Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 14 The Expansion of "Hui"

The undercurrents in the ninja world that had been stirring up trouble because of the Uchiha clan massacre gradually calmed down. The five great ninja villages, which suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War, tacitly accepted the status quo of stable development. Even if there was some resistance in secret, they did not confront each other openly.

This precious time of peace was invaluable, and "Hui," who had been gathering intelligence, immediately changed his target, selecting five small countries to establish a trading company.

By this time, "Hui" had already reached a considerable size. Of course, the addition of new members was mainly due to Tobirama's breakthrough research on White Zetsu. The Senju brothers, who had fought their way through war, had previously focused their research on Wood Release on offensive applications. However, now that they had White Zetsu cells as a foundation, they quickly discovered that these cells possessed dual characteristics of both animals and plants. Once infused with vital chakra, they would soon exhibit plant-like properties.

Tobirama would never forget how his older brother died. This strange characteristic also appeared in the most primitive Hashirama cells, only it took longer for the Hashirama cells to mutate into plant-like features. Hashirama's luck always seemed to work in strange ways. In order to find a balance between the two, he unintentionally transformed a piece of White Zetsu's severed limb into a tree. Then, he unintentionally discovered that Wood Release chakra seemed to have a certain miraculous effect on that tree. After about a week, the "tree" filled the underground cavity that was being used as a laboratory. Vines fell from the pale trunk and gradually developed from a cocoon into a "person". Then, even more miraculously, Hashirama discovered that he seemed to be able to merge with the "tree", control its growth and reproduction, and even "hear" and "see" every corner that the roots and trunk reached.

When Tobirama summarized the report and placed it in front of Naruto, he inexplicably thought of another report he had seen in his previous life. That report was from Orochimaru, detailing how Hashirama's cells in his lab were lost, how they were used, and how they were developed into a miniature Divine Tree remarkably similar to the Divine Tree. Although Orochimaru ultimately dealt with that tree, its impact was still considerable.

As far as Naruto knew, Hashirama Senju was the only human on Earth in the past thousand years to naturally awaken Wood Release, something even their ancestor Ashura couldn't achieve. Now, Hashirama could even communicate with "trees." If he were alive, could he even try to control the God Tree? Naruto thought it was feasible because during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Hashirama was only an Edo Tensei and had never considered another use for Wood Release. Maybe this was a bloodline reversion; after all, the Otsutsuki clan stuffed everything into their bodies, so stuffing some God Tree genes into them wasn't impossible.

Once the "trees" that provide offerings are planted, they don't require much human intervention; they automatically absorb natural energy and convert it into nutrients. However, Naruto still limited the production rate of White Zetsu. Excessive extraction of natural energy in a region will cause it to gradually decline. Look at the desolation near the Mountain Graveyard; this land is their long-term base, with nearly a hundred children to raise. How can they be allowed to recklessly damage it?

Therefore, in the first three years of "Hui's" development, every deceased person recalled from the Pure Land was carefully selected. For example, the first person chosen by the Fugaku clan chief was a clan teacher, specifically responsible for teaching the children the Uchiha clan's secret techniques. This allowed him to confidently handle "Hui's" affairs with his wife, without worrying about the children's education. Similarly, "Hui's" foundation is now quite profound. For instance, the Uchiha's best ninja tool maker has switched careers and opened an ironware trading company; the Senju's most skilled medicinal herb grower, after absorbing the latest medical knowledge, easily monopolized the medicinal herb market of a small country; the Uchiha's past and present intelligence chiefs, after exchanging information, quickly went to investigate the secrets of various daimyo; and the Senju's past and present "Children of the Forest" have jointly scoured the world for seeds that are of interest…

Everything is progressing steadily, except that the problem of a shortage of young scientific research talent cannot be solved in the short term.

Tobirama's research leaned towards the fusion of chakra and technology. Ordinary people without chakra couldn't achieve a deep understanding of it, much like those who developed ninja tools back then. Much of their research was superficial, far inferior to the intensity of a ninja's self-development. Therefore, the talent problem could only be solved internally. Unfortunately, Orochimaru was still a fanatical immortality-obsessed maniac who needed to be beaten up a few times to regain his senses, and he couldn't think of anyone else capable of handling the task.

...Could it be that we should go and trick Amado into coming over now?

To be honest, Naruto always felt uneasy about this teammate who had defected halfway through the game. He trusted the information Amado provided, but the man never seemed to finish his story, always leaving something unsaid. Naruto, who was usually exceptionally lenient with his teammates, instinctively disliked this man; he trusted his intuition more.

It seems that Tobirama can only find a way to raise him himself. It seems that there is a child who is particularly attached to him, to the point that Izuna will intentionally or unintentionally make sarcastic remarks.

Oh, the relationship between Tobirama and Izuna… is also intriguing. They can argue to the point of physical fight in meetings, but afterwards they act like nothing happened and stay together. Even though one is in the research department and the other in the intelligence department, they insist on sharing a room. Seriously, he feels uncomfortable working overtime with Shikamaru, and these two even have a deadly feud in history books, so why is the atmosphere so strange after their Edo Tensei? Moreover, Hashirama's reaction to this is also odd. He usually doesn't say anything, but he'll definitely stare at the two walking away side-by-side with a hint of resentment.

Why? I really don't understand these people from the Warring States period.

"Lord Kinrin, there's been a problem with our intelligence network in the Land of Rain." Izuna and Tobirama went out again, and the person in charge of reporting was the deputy head of the intelligence department, Uchiha Yatsuho.

It's worth mentioning that Naruto can no longer use his original appearance at meetings; he's completely transformed himself into a white-haired, golden-eyed adult. What "Hui" is trying to do is too outrageous. To suppress the doubts of the Senju and Uchiha clans, besides the strong support of their clan heads, he also needs to maintain a seemingly reliable image. These reliable yet occasionally mischievous seniors, while trying to deceive him, hastily gave him a pseudonym overnight: Namikaze Kinrin. He didn't even have a chance to refuse before being called that…

"...Has Amegakure made a move?"

“Yes.” Yashiro’s expression was serious and full of apprehension. “Our spying on ninja villages is done by gathering information from the daimyo’s side, which greatly reduces the risk of exposure. But the ruler of the Land of Rain is Hanzo of the Salamander, so we have no choice but to risk infiltrating Amegakure. Just the day before yesterday, Izumi, who had infiltrated Amegakure, sent a distress signal. Fortunately… Lord Tobirama came to the rescue in time, and Izumi did not fall into enemy hands.”

Naruto frowned, immediately realizing a possibility: "The situation in Amegakure has changed."

Yashiro was taken aback, then looked at Naruto with a hint of admiration and said, "Izumi was attacked by Pain, so it's certain that Akatsuki has completely taken over Amegakure."