Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 103 Daily Sheep Herding at an Ecological Ranch

As soon as you step into the gate of Konoha Ecological Farm, a mixture of earthy fragrance, grassy scent, and some... well, very vibrant animal aroma hits you.

The breathtaking view before them once again deeply shocked the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

From the outside, the enormous constant-temperature barrier looks like a distant and dreamlike glass bowl.

Only when they were actually there did they truly feel its grandeur and magnificence.

A semi-transparent barrier dome hangs hundreds of meters above the ground, and sunlight passing through the barrier becomes soft and not dazzling.

Inside the barrier, it was warm as spring, a stark contrast to the chill of autumn outside.

As far as the eye can see, there are fields arranged as neatly as military parade formations.

In some fields, lush green vegetables are growing vigorously; in others, Akimichi ninjas are using the "Partial Expansion Technique" to efficiently till the soil with their enormous hands, creating a scene filled with a kind of violent beauty.

Further away, there is a vast and boundless pasture.

Herds of cattle, sheep, and even domesticated deer in Nara graze leisurely on the lush green grass, like clouds in the sky.

"My God... Is this really a farm? I feel like I've entered some kind of secret realm."

Haiyi in the mountains looked around, his eyes filled with little stars.

He felt that every corner here was full of new and interesting things, enough for him to talk to his mother about for months.

Choza Akimichi's focus was more practical. He sniffed hard, his eyes shining, and said, "I smell... the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes! And... the aroma of pork!"

Nara Shikaku, on the other hand, looked utterly dejected.

too big.

The farm was much bigger than he had imagined.

Big means trouble.

His perfect plan to "find a place to lie down for a day" seems to have fallen apart from the start.

Following the instructions, the three arrived at the mission registration desk at the entrance of the farm.

It was a small cabin built of logs, with a sign hanging at the door that read "Farm Mission Center" in a sharp and concise font.

The person in charge of registering them was a Chunin from the Inuzuka clan.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a cheerful smile on his face, and a very intelligent-looking ninja dog lying beside him.

"Oh? It's Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza."

"Is this your first time here?"

The Chunin Inuzuka glanced at the mission scroll, smiled, and greeted them, "Your mission today is to conduct rotational herding at Full Moon Grass Slope in Area E. Here, is the map and some precautions; take a look yourselves."

He handed over a simple map made of waterproof material.

Haiyi curiously leaned closer and saw that the map not only marked the terrain of the entire ranch in detail, but also used different colored lines to draw "recommended grazing routes" for various animals.

"Sector E... 100 sheep... Full Moon Grass Slope..."

Yamanaka Inoichi read it aloud as he looked at it.

"That's right."

Chunin Inuzuka patted the majestic ninja dog beside him and began to explain the essentials of "scientific herding" in detail.

"First of all, you must remember that these sheep are not ordinary sheep."

His expression turned serious. "They eat a special nutrient-rich fodder blended with various herbs, specially provided by the Nara clan; they drink purified spring water drawn from the upper reaches of the Naka River. Each one is a precious strategic reserve resource for Konoha, and absolutely no mistakes can be made!"

"So your task is not just as simple as herding them from the sheepfold to the grassy slope."

"You must always maintain the flock's formation. On flat, open grasslands, use a starry formation to allow them to spread out and graze freely, avoiding trampling due to crowding."

"When traversing narrow mountain paths, we need to switch to a single-line formation, lining them up in a row to pass through in an orderly manner."

"Also, you need to keep a close eye on the lead sheep's condition. That guy is the sheep king personally selected by Farm Manager Shuo Mao, and its emotions will directly affect the entire flock. If you can keep it calm, you'll have succeeded halfway."

Hai listened with great interest, feeling as if he had opened the door to a new world.

I never knew there were so many intricacies involved in herding sheep; it's even more interesting than analyzing tactics.

Dingza was somewhat disappointed. He asked in a low voice, "Um... Inuzuka-senpai, could we roast one of these sheep for lunch?"

Inuzuka Chunin's face instantly darkened: "What are you thinking! This is 'Konoha's Number Two Sheep'! Each one has a number, and they're weighed and recorded every day! If even one is missing, Farm Manager Sakumo will skin you alive!"

Akimichi Choza was so frightened that he shrank back and dared not speak.

Nara Shikaku, meanwhile, had already started yawning.

He felt that every word he heard was urging his eyelids to droop.

This was even more hypnotic than his father explaining the secret scrolls of the Nara family to him.