Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 169 "A Whole Day"

Negotiations will definitely have to rely on Naruto.

From the moment Naruto disembarked and greeted them, the two adults opposite him seemed less tense. After five sentences, their initial wariness transformed into relative enthusiasm. Since it was getting late, they were ushered into a simply furnished but sturdy place, where hot water, toiletries, and two rooms were provided. Because they didn't know when they would arrive, and seafood is all about freshness, the food was still in the ingredient stage and hadn't been cooked. By the time the heroes had cleaned themselves up, the hot meal was ready.

"Is it not to your liking?" Naruto, who was already adept at handling drinking etiquette, was eating with great enjoyment, but he noticed that Sasuke seemed to be eating little. He immediately started racking his brains, trying to figure out what this picky eater's dietary restrictions were. Seafood doesn't seem like it either, does it?

Sasuke shook his head, his eyes quickly sweeping over the two people opposite him, his whole body filled with discomfort.

"Is it because you don't like seafood?" Mr. He stopped his pleasantries and asked with concern, "Let me make you two more home-style dishes."

"You're too kind, there's no need for that." Naruto, of course, understood Sasuke's plea for help and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "My friend is just not used to having too many people around and is too shy to eat freely."

Seeing Sasuke's crestfallen face, the understanding adult smiled and then made an excuse to leave. They were originally planning to leave anyway, since those reanimated couldn't eat, and sitting too long would give them away. Hizashi was simply too curious about why Naruto was there, and inevitably wondered if his son was nearby. Ninja missions couldn't be asked directly, so he had to subtly steer the conversation, trying to find some clues from the abstract descriptions of the battle. Naruto didn't reveal anything related to his teammates. He understood a father's concern for his son, but he also had to maintain his image as a reliable captain; he couldn't betray his teammates. Coming here was Hizashi's own choice; he should have anticipated this infrequent reunion. But a few more years would be fine; after his official resurrection, he could always find a way to give Neji more missions here.

With no outsiders present, Sasuke's appetite clearly whetted, and he went on a wild spree. Of course, food at sea is not as good as on land. With limited resources, survival is the only priority. This situation also occurs when crossing deserts and no-man's-land. If only there were more portable, more nutritious, and easier-to-eat fast food, we can't be so rich that we have to eat soldier's rations every day.

During lunch break, Naruto's to-do list grew by another item. Sasuke, having eaten and drunk his fill, rested for a while before habitually going to the yard to train. Morning runs and evening practice were his routine; he couldn't maintain this habit on the ship, so he couldn't neglect it now that he had a training ground. Watching Sasuke wielding his longsword under the moonlight, Naruto unconsciously thought of the balcony and roof of their small apartment, Sasuke's favorite training spot. Naruto was always incredibly busy every night, but occasionally, very occasionally, he would use his super-sensory to glance outside. He had to admit, the Uchiha clan's appearances were simply too perfect, especially his friends. People are always unconsciously drawn to beautiful things, so it wasn't strange to wash away fatigue by admiring his friends' heroic figures, was it?

"You're leaving tomorrow afternoon? That's too fast. We haven't even had a chance to throw you a celebration banquet yet." Mr. He genuinely thought so. July is the best time to harvest many kinds of seafood, but due to the sea monster, everyone was on edge when they went out to sea, and the harvest wasn't great. Now that the shadow of the sea monster has finally disappeared, and most of the month has already been wasted, they must make the most of the remaining time.

“We’ve gotten separated from the team and we need to rejoin them as soon as possible. Clearing out the sea monster is part of our mission, it’s just our duty, there’s no need to make things so complicated.” Naruto’s eyes were fixed on the door, unable to look away for even a second. Although he was absent-minded, his answer was still meticulous, and he didn’t reveal any flaws.

Hiashi smiled bitterly to himself, lamenting that it really was the world of young people these days. This Naruto Uzumaki was truly a worthy candidate for Hokage, with top-notch strength and temperament.

"Shall we explore the town a bit more tomorrow?"

Faced with Naruto's sudden question, the two new partners paused for a moment and exchanged glances. Hizashi quickly recovered and nodded firmly. His intuition told him that Naruto was definitely a promising talent for becoming Hikaru, and letting the boy experience the atmosphere of New Hikaru South Town would be very helpful.

"Of course, we welcome every traveler."

Today is July 23rd, Konoha Year 65. In the Land of Mist, geographically further east, the sun rises very early, and even after a few days of jet lag, Naruto still finds it hard to adjust. He was woken by his alarm clock, and in a daze, he got ready. Not long after leaving the house, he bumped into Sasuke at the place where he had eaten the night before. Sasuke was a little surprised to see Naruto at this hour, but simply greeted him and continued eating his breakfast. After finishing their meal, they said goodbye, but Naruto still showed no sign of using the Flying Thunder God Technique. They walked through the slowly awakening streets towards the center of town.

At this point, Sasuke wouldn't be so foolish as to ask, "Was there really a problem with the landing point?"

Naruto smiled without saying a word.

Sasuke stopped on the street, his glare not particularly intimidating. "You've come up with something new again? It couldn't be that you left a mark on the ship in the Land of Mist, could it?"

This time, Naruto answered, "It really is something new. The unmarked Flying Thunder God Technique—even the founder didn't figure it out!"

What is the maximum distance?

"I haven't tested it, but it should be possible to travel three or four hundred kilometers," said someone who had once attempted to cross the entire Land of Fire.

However, even this number was enough to make Sasuke gasp. His expression became complicated, but he showed neither fighting spirit nor anger at being tricked. Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he sensed a hint of joy in Sasuke. This wasn't right, was it? Shouldn't he be looking for a fight? Then he could use that as an excuse to point out the weakness of this thing—its inability to be used in intense, real combat.

However, Sasuke didn't answer. His dark eyes stared straight at him as he asked, "So what were you trying to achieve by going to such lengths to shake them off?"

Naruto felt his heart racing. Even though he had clones all over the world wandering around, why was he nervous about escaping a mission?

"Can't you take a break once in a while? I racked my brains to find a whole day to spend with you, don't you want to?"

“No.” Sasuke answered quickly, grabbing his hand expressionlessly. “We agreed on a whole day, not a minute less.”

Isn't he... still like a child?