novelraw Chapter 516 The Konoha Youngsters' Sojourn in the Star Country
Chapter 516 The Konoha Youngsters' Sojourn in the Star Country
Chapter 516 The Konoha Youngsters' Sojourn in the Star Country
Star City, a residential area on the east bank of the Youhe River.
Compared to the bustling urban life on the west bank, the east bank, whether it's the administrative district, the experimental district, or the residential area, is much quieter.
The afternoon sun dappled through the gaps in the leaves, and the branches of the roadside trees swayed gently in the breeze.
A faint floral fragrance filled the air, and occasionally a few sparrows flew over the branches, chirping and then quickly disappeared under the eaves in the distance.
In a room on the second floor of a three-story building, the sound of a television program echoed through the room.
Shikamaru sat on the sofa, one hand supporting his chin, the other holding the remote control, watching the TV screen with a bored expression.
He sank into the soft sofa like a lazy cat, with a listless expression, as if he had little interest in anything around him.
Behind him, on the floor, Choji, Kiba, and Shino were sitting in a circle, holding playing cards and playing a rather unenthusiastic card game.
Choji had a potato chip dangling from his mouth, crunching away as he stared at the cards in his hand, his brow furrowed slightly, seemingly contemplating which card to play.
Ya sat cross-legged on the ground, casually pulling out a few cards and throwing them on the ground, while muttering something to Akamaru above his head.
Shino remained silent as always, wearing sunglasses that obscured her expression. She would occasionally adjust the frames of her glasses before silently playing her cards.
On the balcony, Xiao Li, wearing his green bodysuit, was doing a handstand.
"Three hundred and ninety-seven————Three hundred and ninety-eight————Three hundred and ninety-nine————"
The television was broadcasting a report on this year's autumn harvest in the Star Kingdom.
In the scene, the vast Youhe Plain is golden, with ripe rice ears undulating like waves in the breeze.
Large harvesting machines shuttled through the fields, their rumbling engines churning the rice stalks. Farmers followed behind the machines, their faces beaming with the joy of a bountiful harvest. Some were carrying grain, some were tidying up the straw, and some stood on the ridges of the fields, flashing honest and satisfied smiles at the camera.
The scene shifts, and the narrator, in a passionate and proud voice, introduces this year's harvest: "Even in the eastern region of the Land of Stars, which suffered from drought, basic food production was ensured through water diversion projects and the promotion of drought-resistant varieties, preventing large-scale famine. The ninja teams of the water conservancy department played a crucial role in this—"
Shikamaru watched for a while, then pressed the channel change button on the remote control.
The scene shifts to a news report about the disaster situation in the drought-stricken eastern region.
On television, a reporter is introducing the situation in front of the camera: "Hello everyone, behind me is a newly built simple residential area, which is a resettlement village of the Kuma County government."
In the picture, rows of white prefabricated houses are neatly arranged. Although they are simple, they look clean and tidy.
The scene shifts to a group of refugees from other countries who have flocked to the Star Kingdom, queuing to receive supplies, their faces filled with hope for the future.
The reporter then interviewed a staff member who explained, "Our Bear County government has provided these refugees with temporary shelter, basic necessities, farming tools, and seeds. They are also exempt from agricultural taxes for the first three years. We will help them resume production as soon as possible and integrate into the social life of the Star Kingdom."
Shikamaru's gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds before he pressed the channel change button.
This time, the screen switched to a movie channel.
A line of large characters appeared on the screen: "A Single Spark Can Start a Fire".
The film opens with a desolate scene across the Bear Kingdom. Farmland lies fallow, locusts ravage the land, and the streets are filled with ragged refugees huddled under eaves and in corners, their faces etched with hunger and despair.
Stray dogs roamed the streets, gnawing on unburied corpses by the roadside, emitting low, mournful howls.
A light rain was falling from the sky, and the rainwater mixed with muddy water, flowing into muddy streams on the streets.
In stark contrast are the mansions of the wealthy and powerful families in the city.
Through the high walls and ornate iron gates, one can see that the interior is brightly lit and filled with the sounds of revelry.
The fat, big-eared nobles, dressed in gorgeous clothes, embraced beautiful maids and feasted heartily at the banquet, their laughter echoing throughout.
They talked about hunting, about women, about which property they had their eye on, but they ignored the starving refugees outside the walls as if they didn't exist.
Separated by a wall, two worlds.
Shikamaru looked at the screen, his expression becoming slightly more serious.
He had heard of the movie.
These past few days at Kimimaro's house, when he had nothing to do, he flipped through the newspapers Kimimaro subscribed to and saw reviews of this movie.
Critics have highly praised the film, with some calling it a propaganda film for the ninja revolution, others a documentary exposing the corruption of the nobility, and still others a reminder of past suffering, emphasizing that we should not forget the hardships of the past just because we enjoy today's good life.
It's said that this movie is the Star Kingdom's Lunar New Year film this year, and it's very popular.
The video continues to play.
In the dead of night, a group of ninjas wearing five-pointed star headbands descended like ghosts.
They moved swiftly and coordinated perfectly, silently eliminating the guards outside the mansion before bursting through the gate.
With a flash of light, the fat, burly nobles fell in terror, their blood staining the luxurious carpets and exquisite tableware.
Then, a mysterious figure wearing a white three-eyed fox mask slowly emerged from the shadows.
He dismissed the terrified screaming maids and servants, distributed the grain stockpiled by the daimyo's mansion to the poor, and as more and more refugees poured in, he led countless ninjas to loudly announce to them.
From this day forward, the Kingdom of Bears will no longer have nobles!
From this day forward, this land belongs to everyone who cultivates it!
Thus began a momentous revolution.
Shikamaru watched intently.
It's not just about watching the film; more importantly, the idea of "breaking the old order and building a new world" that this film conveys is highly infectious and persuasive.
It is not just an entertainment work, but also a tool for ideological propaganda.
Just as Shikamaru was engrossed in watching, the sounds of girls laughing and joking came from upstairs.
"Sakura, how's this one?"
"You look great! You look good in anything!"
"Oh dear, that one's too expensive. I'll look at something else instead."
"What are you afraid of? Wasn't the necklace I bought yesterday even more expensive?"
"That's different—"
The sounds came down through the ceiling, mixed with laughter and footsteps; clearly, the girls upstairs were excitedly discussing their shopping haul from yesterday's trip to the pedestrian street.
Shikamaru frowned slightly, looked up at the ceiling, then looked down again and sighed helplessly.
"Ugh—women are such a hassle."
He muttered something under his breath, but didn't say anything, simply turning his attention back to the television screen.
Beside him, Choji fumbled around in the bag of potato chips for a while before finally letting out a wail: "Ah! All the potato chips are gone!!!"
He picked up the empty bag of chips, looked at it under the light to make sure there wasn't even a crumb left, and then threw the bag aside with a frustrated expression.
While looking at the cards in his hand, Ya casually said, "Then we'll just go buy them later."
The red goblin on his head also let out two "woof woof" sounds, as if echoing its master's words.
Shino sat silently to the side, then suddenly his expression changed slightly, and a rumbling sound came from his stomach.
He put down his cards, stood up, and said in a somewhat stiff voice, "I'm going to the restroom."
Then I quickly walked to the restroom at the end of the corridor.
Choji watched Shino's retreating figure and said with some concern, "Did she get a stomachache from that iced cola at lunch?"
They had hot pot for lunch and drank some iced drinks, so it's perfectly normal for them to have an upset stomach.
Ya simply slammed the cards face down on the table, stretched out a big yawn, then turned to look at Lee, who was still diligently training on the balcony, and said, "I wonder how Naruto and Sasuke are doing? I haven't seen them for days."
The voice just fell.
"Shikamaru! Kiba! Choji! Are you there?!"
A familiar voice came from downstairs.
He paused for a moment, picked at his ear, and said uncertainly, "Why am I hallucinating? Am I just too bored lately?"
Shikamaru listened intently for a moment, then stood up, walked to the windowsill, and looked down: "It's Naruto who's come looking for us."
, 7
"What?!" Ya immediately perked up, leaped to his feet, and rushed to the balcony in three quick steps.
Choji put down his cards and ran after him.
Even Xiao Li, who was doing a handstand on the balcony, finished counting, flipped over and landed steadily, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and walked to the balcony railing.
Several people stood on the balcony, looking down.
In the courtyard downstairs, Naruto was looking up with a bright smile on his face, waving vigorously at them.
The sunlight shone on his face, making his bright blue eyes appear exceptionally bright.
Beside Naruto, Sasuke, wearing a black turtleneck t-shirt and black shorts, had his hands in his pockets.
Kiba immediately raised his hand and called out, "Naruto! Sasuke—"
Before he could finish saying "Sasuke," he was interrupted by two high-decibel screams.
"Sasuke-kun!!!"
Shikamaru covered his ears, looking helpless with a "I knew this would happen" expression. Several sparrows on the roadside trees were startled and flew away in panic.
Upstairs at the window, Sakura and Ino leaned out, their eyes shining, their faces filled with surprise and excitement, completely ignoring Naruto beside them, their gazes fixed on Sasuke.
Sasuke's brow twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything. He simply took a half-step to the side.
Naruto grinned nonchalantly, then called upstairs again, "Everyone! Come down! I have something to tell you!"
A little while later.
In the living room, the Konoha 11 members gathered together once again.
The living room, which was originally quite spacious, suddenly felt a bit crowded with so many people crammed in.
Kiba nudged Naruto's shoulder with his elbow and said with a laugh, "I thought you'd forgotten about us."
"How could that be!" Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned, "I've just been too tired from training with Menma and Hikari lately. I just collapse into bed as soon as I get home every day, and I really don't have the energy to come over and play with you guys."
Only then did everyone notice that although Naruto and Sasuke looked clean and tidy, as if they had just taken a shower and changed clothes, upon closer inspection, there were some minor scratches on their faces and the backs of their hands.
Some looked like thin cuts from a sharp object, some like bruises from an impact, and some were tiny abrasions.
Especially Sasuke, who had a pink band-aid prominently displayed on the bridge of his nose.
The color contrasted sharply with his aloof demeanor.
Sakura was the first to notice this detail. She blinked and asked curiously, "Sasuke-kun, what happened to your nose?"
Sasuke's face flushed slightly, and he quickly turned his head to the side, turning his back to everyone and remaining silent.
Naruto, standing to the side, explained with a grin, "Oh, that? Sasuke's mom put it on him."
"Naruto!!!"
Sasuke suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at Naruto.
Naruto quickly raised his hands in surrender, but his smile became even brighter.
Everyone was taken aback.
Sasuke's mother —
The information they had received over the years was that the Uchiha clan was wiped out that night, with only Sasuke surviving.
This is the official statement from Konoha.
For the heirs of the Ino-Shika-Cho triad, such as Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino, they only knew the general information that "some Uchiha clan members survived," and did not know the specific details.
Is Sasuke's mother still alive?
No wonder he left the Star Kingdom.
Everyone's eyes turned to Sasuke.
Sasuke felt uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. He frowned slightly, then turned and glared at Naruto, saying irritably, "Shut up! Have you forgotten why we came here today?"
"Oh right, right, right!" Naruto slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing.
"I almost forgot about the important matter!"
He turned around to face everyone, his tone becoming serious: "Sasuke and I have been doing special training recently. In addition to targeted ninjutsu and ability training, we also have academic classes. We go to the Star Capital Ninja Academy for three days every week."
"Today is a practical lesson; we're going to the grassroots level to experience life there." After a pause, Naruto continued, "Menma asked us to call you guys, saying you must be getting bored staying here, so let's go out and relax."
At this point, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh right, Mianma also said that you can go back anytime you want."
After he finished speaking, the living room was silent for a few seconds.
Shikamaru's brow twitched slightly.
Can I go back anytime?
In other words, the Star Kingdom never intended to detain them from the beginning.
Shikamaru's mind raced through everything he had seen and heard in the Land of Stars: the prosperous towns, the busy yet contented civilians, the Star Ninja revered and loved by the people, the advanced agricultural machinery, the well-received disaster victims, and that revolutionary-themed movie—
This country is different from Konoha.
It was unlike any other country in the ninja world he had ever seen.
Shikamaru thought to himself.
Then he stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and said in his usual lazy tone, "Let's go then, don't keep Menma waiting."
The others also stood up.
Sakura looked at Naruto and Sasuke, as if she wanted to say something.
She noticed that the places on Naruto and Sasuke's foreheads where they should have worn Konoha headbands were now empty, with nothing on them.
They were also much more cheerful than when they were in Konoha, and there was something in their eyes that she couldn't quite explain.
Sakura opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't ask.
Ino, who was standing nearby, seemed to notice Sakura's unusual behavior and gently tugged at her hand.
Sakura turned her head and met Ino's gaze, who shook her head slightly at her.
Now is not the time to ask that.
Sakura paused for a moment, then nodded, without saying anything more.
The group of people walked out of the room one after another, went downstairs, and came to the courtyard.
The person at the back closed the door behind them, then quickly walked a few steps to catch up with the group.
Choji, who was walking beside him, said to Naruto, "Naruto, wait for me when we pass the store later. I've finished my potato chips and need to buy some."
"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll treat everyone to something delicious later." Naruto said to Choji with a smile, "My mom gave me a lot of pocket money—"
The group chatted and laughed.
Akamaru, perched atop the fang, turned around, glanced at the small building receding into the distance behind him, and let out a strange "Aww".
Kiba touched Akamaru's head with some confusion: "What's wrong? Do you find it strange too? It's like you've forgotten something—"
He frowned and thought for a while, but couldn't figure it out. Finally, he gave up and grinned, "Never mind, it shouldn't be anything important."
A while later, after Shikamaru and the others left.
The door to the bathroom on the second floor of Kimimaro's house slowly opened.
Shino, leaning against the wall, walked out somewhat weakly.
His legs were numb and weak from squatting for too long, and he was unsteady on his feet.
He leaned against the wall, slowly moved to the doorway, and pushed it open.
The TV was still on in the room, playing GG. Playing cards were scattered all over the floor, and empty potato chip bags were thrown in the corner. Xiao Li was nowhere to be seen on the balcony.
The room was so quiet that only the sound of GG from the TV could be heard.
Shino stood at the doorway, looking at the empty room, and remained silent for a few seconds.
>