Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 51, A Gust of "East Wind"

"The Daimyo of the Land of Water wouldn't directly issue orders to a ninja team. You're lying." Ao had actually believed half of it when he saw the scroll. The other half that made him suppress his offensive urges was because this guy calling himself Golden Wheel had just appeared behind him without warning—something far more terrifying than facing a powerful enemy head-on. He needed to figure out this person's abilities to have any chance of breaking the deadlock.

“I specifically had the daimyo issue two edicts, one sent to Kirigakure, and the other I brought here directly to deliver. Otherwise, by the time Kirigakure reacts, we'll probably have already suffered heavy losses.” Jinlun’s logic was perfect, and it also showed his businessman’s nature. “Compared to Gato, I admire Mr. Tori more. The Land of Waves is also an important supply point for the Dongfeng fleet. These days, it’s not easy to find a good port, ninja sir.”

The scroll fell into Qing's hands. He carefully read through the contents with his white eyes open, and after confirming that there was no possibility of forgery, he disarmed himself, which meant putting his weapons back in their sheaths.

"The material is correct, the handwriting is correct, the anti-counterfeiting measures are correct, and the seal is correct. This is indeed a decree from the daimyo. Congratulations, Mr. Kinlun, on obtaining the land deed of the Land of Waves from Kado." Driven by a sense of revenge, Qing deliberately revealed part of the scroll's contents. He knew very well that the people of this land deeply resented everything from Kado's era, believing the land beneath their feet belonged to them. What would their reaction be if they knew the land deed still existed, but had a new owner?

However, he didn't get what he wanted. Tazuna finally realized what was happening, his eyes shining, so excited that he ran out of the protective circle. But he stopped in front of the golden wheel, standing straight and at a loss, just about to ignore everything and bow when he saw the golden wheel's outstretched hand.

I still prefer handshakes.

Tazuna was almost moved to tears. He gripped the other hand tightly, waved it vigorously, and said, "I've long admired Lord Golden Wheel's name, and seeing you today, I can truly say you are wise and mighty. Mr. Taoli has mentioned your deeds and thoughts many times, and we all yearn to meet Lord Golden Wheel... Waaah..."

Jinlun maintained a polite smile. "After this matter is over, I will stay for a day to see the ninjas off before leaving. We can talk about this then. Right now, Taoli is fighting a tough battle."

Tazna immediately let go, but as he sent the golden-wheeled figure away, knowing full well that the other party would not turn back, he still waved his arm like a windmill.

"Mr. Tazuna, is that someone we know?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

“It’s the Morning Star.” Daz said, tears welling in his eyes, using an exaggerated term. Then, he mysteriously pulled out a small notebook and held it up to the two Konoha children. “Interested in learning about the East Wind?”

Naruto on the other side was having a blast.

Hiramekarei is a ninja tool that requires a high level of chakra reserves and precise control, and Naruto happens to possess both. He uses it far more skillfully than Chojuro at this stage, wielding it like a chakra lightsaber and even creating chakra thrusts that pin people to the ground. It seemed that if this continued, Chojuro would be beaten to tears, so just as he was about to place Hiramekarei next to him, a loud shout came from behind him.

"stop!"

Turning around, he saw the golden wheel-like clone grab Qing's shoulder, and no matter how much the other struggled, it was useless.

Kid, Sage Mode? Never seen that before, have you?

"That boy had no intention of killing. Ninja, we shouldn't delay any longer; we need to find your leader as soon as possible."

Naruto readily tossed the flounder aside, seemingly unfazed by playing both roles, and calmly asked, "Are you looking for that Jonin from the Water Mist? They're in that direction."

"Thank you," said "Golden Wheel," carrying Qingyue on the sea surface, and then flew away like a surfboard, riding the waves.

"Should we tie this up?" Bai, who had already bound his opponent tightly, handed over a rope at this moment.

Naruto looked down at Chojuro, whose eyes were brimming with tears and who was chained up so tightly that he would get hurt no matter how he moved. Then he looked at Haku, who was all smiles, and felt Haku's cunning side even more acutely. He'd already caused him so much psychological trauma, and now he had to tie him up again?

"No... I guess not."

Surfing is thrilling, but being grabbed and propelled across the water at several times the speed of surfing is doubly exhilarating. This golden-wheeled creature had just been calling him "Ninja Master," but then easily subdued him, controlling the water with unparalleled ease without even a hand seal. If he weren't a ninja, he'd be eating his words right there!

Unfortunately, his anger was quickly replaced by fear. Seeing the continuous mist, Qing immediately shouted, "Stop! Stop right now! We can't rush in!"

Jinlun braked suddenly, but instead of him holding Qing, Qing was clinging to his arm like an octopus. Fortunately, the massive boost from Sage Mode was enough to support the weight of an adult.

"…green?"

The captain's call snapped Qing out of his daze. He immediately let go and jumped three feet away from the acid mist that was almost touching his back, saying, "Captain, the daimyo has sent new instructions. The owner of this land has changed. The new one doesn't want us to interfere here."

While the two from Kirigakure were exchanging words, the other three, including Zabuza, who was struggling to break through the thick fog, also looked in this direction. Zabuza, sword in hand, flew out, seemingly running faster than when he was fleeing for his life. If the atmosphere hadn't been so tense, he would have already cleaved Ao in the head. Kakashi and Sasuke were completely bewildered, but for Zabuza's sake, they had no choice but to follow, only to witness a truly astonishing scene.

Zabuza nearly lost the Executioner's Blade in the sea, but luckily they were in shallow water. The blade sank into the seabed, leaving only the hilt above the surface. He gripped one of Kinrin's hands, his demeanor resembling Tazuna's earlier by about 70%, with the remaining 30% being the composure of a ninja.

"That's roughly how it is." The young leader of the East Wind explained the situation to Zabuza, saying, "Momo, you don't need to worry anymore. My east wind arrived just in time, didn't it?"

The battle ended in such an absurd way.

The new land title holders abandoned their pursuit of the Land of Waves, so the Hidden Mist ninjas who were sent there could receive their mission fees as usual without having to risk their lives to complete the mission, and naturally they were unwilling to start another conflict.

As she was about to leave, Mei Terumi looked meaningfully at the seemingly harmless Kinrin and asked a question: "Just how many places has your east wind blown over?"

"Hmm? Our shipping routes cover the coasts of various countries, but going around the Land of Thunder is a bit too troublesome. It would be great if we could build a canal through the Land of Mist." Jinlun's answer was businesslike and watertight. He seemed not to have understood the other party's hint, yet he also seemed to be deliberately revealing his ambition.

The Hidden Mist ninja left, and Naruto was greeted by Zabuza Momochi, who idolized him even more. Although Zabuza strongly desired to entertain Kinrin, Naruto worried that his clones wouldn't be able to handle excessive enthusiasm. It turned out that Sakura's shadow clones had received a massive amount of information, crashed, and returned. Naruto's main body immediately learned about the so-called "Collection of Golden Quotes" and changed his mind on the spot, deciding to run away. His reason was that he needed to keep an eye on the Hidden Mist ninjas to make sure they had returned.

Zabuza watched the golden wheel depart with regret. This was the first time he had seen the leader outside the base! Although the leader could only operate under the name "Dongfeng" for the time being, he believed that as long as he worked hard enough, one day, the name "Hui" would resound throughout the world!

At that moment, he was unaware that not far behind him, Naruto was struggling to suppress the twitching at the corner of his mouth. The booklet wasn't a handwritten version, but a standard printed one, containing many of the words he had spoken during meetings; the original version was never heard by ordinary people.

So, which of those four people was the one who did it?

Naruto smiled, startling Sasuke beside him. Hadn't the fight been enough? How could he see Naruto's smile before he even started his prank?