69novels Chapter 519, One Year in the Eye, the Ancestor of the Ninja Sect
Chapter 519, One Year in the Eye, the Ancestor of the Ninja Sect
Chapter 519 A Thousand Years in a Glance, The Ancestor of the Ninja Clan
The village entrance became lively.
Not only did a professional construction team arrive, but also a group of people from Mianma.
The group wound its way along the mountain road. Leading the way were several young technicians in blue-gray uniforms from the Star Kingdom. They carried surveying instruments and blueprints, and as they walked, they discussed something in hushed tones while referring to the maps in their hands.
Behind them were a dozen workers in overalls, some carrying tools, others pushing carts loaded with various measuring equipment and building material samples.
At the very back of the group, Menma led Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Rock Lee, Tenten, Yakumo, Ino, Sakura, and Chino and her three students.
A large group of people walked into the village in a grand procession.
Among Naruto and his group, there was another somewhat conspicuous figure silently following at the back of the group.
Aburame Shino.
Late last night, Kimimaro returned home after finishing his training and found Shino, who was almost exhausted from hunger, in the entrance hall.
He first ordered takeout, and then immediately contacted Mianma.
When Menma received the news, he realized someone was missing. He was silent for a moment, marveling at Shino's presence, and then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to rush back to the Star Capital, bringing Shino, who had already filled his stomach but was still somewhat resentful, with him.
At this moment, Shino walked in the group without saying a word.
No one noticed when he appeared, nor did anyone ask him what he had experienced the previous night. He simply blended into the group without anyone noticing.
Village chief Naoki Kuno and the villagers had already come to greet them.
He was a middle-aged man around thirty-five years old, with a stocky build, dark skin, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.
He had studied for a year in a training program for grassroots cadres in Guizhi County, so he was considered a village cadre who had received formal training. He was more organized in his speech and actions than the average farmer.
"Welcome, welcome! You've worked hard!" Naoki Kuno strode forward, warmly shaking hands with the construction team leader, then turned to Menma and his group, his gaze sweeping over the young ninjas with a hint of curiosity and respect.
The leader of the construction team was a 23-year-old young man named Hayato Kamie.
He was wearing overalls, his hair was cut very short, and he had a badge pinned to his chest that read "Second Construction Group of the Star Kingdom".
The words.
Hayato Ue first nodded slightly to Menma and Chino, then turned to the village chief and villagers, raising his voice to say, "Hello everyone! We're here mainly to survey the construction site for the highway rest area and to help you with some basic construction. These are ninjas here for grassroots practice; they will assist us with some tasks."
As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers began to whisper among themselves.
"So many... are they all ninja masters? They all look so young..."
"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't underestimate them. We ordinary people don't know anything about ninjas."
"That's right, I heard that those paddy fields in the valley of our village were created by these ninja masters. Weren't the ninjas who came to repair the water conservancy projects all young men?"
"I'm so envious. When I sent my Taro to school in the city, I heard that students who were found to have ninja talent would receive special treatment."
"It's a pity that none of the kids in our village seem to have any talent, otherwise, if they could become ninjas, that would be a great honor for the whole family."
Discussions rose and fell, filled with curiosity, envy, and a touch of awe for the unknown.
Mianma's gaze swept past the crowd and landed on the peddler sitting under a large tree in the distance.
Then he turned to look at Chino and nodded slightly.
Chino took a deep breath, a hint of nervousness on her chubby face, but she straightened her chest and raised her voice, saying, "Alright, everyone, let's go to the village office to rest for a bit, and then get ready to work!"
This was her first time participating in a grassroots practice activity as a team leader, and she was inevitably a little nervous.
But she knew that Brother Mianma was watching from the side, and she was also leading three students, so she couldn't show any weakness.
Soon, a flat area in front of the village office was cleared out.
The village chief and several young men brought over tables and chairs, and others brought hot tea to entertain the guests who had come from afar.
Hayato Ue and his team put down the materials and tools, and then took out a scientific ninja tool from a metal toolbox.
A delicate mechanical bird.
This mechanical bird is about the size of an adult's palm, made entirely of silver-white metal, with fine patterns engraved on its wings.
Its eyes are two tiny crystal lenses that refract a rainbow of light.
A staff member put on a special pair of goggles and then activated the mechanical bird.
With a soft buzzing sound, the mechanical bird flapped its wings and took flight, circling once in the air before flying towards the distant mountains.
Staff members can see the images transmitted back by the robotic bird in real time through goggles.
Another staff member operates a printer-like device to print out the terrain data captured by the robotic bird, forming precise terrain maps.
Hayato Ue took the printed drawings, compared them with the map in his hand, and began to discuss with his team members the selection of survey sites.
At the same time, Chino and her three students also began to get busy.
Chiyo Chizuru, skilled in medical ninjutsu, set up a table in the open space in front of the village office to provide free medical consultations for the villagers.
Although she is young, she is very skilled. Whether it is taking blood pressure, listening to the heart and lungs, or treating some common sprains, bruises, headaches and fevers, she does it all very well.
When Sakura and Ino saw this, they also volunteered to stay and help.
The two women were responsible for registering patients and comforting them. They were cheerful and had pleasant voices, so they quickly became friends with the villagers.
Yuu and Osora, led by the village chief, went to help repair a blocked irrigation ditch in the village.
Without saying a word, the two took off their coats and started working.
Both of them were skilled in physical combat and had great strength. Each of them could do the work of more than a dozen people, moving stones and digging earth with great enthusiasm.
Menma stood at the village entrance, watching everyone get busy, then turned to Naruto and Sasuke and said, "You guys should go help too. In villages like this, deep in the mountains, large machinery can't be brought in, so everything has to be done by hand."
"Alright!" Naruto immediately perked up, rolled up his sleeves, and strode toward the village chief.
"Uncle Village Chief! Is there anything we can do to help?"
Naoki Kuno looked at the enthusiastic blond boy in front of him, paused for a moment, then scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "There's a risk of landslide on the hillside east of the village recently, and we're reinforcing it. If you don't mind the effort, come and help."
"No problem! We've got this covered!" Naruto patted his chest, full of confidence.
Sasuke didn't say anything, but silently followed.
"What a pain, I have to do a D-rank mission even after coming to the Land of Stars —" Shikamaru sighed, muttering to himself, but his steps didn't stop.
Choji stuffed the last potato chip into his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and followed.
"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba whistled, and Akamaru jumped onto his head, joining the group.
"Helping those in need is what makes a ninja's youth!" Lee exclaimed enthusiastically, already starting his warm-up exercises as he walked.
Tenten and Yakumo exchanged a glance and followed.
The group marched in a grand procession toward the east of the village.
On the east side of the village, on a steep slope of about 80 degrees, there are already obvious signs of a landslide.
There are several long cracks on the slope, and soil and gravel roll down from time to time, piling up on the ground to form a small mound.
At the foot of the slope, there were some reinforcement materials piled up, including steel bars, cement, wooden boards, and wire mesh, which were obviously delivered earlier.
Naruto stood at the bottom of the slope, looking up at the steep slope, scratching his head, and asked with some worry, "This... how do I do it?"
"Yeah, I don't think I've ever made something like this before in Konoha—" Lee scratched his head, looking equally bewildered.
Shikamaru sighed and stepped forward: "Make way, make way, let me take a look."
He got the construction drawings from the village chief, laid them out on a flat stone, and began to look at them with a frown.
The drawings were covered with various lines and symbols, indicating dimensions and material specifications, as well as some technical terms that he didn't quite understand.
"Ugh—what a pain—" he complained as he carefully studied the blueprints, then began directing everyone to get to work.
"Choji, move those bags of cement over there. Kiba, you and Akamaru, go and pull those barbed wire fences over here. Lee, use that shovel over there to dig a few holes, the depth should match the blueprint. Naruto, go and cut those steel bars into two-meter sections—"
"Shikamaru is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed in admiration as he watched Shikamaru's methodical arrangements, then obediently went to get to work.
Sasuke stood at the bottom of the slope, frowning as he looked at the steep slope.
He didn't understand why he had to do this kind of thing.
He came here to become stronger.
He came in pursuit of power.
He came to the Star Kingdom to kill that man and for revenge.
He should be undergoing the grueling training that Uchiha Hikaru gave him a few days ago, honing his combat skills on the brink of life and death, and searching for a way to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, instead of here—building some kind of anti-slip slope.
What meaning would a D-rank mission, which only genin would do, have for him?
Sasuke grew increasingly agitated, then leaped up, placing one foot on the steep slope, intending to climb up and check the situation.
However, the soil and rocks beneath his feet had become very loose due to the previous landslide.
As soon as he stepped on it, the entire rock and soil collapsed!
"Oh no!"
Sasuke instantly lost his balance and plummeted downwards along with the collapsing earth and rocks!
"Hey! Sasuke!" Naruto was the first to react, dropping the steel bar he was holding and rushing over.
Kiba and Lee rushed to the edge of the slope and looked down, asking, "Sasuke! Are you alright?!"
After a cloud of dust cleared, Sasuke got up from the ground, brushed the dirt and pebbles off his clothes, and replied in a muffled voice, "I'm fine!"
He was indeed not injured.
As an experienced ANBU ninja, this level of fall was nothing to him.
But the feeling of suffocation and irritability only grew deeper in his heart.
Just then, a small hand reached out from the side.
In that hand was a wooden bowl with a small chip, filled with pale yellow tea, still steaming slightly.
A few fine tea leaves float on the surface of the tea, emitting a light tea aroma.
Sasuke paused for a moment, then looked in the direction of the hand.
She was a little girl who was only five or six years old.
She was wearing a slightly faded floral dress, her hair was tied in two small braids, her cheeks were rosy, and her big eyes were looking at him timidly.
"Big brother—" the little girl's voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of shyness, "Have some tea—it's made from tea leaves that my mom picked herself—"
Sasuke was stunned.
He looked down at the little girl, at the rough wooden bowl in her hand, at the pale yellow tea inside, at the tiny tea leaves floating on the surface, at the leaves slowly unfurling and rising and falling in the water—
That heart, filled with hatred and obsessed with becoming stronger, almost forgetting all other feelings, was gently touched by something.
He was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and took the wooden bowl.
The bowl was a bit rough, and the tea was still warm, seeping through the bowl to his palm.
He picked up the wooden bowl and drank the tea in one gulp.
The tea has a slightly bitter taste upon first sip, but it quickly dissipates, leaving a sweet aftertaste.
He finished his tea, handed the wooden bowl back to the little girl, and then reached out and gently patted her small head. His voice was a little stiff, but his tone unconsciously softened: "It's dangerous here, go back quickly."
"Yes!" The little girl took the wooden bowl, nodded vigorously, and a bright smile appeared on her face.
Then she turned around, took short strides, and ran off.
After running a few steps, he turned back, waved to Sasuke, and then ran to the open space at the village entrance, where an iron pot was set up and several women were boiling water to make tea.
Sasuke stood there, watching the small figure hand the wooden bowl to one of the women, who then affectionately patted his head.
He was silent for a moment, then looked up at the village.
In the distance, Chiyo Chizuru, with her Byakugan activated, was diligently searching for the cause of an old woman's illness, while Sakura assisted her, and Ino was registering the patient's information.
Further away by the canal, Yuuyama was clearing the silt that was clogging the canal, while Osora was moving some stones to repair a section of the canal that had been washed away.
In front of the village office, Hayato Ue and his team were discussing something around the blueprints when the mechanical bird flew back and landed on one of the staff members' shoulders.
Further away, some of the ordinary villagers whose names he didn't know were helping to move materials, some were serving tea to the workers, and some were standing at their doorsteps, looking at these guests who had come from afar with curiosity and friendliness.
The sun was high in the sky, and its rays shone on the houses with their blue bricks and red tiles, on the newly built village roads, and on the busy people. Everything seemed so peaceful.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto, seeing Sasuke standing in a daze, moved in front of him, blocking his view, and asked, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing." Sasuke turned his head and answered briefly, then bent down to pick up the tools from the ground.
"Get to work, you idiot."
Naruto paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Alright!"
More than an hour later, the reinforcement work on the steep slope was basically completed.
The anti-slide piles have been driven into the ground, and the retaining wall has been built. Although it looks a bit rough, it already has basic protective functions.
According to the design in the drawings, all that is needed next is some follow-up maintenance and reinforcement, and this steep slope will no longer be at risk of landslide.
Naruto stood at the bottom of the slope, hands on his hips, looking up at his masterpiece with a satisfied smile: "Hehe, not bad!"
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded: "Hmm, not bad at all."
Xiao Li, meanwhile, was doing stretching exercises, muttering to himself, "This amount of exercise isn't enough. If there's no work this afternoon, I'll do an extra five hundred push-ups tonight—"
Just then, Yuu Hayama, who had finished repairing the drainage ditch, walked over, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He arrived at the steep slope, looked up at the reinforcement work that had just been completed, nodded, and said, "There's one last step."
"Huh?" Naruto turned his head in confusion.
"The last step? Isn't everything finished—"
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Shanyou walked to the steep slope and formed a hand seal.
"Wood Release·Tree Boundary Wall!"
His palms were pressed against the ground.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly in the next instant.
On the newly built retaining wall, countless tender green branches broke through the soil!
Those branches grew, spread, intertwined, and entwined at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly covering the entire slope!
They are deeply rooted in the soil, their roots holding the loose earth and rocks firmly like steel bars; their branches intertwine to form a tough yet resilient natural barrier; their leaves unfold in the sunlight, their tender green color blending into the surrounding green mountains, as if this barrier were an integral part of nature itself.
In less than a minute, a support structure over a hundred meters long, made of living trees, appeared before everyone.
Naruto's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with shock: "W-This is—"
Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly as his gaze swept back and forth among the intertwined branches, a profound sense of awe washing over him.
Shikamaru stared blankly at the engineering blueprints in his hand, then looked up at the green barrier made of trees. His lips twitched, and he muttered, "So—this is the last step on the blueprints that I don't understand—Wood Release Reinforcement—"
Ya squatted down and poked the sapling growing from the retaining wall to confirm that it was a real tree. Then he looked up at Yuuyama in surprise.
Shikamaru's eyes held a hint of caution and astonishment: "Hey, hey, hey, you—are you really from a commoner background?"
Wood Release—"
Yuuya withdrew his hand, patted the dirt off his hands, and said calmly, "Wood Release is indeed difficult to master, but as long as the chakra nature matches and the body is strong enough, transplanting the Wood Release bloodline limit is not difficult."
"————" Shikamaru was silent for a moment, recalling what he had heard before about the Star Country's technological level, which was already capable of transplanting bloodline limits.
"Okay, I guess I was just ignorant." Shikamaru's cheek twitched, feeling somewhat speechless.
Wood Release!
In the Land of Stars, this kind of bloodline limit can actually be transplanted through bloodline limit surgery?
Shikamaru couldn't help but look at Chiyo and Chizuru, who were examining the villagers with their Byakugan, and then at Ozora, who was resting and drinking tea on a tree stump.
These three guys—could they all have transplanted bloodline limits?
"If the Land of Stars is full of ninjas like this, then if war breaks out, how will Konoha win?" Shikamaru rubbed his aching head, too afraid to think any further.
At that moment, Shikamaru suddenly realized that he knew far too little about the Land of Stars.
at the same time.
A burst of children's laughter rang out at the village entrance.
"Grandpa peddler! I'd like a string of candied hawthorns too!"
"I want some too! I have money! I earned it by helping my mom with chores!"
Several children gathered under the big banyan tree at the village entrance, clutching crumpled coins in their hands, eagerly reaching out to the old man sitting at the base of the tree.
Beside the old man was a tall bamboo basket. He was smiling as he took a string of candied hawthorns from a bundle of straw and handed it to a little girl with pigtails, then took the change from her hand.
He looked like an ordinary peddler, going from village to village selling small goods from outside the mountains to this village deep in the mountains.
Not far from the large banyan tree, Mianma was quietly watching the old man selling his wares.
Only after the children ran off happily with their candied hawthorns did I slowly walk over.
Then stand still on the other side of the banyan tree.
He leaned against a tree trunk, hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the busy villagers and ninjas in the distance. As if chatting casually, he said, "I thought that if I asked Hamura to bring it to you back then, he might not have delivered it."
The old man selling his goods didn't stop packing up his bamboo basket, as if he had already anticipated the arrival of the dough.
He stood up and put the bamboo basket back on his back.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the grass between the two. A breeze rustled the leaves, and the light and shadows swayed.
The old man selling goods sighed and slowly said, "I had long since stopped getting involved in the affairs of the ninja world."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the distant, bustling village under construction, past the farmers toiling in the fields, the children playing at the village entrance, and the young ninjas providing free medical care to the villagers—
His gaze became complicated.
All of this made him feel as if he were seeing the people he had helped when he traveled the ninja world a thousand years ago, as well as those who followed him.
Those people were later called "ninjas," and they formed the original Ninja Clan. Under the leadership of the "founder of Ninja Clan," they dedicated themselves to making the world, which had been ravaged by the invasion of the Otsutsuki clan, a better place.
However, a thousand years of chaos and war have made the ninjas forget the teachings of the "founder of the Ninja Clan".
A thousand years in a glance, the ninja has finally returned to his original role here.
"But you—"
The old man selling goods slowly turned around, looked at the boy whom even he couldn't see through, and sighed, "It seems he has really brought a lot of changes to this ninja world."
[PS: I owed 3 words yesterday, so this 6-word chapter is compensation. There will be a normal update today, and another chapter tonight.]
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