Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 493 Interval

The world on the eve of war was filled with a sense of division.

The road to the ninja village was unusually congested, with transport vehicles leaving ruts on the dirt road. However, this was not all the supplies, because war was unlikely to break out near the ninja village. This was only to ensure that the ninja village could operate normally for a period of time during the war. More resources were being prepared in various towns, and once the location of the battle was confirmed, the nearest city would have to provide logistical support.

This mechanism is indeed convenient for fighting wars, but it also leaves ample room for corruption. The requisitioned resources, such as grain, salt, iron, and clothing, are all daily necessities, and in emergencies, forced requisition may even occur. While some conscientious administrators might return or compensate the requisitioned goods after the war, many more would choose to confiscate them and resell them.

After all, making a fortune from war is the easiest thing to do.

What's even more ingenious is that the war was started by ninjas. Don't expect a bunch of shameless bastards to take responsibility; they'll just pin the blame on the ninjas who fought for the country. Over time, the word "war" became synonymous with ninjas in the minds of the people. The nobles won't stop this; they're already racking their brains to control the ninjas, and the further the ninjas drift from the common people, the happier they are.

"Everyone in the intelligence department, keep a close eye on things lately. We must gather substantial evidence of this kind of corruption! Our future success hinges on this!"

"The two branches in northern Sichuan are ready and can launch an uprising at any time."

"No, you just said how many people signed up for logistics? Ten thousand?!"

"Local residents volunteered, and even those who didn't sign up insisted on helping with the transportation. This is the first war of its scale, and we simply can't manage it all. We're requesting support from Beichen!"

"Beichen is almost empty. All that's left are some office clerks and crazy people in the research department. They're even using the kids!"

"That......"

“It’s not easy for anyone during these extraordinary times, we can only try to overcome it. I will report your situation to my superiors, and I also ask you to understand the difficulties at headquarters. On the bright side, at least we’re not short of manpower, right?”

"The preparations of the five great nations are still being monitored. Judging from the current plans, Konoha and Kumogakure have sent the most people, followed by Sunagakure and Iwagakure, while Kirigakure has truly run out of people."

"The initial formation is complete, and our people have been scattered across five teams. Remember, don't rely on your reanimated form to die too conspicuously! Also, a special reminder to those five unlucky guys who have already resurrected: do not use suicidal tactics again! Who knows if these things can resurrect a second time!"

The unprecedented noise in the liaison office gave a glimpse into how busy "Hui" was. Following the successful experiments with the wired and wireless communication devices, the R&D and Construction departments had devoted tremendous effort to them. The R&D department focused on making the devices portable, while the Construction department worked towards mass production. Later, with the addition of the spaceship knowledge base, they even handcrafted their first large machine tool, which, despite its frequent breakdowns, significantly increased production output.

Wired communication could be widely adopted in southern Sichuan, while wireless communication could be quietly deployed in northern Sichuan and even worldwide. In this way, emergencies in the region surrounding Sichuan would no longer rely so heavily on telepathy. This deployment also laid a solid foundation for their rapid advance in northern Sichuan. Sometimes, warfare is about information asymmetry; with the support of revolutionary communication equipment, the situation in northern Sichuan was almost transparent. Given this level of advantage, if they could still lose, there was no point in fighting.

Hui was so busy he almost forgot to sleep, and the ninja villages of the five great nations weren't much better off.

While preparing for battle, they also had to be constantly on guard against a surprise attack from Akatsuki, and at the same time, they needed to find Akatsuki's true secret base. As for Amegakure, Konoha had already sent envoys to negotiate. The new lord of Amegakure was a man who looked remarkably like Pain, but once you met him in person, you wouldn't mistake the two for each other. Because... this ninja named Yahiko seemed a little too naive; during negotiations, his purple-haired female ninja had to constantly intervene and offer support.

Fortunately, it was their beloved teacher, Jiraiya, who went to negotiate; otherwise, this might have escalated into a serious diplomatic incident.

Once the serious business was finished, Jiraiya's seriousness vanished, and he reverted to his usual carefree "Perverted Sage" persona. His primary concern was the students' safety. "'Akatsuki' hasn't come looking for you again, has it?"

"No, even if I did, I've prepared a big gift for that guy." Konan said expressionlessly, revealing her ambition. She was very unhappy that Nagato had his eyes taken before his death, and this unhappiness reached its peak after Nagato's Edo Tensei failed. "If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate. This is also our way of atoning for our past actions."

"The Five Great Nations aren't so bad that they can't even defeat Uchiha Madara. You should try to stabilize Amegakure first. Keeping things peaceful here is the biggest help you can give." Jiraiya hadn't considered sending Konan, and Yahiko was even less of a consideration. He'd been out of touch with the world for so long that he was having some difficulty adapting.

In response, Konan simply smiled slightly at Yahiko's face and said, "Don't worry about that. Nagato usually uses the Deva Path clone the most, and his face is very useful."

"Is a pretty face all you need? My strength is above average, isn't it?" Yahiko's expression was much more lively than Tiandao's. As soon as he opened his mouth, he was no longer like Tiandao at all. This was the problem that was currently giving them the biggest headache.

"Yes, yes, you are certainly very powerful, but your subordinates are used to the expressionless Payne. A sudden change in behavior will make them suspicious." The madwoman, who had already silently prepared hundreds of millions of explosive tags and was ready to pull them out at any time to slap the masked man across the face, comforted her good partner who had been lost and found at all times with a smile, maintaining a perfect balance of gentleness and ruthlessness.

Watching the young people interact, Jiraiya was unusually moved to realize he was truly getting old, his eyes filled with loving affection for his juniors. Come to think of it, if he had known Naruto had already prepared a backup plan for him, he should have confessed his feelings one more time before leaving; perhaps then he could have won her heart upon his return.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow. He didn't die, but Naruto suddenly died, leaving behind a legacy that left him speechless! He never imagined that the organization he had been so desperately trying to investigate was actually founded by Naruto! Naruto had a rebellious heart from a young age, and the target of his rebellion wasn't even the ninja village, but a higher-level system.

What could he, as a teacher, do? Of course, he had to work tirelessly to help Naruto deal with this epic trouble.