Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 165 The Collision Never Stops

“You’re really lucky. Black pearls are very rare, and this one has such a perfect color and not a single flaw.” The young captain’s voice was full of envy, but that was all. His praise was very sincere. “Congratulations! Heroes deserve pearls like these. If only we had a pair, one for each of you…” At this point, he suddenly remembered something and turned to shout towards the cabin, “Quick, Mr. He’s ship hasn’t gone far yet. Let’s catch up and get an application!”

"Is the pearl-diving master going to personally take charge?" The crew whistled in unison, yet simultaneously worked together to increase the boat's speed. Some rowed, some hoisted the sails, and some steered; their efficiency and speed were unlike that of ordinary fishermen.

After feeling a slight push in his back, Naruto, who had been holding a seashell but now held a pearl, showed a confused expression for the first time, completely failing to understand the fishermen's thought process.

This fleet came from the Land of Mist, but Hui's development of the Land of Mist hadn't been going on for very long. It was too close to the Land of Thunder, a domineering nation that wouldn't allow its neighbor, a buffer zone, to break free of its control. Hui had spent countless hours and money trying to lower their guard and open the floodgates. But the seeds planted remained dormant for years. What truly allowed Hui to quietly sprout there was that mixed hurricane, or rather, typhoon. This naming issue would need to be standardized sooner or later, to avoid having to rack one's brains when approving official documents.

Having learned from the lessons of the typhoon that struck the Land of Rivers, Hui's influence spread rapidly after taking control of Wande City, quickly gaining the support of the coastal regions. The typhoon's power was simply too great for humankind to withstand, so the Research and Construction Departments jointly established a comprehensive typhoon-resistant system integrating preparedness, early warning, evacuation, rescue, and reconstruction. The ordinary wooden roofs built by coastal residents could only withstand winds of force seven or eight at best, and even then, they wouldn't survive intact. Some people didn't even have wooden houses to live in, so upgrading housing was of paramount importance. Due to financial and production capacity constraints, brick houses could only be replaced gradually, but they had plenty of wood! Therefore, after the disaster relief efforts, not only was Naruto incredibly busy, but Hashirama was also extremely busy. These two chakra giants practically scattered themselves into the sky, one traveling the world investigating, identifying problems, and writing reports, the other constantly building houses or on his way to build houses. Fortunately, the coastline of the Land of Rivers wasn't that extreme. Of course, this didn't mean they weren't responsible for the construction of other areas; rather, resources were limited, and they could only allocate resources selectively.

Hui's strategy has always been to ensure that anything that can be consumed internally is never given to outsiders. High-end products are controlled in terms of their outflow, allowing for substantial profits from the nobility. Mid-range, non-essential goods can be kept within the system or exported based on individual preferences. Low-to-mid-range consumer goods can only be exported after meeting internal system needs. Hui's global expansion over the years has been aimed at comprehensively meeting basic needs. Sensitive industries such as food, salt, iron, medicine, building materials, energy, textiles, and cotton have been dispersed across various regions to avoid attracting the attention of the nobility. As for merchants? Hui himself is a merchant. His trading companies are located worldwide, all with transportation contracts signed with the already integrated Dongfeng. Their sheer size has attracted the attention of two major daimyo, one of whom is from the Land of Lightning.

The Land of Lightning would certainly not easily relinquish control of the Land of Mist and remained wary of Dongfeng. However, domestic demand dictated the nation's will; very few caravans were willing to traverse the frozen tundra, and Dongfeng was the only option that arrived year-round, rain or shine, never late, and at a stable and affordable price. They reluctantly accepted the business, yet simultaneously attempted to uncover the secret to Dongfeng's punctuality while investigating its origin, the Land of Craftsmen—their covetous intentions were all too obvious.

Thus, the Second Hokage, adept at manipulating people's hearts, immediately thought of his former homeland, the Land of Fire. It must be admitted that the current Daimyo of the Land of Fire was quite capable; the infiltration within Konoha proved that the Daimyo had never intended to grant ninja freedom, further solidifying the determination of the Konoha founders to break the existing system. The Land of Fire, located in the very center of the continent, while not the largest in area, was the most important and wealthy. The Land of Fire's caravans were originally the most prosperous on the continent, but after several wars, they were always besieged, leading to a very delicate relationship between the Land of Fire and the other four nations, and preventing their caravans from venturing too far. The East Wind, however, was different. Originating from a small maritime nation, the arrogance of a large country led them to instinctively relax regulations. The East Wind could bring resources from all over the world to the Land of Fire and also export its surplus products. To pave the way for incorporation many years later, the East Wind held talks with the Daimyo's court, acquiring most of the regions the Daimyo didn't value but couldn't ignore, while also supplying foreign goods at "internal prices," thus gaining the Land of Fire's support. From then on, the Land of Lightning dared not probe too recklessly, but it never truly felt at ease.

Dongfeng's maneuvering between the two countries attracted all attention, and Hui, naturally, wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. He quickly dispatched a powerful and established trading company to acquire a portion of the Mist Kingdom's territory. The ruler of the Mist Kingdom was an agent of the Thunder Kingdom, and his methods of governing were practically nonexistent. As long as he could generate enough tax revenue for tribute each year, he would continue to live a life of revelry in his city-state. For the people of this land, changing patrons was commonplace, as it was the largest pearl-producing area, yielding considerable output of both sea and river oysters—a highly profitable industry. However, the Thunder Kingdom did not allow its ruler to operate in the pearl industry, nor did it permit contracts longer than five years; contracts could only be outsourced. Therefore, every patron who came here would do their utmost to exploit the land's value; they didn't build, they only seized. It was pitiful that this group of people, guarding a treasure, lived like slaves, working from dawn till dusk, only to receive scraps that slipped through the fingers of their patrons. Even these scraps were further exploited by the local authorities, leaving only enough to sustain life.

This time, however, the local people were greeted by a very different team. Upon arrival, this team began the initial deployment of the typhoon protection system, helping the people weather the most difficult period. Just half a month after the hurricane passed, the devastation had vanished, and ships were already operating at the estuary. They didn't issue orders from a superior position; instead, they went among the people and helped them, just like leaders should be.