Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 199 Orochimaru's Discovery and the Loss of Leeks, Waaaaah!

The actions of Fugaku Uchiha and Danzo Shimura, which backfired, did little more than provide entertainment for everyone.

The Uchiha clan's internal division continues slowly but steadily.

Every month, one or two members of the Uchiha clan would find the atmosphere within the clan unbearable and choose to leave the Uchiha territory.

After being imprisoned for several months and regaining his senses, Fugaku Uchiha threw himself into the library upon his release.

He wanted to save the Uchiha clan.

However, he now deeply understands that the actual results are completely different from those described in the book.

In practice, there are far too many problems to solve.

The book only records what to do in one situation.

Fugaku Uchiha must seize the time to learn all the knowledge he needs.

……

On the other hand, while the status of the noodle maker within the Shimura clan may not have plummeted, it certainly wasn't going well for him either.

Danzo was able to rise to power not because he was particularly outstanding.

Rather, it was for a very practical reason: he was a disciple of Tobirama Senju.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Torifu Akimichi are already the heads of other clans.

Uchiha Kagami held a high position within the Uchiha clan, and most people who left the clan's territory were willing to recognize him as their representative.

Mitokado Homura, needless to say, is the retired emperor of Uzushioka.

Koharu Utatane is a bridge between Konoha and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Her status is comparable to that of a guest elder of Konoha, a person whom Yua must bow to first.

People from the same era, some have reached the pinnacle of power, while others spend their days in seclusion at home.

Why is there such a huge difference between people?

But there was nothing they could do; they had already made their choice, and the Shimura family had no choice but to accept it.

Although Shimura Danzo was weaker and more playful than the Akimichi and Sarutobi clans, he was still their classmate.

Moreover, they both became apprentices of the second generation...

At least we can talk to each other...

And what about Danzo, Yua's favorite?

He didn't think there was anything wrong with him.

That's right, even if he sent people to cause trouble in the Land of Rain, even if his people never returned, even if he tricked Uchiha Fugaku into suffering the same fate as him.

But he still didn't think he had done anything wrong.

Danzo believed that his decision ultimately led to this situation because Hanzo the Salamander pretended to be poisoned.

He believed that if Hanzo was half-dead, as the intelligence gathered, then his operation would be a perfect success.

There are people in this world who never look for the reasons within themselves.

Such people may hold high positions due to the benefits of the times or simply because of their privileged background.

However, this does not mean that his character or ability are worthy of his position.

Danzo was that kind of person.

Of course, many people encounter such people in real life, such as your boss or supervisor.

Their rise to power was largely not due to their own abilities.

In reality, most jobs involve very little professional knowledge, but a great deal of interpersonal skills and social skills.

He's a sycophant, stammering when asked about professional knowledge, but knowing exactly how many cars, watches, and mistresses his boss owns.

Well, in short, don't envy or be jealous of people like that who are successful.

If you want to become that kind of person, then go ahead, but you also have to endure the contemptuous looks from others and the cold stares from those you try to please.

Because that's how you survive.

Therefore, in life, it's best to learn a professional skill.

At least...

With this knowledge, you won't have to worry about not finding a job or going hungry.

……

Yuya was perfectly aware of Danzo's psychology.

He wasn't the kind of spiritual mentor who would correct other people's attitudes towards life. Danzo was just like that, so be it. Respect other people's fate and don't interfere too much.

Moreover, if Danzo hadn't acted foolishly, how could Yua have been able to infiltrate the Shimura clan?

"Knock knock knock"

A knock came at the door.

You Ya smiled slightly, cleared his throat, and said in a low voice, "Please come in."

The three men and one woman who entered were the four elite Jonin selected from the best of the best in the Shimura clan.

How to describe the strength of these four people? Even Jiraiya in his current state probably couldn't defeat them.

That is, Jiraiya's level without Sage Mode.

This is already a very strong ninja.

As I said before, in the Naruto world, apart from the overpowered characters, most people are just weaklings. Having this level of strength is already quite impressive.

Yuya glanced at the list, then looked at the four people standing in front of him and asked in a deep voice, "Shimura Isshin, which one is he?"

The tallest and strongest-looking of the four stepped forward and bowed to Youya.

You Ya nodded: "I have read your requests, but I have two solutions here."

It was quite unusual that members of the Shimura clan submitted their application directly to Yuya, bypassing Shimura Danzo and the clan elders.

But considering Danzo's recent foolish actions, you can understand.

If we compare the entire Hidden Leaf Village to a company, then each clan is like a department responsible for its respective business.

If a department head makes a stupid mistake, the people working under him will definitely not want to work for him anymore. What if this guy implicates them one day?

I'd better just work directly with the company's CEO.

That makes it much simpler to understand, right?

The four elite Jonin of the Shimura clan immediately nodded with serious expressions.

Shimura Isshin stepped forward: "Please explain, Hokage-sama."

Yuya nodded: "The first option, your application to lead a team on your own, is quite suitable for Konoha's situation. There will be students graduating this year, and it would be fine for you to lead those students. However, generally speaking, a Jonin leading a team takes at least a year, and normally it is two years. It would be a waste of your talents to just stay in Konoha and lead those newly graduated kids for two years."

So I've come up with a second plan. Since there are four of you, let's elect a captain. Then you can form an elite squad and be directly incorporated into the Konoha elite Jonin squad roster. Of course, the pay will be the same as other elite squads: a fixed 800,000 ryo per month when not on missions, and 1 million ryo for the squad captain. There will be bonuses for missions, generally 3% for the members and 5% for the captain. What do you think?"

In Konoha Village, or rather, in all the ninja villages across the ninja world, these clan ninjas are generally raised by each individual ninja clan.

This is also a major expense for every ninja clan.

Of course, correspondingly, these clan ninjas only obey the orders of their clan leaders. Orders from the "Kage" must first be reported to the clan leader, and then the clan leader will make a decision before deciding how to proceed.

However, it's clear that Danzo's actions were quite outrageous, even to his own people, regardless of what others thought.

These elite ninjas of the Shimura clan looked at their clan leader, who was so immoral, and then at the wise and mighty Third Hokage.

Okay, let's vote.

What Shimura clan? We're all from Konoha!

This is a normal example.

For example, in the original historical process, the three thousand ninja soldiers of the Sarutobi clan were clearly an army that only obeyed the orders of the Sarutobi clan leader.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Asuma Sarutobi, on the other hand, were loyal to Konoha.

Strictly speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Asuma Sarutobi are the ones with a strong sense of justice.

After all, it goes without saying which sounds better: an entire village or just your family.

Therefore, if there were more people like Danzo, Yua would have already persuaded the ninjas of these ninja clans to join him.

It's a pity there's only one idiot like Danzo; that's such a shame.

After much deliberation, the four elite Jonin opposite Yua finally decided to accept Yua's offer of recruitment.

It doesn't matter who you work for, it's still working for someone else.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Yua's treatment was much better than that given by Shimura Danzo.

After all, most ninjas serve their clans, and completing missions is normal for them. How can you ask for extra compensation?

But Yuya is different.

Youya usually issues missions to these elite squads, even patrol missions, and will give about one million taels of silver to the squad to divide among themselves. Of course, how to divide it is up to the squad leader.

If someone from another village commissions Konoha to handle a matter, and Yuya sends an elite team to deal with it, then a certain percentage of the reward given by the other village will be given to the ninjas in these elite teams as compensation.

Not to mention holiday benefits.

If it weren't for the fact that their families share the same surname, all of these people would have to work for You Ya.

Unfortunately, it's not there.

After the four people left, Youya stretched and yawned with a relaxed expression.

I don't know when it started, but he also had to pay attention to his appearance and demeanor.

He's Hokage, after all, and he's not young anymore. If he were to act as easygoing, indifferent, and carefree as before, it would indeed seem somewhat out of place for him.

There are some advantages, though.

That is, You Ya's image is rapidly rising among the younger generation.

Everyone knows that the Third Hokage was a handsome, easy-going older man.

Many young girls think that someone like You Ya is the only one with style.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking. Tsunade would never let Yua go to any shady places, much less allow any people of dubious origin or with ulterior motives to approach Yua.

Yua is too important to Konoha. In fact, Uchiha Kagami's side has already intercepted countless intelligence reports about attacks targeting Yua.

The attacks mentioned here don't just refer to terrorist attacks; all sorts of bizarre tactics are involved, such as seduction and chance encounters.

However, no one has succeeded in doing so yet.

After all, Youya's life is very monotonous, basically going back and forth between two points. When she occasionally goes out to play, she doesn't go alone, but takes her son and daughter to amusement parks or arcades.

If you don't give them a chance, you won't encounter any strange things.

……

In early July of the 39th year of Konoha, after a two-month on-site inspection, the final two hundred or so civil servants were selected.

Of course, it's impossible to say that it's completely fair and just.

However, Yuya is not the kind of person who cannot tolerate even the slightest flaw.

So he turned a blind eye and let it go.

Anyway, people who really do outrageous things will be arrested along with others when they are investigated every year.

Don't assume that Konoha is free of corrupt officials and collusion between government and businessmen.

In fact, as long as the scale becomes large and the wealth increases, there will always be some people who will take risks.

You Ya could only admit that he had underestimated the thieving and petty mentality of some people.

That's good too. If these people don't go in, where will the space be made?

In July, the people from the Land of Rain also arrived to receive the supplies.

After sending a wave of aid, Yuya casually asked if Hanzo needed any assistance.

Unlike Danzo, who wanted to control the entire Land of Rain, Iwagakure only wanted one thing: the right to use the river that runs through the entire Land of Rain. They wanted it, and they didn't want to pay for it.

Therefore, the conflict between Iwagakure and the Land of Rain is not like that between Danzo and Hanzo.

This is the fundamental contradiction between the two sides. Unless Hanzo gives away half of the Land of Rain, Onoki will not be satisfied.

Therefore, Iwagakure and the Land of Rain will definitely fight.

But just how big of a hit...?

I don't know then.

However, for You Ya, he still didn't want to go too far.

That would interfere with his business.

Of course, Onoki wasn't stupid. The example of Kirigakure was still fresh in his mind. How could he possibly have nothing better to do than fight the Land of Rain?

But that canal is just too tempting.

Sigh, if the roads in Iwagakure and the Land of Earth were even slightly easier to repair, Onoki wouldn't be so envious of the waterways in the Land of Rain.

It is well known that rail and road transport are the mainstream modes of transportation on the mainland.

Transportation, particularly highways, is the lifeblood of a country, and its importance is self-evident.

Between Onoki and Hanzo, it's quite possible that one of them might really die...

……

In mid-July, Yua received a bolt from the blue in Konoha.

The children from Sunagakure are going back.

You Ya was immediately displeased.

What's going on with Sunagakure? How come the people you send here to study don't even stay for a full year?

How am I supposed to get them to do internships in various places?

—Most of the children in Sunagakure are twelve or thirteen years old or older, except for Sasori.

What? Using children this age is child labor?

The law was set by Yua. Yua's child labor law only prohibits the use of "Konoha child laborers." What does Sunagakure's child labor law have to do with Konoha's?

However, now...

These people are gone...

Youya's profits are gone...

These people are all ninjas, and although they do all sorts of trivial things, they are the kind of things that really need to be done.

For example, finding cats and dogs, helping with weeding, fertilizing, cleaning streets, etc.

These tasks are beneath the talents of Chunin, and Konoha doesn't have enough Genin. This year's Konoha Ninja Academy students, including Minato Namikaze and Kushina, won't graduate until late October or early November.

It's only July...

What will we do during these four months in between...?

We can't just make up the numbers...

You Yasi couldn't come up with a solution no matter how hard he tried.

Hanzo of the Land of Rain has already replied:

Do you have any weapons? Chakra cannons, give me a few.

Youya rolled her eyes and casually sent over the price list for that chakra cannon from a few years ago.

Strictly speaking, this price is inflated, but right now only I have it in the entire ninja world. Other ninja villages are definitely working on cracking it, and even if they do, they won't sell it to you because for them, this is their "current equipment," not outdated equipment from the previous generation.

No one would sell this kind of equipment.

As expected, Hanzo could only purchase 10 cannons, and the 1 billion ryo he had just received from Yuya was gone just like that.

Hanzo had no choice. The Land of Rain was such a terrible place that there was no environment for scientific research, and he himself was not a scientific research talent. He could only endure Yua's high price.

But if it brings peace, then it's still a win.

Upon hearing that Hanzo had purchased ten cannons, Onoki immediately halted his attack.

While continuing to play is definitely not a problem, why bother?

Taking the canal would be fine if hundreds or thousands of ninjas were killed or wounded, but failing to take it would be a complete loss.

Of course, Onoki also had his own cannons—bought from Konoha—but it was precisely because he had them that he knew their power.

Forget it, forget it, let's not fight anymore. Nobody does business that loses money.

Konoha side:

On a fine, sunny day, the travelogue tells the story of how the people of Sunagakure were sent back to their village.

These children came to Konoha to escape disaster. Now that the internal troubles of Sunagakure are gone, the village's conflicts have become internal conflicts among the Sunagakure Sand Explosion Clan. They will no longer be involved in a possible civil war.

It's time to go back.

The traveler and Scorpion said goodbye to each other, promising that one day they would determine who was the king of the boxing world. Then the two little brats said goodbye to each other, and Scorpion returned to his village.

As for Youya, he could only lament that all his laborers had run away, but there was nothing he could do about it.

I'll just have to make do for the next few months.

……

Meanwhile, in an underground research room somewhere within the Land of Grass:

"Lord Orochimaru!" A disheveled female researcher in a white lab coat wearing thick glasses ran breathlessly toward Orochimaru, clutching a piece of paper in her hand.

"Oh, it's you, P-1. What's wrong?" Orochimaru's expression was very gentle. The female researcher, holding up the paper in her hand, gave Orochimaru an excited look in her eyes.

"We've got it! We've detected that special fluctuation!"

Orochimaru was taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face. The smile looked somewhat ferocious on his pale face, but the female researcher opposite him was not afraid.

because……

This female researcher has eyes exactly like Orochimaru's...

And beneath that raised arm, hidden beneath the white coat... were patches of snake scales...

Orochimaru put on a white lab coat and walked deeper into the laboratory. He gripped a thick steel door tightly and then slowly pulled it open.

The scene inside the gate was immediately revealed.

Inside were objects resembling nutrient tanks, and within each tank, immersed in liquid, humanoid creatures were curled up, as if in a mother's womb...

"Give me the data. Have you determined the category yet?"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru! It's a space-time fluctuation! It's very similar to the space-time fluctuations produced by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique!"

"So... you must have found out something else, right?" Orochimaru looked at the girl next to him who had the same eyes as him, his eyes filled with encouragement.

The girl smiled and nodded: "Yes, I've found the location. Actually, I've already contacted a guide there, and that guide told me that place..."

It was once the ancient Loulan Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)