" Sakura was used to Naruto casually pulling out scrolls; she was more concerned about the mission itself.

"Not riding it isn't that big, and it moves too slowly, increasing the chance of being ambushed."

"Can the horses really be sold?" Ayihan asked.

"Of course, you can't imagine how much free time the rich have."

"May I ask how you know all this?" Kakashi asked with a smile.

"Books hold a wealth of knowledge, but newspapers always provide the latest news."

In short, when Naruto really wanted to accomplish something, he could always persuade those around him. Following the principle of majority rule, the horse was bought anyway. For some reason, Naruto was incredibly familiar with this kind of thing; upon arriving in Shandan, he went straight to the horse market and picked out a vendor from a hidden corner who offered good quality at a low price. The group listened as Naruto meticulously inquired about the horse's daily distance and rations, and then managed to buy ten days' worth of hay from the vendor at a very reasonable price. When they finally set off on horseback, everyone was bewildered; none of them truly understood how to do business.

"These can't be things you learned from books, can they?" Shikamaru said jokingly.

"Then I'll recommend 'The Business Manual' to you." Naruto blinked, then casually walked past Shikamaru and continued to follow Mr. Ayihan.

"Aren't you going a bit too far?" Izuna's comment, though late, finally arrived.

"If we don't do this, are we really going to have to go all the way to the Land of Owls?"

"...Could it be that we've been too strict with funding? I remember the R&D department's funding approval process is relatively lenient," Tobirama asked, puzzled.

"Ayihan, after all, was a commoner who struggled to make ends meet for most of his life. His only thought was to improve his hometown's situation, and he always tried to save money wherever possible. This is understandable." When it comes to analyzing the psychology of ordinary people, no one can compare to Naruto.

"Alas, the task is arduous and the road ahead is long." Hashirama sighed.