Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 188 Passing By

The bustling atmosphere made Afei feel like he was sitting on pins and needles, but some unknown force kept him pinned to the thorny chair, forcing him to drink tea made from old tea leaves from a large bowl covered in tea stains while staring intently out the window. The food street was more organized today, with a clear path in the middle. There were significantly more people on the roadside than he had seen the other day, and there were also groups holding colorful flags and banners that read "Warmly welcome agronomist Ayihan back to the country."

It's hard for him not to be familiar with this name, because you can see it everywhere, in all sorts of strange places. This is a very common advertising tactic: using massive exposure to make someone instantly recognizable.

Afei used this method, but not to publicize his achievements; rather, he wanted to use public opinion to destroy certain people. This is the biggest difference between him and the so-called "Hui."

He put down his teacup and stared blankly. The teacup had been used for a long time; the white porcelain had developed a brownish-red patina. But he could clearly see that the tea was clear, with few floating particles, and the aroma was rich and lingering, even better than some expensive black teas. Yet this was just a small shop he'd randomly chosen; the simple, old-fashioned decor didn't look like something a wealthy person would like. And the price of this pot of tea was very reasonable, like what you'd find at any roadside tea stall.

Everything here was challenging his understanding, from major choices to minor details; it presented him with a completely different social landscape. He felt helpless and overwhelmed, yet he never considered escaping.

why?

Cheers from the crowd came from afar, rolling in like waves. He looked up and saw that the one leading the procession wasn't the person he expected, but a middle-aged man with layers upon layers of ribbons around his neck, smiling rather awkwardly yet with eyes full of pride. His camels were adorned with ribbons, a local custom symbolizing blessings.

That's Ayihan, the main character who received a warm welcome this time.

Half a step behind Ayihan was a silver-haired ninja. He too had benefited from the situation; his perpetually monotonous dark green was now surrounded by ribbons of complex colors, making for a rather comical appearance. As a ninja, he was naturally unaccustomed to this situation. Although he was smiling, his eyes were rhythmically scanning the crowd as he continued to perform his guard duties.

Afei wasn't afraid of being stared at, because all the restaurants here had their windows open, and every window had a bunch of heads sticking out. His table was no exception; since there was only one person at his table, the waiter responsible for the second floor had borrowed the other side of the table, just to catch a glimpse of the legendary agronomist who could save the oasis. He scoffed at this bandwagon behavior, but his eyes still couldn't help glancing downwards. He wasn't looking at the middle-aged man with wrinkles from laughing, but at a ninja who, like him, had his face covered, with only one eye showing.

A ninja is very sensitive to gazes, so he can't stare at people for long. His gaze wanders around in circles, like a kite being pulled back; no matter how high or far it flies, it will eventually return to its starting point.

As he glanced around, the procession gradually approached, its formation slowly unfolding. Only then did he realize that Bai Shan, the head of state, wasn't riding a camel. He walked like a follower on the other side of Ayihan, flanking the others alongside Kakashi. The other officials who came to greet the people were mostly in the same manner; they walked beside the camels, appearing inconspicuous, a stark contrast to the nobility who made a grand display but ultimately stole the limelight.

Ah Fei was so shocked he was numb; nothing strange seemed unusual happening here. However, his relaxed mood suddenly tightened at a certain moment because he met a pair of eyes—eyes so familiar they made him feel disoriented.

Naruto Uzumaki was looking at him.

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to immediately use a space-time ninjutsu to escape, but he restrained himself. He averted his gaze, pretending it was just a coincidence, and continued to observe the group. Kakashi led the way, Naruto brought up the rear, and in the middle were the Ino-Shika-Cho team and a medical ninja. A rather luxurious lineup, even somewhat redundant.

The fact that Naruto was assigned to be the last one in the team only shows that Kakashi believed in his strength. The team leader and the last one are usually the two strongest members. To date, Naruto has never been defeated; he always completes his missions flawlessly, and he possesses a magical power to turn enemies into friends.

One after another, the White Zetsu clones sent to Konoha disappeared. Given Naruto's exceptionally strong sensory abilities, they had reason to suspect that even such special White Zetsu could be discovered. Therefore, whenever they gathered intelligence, they either kept a safe distance or bribed people nearby. To this day, Akatsuki still doesn't understand why the Land of Lightning withdrew its reach towards the Land of Fire at the end of July. The only mission that occurred during that period and was located between the two countries was the "Sea Monster Incident."

The mission leader was Naruto Uzumaki, and this was the only mission for which Akatsuki hadn't been able to obtain detailed information after creating the "Naruto Uzumaki Personal File." He had a gut feeling that the two things were definitely connected, but Nagato didn't believe it. He was still too young, after all.

Thinking of this, Tobi shifted his gaze from Kakashi to the back of the group. He met those eyes again; the azure eyes were devoid of any emotion, simply staring at him.

Have we been discovered?!

Impossible. He had changed all his clothes to local styles, and his demeanor had stabilized to a friendly state; otherwise, the waiter wouldn't have asked him if he could use the window. Why was he being watched? Could it be that he had chakra?

Wait, how could he forget that this guy is a sensory type, and quite possibly has captured a White Zetsu before? The First Hokage's cells are truly special; if Naruto senses something's wrong, shouldn't he be keeping a close eye on him?

However, the guy's expression didn't seem like he had discovered an enemy. Although he was being watched, he didn't sense any hostility. Naruto Uzumaki was indeed looking at him, as if he were just another face in the crowd.

Only after the group had passed the window did Naruto finally withdraw his gaze, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss, and leave with a smile on his face.

A-Fei broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't been this nervous in a long time. The crushing defeat he suffered against the Flying Thunder God Technique was still fresh in his mind, and he had learned from that experience to never underestimate any Flying Thunder God mark. He wasn't sure of Naruto's strength, and now wasn't the time to directly confront the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Akatsuki shouldn't alert any of the Five Great Nations before the funds and supplies were in place. Thankfully, that guy was just observing and didn't intend to make a move…

Or perhaps... they didn't take action because there were too many people?