In the early morning, Naruto and the light walked side by side on the irregular streets of Kusagakure.
The air was filled with the smell of damp earth and cooking smoke. The doors and windows of the low houses on both sides were closed tightly. Occasionally, timid eyes would peek out from the gaps, and then quickly disappear into the shadows.
The purpose of their trip was to inspect the village's defense and people's livelihood conditions on the spot, but the scene they saw was far more bleak than expected.
Guang stopped and looked at the remains of several lonely outposts on the ridge in the distance.
"This defense system is useless."
Naruto followed her gaze.
The outposts that were supposed to have people on duty were now on skewed wooden beams, broken tiles, and the bell ropes used for warning had long been broken, swaying silently in the wind.
Those outposts were just like they were before they came.
Not to mention the Sensing Barrier that doesn't exist at all, as if this village has never been fortified.
"The only ones who can be called combat power are Mui and those Elder."
Naruto's tone was flat.
"And Elder have been pampered for too long, Taijutsu is rusty, and their actual combat power may not be as good as some hard-working Chunin.
As for the others... most of them are at the level of Chunin and Genin. At that time, they wanted to activate Box of Ultimate Bliss, and Elder almost sacrificed all the guards in the village."
Not every Ninja can have a long peak period like Ōnoki and Third.
"But even if there are guards, there will be no difference in the outcome against our offensive."
The absolute gap in force is not easy to make up for. Even if Allied Shinobi Forces faced Six Paths Madara in a swarm, everyone except a few people would just give it away.
"Obtaining control at the minimum cost is indeed the optimal solution."
Just looking at the villagers who were bowing and saluting by the roadside and not daring to raise their heads, their eyes were no different from usual.
Be respectful, fearful, and keep your distance.
Does anyone still dare to spit and curse at Ninja?
The light living in Warring States Period has never seen a civilian who dared to do that.
The life of a civilian is already very difficult, and no one will let their hard mode turn into hell mode.
Naruto is silent Earth Flow.
He could feel countless eyes on his back: frightened, doubtful, and desperate.
Some mothers held their children tightly in their arms and retreated through the door, some old people trembled by the window, and some young people held hands tightly but did not dare to come forward.
This is an instinctive fear like facing natural disasters and beasts.
Just like the Konoha people that Naruto remembers when he was a kid.
He could have gathered the villagers, delivered a speech from a high place, promised peace and prosperity, and ignited hope with passionate words.
But at this moment, he didn't have any urge to speak.
Empty words are meaningless.
Language is as pale as paper in front of a hungry belly and a leaky roof.
Reduce taxes, provide jobs, make more money in their hands, and thicken the rice in their bowls.
These are more real than any incitement.
Saying a thousand empty words is worse than doing one practical thing.
It has been recorded on the city gate erection, and only if they see that you are true to your words and true to your deeds will they be able to believe you.
He has already sketched out a preliminary plan in his mind: young and middle-aged people must work to have food, this is the principle; children must go to school to receive education; the elderly are given monthly quotas of rice, grain, oil and salt to ensure that no one dies of hunger in the cold winter.
Let their lives truly get better day by day, and gratitude will naturally grow from the bottom of their hearts.
As for the possible unappreciators...
Naruto turned his attention to Prison in the village, where several Elder who were under house arrest were temporarily living there.
Naruto did not kill them, and did not even impose punishment.
If anyone really misses the past, let those Elder people come back to take charge.
Then we will see whether it is their old ruthless exploitation or the vitality and warmth given by Konoha.
When the benefits disappear and when the oppression comes back, people will naturally understand which side to stand on.
The afternoon sun slanted into the jewelry shops on the street.
There are some hair accessories that are not exquisite but are quite unique in style on the wooden shelves, most of which are Kusagakure local handicrafts.
"So," Guang's voice broke the slightly stale tranquility of the shop. She leaned against the door and stared at Naruto inside.
"When are you going to teach me Flying Thunder God?"
Naruto was leaning over and looking at a row of Hair Tie in the glass cabinet. He didn't even raise his head when he heard this. "I'll teach you when I get back soon."
The shop owner was a somewhat skinny middle-aged man who was listlessly wiping a wooden hairpin. When he looked up and saw the Forehead Protector on Naruto's forehead and the conspicuous Jonin clothes, the sleepiness on his face was instantly replaced by panic and flattery.
There is only one person in Kusagakure dressed like this.
He hurriedly walked around the counter, bending his waist habitually. "Huo...Lord Hokage, you are welcome to come. This small shop is really..."
Naruto didn't let him finish those polite and frightening words, but directly
He raised his hand to stop. "Let's just take a look."
He paused and added in a steady voice, "If there's something you like, I won't spare your money."
The boss stood aside awkwardly, rubbing his hands uneasily, and followed the big man closely with his eyes, fearing any slightest neglect.
Naruto's eyes lingered on the shelves, and finally landed on a Hair Tie.
It is a very simple style, with a silver base, dotted with a few small, but exquisitely crafted Plum Blossom flowers, and the Plum Blossom core is embedded with a little dark red.
"Light."
He picked up the Hair Tie, turned around and handed it to Guang's eyes.
"Say, how about giving me Karin?"
Guang's eyes fell on Hair Tie, his face was expressionless, and there was no emotion in his voice. "Then you should ask Karin if he likes it."
Naruto didn't seem to notice her displeasure at all. He still held up Hair Tie and said naturally, "Do me a favor, wear it and let me see the effect. Your hair is about the same length as Karin."
Guang glanced at him, then at Hair Tie, and was silent for two seconds.
Finally, she took a step forward, walked to the bench in the store and sat down, with her back to Naruto.
"Hurry up."
She urged, her tone firm.
Naruto walked behind her, reached out and gently picked up her loose clothes Long Hair.
The girl's hair was softer and smoother than he imagined, with a very light fresh scent, like the sun shining on the grass and trees, flowing through his fingertips.
His movements were not particularly skillful, but they were careful enough.
Soon, the Hair Tie with silver plum blossoms tied up part of her Long Hair, forming a loose and natural half-tied hairstyle. A few strands of hair hung smoothly around her neck, and the silver Plum Blossom was just dotted in the hair.
Naruto took two steps back and took a closer look.
"It fits you perfectly."
He paused, then looked at the other jewelry as if nothing had happened.
"It seems I have to choose another gift for Karin."
At this point, how could she still not understand.
How to choose a gift for Karin, what help to try...
From the very beginning, this guy wanted to give her to her.
She raised her hand, and her fingertips touched the cold silver jewelry and the slightly raised outline of Plum Blossom, and the inexplicable awkwardness in her heart suddenly disappeared.
She stood up and turned to face Naruto, her face looked a little impatient, but her ears felt a little unnoticeably warm.
"Tsk," she turned her head away and looked away, "Didn't you choose it for Karin?"
Naruto looked at her with a slight smile on his face.
His tone was calm, even a little innocent. "I think you are quite suitable."
The boss on the side finally found the opportunity to interject, with a smile on his face, and hurriedly agreed, "Yes, yes, sir, it looks really good on you. Standing with Lord Hokage is really..."
He wanted to say "a perfect match", but the rest of his words were choked in his throat by Guang's sudden glance.
The look in his eyes was not ferocious, but had a cold, sharpness that could not be overridden. It instantly sent chills down the boss's spine. He realized that he might have said the wrong thing, so he quickly shut up, lowered his head and pretended to sort the shelves that didn't need to be sorted at all.
Uchiha's "Little Ancestor"