Chapter 221. A Passing Businessman

Chapter 221. A Passing Businessman

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[Moving?]

Inside a carriage?

Did the Konoha ninjas who arrived save her?

A soft groan escaped as a long-haired, black-haired woman felt the pain from her injuries ease slightly. Her heart immediately relaxed.

At least for now…

Her wounds seemed to have been treated!

Thinking back on what had happened to her, she couldn't help but feel the urge to curse.

Originally, due to the sudden appearance of a mysterious force at the border, she had entrusted Konohamaru to temporarily lead Team 15 and had personally gone to investigate the border under the Hokage's orders.

Then—

She really had found a group of mysterious people. After some hesitation, she had secretly followed them, trying to gather information.

But when she reached a certain place in the Land of Wind, she was suddenly discovered. After a brief fight, she realized she couldn't win and had to retreat.

But then—

As she was retreating… it exploded!

The desert beneath her feet exploded!

The sudden activation of explosive tags caught her off guard, and the resulting shockwave knocked her unconscious.

But since she was still alive now…

That meant the situation had probably been resolved.

Hyuga Hanabi slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the black-haired young man sitting nearby, frowning thoughtfully, she was momentarily stunned.

She didn't recognize him!

No, wait—

He didn't look like a ninja from the village!

"Who are you?!"

"Me?" Yuto, who had been checking his system, snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the voice. He turned toward the now-awake woman and smiled faintly. "Just a businessman who happened to be passing through the desert."

…

Hyuga Hanabi.

The future Clan Leader of the Hyuga Clan.

If you counted by seniority… technically, he'd be considered her elder?

Thinking back to three days ago—

After the explosion, he had spotted a figure lying not far away.

At first, he thought it was a White Zetsu that had failed to plant a tree. So, he had been ready to capture it alive, treat it to some food and drinks, take it around to see the world, make it feel the warmth of a family, and then ask:

Hey, want to go into business together? There's a profitable opportunity here!

Don't worry!

It's a legitimate business—absolutely no forced labor or restrictions on personal freedom.

Just one question, though… do you have any family?

Unfortunately—

It wasn't a White Zetsu.

There were no trees around. Maybe the tree had been reduced to ash in the explosion?

And the figure lying in the desert… turned out to be a woman. One glance at her prominent brea—uh, cough—white eyes made it obvious she was from the Hyuga Clan.

The Hyuga features were just too recognizable!

Even Pakura thought Konoha had sent someone to secretly protect him—but the poor thing had been accidentally caught in the blast.

However—

Those pure white eyes, her orange jacket, and red dress made Yuto roughly guess her identity.

Anyway, after that—

The interference was gone!!!

The communication network covering this oasis was now fully functional.

Yuto had some theories about what had happened. But why hadn't they crossed over, while the other side's people had crossed over to them?

Maybe they were standing too far apart at the time?

Anyway, the Dragon Vein had temporarily run out of energy, and the interference had disappeared.

He wondered if, when Naruto grew up, he would be able to use the Dragon Vein to meet his father?

Of course, Yuto didn't tell Pakura about this. He stuck to the original plan and built a signal transmission station.

Originally, he had also planned to head to Sunagakure to carry out the "Sunagakure Internet Connection Plan." But he was turned down.

From what Pakura said, Sunagakure was currently handling an important secret mission, so they couldn't allow outsiders to enter—especially not a guy who originally seemed unremarkable but could suddenly summon over ten earth walls as if barely using chakra.

With that level of strength, who needs bodyguards?

You can protect yourself!

Bastard!

So, for now, he had to shelve the plan. But according to Pakura, Sunagakure still wanted to establish an internet connection. After all, Konoha and Kirigakure were already connected. If one of the Five Great Ninja Villages lagged behind… wouldn't they miss out on something?

So, while he was denied entry to Sunagakure, the internet connection plan hadn't been scrapped.

Most likely, after Sunagakure's internal discussions, they'd send in professionals to set up the network.

As for Sunagakure's secret mission…

Yuto had a pretty good guess about what it was.

At this moment…

The One-Tail Jinchuriki Plan!

That's why they were worried that this seemingly ordinary, slightly wealthy businessman had discovered something, right?

After all, Jinchuriki matters are top-secret in every village.

However—

Some Jinchuriki were exposed on the battlefield, while others… got exposed while playing mahjong!

So, after simply treating Hyuga Hanabi's injuries and finishing up his business in the Land of Wind, Yuto said goodbye to Pakura, who was grumbling about being tricked, and left the Land of Wind.

It looked like…

Hiring her again in the future might be a bit troublesome.

What a shame about that beautiful back though — it was such a pleasant sight.

Yuto sighed.

"A businessman?" Hanabi's crystal-clear white eyes showed a trace of surprise as she propped herself up slightly, glancing around at the luxurious carriage interior. She quickly pieced together what had probably happened.

There had been a sudden explosion, and she had passed out. For some reason, the enemy either didn't notice her or assumed she had been killed in the blast, so they retreated. She must have been lying in the desert until… a passing group of businessmen rescued her.

[That must be it.]

She sighed in relief, lowering her guard slightly. Looking at the somewhat handsome and clearly wealthy man sitting in front of her, she said, "Thank you!"

Afterward, she glanced down at her bandaged body. "My injuries…"

"No need to worry! A doctor already treated your wounds." Yuto smiled faintly at her. "If you're still feeling unwell, we'll have to wait until we reach the next city to find a proper doctor."

While ninja villages have medical ninjas, ordinary cities also have their own doctors.

"No need." Hanabi shook her head and carefully assessed her body's condition. "I'm already feeling much better. I just need some time to recover."

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Where are we?"

"The Land of Rain."

"The Land of Rain?"

"I have some business to handle here, so I made a trip to the Land of Rain."

"I see."

Hanabi was briefly surprised, then frowned slightly. She didn't ask why he hadn't taken a thunder rail since that would have been faster and more convenient — she just gave it a little thought.

Once they arrived in the Land of Rain, she would send a message back to the village.

Her sister and father were probably worried about her!

As for the Land of Rain…

Ever since that battle, the Land of Rain had been an ally of the Land of Fire. Although some areas were still chaotic, the ninja world was generally in a period of peace. As long as nothing unexpected happened, there was no need to worry about safety.

At that moment, as a Jonin, Hanabi quickly analyzed the situation and formulated her next steps in her mind. Then, she smiled softly. "Thank you for your help."

I'll properly thank him after I've notified Konoha.~

However—

Yuto's expression flashed with a subtle trace of amusement as he looked at Hanabi, who seemed to have relaxed.

He wondered what kind of expression she would have when she realized she was in a world where she hadn't even been born yet?

Yuto just smiled and nodded. "No need."

Just then—

Suddenly—

The carriage stopped.

After the driver notified them, Yuto knew they had arrived. He turned to Hanabi and asked, "Would you like to get off?"

"Excuse me." Hanabi smiled and nodded. "My injuries are fine, so I can just get off the carriage and take a walk."

"Alright, then!"

With that—

The two of them got off the carriage.

Just then—

"Brother Yuto~"

A familiar voice called out.

Yuto immediately recognized it as her and smiled as he turned his head. A lively figure and a red-haired person with Rinnegan eyes were approaching, and Yuto raised his hand to wave—

Suddenly—

"Six Paths of Pain?!"

Hanabi shouted in shock…

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T/N:

Everyone, my exams are upcoming one by one, so chapter updates might be irregular until the 29th. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Read upto [Chapter 255] in advance! - patreon.com/kurato6180