Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 151 The Banquet

"Naruto."

Naruto was jolted awake from his reverie by his companion's voice. He subtly raised his eyes, meeting a gaze filled with worry and inquiry. His companions were worried, while the official from the Land of Fire responsible for liaison was inquiring.

"Sorry." Naruto's smile was slightly apologetic; he was already quite used to having meetings on both sides simultaneously. If it weren't for the immense trouble on this side, requiring him to keep a close eye on things personally, it wouldn't even be his true form sitting here. Real-time memory transfer was something the Mind Transfer Technique could do, it just consumed a lot of chakra, but that wasn't a problem for Naruto at all.

"By reviewing the process of losing track of them, there might still be a chance to find the robbers."

Impossible, they've already reached their destination. They're being sent to a mine in the western part of the Bird Kingdom to experience the hardships of being a so-called "outcast" alongside criminals for three months.

When gazed upon by those azure eyes, people easily place their trust in sincerity. The entire Team 8 were old acquaintances from the same realm as him, and they never considered the possibility that Naruto would lie. They had no reason to protect a dangerous individual who had almost stabbed them in the back. However, the lord of Luo City, whose city-state had been devastated, did not think so.

He held ninjas in utter contempt and even refused to receive them in the main hall. Unfortunately, the missing grain was a serious matter, and the Daimyo's prefecture had dispatched a small team. The person in charge of the team was a close confidant of the Daimyo, whom he couldn't afford to offend, so he had no choice but to welcome them in. He couldn't understand how investigating a grain disappearance case in a neighboring county could lead him to this, but for the time being, he didn't see any major moves from the Daimyo's prefecture; sending them here was likely just a warning. To protect his position, he could ruthlessly prune away the branches that caught the light, but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel the pain. He wasn't the only one involved in smuggling; banning certain goods and then reselling them at inflated prices on the "black market" was a common way to make money; he was just the unfortunate chicken. The involvement of ninjas resulted in the severing of most of their influence, which was the real reason the lord disliked the Konoha team.

As for the official directly dispatched by the daimyo's prefecture who had spent five days with them, he still hadn't fully trusted him, and there was always a hint of suspicion in his gaze when he looked at Naruto.

"As far as I know, you are the most skilled sensory ninja in Konoha, with a sensory range that can even cover the entire village. I don't quite understand how they managed to slip away right under your nose?" The young man's manners were impeccable, but his question was exceptionally sharp.

Naruto sighed and said, "What we're talking about now is finding a ninja skilled in disguise and stealth in a city with a permanent population of 100,000 and a transient population of over 7,000. Sensory ninjas aren't omnipotent either. If you insist on blaming me for failing, I can only accept the punishment for mission failure."

"No, you completed your mission beautifully." There was a hint of sincerity in the young man's smile as he turned to the city lord and said, "Although we failed to catch the robbers, we successfully cleaned up the garbage of those who were demanding exorbitant prices in Luo City, making an outstanding contribution to the stability of the city. Don't you agree, Lord City Lord?"

The city lord responded with a forced smile, inwardly cursing the bastard's ancestors. He truly couldn't control the Daimyo's forces, but these ninjas, aside from the woman with the Byakugan, should be able to come up with some solutions...

"Really? I was just focused on catching the robbers as quickly as possible. I didn't expect you to have arrested all the people we encountered along the way. Because we didn't have enough manpower, I had to use shadow clones to temporarily escort them. Sigh, that's wasted a lot of time." Naruto wasn't some politically clueless novice. Although everything was within the plan, he wouldn't let his teammates get implicated. At this moment, he looked guilty and troubled, as if he would be punished if he didn't complete the mission. "I wonder if Granny Tsunade will beat me when we get back."

"The Hokage may be dignified, but he wouldn't just hit people randomly... right?" Hinata whispered to comfort him.

"Even if you get beaten up, it's nothing, right? Aren't you supposed to be tough and resilient?" Ya, who had been beaten up throughout his childhood, didn't care at all.

“…No, I’ll die.” Shino, who had happened to pass by Tsunade’s teaching session, spoke up. He didn’t want to recall the fear of that moment, not even the insects on his body.

Naruto smiled helplessly, "Just kidding, Grandma definitely won't really hit it."

Tsunade, the current Hokage of Konoha. These two titles might not be enough to make nobles give up their positions, but the title of granddaughter of the First Hokage would be.

The city lord paused, his hand gripping the paper fan, and finally could only glare angrily at the four "barbarians" chatting right in front of him through the screen. It was said that the Fifth Hokage, though over fifty, remained as elegant as ever, showing no signs of aging. To address a beautiful woman as "Grandma" meant she must be an extremely close subordinate or even a blood relative. It seemed this group of ninjas was untouchable, and according to these naive children, Naruto was merely a pawn of the daimyo; the real trouble lay with the one instructed by the daimyo.

After the farewell banquet, the city lord, a thoroughly humiliated and penniless wretch, was extremely depressed. The Konoha ninja had completed their mission and could return to report. The daimyo's envoy had exceeded his mission targets and even dealt with those he disliked. Thus, the world where the city lord's side was injured was effectively sealed.

Naruto dropped his three teammates off at their hotel; they were to depart the next morning. He wasn't surprised to see the young man standing across the street; the guy had tried several times to signal that he wanted to talk, but Naruto had managed to evade the question each time.

He wrinkled his nose and asked, "Is that guy following us?"

“No, he just wants to talk to me.” Naruto met the man’s gaze. “You guys go and rest first, I’ll go check on him.”

"That guy seems very shrewd. Can you handle him?" Despite his impulsive nature, he's quite quick-witted and has an exceptionally accurate eye for people.

Naruto glanced at him and said, "You think I called Tsunade 'Grandma' by accident?"

"Tch, only you would dare to use the Hokage as a shield." Kiba rolled his eyes at him, turned and left, firmly pulling his friends along with him.

"If I become Hokage in the future, you're all welcome to do whatever you want with me~"

He said it so loudly that it could be heard across the street. Naruto's smile faded slightly, and he walked out with a businesslike, fake expression.

"Is there anything else, Lord Kobayashi?"

"Call me Hirozumi. I'd rather call you Naruto."

Having shed his "Lord Kobayashi" persona, Hirosumi's relaxed exhaustion became much more genuine. He pointed to a ramen stall by the roadside and asked, "I didn't eat much at the dinner party, and I'm a little hungry. Would you mind if I invited you for a late-night snack?"

"Of course, please."