In Konoha, Naruto lies down

~~

"Uzumaki Naruto! You deserve to die!" Sasuke cut a green tree with a knife. He had no place to vent his anger. He listened to the sound of the wind coming from the pine trees in the forest and roared.

"Don't be angry, Sasuke. That guy has always been like this." Karin advised, "The front battlefield is about to have a breakthrough. The ninja coalition is almost unable to hold on."

"How could they not hold on? The Five Kage haven't made a move yet, and Uzumaki Naruto is nowhere to be found." Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were gloomy. "He's not even on the battlefield. He's gone to the Land of Grass."

"Can anyone tell me how he travels back and forth between the two places?"

"This..." Karin felt that Sasuke was a little too obsessed. He seemed to care a lot about Uzumaki Naruto. In fact, Sasuke didn't need a good reputation now.

They were planning to destroy the Five Nations. Compared to this, the trivial matters of the capitals of the Grass Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom were nothing. But she couldn't say anything and could only helplessly watch Sasuke lose his temper.

Sasuke seems to have become more irritable recently, which is not his usual temperament. Perhaps it's because the battlefield is too stressful, and Kabuto Yakushi and Zetsu's group have their own ulterior motives.

Although the opposing ninja coalition was not a united force, they were at least aware of the priorities of the conflicts and knew they could not lose, so they were willing to fight to the death on the battlefield.

On the other hand, the old waste from the Impure World Reincarnation was completely useless. Although it did cause heavy losses to the Shinobi Alliance, that was all.

The Raikage and the Kazekage swept through the enemy lines, and overall, the ninja coalition did not suffer heavy losses.

Both sides were now testing their patience. Kabuto Yakushi was waiting for the ninja coalition to lose patience, as they were, after all, a makeshift force. Failure to achieve victory in one go, coupled with constant small defeats, would inevitably lead to a collapse in morale.

Everyone understands the principle, but it is hard to say how things will develop in detail.

Although the White Zetsu have no heart and obey orders absolutely, the brain that controls them is only Kabuto Yakushi. Although the people on the side of the Shinobi Alliance are in chaos, they may not be unable to fight if they use their power well.

The one who suffered the most was Uchiha Sasuke. Not only did he have to wait, but he also had to endure Uzumaki Naruto's provocation.

Karin understood all of this, but she had no other choice. The battlefield was dominated by Kabuto Yakushi. Now the only thing they could do was to quickly defeat the Allied Shinobi Forces and hasten their collapse.

The land of snow.

"What's going on with the Allied Ninja Forces?" Hinata Hanabi asked curiously.

"It's nothing. With the higher-ups taking care of it, the situation is relatively stable." Naruto answered casually, carefully moving his head away from Hinata's belly.

After he got up and washed his hands, he brought a plate of grapes and sat next to Hinata, peeling them carefully. Hinata sat there quietly with a peaceful smile on her face.

The scenery of the Snow Country is quite beautiful. Outside the capital, there are the northern scenery, with majestic snow-capped mountains and long rivers covered with ice for thousands of miles. However, inside the capital, it is like spring all year round and is very lively.

There was also a chattering Hinata Hanabi beside her. The two sisters went out for fun from time to time. They had been here for a month or two, but they had not even visited one corner of the capital.

Naruto would come over to accompany her whenever he was free, sometimes without even having time to change his clothes, and his hair was a mess. Hinata was actually very satisfied with her current life and felt happy.

"I'm worried about the village. I don't know if my father has gone to the front lines," Hanabi muttered. "They say it's the Allied Ninja Forces, but they've been fighting for a long time and there's still no news."

"How could Lord Hiashi go to the front line? Neji has already gone to the front line, so Lord Hiashi should naturally stay in the rear." Naruto snorted and fed a grape to Hinata's mouth.

"Ah, open your mouth."

Hinata narrowed her eyes into crescents and opened her mouth obediently.

"I can peel it myself. I'm not a child."

"How can I let you do this? It's not a big deal. You have a baby in your belly." Naruto said softly and fed another grape into Hinata's mouth.

"Let me handle this little thing, it's okay."

Hinata Hanabi got goosebumps as she listened to this. If she didn't know that her brother-in-law was not a good person, she would have actually believed that this was a good man.

But her own sister doesn't mind sharing a husband with someone else, so why should she mind?

Even though Hinata Hanabi was unhappy with Naruto, she had to admit that her cheap brother-in-law really paid attention to details and took everything into consideration.

If I put my thoughts somewhere else... No, I can't put them somewhere else, otherwise what will happen to my sister?

She shook her head, looking at Hinata's smiling face, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She thought to herself, my silly sister, have you forgotten that there is also Ino.

In fact, if Hanabi didn't think about it carefully, she wouldn't even remember that her cheap brother-in-law had another little Ino besides Hinata.

This guy really pays attention to details. Not to mention that he never mentions Ino in front of Hinata, what's even more amazing is that every time he comes back, he can create the feeling of rushing home.

It makes people feel that apart from being busy on the battlefield, Naruto seems to be only concerned about Hinata. His eager look at home is worthy of a performance award.

What amazed Hanabi even more was the details... Although this guy's clothes would get dirty and messy sometimes, there would never be any bloodstains, whether it was his or someone else's.

"Hmm, are you going back to the battlefield later?" Hua Bi asked anxiously.

"You're so disrespectful! What are you talking about?" Naruto also noticed the aggression in Hanabi's words and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Call me brother-in-law."

"It's a beautiful thought."

"Don't you like Princess Fengyun? Do you think I can help you get her autographed poster?" Naruto smiled contemptuously. He had plenty of ways to deal with this restless sister-in-law.

"Is this true?" Hua Huo's eyes lit up as she stood up from the sofa, her bare white feet stepping on the floor. "I heard she stopped making movies six years ago and disappeared."

"Hehe, I took on a mission six years ago. Guess who it is related to?" Naruto carefully grasped Hanabi and did not directly say that Princess Fengyun was the queen of the capital of the Snow Kingdom.

He had to be careful not to let Hinata Hanabi get all her satisfaction at once, but had to let her go little by little. Otherwise, there would be nothing he could do to stop her from talking nonsense around Hinata.

"What is it?"

"It's Princess Fengyun's commission. I happen to have some signed gifts, like a signed poster of the Princess Trilogy movie theme." Naruto said calmly, "I usually can't think of them, and I don't know what they're for. If no one wants them, I'll just throw them in the fireplace and burn them."

"Me, me, me! I want it! Brother-in-law!" Hua Huo's eyes were full of stars, she jumped very high, and she followed her heart.

"Well, since you want it, I'll give it to you." Naruto scratched his head in pretend distress. "As for the other peripheral gifts, I don't know where to put them. Where do you think I can put them?"

Hinata Hanabi blinked, looking as if she understood immediately.

"Don't worry, brother-in-law. Take your time to look for them. I want them all. I'll be here to take care of you and wait for your good news."

Tsk, little bastard, I can’t cure you.

Naruto can beat ten naughty kids like her, so who else can he ask?

~~

Time flies. The ninja alliance has been fighting for almost a month, and the military strength of both sides is rapidly decreasing.

Naruto's daily routine involves wandering the battlefield, clearing out the White Zetsu around the camp, and supporting the besieged ninja team. He also takes time to travel back to Konoha to talk to Ino, or to the Snow Country to spend time with Hinata.

He would occasionally visit Sakura in the Land of Rain, but she was busy, so he didn't go there often.

The reconstruction of Yuyin was progressing much faster than he had expected. After all, with its industrial foundation, everything would be easy once the money was in place. Raw materials were continuously shipped into Yuyin, and the reconstruction work was in full swing.

"Are you still short of money? If you are, I have some." Naruto said.

Xiaonan felt a little embarrassed. This was the first time that Yuyin Village had become so wealthy.

"No, not for now. The current budget is more than enough. During wartime, people's expectations for the future are low, so the unit prices for materials and labor are very low."

"Is it really enough? Do you want to invest more?" Naruto turned around, looking confused, like a nouveau riche.

Xiaonan could never guess how rich this guy was. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was rich enough to rival a country. After all, most of the Snow Country belonged to him. In addition, this guy also liked to rob nobles and frame Uchiha Sasuke.

All in all, his wealth was incalculable. He would feel miserable if he didn't spend money every day. His money was piling up, and if he didn't spend it, it would be nothing more than waste paper.

"Really?... How about we invest a little more?" Xiaonan noticed that his expression was not right and changed the subject, "Shall I try to increase the budget?"

Chapter 542: The Bird Country Toki, the Completely Bewitched Female Daimyo

"That's right. If you don't increase the budget, how can I spend this money?" Naruto said seriously, "Even if you save money for me, the people under you need to eat."

"If you don't reach out to take it, how can the people working for you take it? You need to understand this principle, sort out your thoughts, and quickly join this relationship."

"If people can't earn money, how can they be willing to spend it? Right now, during wartime, people don't have high expectations for the future. Naturally, if they can't earn money, they'll choose to spend less."

"Think about it, we're doing a no-cost business, and we have ample funds. The public certainly isn't aware of this. But there are always smart people among the public, and they'll try to figure out the Hidden Rain Village's strength."

"As for how to figure it out, it's nothing more than judging by the money flowing out of our hands. So don't be afraid of going over the budget; just add as much as you can."

Xiaonan was embarrassed, thinking that he had no problem saying such a thing as a no-cost business. Stealing money from other countries to support his own small country, was he a genius?

"Okay, I understand." She replied, but then hesitated and said, "The Rain Country is too small. Even if we equip the Rain Country, we can only protect ourselves at best."

"No matter how much money we spend, if we offend the three neighboring countries, we will not be able to resist their deep-seated strategy. Regardless of whether we win or lose, the Rain Country will be completely shattered."

"So... I understand equipping the Hidden Rain Village, but why include the Rain Country? I'm not saying we don't need to care about the Rain Country, I just think..."

Naruto knew what Konan was going to say. Even if you had a lot of money, you couldn't spend it like that. The Rain Country was small, and if the armies of the three major countries came in formation, they would be enough to crush the Rain Country to pieces.

If we can't come up with a way to resist the crushing of the three major countries' armies, building asphalt roads will be useless. It will all be a waste of time and in vain.

"But we have to do it no matter what, right?" He thought for a moment and said, "Holding on to the heartland of the Rain Country is secure, but it can only protect us."

"But we can't keep hiding like this. Nagato and Yahiko are dead, but their wishes live on. We who are still alive should do what we can, right?"

For some reason, he originally wanted to say that he had his own way. But when the words came to his lips, he habitually stacked a few layers of buffs such as friendly villages, and this time he said it out loud.

Although I don’t know what the use of these buffs is, I’d better stack them if I can, just in case... they have miraculous effects. After all, everyone in the ninja world likes this.

Climb for grandpa.

He was thinking this in his heart, and when he turned around, he saw Xiaonan's eyes were red. He was stunned for a moment. He couldn't help but think to himself, am I really a genius?

"Thank you...you." Xiaonan wiped her tears and said while sniffing.

He said it was okay and patted Xiaonan's shoulder gently, thinking to himself, I am such a fucking genius, I am invincible.

"Then again, there's a way out of this." Naruto regained his composure and suddenly said, "If the place isn't big enough, then why not just rob the three major countries?"

"We rob?" Xiaonan was a little surprised. She wondered if Naruto was drunk.

"What can't be snatched?" Naruto said nonchalantly, "Right now the five great nations are forming a coalition to fight the White Zetsu. They don't have time to look back."

"Besides, even if the three major nations win, won't they still have to seek passage through smaller nations like the Grass Country, the Bird Country, and the River Country?"

"We've already taken over the Land of Grass. Now we only have the Land of Birds, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Waterfalls left. I happen to have some connections with the Daimyo of the Land of Birds. Let's use courtesy first and then force."

"I have some connections with the Land of Earth, and there's a high probability that Iwagakure will cede some of their land. The situation is similar in the Land of Wind, and they might be able to get some land."

"The Fire Nation isn't very good. Although I'm with Konoha... Konoha won't give it to me on its own initiative. I can only think of a way to make him spit it out himself."

Xiaonan was shocked and looked at Naruto in surprise, wondering how this guy could be connected to everyone. How many people did he have connections with? How could he be connected to the three major countries and several small countries?

"Is this really okay?" Xiaonan was surprised.

"It'll work," he said confidently. "Don't be afraid to spend money. Just get the job done. If you run out of money, you can always get more. But if you lose an opportunity, it won't come back."

"Aren't you worried about the situation in Konoha?" Konan asked.

"Don't worry about that. Let's get our affairs done well, and there will be fewer wars in the ninja world in the future." Naruto said firmly, "War will come every few years. This is our only chance."

"Ah."

~~

Bird country.

This was just a small country, too poor to make much money, and there was a record of a country being established in this place since ancient times. None of the three major countries wanted to touch the Bird Country, after all, they only needed to pass through.

But Naruto just didn't want them to pass through, and wanted to be a nail in the throat of the three major countries.

The Rain Kingdom is weak, the Bird Kingdom is poor, and the Grass Kingdom is in chaos. The three great kingdoms may be behind this, but no matter what, if we merge them...

Thinking this, Naruto walked into the capital of the Bird Kingdom.

After a quarter of an hour of waiting, Naruto saw the Daimyo of the Bird Country. The ibis that had been so arrogant and domineering that he had slapped her several times now seemed to be even more beautiful.

"Uzumaki Naruto? Long time no see." Toki was wearing the colorful robes of a daimyo, a tall hat, light makeup on her face, and a pair of impressive breasts...

Naruto had forgotten her name at that moment, so he just called her Little Watermelon. Anyway, they were acquaintances, either friends or enemies, so it didn't matter if they had nicknames.

Little Watermelon smiled brightly, with her red lips pursed into a thin line.

"Why did you come to the Land of Birds? It's been six years, and you finally came. You probably haven't even read any of the letters sent to Konoha."

Naruto said nothing, but looked at her guards. The latter understood her intention, dismissed her guards, and told them that Naruto was an honored guest of the Bird Kingdom.

He didn't know whether it was noble or not, but he knew that the daily expenses of the Bird Country were quite expensive. What was even more terrible was that they simply couldn't afford the war expenses.

"Of course I came here this time to tell you something. One is good news and the other is bad news. Which one do you want to hear?" he said.

"Is there any more bad news?" Zhu Lu asked with a puzzled look.

"The bad news is that you can no longer be a daimyo. The Bird Country will be annexed by the Rain Country. There is no turning back. If you don't agree, war will come soon."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lu's face changed drastically.

"war?"

"Yes."

"But why? Our Bird Country has never been rich. Why would the Rain Country want to attack us for no reason? And... Naruto, you are not from Konoha?"