pertwk Page 199
Page 199
The words and countermeasures of the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Water stirred up another wave in the entire ninja world.
After the meeting, Konoha granted many of the requests of the Land of Hot Springs, providing loans and technical assistance to help the Land of Hot Springs establish its own industrial system. It also provided support and assistance in many fields, helping the Land of Hot Springs to acquire basic self-sufficiency in a very short period of time.
At the same time, the Land of Hot Water, under the banner of Konoha, firmly stood as an ally of the Land of Fire, jointly resisting the commercial activities of the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Stone Village. Militarily, it allowed Konoha ninjas to be stationed and 'protected' it, becoming a subordinate country of Konoha and its number one lackey.
This was the first time in the history of the ninja world that a situation of 'foreign troops stationed' and 'technical support' had occurred. It not only effectively curbed the expansion momentum of Kumogakure, but also became a crucial obstacle that firmly blocked Kumogakure's aspirations for development.
The other ninja villages quickly began to make decisions, and the small countries surrounding the Land of Fire began to choose sides, either joining Konoha to become a subordinate like the Land of Hot Springs, or pledging allegiance to other nearby hidden villages.
Without the sight of swords clashing or rivers of blood flowing, the entire ninja world was instantly divided into two major forces, each balancing and opposing the other.
With the Yunyan Alliance at its core, it absorbed the combined forces of smaller nations such as the Bird Kingdom, occupying the northern part of the continent and forming a unified whole.
Centered around Konoha, a cluster of smaller countries, including the Land of Rivers, the Land of Wind, the Land of Water, and the Land of Bears, occupy the southern part of the continent.
Once the North-South divide was established, the ninja world once again entered a brief period of peace.
But at this very moment, another shocking event occurred.
Or rather, thanks to Konoha's tireless promotion of the Will of Fire over the years, a seed has finally been planted in the hearts of people in various small countries.
A riot broke out within the Land of Grass, led by an old-school nobleman who overthrew the original daimyo, broke away from the Rock and Earth Alliance, and chose to surrender to Konoha.
Just as the Hidden Cloud Village and the Hidden Stone Village were completely baffled and couldn't figure out what the problem was, another major event that shocked the world followed.
On September 2nd, in the 65th year of Konoha, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, Rasa, openly declared Sunagakure's independence and started a war against the Land of Wind!
The battle lasted for an extremely short time, so short that even the Land of Rock couldn't stop it.
In almost a single night, the Daimyo's capital was massacred. From then on, the Land of Wind completely fell, and Sunagakure transformed into the first 'ninja nation' in the ninja world.
The Land of Sand!
Pandora's box has been fully opened.
In just a few days, it triggered a terrible chain reaction.
Multiple battles and conflicts suddenly broke out in various small countries. In just one week, more daimyo died than in the previous ten years!
Small countries began to disintegrate and annex each other, with Kumogakure following suit. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning quickly issued a statement informing the ninja world that the Daimyo had changed hands, abdicating in favor of the Raikage...
Hyuga Yuzuru remained calm and did not make any move, but the Fire Country Daimyo, after careful consideration, took the initiative to follow the example of the Lightning Country Daimyo, leading his people straight to Konoha, openly wanting to abdicate, euphemistically calling it: "The capable shall rule."
The Land of Fire changed hands and was renamed Konoha.
Following that, the Land of Water, the Land of Earth...
It's hard to imagine that in just January of Konoha Year 66, the so-called Daimyo had already become history.
The map of the ninja world was updated almost every month, and only now has a final conclusion been reached and the situation has stabilized.
When everyone calmed down and took a closer look, they were shocked to discover...
The world has truly undergone tremendous changes.
.....
Konoha, the capital of the new capital.
Unlike the skyscrapers that rise and fall behind Hokage Rock, the Hokage's office stands in front of Hokage Rock just as it has for years.
The Hokage Building, which looked modern and trendy at the time, has already started to look old in just two or three years.
Inside the office, Hinata Yuzuru sat at his desk, leaning back lazily in his comfortable office chair, watching the LCD TV mounted on the wall.
According to an official spokesperson for the Land of Lightning, the new energy vehicles announced at this technology launch event are expected to completely replace Konoha's old-fashioned gasoline-powered cars, becoming a new choice for the public—more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. However, in terms of various data and operating costs, they are clearly still some distance behind Konoha's offerings...
In response, a spokesperson for Muye Energy stated that new energy vehicles still have a long way to go before they can replace gasoline vehicles in terms of usage costs and prices. However, Muye Energy will not shy away from challenges in any field, and Muye Heavy Industry has accumulated experience in the development of new energy vehicles.
We believe that we will soon see Konoha's new energy vehicles on the exhibition stand.
This is Wenbo reporting for you.
Hyuga Yuzuru looked away. The screen had returned to the Konoha studio, where the hosts were discussing the pros and cons of so-called new energy vehicles. This content was meaningless to him. He simply pressed the remote control to lower the volume and then turned to look at Hyuga Kaoru standing at the table.
"Xiao Xun, what do you think?"
Hyuga Kaoru said with a serious expression, "Based on the Hyuga ninja's perspective view of the Cloud Village's new energy vehicles, their technology has once again achieved remarkable breakthroughs, and they have made new progress in new energy batteries. We cannot be careless."
While the specific effects of the new battery developed by Kumogakure are still unclear, the head of Konoha Energy stated that they are prepared to meet the new challenges.
Hyuga Yuzuru nodded and then asked, "Has a reply arrived from the Land of Lightning?"
"At 6 p.m., we received a reply from the Land of Lightning. Raikage A expressed his anticipation for the meeting and agreed to hold the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron in February."
After Hyuga Kaoru finished speaking, Hyuga Yuzuru stretched and said wistfully, "Finally, we made a date."
Seeing his rather displeased expression, Hinata Kaoru chuckled twice: "Everyone is feeling their way across the river right now. There's no point in meeting before we've figured out what to do."
"Hmm, hopefully this time the Hidden Cloud Village will understand things more clearly."
Hinata Yuzuru tapped his fingers on the table, his expression somewhat puzzled as he said, "There's still no movement from the Land of Rain?"
"The Akatsuki organization is still keeping a low profile... Lord Yuzuru, shouldn't we consider other possibilities?" Hinata Kaoru said cautiously.
Hyuga Yuzuru pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and after a while said, "Forget it, let's ignore him for now. With Nagato's health, the longer we drag this out, the less time he has left."
"By the way, Lord Yuzuru, Naruto-kun has been doing quite well lately... I never expected that he could actually coexist peacefully with Kurama."
As Hyuga Kaoru spoke, his expression was somewhat wistful, while Hyuga Yuzuru simply smiled and said, "Naruto's talk-no-jutsu is a forbidden technique comparable to Kotoamatsukami."
Hyuga Kaoru was amused by him, covered her mouth and chuckled a few times, then turned to look at the time and said gently, "Yuzuru-sama, it's time to go home."
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Yuzuru turned to look out the window. The view of Konoha outside the floor-to-ceiling window was as usual, but if you looked at the area behind the Hokage Rock from a different angle, the high-rise buildings and flashing neon lights there seemed like another world altogether.
"Ah."
He stood up, and Hyuga Kaoru picked up a black coat from the hanger. Hyuga Yuzuru reached out his hand, and she helped him put it on. Hyuga Yuzuru then fastened his straw hat, looked out the window, and said calmly, "It's going to snow again."
"Yes, there was quite a bit of snow in Konoha this year."
As Hyuga Kaoru spoke, he also put on a warm white coat. The two stood in front of the office door, and without him having to reach out, the door opened to both sides with a click. He stepped out, and from the guardhouse at the door, Uchiha Izumi, also wearing a black coat, came out and smiled and nodded at Hyuga Yuzuru.
"Should we eat out or eat at home today?"
Hinata Kaoru was already used to this scene. The two of them followed him on either side, walking out of the bright corridor.
One side of the circular corridor is a wall, and the other side is lined with beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, offering different views from every angle.
As they walked to the elevator and it was being descended, Hinata Yuzuru made his decision: "Let's go eat hot pot."
"How about coming to my house? We can invite Itachi and Naruto too," Izumi suggested.
Hyuga Yuzuru thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "I didn't have a chance to have a proper chat with them during the New Year... Let's have a rare get-together."
As the elevator doors opened, instead of the expected lobby on the first floor, they found themselves in an underground parking garage.
A black sedan was parked not far from the entrance. Uchiha Izumi habitually pressed the remote lock on the car key, and after two beeps, he first opened the back door for Hyuga Yuzuru, while Hyuga Kaoru quickly ran to the other side.
The car's exterior resembled a Rolls-Royce Wraith, and the interior materials were in no way inferior to, and perhaps even superior to, those of a Rolls-Royce. Sitting in the back seat, Hinata Yuzuru habitually turned on the television set on the back of the front seat.
It's hard to imagine that just two years ago, Konoha's first car officially received its license and drove onto the streets.
Nowadays, even luxury cars like this can be mass-produced. Even though this car, which was the Hokage's vehicle, has undergone many modifications, in fact, its appearance is no different from that of an ordinary mass-produced car.
In the current capital of Konoha, Xinjing, there are far more luxury cars like these than a handful.
On television, the nightly news appeared on time, reporting news from all over Konoha. The car drove discreetly onto the street, and apart from a few people who were amazed, no one knew that the Hokage was sitting in the car.
As the Hokage, Hyuga Yuzuru's own strength means he doesn't need much security or special access, which is enough for him to go to and from get off work leisurely like an ordinary person every day.
As the car drove away from the Hokage Building and turned a few corners, the scenery changed dramatically. The buildings in front of the Hokage Building were restricted by height and could not be taller than the Hokage Building in order to ensure the Hokage Building's view and status.
So, once you turn past the Hokage Rock, the village of Konoha, or rather, the city now known as the new Kyoto, begins to reveal its unique charm.
Skyscrapers rise one after another, and traffic flows endlessly.
The world I once thought would take ten years to change.
In just two short years, it has already appeared before our eyes.
Izumi's new home is very close to the Hokage Building. After driving for only ten minutes, the car began to slow down, and a tall, modern apartment building came into view.
The car drove into the underground parking lot, took the elevator, pressed the button for the nineteenth floor, and soon, Hinata Yuzuru arrived at Izumi's new home.
The rooms in the large single-level apartment have a space of nearly 200 square meters, which is spacious and modern.
"Lord Yuzuru, please get some rest! Izumi and I are going to buy some groceries. Should I call Itachi and Naruto?"
Kaoru first brewed him a pot of tea, and then Hinata Yuzuru sat on the large sofa, turned on the TV, and continued watching the evening news.
"No, I'll send a group text message later, since you all live here anyway."
Hinata Yuzuru said with a smile.
Hinata Kaoru nodded, then hooked her arm around Izumi's, and the two ran off to buy groceries.
She would never leave Izumi and Hinata Yuzuru alone.
Hyuga Yuzuru took out his slim smartphone, edited a text message, and sent it to a group.
Before long, a reply rang out.
“Okay, I’ll be there.” — Itachi
"I've already eaten... I'm going to watch the 7:30 TV show later... How about next time?" — Kakashi
"Uh, Yuzuru-sama, I'm having barbecue with Lee..." — Kai.
"Great! It's been so long since we got together!" — Zhishui
"Sorry, Yuzuru-sama, I'm working overtime." — Kabuto Yakushi
"I'm going on a date with Tsunade. Sorry, Fifth Hokage~ Hehe~" — Jiraiya.
"Yay! Perfect timing, I was just wondering what to eat! Oh, by the way, Yuzuru-nii, can we invite Gaara too?" — Naruto.
Hyuga Yuzuru replied to each letter in turn, and then approved Naruto's application.
It was just a casual get-together, a meal, and a good opportunity to check on Gaara's condition.
While quietly watching TV and waiting for someone to come to the door, Hinata Yuzuru turned his head away in a daze.
The night view outside the window is delightful.
Time... flies by so fast.
Chapter 149 Nagato's Whereabouts Revealed
The aroma of hot pot filled the living room.
The people sitting around the coffee table temporarily set aside their previous identities and enjoyed a rare moment of tranquility.
Naruto and Gaara sat in the corner, while Hyuga Yuzuru sat on the spacious side of the coffee table, surrounded by Uchiha Izumi and Hyuga Kaoru. Uchiha Shisui and Itachi sat opposite them.
The hot pot on the gas stove was steaming, and the snowflakes drifting outside the window seemed to be getting bigger, but the room was very warm. The group chatted about everyday matters, ignoring Gaara sitting silently in the corner.
Naruto takes good care of his little brother. Ever since he started living in the same building as Gaara, he has shown a very friendly and approachable side to this Jinchuriki who is just like him. Even though Gaara was initially resistant and even suspicious and disgusted, over time, he actually felt a warmth from Naruto that he had never felt before or that he had been missing for a long time.
During his time in Konoha, aside from occasionally having to cooperate with Kabuto Yakushi to release the One-Tailed Beast from his body to cool off and provide it with some of its tissues and chakra, he lived a very free life.
This feeling of freedom even made him wonder if Konoha was planning something big, or if they were secretly observing his actions. That's why he had been cautious and discreet for a long time, until recently, when he finally confirmed it...
Hyuga Yuzuru truly had no intention of caring about him, nor did he have any intention of using him. To be precise, he intended to treat him as a weapon, just like Sunagakure did.
Each time he cooperated with the research, he wasn't without compensation. At least, Konoha provided his accommodation and living expenses, which was fair enough for Gaara.
Moreover, the longer he stayed in Konoha, the more surreal the world seemed to him. Everything he witnessed in Konoha was vastly different from the ninja villages, ninjas, and humanity he knew.
Whenever Gaara recalls his time in Sunagakure, his memories are filled with darkness. The people in the village were either filled with fear of him or were anything but friendly.
Even his own father, Rasa, could send him directly to Konoha... What a cruel and cold reality!
But Naruto is different.
He was like a little sun that would never go out. No matter how coldly you poured cold water on him, as long as it was something he believed in, or someone he thought could be changed, he would spare no effort to help them and try to make others understand the light he felt.
Even Nagato couldn't resist Naruto's talk-no-jutsu the moment they met, let alone Gaara, who lived in the same building as Naruto and had to deal with him from time to time.
Naruto did this simply because Hyuga Yuzuru had briefly told him about Gaara's past—including everything his biological father had done to him, and his experiences in Sunagakure.
The more Naruto looked at Gaara, the more he felt that Gaara was simply another version of himself in the world, even more miserable than himself.
At least I still have Yuzuru Hanyu, and many friends and teachers...
This further solidified Naruto's desire to help Gaara overcome his trauma, just like he had.