Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 44 Arrival

"Dad!" Before the boat even docked, a child's innocent voice rang out from the shore. A little boy wearing a white fisherman's hat was jumping and hopping on the dock, trying his best to attract the attention of the people on the boat.

"Inari! Be careful! Don't fall into the water!" Keisha was also excited, but his concern for his child's safety prevailed. He knew his restless son had sneaked out the moment he didn't see Tsunami.

The ferryman, also from the Land of Waves, couldn't help but tease the scene of fatherly love and filial piety, saying, "Kaisa, he's sneaked out again. I see that kid every time I come back to port."

"Haha, the kid's young and doesn't know any better. It's all thanks to the brothers for taking care of him." Keisha said this, but there was no blame in his tone at all; instead, there was a hint of boasting.

"Tsk, shut up! You married the most beautiful woman on our island and got a well-behaved son for free. If it weren't for Tsunami, I'd really like to beat you up!"

While the two acquaintances were exchanging barbs, Naruto's gaze had been fixed on the shore for some time. Before Kaisa arrived in Konoha, Naruto had already read the detailed report from the Land of Waves. Although it wasn't detailed down to every single person, Tazuna, as the Land of Waves's best bridge builder, was naturally on the list of people to observe. Therefore, he could easily tell that the old man had no regrets other than his wife passing away too early. In this life, Inari was innocent and cheerful, and she hadn't lost her beloved father.

so good.

"You like little kids?"

Sasuke's sudden remark snapped Naruto back to reality. Naruto was a little surprised, because Sasuke never asked him what he liked; he only drew conclusions based on everyday observations. Why did he ask this time? And why use such an inappropriate form of address?

"Didn't we grow up from little kids?" Naruto felt it was his responsibility to correct him. "Call them by their names properly."

Sasuke's lips twitched two pixels lower, and his gaze toward Ichigo turned colder. "I have no interest in remembering the names of the weak."

“According to you, the majority of people in this world are the weak. You only see their individual strength, but not their collective strength.” Naruto turned his gaze back and said with a smile, “Sasuke, don’t underestimate anyone. Be careful not to be caught off guard.”

Sasuke seemed about to argue, but when Naruto was watching him, he unconsciously looked away. Naruto sensed that Sasuke was sometimes unhappy and sometimes calm, which confused him. Overall, he assumed Sasuke had heeded his advice, and then resumed his observation of the new port in the Land of Waves.

The actual structure was, of course, more magnificent than the design drawings and photos, and the port, only half-finished, already covered a considerable area. Morning was the busiest time at the dock, but thankfully they were on a small ferry, avoiding competition with cargo ships for space. Before they could even settle in, Yi threw himself into Keisha's arms, nearly pulling his father into the sea. With the lively and cheerful child acting as a source of joy, the team's somber mood vanished. Little Yi was enthusiastic and polite, greeting everyone, just like his father—a carefree and outgoing person.

The group walked briskly to the island's office and soon met the legendary Mr. Taoli. The group breathed a sigh of relief, but Kakashi also began to probe the depths of this "gentleman's" abilities.

“Mr. Taoli, we were attacked by the Hidden Mist on our way here, which does not match the agreed mission level.”

C-rank missions mainly involve fighting bandits, while B-rank and above are battles between ninjas. Moreover, the Hidden Mist Village sent Mei Terumi, so this mission could be upgraded to A-rank.

Tao Li sighed, forcing a normal smile, though his sharp shark teeth looked somewhat menacing. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this outcome either. Actually, ever since I led the islanders to drive away Kado, this place has been attacked from time to time, mostly by wandering samurai and the like. This situation has been going on for a year now. I thought Kado wasn't the kind of person with the guts to directly confront the ninjas of the Five Great Nations. It was my miscalculation."

Kakashi reluctantly accepted this explanation, and then said, "We can ignore your feud with Gato, but we hope to understand the situation on the island so we can plan our offense and defense."

“Of course. In fact, I’m planning to issue a bridge-building notice to construct a bridge that directly connects to the land. I think if the other party is really hired by Kado, he certainly won’t allow such a bridge to exist.” Tao Li’s attitude was sincere and impeccable. “Once the guard mission is completed, I will personally thank you for your efforts and make up for your losses.”

"Let's talk about that after the mission is completed."

Kesha, their guide, was waiting outside. They were first taken to their hotel to drop off their luggage, and then, under Kesha's guidance, they explored the entire island. When they returned, it was already dark, but the direction of the harbor was still lit.

"Naruto, how is it?"

"There are seven ninjas on the island, including Mr. Taoli and Mr. Baixiao. Mr. Taoli should be a Jonin, the others are mostly Chunin, and there are two Genin." Naruto didn't hide anything about this, and he didn't think Kakashi would abandon the mission.

Don't think he didn't know; Kakashi had released a summoning beast along the way, probably to consult the Third Hokage. If the Hokage's order was to retreat, they wouldn't have reached the Land of Waves. Naruto believed the Land of Waves had already provided sufficient information.

Meanwhile, along the coast of the Land of Fire.

"Chojuro, is this the report you wrote?" Mei Terumi summoned her beloved student alone and slammed the report on the table. "Didn't I tell you that reports shouldn't be mixed with personal emotions?"

The blue-haired boy kept his head down, but his back was straight, silently waiting to be scolded.

Mei Terumi knew her disciple well; this was a veiled apology, a sign that he was inwardly resentful. Her disciple was exceptionally talented and of impeccable character, but too stubborn, naively believing the world consisted only of good and evil. Thankfully, the report hadn't been submitted yet, otherwise that fat, round pig would have caused another ruckus.

Honestly, if it weren't for the lord's order, who would willingly wade into these troubled waters? Building a port of this scale in such a short time, with trade routes almost immediately established, is simply an achievement that ordinary people couldn't accomplish by working in isolation. That Mr. Taoli is definitely no ordinary person.

Mei Terumi sighed, giving up on lecturing her students, and instead began to carefully review the report. When she turned to the page with the portraits of her students, her hands unconsciously tightened, wrinkling the corners of the page.

No way?

Mei Terumi heard her own heartbeat, the sound of excitement at seeing old friends and formidable enemies. She never imagined that a moment of youthful curiosity would become the key to breaking the deadlock.

Few people in this world know what a ghost looks like, but she happens to be one of them.