Chapter 114 Mei's Experiences in the Land of Waves

The autumn air was crisp and refreshing.

The weather was perfect.

An island nation like the Land of Waves, which is located in this region, rarely experienced winter. The climate was mild year-round, with warm winters and cool summers, making it comfortable throughout the year.

Such pleasant weather was ideal for leisurely strolls.

Mei, with nothing better to do, wandered aimlessly through the streets of the Land of Waves.

She still wore her signature blue strapless dress, her curvaceous figure on full display. Despite being a 21-year-old single woman, she exuded the charm of a mature woman. Her delicate face carried a gentle smile as she greeted the workers passing by.

Watching the busy workers around her, with some paving roads and others renovating buildings, she noticed that despite the hard labor, everyone wore genuine smiles.

When she first arrived in the Land of Waves, she had noticed something peculiar. Every resident here had a spark of hope in their eyes and a deep, heartfelt respect for the current Daimyo, Uzumaki Naruto.

Her familiarity with the workers stemmed from a chance encounter.

Back then, she had just left the temporary hospital, eager to gather information about the Land of Waves. She had witnessed a worker falling from a building and instinctively used a Water Release Ninjutsu to cushion his fall, preventing any injuries.

Word of this incident spread quickly among the workers in the area. Being suddenly adored in a foreign country made Mei feel somewhat embarrassed.

However, this act of kindness also brought her a minor inconvenience. Even if she hadn't intervened, someone else would have. Each district in the Land of Waves had a few shadow clones of Uchiha Jonin responsible for safety, and saving a falling worker wouldn't have been an issue.

Her trouble arose because she had violated the Land of Waves' temporary laws and nearly ended up in jail.

Within the city limits of the Land of Waves, the use of dangerous Jutsu was prohibited unless one had special permission as a safety officer. Although her intention was to save someone, she had still broken the rules.

It wasn't until Uchiha Izumi intervened that she was released.

This incident, however, provided Mei with another piece of information.

In the Land of Waves, Ninja worked alongside laborers!

Even Uchiha Ninja, albeit shadow clones, were willing to work side by side with laborers, carrying bricks and mixing cement.

Ninja willingly removing their forehead protectors and working alongside laborers was a concept that shattered Mei's worldview.

But it also stirred something deep within her.

This was the kind of village she had always dreamed of.

'Ninja and civilians living in harmony.'

'When the people have faith, the village has hope, and the nation gains strength.'

'Uzumaki Naruto... perhaps he was a good person after all.'

The moment this thought crossed her mind, Mei quickly shook her head, dismissing the idea, and gritted her teeth.

'That guy is definitely not a good person!'

She still remembered the moment she woke up in the hospital bed. The first thing she saw wasn't an unfamiliar ceiling.

It was a bill, scribbled with countless charges she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

'That bastard! It's his people who had injured me, yet he made me pay for my own treatment.;'

There were even charges for blood tests and DNA tests, things she had never even heard of, totaling nearly ten million ryo.

He had forced her to work in the Land of Waves to pay off the debt.

She had been so furious that she almost spat a Lava Release jutsu in his face.

She had initially refused, choosing to ignore the debt.

But then he brought in a guy with eerie green eyes, who made it clear that if she didn't pay, things would get ugly.

The look in that man's eyes made Mei believe that if she didn't repay the debt, she would be killed.

In the end, she had no choice but to accept the terms.

However, the results of those medical tests turned out to be useful. She hadn't realized she had so many health issues. The report even included methods and medications for improving her condition.

There were even suggestions for enhancing and refining her Kekkei Genkai, pointing her toward a path for future strength improvement.

For a moment, she almost felt that the ten million ryo was worth it.

It was a bit of conscience, but not much.

So, Mei wasn't exactly unemployed. According to Naruto, she was currently on a two-month break before starting her assigned work.

As she continued greeting people, Mei made her way toward the seaside.

She wasn't planning to escape. She had tried that on her first day after recovering, but Naruto had thrown a little 'gift' her way, and she hadn't dared to try again.

As she approached the coast, she saw a vast flatland with rows of large, uniform factory buildings under construction.

This was the industrial zone of the Land of Waves, responsible for processing seafood and manufacturing various Ninja Tools.

Looking at the orderly and industrially aesthetic factory area, Mei couldn't help but feel impressed. Despite its small size, once these factories were completed, the Land of Waves would be fully equipped.

Even Kirigakure, her own village, didn't have its own factories. Most of their Ninja Tools were imported from the Land of Water or other nations.

In the past, during the Ninja World Wars, those suppliers would jack up prices to profit from the conflict. There were times when Mei had been tempted to melt those greedy merchants with her Lava Release.

A thought crossed her mind, 'Once I repaid my debt and returned to Kirigakure as the Mizukage, I would build our own factories.'

'Industry was the key to saving the village.'

'Otherwise, with just a few missions, an average Ninja would run out of money after buying a handful of explosive tags.'

"Mei-san, it's been a while."

As she arrived at the factory, a burly, dark-skinned man taking a break greeted her.

"I'm here to see Chojuro."

Mei replied with a smile. Chojuro was working at this construction site. Since he didn't have any special skills, the ordinary Chojuro could only do manual labor.

Ao, on the other hand, was working at another site mixing cement. But Ao was far more mature than Chojuro, so she didn't need to worry about him.

"Haha, Chojuro is still at the back mountain. Young people sure have a lot of energy."

The big man laughed heartily. Chojuro worked under him, and he had high hopes for the young man.

He was someone who could potentially take over his position as team leader.

But then the man lowered his voice and added, "Mei-san, you should advise your brother. Even if he used to be a Ninja, working at such high intensity will wear him down."

Mei was momentarily stunned, then her expression shifted as if she had realized something.

"Thank you, Captain Nakagawa."

Mei said with a smile before heading toward the forest at the back.