Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 299 Project Launch

Before the sun has even risen, another busy day has begun.

As the master's most trusted servant, he was always proud of his position and constantly reminded himself to serve the master diligently so as not to disappoint him. The head steward, who had only gone to bed around midnight the previous night, got up at dawn, instructing the other servants to quickly get ready—those who needed to boil water, those who needed to clean, and those who needed to prepare ingredients. He also had to keep a close eye on their movements, telling them to be quiet and not make any noise that might disturb their masters.

"How did Grandpa sleep last night?"

After a flurry of activity, the gray sky had brightened considerably, and it was time to wake the master. He led a group of people cautiously into the courtyard, routinely inquiring about the previous night's events. Older people often suffer from poor sleep. If the master had woken up too many times during the night, he would postpone waking him, since the master didn't always visit the king. It was precisely this thoughtfulness and attentiveness that allowed him to stand out among his grandfather's side.

"Reporting to the steward, the master slept very well last night and did not hear any noise in the latter half of the night."

The night watchmen were all carefully chosen loyal servants, so he naturally believed their words. He immediately waved for the servants to kneel, then stepped forward, bowed, and knocked on the door. He knew exactly how to knock on this door, how long to knock, and what the master's reaction would be on ordinary days. But today, no matter how long he knocked, there was no response. His hand grew heavier and heavier, even trembling. Did he not know what kind of business his master was in? If they served him well, nothing would happen, but if someone died in his courtyard, the fate of himself and his men seemed obvious.

To survive, he couldn't rashly open the door at a time like this; instead, he had to find another powerful patron. He scrambled towards the eldest son's courtyard, and secretly instructed his trusted servant to go find the third son, as these two were the most likely contenders for the master's position. After all this commotion, by the time the gate finally opened, it was already past nine o'clock, and the master's body had stiffened.

Amidst the chaos at the Grand Minister's residence, the envoy sent by the King to inquire about the Grand Minister's absence arrived as usual. A timid servant "accidentally" revealed the Grand Minister's current condition, which could no longer be kept secret from the King. According to custom, even if there were no problems, an official doctor should be called to perform an autopsy, but opinions seemed divided. Some people were very opposed to it, and their reasons were quite valid.

"My father was old, and he finally passed away peacefully. How can he suffer after death?"

The opposing side, however, felt that the Grand Chancellor was first and foremost the Grand Chancellor, and only then the head of the family. Following proper procedures would put everyone at ease. The two sides were deadlocked, arguing fiercely, which eventually devolved into mutual accusations. One side suspected foul play, claiming that the other hadn't dared to let the doctor examine their father; the master had been perfectly healthy, and there was no reason for him to die without warning. The other side, on the other hand, berated the other for being unfilial, causing their father's death to suffer, and deserving divine retribution.

In short, the chaos was only resolved by the king's personal intervention, and the solution was... among the three ninjas from Konoha, one happened to be a medical ninja, and moreover, she was a disciple of the Fifth Hokage, possessing considerable authority in the medical field. Her examination would not damage Taisho's body. Sakura, a medical ninja who had never performed an autopsy before, had to step in temporarily, enduring pressure from all sides, and thoroughly examined Taisho from head to toe.

If the examination results showed natural death, then the subsequent procedures would proceed as usual without any problems. However, the problem is that he did not die of natural death, but rather from respiratory failure due to abnormal breathing, which is clearly due to an overdose of anesthesia.

This has truly blown things up. The mere fact that anesthetic was found in the Grand Minister's residence is enough to warrant investigation. How the anesthetic was administered seems to be a no-brainer. The King immediately ordered the servants on duty that day imprisoned and, citing the need to seek justice for the Grand Minister, sealed off the entire residence, intending to thoroughly search every corner and find the murder weapon.

However, the entire household was against this, so the king compromised and entrusted the investigation to the head wife, who had little influence in the household, and gave her a team of the king's personal guards to protect her.

"Your idea is brilliant! You should have seen how those people were fighting like dogs, it's a pity you weren't there." The king had never been so excited before, it was clear that he had been suppressed by these people for too long, and he was finally able to vent his anger, so he was in an extremely good mood.

Ye Ming was also pleased. His curiosity was even greater than the king's, and he would relax in front of his own people, occasionally asking inappropriate questions. He asked, "How exactly did you do that?"

Jiraiya's gaze was filled with mixed emotions, but he still stood on the side of his own people and said, "As long as the goal is achieved, why ask so many questions?"

"Oh......"

"This matter actually has little to do with me." Naruto, who always said something surprising, smiled and said, "I've said it before, haven't I? They're not a united front; they were just suppressed by Taisho, so you couldn't see it. I didn't do anything; they did it themselves."

"It's quite fitting that the human trafficker died from the very tools he used to commit his crimes."

Although they had gained the upper hand, the other side would retaliate; they just didn't yet have someone to unite them. The king and Ye Ming still had a heavy task ahead; as members of the political circle, they had to bear the pressure and ensure the other side maintained a state of mutual distrust. Outside the circle, the ninjas continued their investigations methodically, but their focus had shifted.

Sakura is going to investigate local clinics and record all the doctors she can find. Jiraiya is also taking advantage of the chaos to gather as much intelligence as possible about the enemy, while Naruto... he will perfectly disguise himself as a confirmed victim being targeted, and be "kidnapped" at the right moment to personally experience the victim's "journey." However, because his chakra is too noticeable, he can only use a less noticeable clone when disguising himself.

This task also requires the cooperation of another person: Sasuke. Naruto needs his help to make the fleet "forget" a mission to escort Rina home, giving her a plausible excuse. Although this might make the fleet feel guilty, it's a necessary task to gather evidence.

"Couldn't we have the fleet cooperate and hide Lina with them?"

"You're asking a bunch of grown men to take care of a young girl who's just come of age? How are you going to hide her? Are you going to take her out to sea with you?"

"...So where are you planning to send her? She definitely can't stay in Lanlin City."

"I think it wouldn't be difficult for Konoha's hospital to admit a mental patient. If we can cure her while we have this opportunity, it would be a good deed."

"Okay. I'll do it on the agreed-upon date."