Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 17 "Xinxiang"

"There's new information from the Mizukage side." Shisui rarely returned to the base, and he didn't even take off his disguise. "The Fourth Mizukage has been assassinated again, this time by Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"The Seven Ninja Swords haven't all defected yet? With that kind of behavior, no one could stand it." Izuna gave the Mizukage a scathing critique, saying that a Kage had really failed miserably.

The head of the research department, who had started attending meetings with the intelligence department at some point, chimed in, "The Fourth Mizukage's actions are illogical and not in the best interests of the Kirigakure. Instead, it seems like he wants to destroy Kirigakure."

"...Is it possible that he's being controlled?" Naruto tried to convey the truth.

“Impossible, a perfect Jinchuriki can resist genjutsu.” Tobirama immediately denied the only truth.

Izuna said impatiently, "Why bother with other people's messy affairs? The more chaotic Kirigakure becomes, the better it is for us."

Naruto, having failed in his attempt, didn't persist in his decision. After all, this matter wasn't discovered until after the Fourth Mizukage's death in his previous life, and "Hikari" had only recently gotten on track; he couldn't afford for Black Zetsu to find out now. Moreover, he was more concerned about the assassin in this assassination attempt.

"The assassination attempt failed. Did the assassin survive?"

"It's rare, but he did survive and took a group of people with him."

Naruto smiled and asked, "What do you guys think of Zabuza Momochi?"

Shisui was somewhat puzzled, but still answered honestly, "Momochi Zabuza, known as 'Demon,' killed all the examinees in the Chunin Exams during the Kirigakure's reign. Rumors say he was bloodthirsty and a true demon."

“But when he left Kirigakure, there were still people willing to defect with him.” Izuna said with an air of knowing everything. “At least in terms of treating his own people, this person is quite commendable.”

"And he dared to challenge a Shadow, which shows great courage. It's a pity he failed; his strategy was lacking." Tobirama added without looking up as he flipped through his thick experimental report.

After their comments, the attitudes of the group became quite clear.

Naruto said, "Then let's go and make contact with Shisui."

"Huh? Oh, yes, sir." Shisui didn't understand, but still obeyed. "Is it really okay to have this kind of experience?"

"It's all up to your judgment. If you think it's okay, then it's fine. I trust your judgment!" Naruto easily passed the buck. It couldn't be more comfortable not having to do everything himself.

Shisui was a little speechless, but after reporting the mission, he immediately remembered what had prompted him to come back, and turned to ask, "Lord Tobirama, is Lord Hashirama at the base? I have something I'd like to ask him."

"Your older brother is in Experimental Field No. 3 and won't be out for a while. Why don't you go find him directly?"

Today's meeting was an impromptu meeting of the intelligence department because the assassination attempt on the Mizukage was a matter that wasn't too big or too small. It was rare for Naruto to appear during the day, indicating that Sasuke was unusually staying home and not training, which allowed Naruto to use Shadow Clones to cope with the next day. He had just finished his meeting with the intelligence department when the construction and propaganda departments came knocking.

The Minister of Construction was actually Hashirama Senju, but reporting this matter was somewhat difficult for the First Hokage. Since his reanimation, Hashirama had lost interest in official documents, preferring to spend his time in the fields researching how to increase yields per acre. Therefore, Tobirama selected two deputies from the Senju lineage of recent times to specifically assist his elder brother.

Today's report comes from Senju Kashiwagi. As a young man who left an impression on Tobirama during the Second Hokage's reign, his abilities are beyond question. However, he was truly a builder, not suited for the battlefield, and tragically passed away after only a few missions. He values ​​this opportunity for rebirth highly, especially the chance to work alongside his two idols, and therefore yearns to continue shining in this new era.

But he had a sworn enemy, the minister of the propaganda department.

Who knew that an Uchiha could be so outgoing as to do the work of the propaganda department! And this Uchiha was clearly a taciturn person when he died, the kind who would only reply with three words when he said a lot!

Bai Shan's basic ninja instincts allowed him to suppress his desire to gnaw on the crickets, and he reported the situation in "Xinxiang" in a businesslike manner.

"Shingo" is located in the southern part of the Land of Rivers, at the border between the states of Fire and River. This village wasn't always called this; its location was awkward, perched on the mountainside, and it was once known as the "Hanging Village." Because of this, communication with the outside world was extremely difficult, and it was largely forgotten by the Land of Rivers.

There are too many children at the base, so it's not suitable to be a pilot site. This place was suggested by an Uchiha, so it's quite remarkable that he was given a mission in such a remote mountainous area.

The transformation of Xinxiang was the first attempt to put theory into practice. The ninjas selected were all gentle and patient with ordinary people. According to the "script," the ninjas arrived on the day the village chief collected taxes, quickly defeated the group of scoundrels, and tied them up in the center of the village for public display.

Villages in unfavorable geographical locations are already heavily reliant on the weather for their livelihood, and in recent years, harvests have been severely poor, yet the taxes to be paid to the lord of the Land of Rivers have increased year after year. This group used this as a pretext to forcibly collect taxes, while also enriching themselves; their evil deeds are simply too numerous to recount. The propaganda department only gave them a few pointers, and the group was nearly torn apart on the spot by the enraged crowd. However, of course, this didn't happen. The ninjas meticulously recorded the villagers' accusations and verified the evidence point by point.

Soon after, these people were beheaded and their heads displayed as evidence read aloud by the ninjas.

Having gained the people's trust, the next step was to promote the idea that "the people are the masters of their own destiny." The propaganda department quickly discovered that this wasn't as difficult as they had imagined, because ordinary people's demands were simple: to live in a safe and stable environment. The long-standing exploitation by the powerful had fueled resentment and also given rise to a seed of hope. They longed for someone to lead them out of the darkness.

Even if they can't escape it themselves, as long as someone stands up, they dare to remain the silent majority in the shadow of these people.

They would deliver food to the ninjas, provide cover for the arrival of envoys from the Land of Rivers, and enthusiastically assist the ninjas in repairing roads.

They were not uncivilized fools, but ordinary people who longed for light.

This was the first time the ninjas realized the power of popular support.

“I believe that the ‘Xinxiang’ experiment was undoubtedly a success.” Bai Shan’s eyes shone with an unprecedented light. “Lord Jinlun, I have seen the power to change the world. I request that Xinxiang be expanded so that more people can see the light of hope.”