Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 191, Part 2

"The elders here should know better than I do the brutality of the first three Shinobi World Wars. We were located in the center of the continent, always on the defensive, and had to face attacks from all four directions. War breeds hatred, and this hatred doesn't just spread among ninjas; countless ordinary people affected also harbored hatred, and this hatred was directly directed at ninjas. You've all seen my reports, right? In every place I went, I would send a clone disguised as an ordinary person to investigate people's acceptance of ninjas. Places that were once battlefields clearly carried hatred. In other places, people were more likely to reject things they didn't understand. Many of my clients only changed their impression of ninjas after spending some time with them."

Koharu's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, but before she could speak, Danzo tapped his cane from the shadows opposite her.

“Ordinary people should have awe for us, and I don’t see what this has to do with asking us to get involved in local conflicts.”

Danzo claims to do everything for Konoha, but he's done his fair share of abuses for personal gain. Furthermore, his ideology is extreme; he trains his subordinates using an elite model, denying those who are eliminated a chance to survive. This approach, supposedly to unleash everyone's potential through bloodshed, ultimately amounts to infighting. Naruto despises Danzo, yet he must admits he sees the true nature of the situation.

Naruto said, "A year ago, the Land of Earth conquered the Land of Birds, but failed to conquer the Land of Owls. A year later, the Land of Wind also set its sights on this place, but the two sides did not fight directly, instead leaving room for dialogue."

"This doesn't prove anything." Danzo didn't care much about small countries, so he naturally didn't know that the people sent were rogue ninjas from Akatsuki. "The Land of Birds is a transit point on the Silk Road, more valuable than the Land of Owls. No one would be foolish enough to spend money to conquer a desert."

Tsunade suddenly said, "Iwagakure is suffering from a shortage of talent and rarely sends its ninjas on overseas missions. Among the mercenaries not belonging to the Five Great Nations, who is Onoki's favorite weapon?"

"..." Danzo did not answer. His expression did not change, but Naruto sensed a subtle surprise.

Naruto replied cheerfully, "It's 'Akatsuki,' an organization full of S-rank rogue ninja."

"Oh? That's interesting. The Land of Wind has probably set its sights on a tough nut to crack. As allies, we should give them a heads-up."

"Wouldn't it be better to just wear down Sunagakure's power like this? They brought this upon themselves."

"Danzo, Konoha and Sunagakure are now allies."

"They probably don't think that way, otherwise how could they have been persuaded by Orochimaru?"

"Has Konoha's defenses remained unchanged for over a decade? How could Orochimaru possibly figure it out?"

"..."

Danzo, who had been speechless for the second time, finally seemed to have calmed down. Tsunade sneered inwardly, but her face was quite bright as she said to Naruto, "Where were you? About the attitude of ordinary people."

"Ah, what I was going to say was that this is a great opportunity, a chance to show the world the goodwill of ninjas." Naruto remained calm despite being suddenly called upon, steadily stating his thoughts. "You see, in the past, wherever ninjas went, war followed, leaving a very bad impression on the world. Although we ninjas are powerful, we are still a minority in this world. The food we eat and the equipment we use are made by ordinary people. How can we not care about the image we project in the eyes of ordinary people?"

"If we can successfully facilitate the negotiations and then publicize them extensively, Konoha's image can at least shift slightly from that of a destroyer to a guardian of peace. If war breaks out again, we can gain the moral high ground, incite anti-war sentiment among the people of other countries, and defeat them from within."

"Gaara, you must have been to many places, what do you think of this place?"

“…I really like it here.” Gaara, who wasn’t carrying his gourd and even had his signature “love” sign hidden on his face, said, “Most of the people here are very enthusiastic, even a little too enthusiastic. I brought my sand here disguised as cargo, and everywhere I went, many people came up to ask me if I needed help. Even if I refused, they would silently help me carry my big boxes up and down.”

It seems the ideological education class was quite successful, and the virtue of helping others has been passed down to many people.

If circumstances allowed, Naruto would definitely have a relieved and proud smile. But this matter evoked a completely different feeling in Gaara, because he came with a mission.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, but in the end I feel that the sand they’ve moved shouldn’t become a weapon to destroy this place, so I’ve decided to abandon the mission.” Gaara is a strong person, but being strong doesn’t mean he won’t feel lost. He looked at the light that had led him out of his predicament last time, longing to be guided again. “Did I do the right thing? As a ninja, I refused a mission.”

The commotion at the table fell silent as everyone's eyes turned to him—a mixture of surprise, confusion, and worry. But Naruto, caught in the eye of the storm, did not back down; he resolutely gave his answer.

“I don’t know what your mission is, but if you truly believe it’s the right choice, then it is.” Naruto tilted his head playfully. “After all, you’re a kind person, and I trust your judgment. Just do what you want to do, and as long as you persevere, you’ll definitely succeed.”

By the end of the meal, Maki, who had initially been able to crack a few jokes, had a completely dead look in his eyes. He knew Konoha had achieved its goal, without even bothering to investigate their mission. They were about to head home to face the storm raging back home. Whether Gaara would learn his lesson or become even more difficult to manage after this incident depended on the Daimyo's final decision. He didn't know which future to pray for now.

"The food in the Land of Wind is quite delicious. I must come back to try the authentic food next time, and remember to treat me, Mr. Maki." Kakashi waved happily. His anxiety had long since disappeared along with the delicious food, and now he was relaxed enough to be humorous.

"Heh, the sandstorms are fierce where we're from, don't get lost." Maki forced a smile through gritted teeth, but he was helpless against this group. He shouldn't have brought all his acquaintances from Konoha to try and get on their good side; how stupid of him!

The children's farewells were less barbed, but Gaara was clearly not happy to leave.

"Gaara, we have more important things to do," Temari said, unable to bear seeing her younger brother looking back every few steps.

I Love Rod paused, then strode forward with a more relaxed air than ever before; he was finally no longer a destroyer of beauty.

Yes, we will succeed.