Harvest and Return

At this moment, in a desolate forest more than fifty miles away from Iwagakure.

Natsume's figure flashed into existence abruptly.

"Hoo--"

Having teleported here using the Flying Thunder God, Natsume let out a long breath.

He shook his head slightly to alleviate the nausea brought on by the long-distance spatial jump.

Clearly, having only just mastered this space-time ninjutsu, he was still not very proficient.

He needed time to get used to it.

At the same time, several intense battles, long-distance dashes, and the continuous use of space-time ninjutsu had nearly exhausted Natsume's chakra.

Otherwise, he would have taken the opportunity to beat that old geezer Ōnoki up a bit more.

He wouldn't have just left directly.

Right now.

Taking advantage of the night, Natsume jumped onto a large tree at random.

He secretly sensed his surroundings.

After confirming there was no one else nearby, he sat down cross-legged.

He popped two "pills" for chakra recovery, quickly restoring a small portion of his chakra.

This was the ninja world, fraught with danger.

At any time, Natsume had to maintain a certain level of combat power and chakra reserves.

A ninja without chakra was like a tiger without claws.

Even for a ninja skilled in taijutsu, without the enhancement of chakra, their strength would be greatly diminished.

Having watched so many famous dramas and movies in his past life, Natsume did not want to "capsize in the gutter" himself.

A few minutes later.

With his combat power restored, Natsume felt a bit more at ease.

He began to tally the night's gains.

First: Successfully acquiring two medical ninjas, Kabuto and Nonō, was naturally a good thing.

Second: Looting the Iwagakure treasury and bringing back 70 million ryo, equivalent to 7,000 gold coins, was a massive windfall!

Not only could these 7,000 gold coins allow him to splurge in the system and strengthen his power, but the 70 million ryo alone would greatly alleviate the economic pressure on his Flame Hidden Village, enough to accelerate infrastructure construction and ensure the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of his clansmen.

Of course, these were just the material gains on the surface.

Beyond the material, he had also profited significantly in invisible ways.

Among them, the biggest aspect was letting Konoha and Akatsuki take the fall for this massive black pot!

During tonight's operation.

From his attire to his behavior, to all the linguistic hints.

Throughout the process, Natsume had deliberately disguised himself as someone from Akatsuki, and the kind with deep ties to Konoha at that.

He even went so far as to expose the Flying Thunder God to Ōnoki at the end.

Showing it off right in front of the other party.

He wanted to direct the suspicion and rage of Iwagakure toward Konoha.

He believed that Iwagakure, which already harbored hatred for Konoha, would surely resent them even more after tonight.

In the future, he would only need to fan the flames slightly to inevitably incite Iwagakure to launch a full-scale attack on Konoha.

Allowing him and Flame Hidden Village to watch the fire from the other side and reap the rewards of the fisherman.

On the other hand.

He had also exposed the threat and strength of Akatsuki.

Presumably, in the future, when a certain "Obito-bro" wearing a red-cloud robe and a mask appeared in the sight of Iwagakure ninjas.

He would surely be "well-received."

Tsk tsk tsk!

Let's offer a half-second of silence for "Obito-bro"...

After organizing his gains and ensuring nothing was left behind.

Natsume immediately set off, heading in the direction of his own Flame Hidden Village.

He had been out for more than a day already.

It is time to head back; I hope there haven't been any unexpected changes in the village.

The following evening at dusk.

Dust-covered and weary, Natsume finally arrived back at his village.

Over these past two days, the village had remained peaceful.

Led by several clan elders, all the clansmen were working fervently to build the new village, creating a scene of prosperity.

It was visible to the naked eye.

Compared to the sparse appearance when they first arrived, it was already much more vibrant.

On the main street, even.

Several snack shops had opened, and a few elderly men were happily selling various snacks and desserts, much to the delight and adoration of a group of children.

If they were still in Konoha, such a heartwarming scene would certainly never appear.

There, any gathering of more than three Uchiha would be secretly monitored by Konoha.

It is no wonder so many Uchiha clansmen were driven to the point of rebellion and defection.

Indeed, his decision to lead the clan in defecting from Konoha was a wise choice!

After Natsume returned, he discovered that Orochimaru and Kabuto had not yet arrived.

This was not surprising.

After all, he was traveling alone and could move at high speed.

They were bringing along two "dead weights," so it was normal for them to be slower.

Moreover, having witnessed the might of his Susanoo with Divine Blade, Orochimaru would likely not harbor any thoughts of rebellion for the time being.

There was no need to worry.

Soon, Natsume quietly slipped back to his residence.

"Young Clan Leader! You're back!"

Uchiha Nichiyo, who was diligently standing guard, was suddenly overjoyed to see Natsume return, his expression full of delight.

The days without the Young Clan Leader presiding over things had truly been unsettling.

"Mm. Is the village doing well?"

"Everything is well."

"That's good."

"By the way, where is that fellow Mooncake?"

Natsume looked around, only to realize that the little chubby bear, Mooncake, was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh! Lord Mooncake is currently taking a bath in the backyard..."

"Taking a bath? You even built a hot spring pool?"

"This... it was Lord Mooncake's request. Plus, we thought that once you returned, Young Clan Leader, you could relax a bit as well."

"So, we just built a simple one..."

Nichiyo stammered, looking a bit embarrassed.

"You guys! The village isn't even fully built yet, and you're already messing around with these fancy things."

"And that fellow Mooncake, he's getting bold! He's even started bossing you all around..."

Natsume scolded him with a laugh.

He wasn't actually angry; after all, this was all out of the clansmen's good intentions.

Besides, after a long journey home, being able to soak in a hot spring and relax was truly comfortable.

Isn't this one of the aspects of the "quality life" he pursued?

"Alright, since I'm back, there's nothing left to worry about."

"You can head off now."

"Oh, and for the next two days, you and Toh and the others outside don't need to stand guard."

"You all deserve a two-day break to rest..."

"No! Young Clan Leader, we..."

"Don't argue, just do as I say. Besides, the village is just getting started, and your families need your help, so don't dawdle."

"This... alright!"

Nichiyo felt a warmth in his heart; he didn't act coy and quickly agreed.

He then withdrew.

Besides, they were all well aware of the young clan head's strength.

As for them, the guards stationed here, it was hard to say who was actually protecting whom.

After seeing Nichiyo off, Natsume made his way to the backyard.

Sure enough, the moment he stepped inside.

He felt a wave of hot steam from the hot spring wash over him, causing his pores to open and his body to relax involuntarily.

At the same time, on the edge of the steaming pool.

That palm-sized 'Mooncake' was soaking in the hot spring with effortless comfort while gnawing on a fresh, tender bamboo shoot.

It was as if its entire feline life was filled with contentment.

Damn, this panda knows how to enjoy life better than I do...

Natsume stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the hot spring.

A large splash erupted.

Drenching Mooncake on the edge of the pool until it was a 'drowned rat.'

"Who! Who? Who is disturbing this Great Master's bath?"

Mooncake was startled, roaring and waving its claws about.

"Damn it, it's you, kid! Can't believe you came back so soon..."

"Lord Mooncake, you really know how to enjoy yourself! You've been soaking for so long, are you cooked yet?"

Natsume teased with a laugh.

"Stinking brat, what are you saying? How could this Great Master be cooked?"

"You splashed water all over me, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet! How dare you be so rude to this Great Master!"

"You just wait, I'm coming over to tear you apart!"

Mooncake let out an angry howl.

First, it carefully set aside the half-eaten bamboo shoot.

Then, it swam toward Natsume, claws flailing.

Unfortunately, being only the size of a palm, Mooncake had only made it halfway across the pool.

When it began to lose its momentum...

Before long, it started struggling and splashing, slowly sinking beneath the surface.

Leaving behind only a trail of bubbles.

Natsume glanced at Mooncake.

The comfortable hot spring made him too lazy to bicker with the panda. As a summoning beast, it couldn't possibly drown anyway...

And so, he spread his limbs out, soaking in the hot water to soothe his fatigued body.

At the same time, taking advantage of this moment of relaxation.

He sank his consciousness back into the system, preparing to start a new round of 'splurging'!