Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 444 Casual Chat with Konoha's Ikkaku

"They haven't been issuing any missions to leave the village lately, which is a bit strange."

When people have free time, their gossipy instincts kick in. In an unassuming little restaurant in Konoha, members of a fixed team were chatting at a table. Most Chunin and Genin teams in Konoha have fixed members; only long-term cooperation can cultivate team synergy, allowing even three not-so-strong ninjas to unleash power beyond their usual abilities.

The slowest member of the team rarely put his mind to work, and even the usually composed strategist couldn't help but tease him: "You're only just realizing this? I've been listening to my grandpa grumbling about this for ages. He's always worried that there's going to be a war. If you ask me, he's just overthinking it."

"Haven't you heard?" The squad leader started the conversation mysteriously. He was somewhat of a relative, because his father had come from the battlefields of World War III, so even though his strength was slightly inferior, he was able to firmly hold the position of squad leader.

The naive friend immediately jumped in, asking, "What did you hear?"

"'Akatsuki' and the Jinchuriki, huh?" The guy with connections revealed a confident smile, thinking his information would definitely shock his teammates. Unfortunately, the steady one was already used to it, and the one who didn't like to think completely failed to grasp the essence of his words.

"Huh? What people?" the naive girl continued to ask.

The person with connections was speechless, then his face fell as he sarcastically remarked, "A human jinchūriki, huh? Have you forgotten everything you learned?"

Naïve and refusing to admit it: "I...of course I know what a Jinchuriki is. I was just startled when you suddenly brought it up."

"Oh~ then tell me, what is a Jinchuriki?"

"Uh...yes...yes..."

The steady guy couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up to save his teammate: "He's got a tailed beast sealed inside him. You know he's bad at academics, so stop teasing him and get to the point."

"Who says I don't know! Of course I know. Isn't it Naruto-sama?" The simple-minded guy shouted loudly to show that he really knew, but just couldn't remember for a moment.

The person with connections rolled their eyes. "Who told you there's only one Jinchuriki? The new Kazekage of the neighboring Sunagakure is one too."

"That's another country's Kage, what does it have to do with us? You haven't mentioned Naruto-sama and 'Akatsuki' yet. I remember that organization is pretty ruthless, right? Could they be targeting Naruto-sama?" The simple-minded man could wave his hand indifferently at first, but by the end, his expression changed, and he became unusually serious.

"It's rare to see you being so clever. Apparently, members of Akatsuki attacked Naruto when he was thirteen. They even targeted the Kazekage this time, they definitely won't let him off the hook." The person with connections wasn't as respectful to Naruto. They had all been warned as children not to approach Naruto; the village strictly controlled ninjas their age, so they had no chance of encountering young Naruto. However, his family had more information, and the person with connections believed he had long since seen through Naruto's true nature.

The composed guy, who had been quietly eating, put down his chopsticks and became serious. "Were they attacked this early?"

As for being naive, he almost jumped up, his face full of anger as he growled, "They're dreaming!"

"Why are you so agitated?" The person with connections was startled. Luckily, this simple-minded fellow knew not to disturb others while eating, so he didn't shout loudly. However, if there were other ninjas in the shop, given their hearing, they probably would have already heard him.

It doesn't matter, that's the effect he wanted. This way, he can showcase his intelligence and let more people see through that guy's hypocrisy.

However, his teammates were clearly not on his side, and said very seriously, "I told you before, didn't I? Naruto-sama is very strong, there's absolutely no way he can be defeated by them."

"But the Naruto you always praised is no longer in Konoha. He left us with the most dangerous enemy!" The nepotism-seeker was exasperated. He genuinely couldn't understand how this guy had forgotten the warnings he received as a child so quickly, after only meeting Naruto a few times.

The person with connections, undeterred, patiently explained, "Think about it, if the enemy wants to find Naruto, they have to come to Konoha. To get information about Naruto, wouldn't they turn Konoha upside down? But Naruto ran away at this crucial moment."

"This is clearly a tactic. How can such a large village like Konoha not be able to defeat an organization? Knowing that they are coming for Lord Naruto, yet still rushing to send people forward, that would be truly stupid!" The simple-minded suddenly had his brain activated. He wasn't led astray and instead fired off a barrage of questions like a machine gun.

The person with connections was a little surprised to be bluntly criticized for the first time, but quickly turned to a cold laugh. Call him stupid? Why doesn't he look in the mirror and see himself?

"Ha, you've been completely brainwashed by Kurama! Do you think we lowly ninjas can handle an organization full of top-tier wanted rogue ninjas?"

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" The composed guy spoke up again. "I just explained that a Jinchuriki is someone whose body contains a Tailed Beast. The Nine-Tailed Fox is considered a natural disaster, and Naruto used himself as a vessel to seal away that disaster. He is someone who can be called a hero."

It's important to understand that teenage rebellion isn't just about believing oneself to be the only one who's right in a world of fools; it's also about constantly defying elders. He, too, was once forced to accept those outlandish theories by his parents, but he refused to listen and insisted on finding the answers himself, ultimately discovering a more detailed and authoritative explanation of Jinchuriki. Their textbooks stated that "Jinchuriki are vessels for Tailed Beasts," but his version was that of "people who seal away Tailed Beasts."

He had observed Naruto; he was a brighter, more cheerful child than most others, always surrounded by many children. He didn't resemble the monster his elders described at all, but rather a living, breathing person.

How can someone who seals away natural disasters, bears the name of the Nine-Tailed Fox, endures the incomprehension and hatred of the world, and still lives a positive life not be considered a hero?

For the first time, the guy with connections thought his teammates had gone mad. They were actually calling a monster a "hero"? Were they alright? The kind of person who could be called a hero was someone who endured humiliation and hardship for Konoha, someone who would protect Konoha even if it meant hiding in the shadows!

"He just helped us out when he was passing by, and you all think he's a good person?"

"Did that help us out? The mission rating was wrong that time. If Naruto-sama hadn't intervened, I would have died there!" The simple-minded captain looked at his captain in disbelief, feeling for the first time that he couldn't stay in this team anymore. Was his life really just a trivial matter?

"Do you have some misunderstanding about him? Naruto has always taken good care of us in terms of mission assignments. Even after he was transferred, Shikamaru still recognized us." The steady guy couldn't stand it anymore and gave examples of the help they had received in recent years. Did these captains take it all for granted?

"Then you can continue to believe him. You won't even know how you died." The nine-tailed fox was a combination of negative emotions; it was cunning and dangerous, and naturally adept at bewitching the ignorant. Since his team members wouldn't listen to reason, he couldn't be bothered to waste any more words. After uttering those harsh words, he got up and left, not even paying his share.

The two who were left behind, the naive and the steady guy, exchanged a glance and found the same decision in each other's eyes.

They want to change their captain, immediately, right now, right away!