Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 193 The Great Cat-Catching Operation

Because of the suspicious gaze of a certain Jinchūriki, Afei almost wanted to put down his cup and run away. He sat stiffly until the group completely disappeared from sight, then quickly rushed downstairs and disappeared around the street corner. However, when he came to his senses, damn it, how come he was still in this dilapidated city, and even slipped into the office he hadn't been able to sneak into!

Fortunately, almost all the leaders of the Owl Kingdom were present today, so there was no one left to guard the place. He really couldn't understand why he hadn't left yet, but since he was already there, he still wandered around the desk. The official documents on the desk were still mostly related to people's livelihood. Afei wasn't interested in knowing which road had been built or where schools had been established; he was more interested in seeing something that could prove the worst aspects of humanity, something that proved this path was unsustainable.

However, no, absolutely none.

He pulled out a piece of paper from a corner that read "fight," but the fight wasn't between tribes; it was between flocks of sheep that had accidentally crossed paths while grazing. The sheep's owners tried their best to break up the fight, but to no avail. Fortunately, local officials reacted quickly, organizing enough people to finally capture the leader of each flock. The fight resulted in 7 injuries, 5 dead sheep, and 16 injured sheep. In short, it was quite a serious fight; otherwise, they wouldn't have been brought here.

Afei's expression was priceless, but unfortunately, it was completely obscured. He couldn't possibly imagine Baishan's expression when he saw this document. This person had neatly written "Draft Regulations for the Management of Mobile Sheep Herding" at the end of the document, using only simple and easy-to-understand sentences. They had no artistic value, no fancy prefixes or suffixes, and could even be categorized as crude, yet they precisely and concisely described the issues that needed attention when herding sheep.

Does this "ideal state" really exist?

While restoring the desktop, he caught a glimpse of a scrap of paper at the bottom, with the three large characters "Fire, Wind, Earth" written on it, interspersed with intricate lines. It seemed this was still reality; this country faced regional pressure sandwiched between five great powers, yet it still managed to survive, striving to grow something unique. They thought of the Land of Fire, seemingly attempting to bring in another powerful external force to achieve balance in the triangle.

This place is really interesting. It would be a shame to destroy it here. Should we help them out?

"Was he always here?" Kakashi asked this question the moment he stepped out of the cemetery.

"Hmm." The sound in the earphone was a bit distorted. Naruto, who was three streets away, responded. Of course, he couldn't go there in person. With his chakra reserves, it would be difficult for him to hide if he got too close.

Are you sure he'll take that box?

"I can't think of any reason why he would want to go there. Maybe there really is someone who likes to steal the offerings?"

"Can that marker be found no matter how far you run?"

“…You’ve asked three times already, Kakashi-sensei.” Naruto explained again helplessly, “Theoretically, it’s fine as long as it’s within the Land of Fire.”

Kakashi instinctively smiled apologetically, but then suddenly remembered that Naruto wasn't there. The closer the moment got, the more nervous he became—more nervous than ever before, even when going into battle. He knew he was afraid, but what was he afraid of?

"I'm starting to regret it," Naruto suddenly said in the group chat. "Do you guys think I can beat Tobi right now? Tying him up and showing him to Kakashi-sensei might be a good option."

What's wrong now?

His smile was uglier than his tears.

After a moment of silence, Hashirama sighed deeply. "Ah, war."

"Minato told me about Kakashi's past, and he always sighs when he talks about it. So many years have passed, and he still hasn't recovered?" Fugaku paid close attention to this ninja who received a gift from the Uchiha clan; it was he who defied public opinion to save that eye back then.

"Although I really want to say, 'Just do it!' But you know he has Akatsuki behind him, right?" Izuna comforted him, "Naruto, some people's inner conflicts can only be resolved by themselves. You don't owe them anything; on the contrary, they should thank you for making this 'reunion' possible."

Tobi's landing point wasn't outside Konoha. He sat by the river, clutching the box, about to open it, when Naruto and Kakashi appeared before him. The familiar chakra orb heading straight for his face made him instinctively lean back, but the lightning of the Lightning Blade also appeared behind him. He immediately realized that the box in his hand was the source of the Flying Thunder God mark, but for some reason, he didn't immediately drop the box; instead, he gripped it even tighter.

The teacher and students worked together seamlessly, blocking his escape route from above and below. However, it was useless; they passed right through the person they were attacking, as if that person didn't exist.

Whether moving at high speed or after regaining his footing, Kakashi kept both eyes open, observing the mysterious man who had supposedly been following him for some time. He hadn't even changed out of his desert gear, his eyes covered except for one, the area around which was covered in scars. He could see a crimson light gleaming in the man's eyes, but the man had lowered his eyelids, so he couldn't confirm what the pattern on that eye looked like.

"Who are you! Why are you following us!" Naruto blurted out impulsively. He was standing on the river, the water beneath his feet surging with his aura, as if he were about to launch another attack at any moment.

"What an impolite brat! Is this how you teach your students?" Afei's tone was cold and calm, but a little panicked inside. He was confident he could get away unscathed, but how was he going to explain the "evidence" in his hand? Perception-types were so annoying; he knew that kid wouldn't let it go!

As an excellent ninja, no matter how many thoughts he has, he can always quickly regain his composure when facing an enemy. Kakashi did not lower his guard and replied rather bluntly, "Stealing offerings is hardly a polite act, is it?"

Ah Fei sneered, "Dead people can't eat it. Its aroma makes me a little nostalgic..."

"So you've been reminiscing about it many times?" Naruto bluntly exposed him. "Stalking a ninja isn't polite either. Who exactly are you?"

"If you really want to ask, Ah Fei, a member of the organization who is still intern." The tone suddenly rose, and Ah Fei tilted his head and laughed, "Our intelligence personnel suffered heavy losses here, so the higher-ups assigned me the dirtiest, most tiring, and most dangerous job. Waaah, Ah Fei just smelled something delicious and wanted to fill his stomach, and he was exposed just like that."

Naruto: "..." How could he forget that Obito also had such a wild and unrestrained moment? That's really... defying the heavens.