Konoha, the land of the Uchiha clan.
In the snowy courtyard, the old man was sitting alone on the corridor holding a fishing rod, fishing leisurely.
Soon, footsteps were heard in the corridor. The old man turned his head slightly and saw Uchiha Rihuo walking towards him.
"Life after retirement is really comfortable, Elder Sifang."
Li Huo laughed teasingly.
"I'm old, but I don't want to have to fight with others all day long at this age."
Elder Sifang said.
"But strangely enough, the Hinata family has become much more peaceful recently."
Li Huo touched his chin, seeming to be thinking about something.
"Don't tell me such a thing to an old man."
"I just wanted to give you a reference. It might affect the Uchiha clan."
"A boring question and answer. Why did you come to see me?"
The elders from all directions did not intend to pay attention to the actions of the senior officials, or the actions of the Hyuga family, nor were they interested in understanding them.
More than this, he wanted to know whether the fish he would catch later was fat and whether the maid at home could make it taste satisfactory to him.
"You know Fugaku's child, right?"
Li Huo asked.
"The child with that girl named Mikoto? I remember the child was born in June this year."
Elder Sifang recalled this matter carefully.
In June of this year, Uchiha Fugaku's child was born in the hospital. The elders from all directions knew about this.
"Yes, that child's name is Uchiha Itachi."
"Itachi? It's a very good name. And what does this have to do with me?"
"Don't be so cold, elder. Fugaku wants you to accept his child as a disciple when he grows up."
Li Huo said this.
"...My energy is not as good as before, and I have also decided not to pay attention to any external affairs. He is also the leader of the Uchiha clan after all. Can't he teach a child well?"
Elder Sifang’s eyes were cold.
He knew exactly what Fugaku meant.
He wanted to use him, a retired old man, to increase the weight of the so-called clan leader and intimidate the radical clan members.
It may be a kind of temptation to hope that an old man like him would accept his children as his disciples.
"I'm just conveying his message, there's no need to be angry with me, right?"
Li Huo scratched his head helplessly.
"You have only been the leader of the clan for a few months and yet you dare to come and test my limits... Instead of wasting energy on such boring tricks, it is better to focus on how to unify the voices within the clan."
When he unified the voice of the radical faction within the clan, it took him several years to establish enough prestige, rather than being achieved in one fell swoop.
Fugaku has only been the clan leader for half a year, but he is so eager to complete a career that surpasses his predecessors. Elder Sifang understands Fugaku's mentality. The less he gets, the more he wants to prove to others that he has these powers. This kind of immature stubbornness is not a good thing for a clan.
"Then am I going to reply to him like this?"
"Let him perform well on the battlefield and don't think about messy things."
There was a deep look of disappointment on the square face, but he still gave this suggestion.
Although he didn't have high expectations for the Uchiha clan in the village, he didn't expect that less than half a year had passed before Fugaku couldn't bear the pressure brought on him by the radicals and secretly asked him for help.
Although he wants to be cold-blooded and iron-faced towards his clansmen, he has never been able to harden his heart. He wants to be tolerant of everything to his clansmen, but he is always dissatisfied with the militant ideas of the radicals, refuses to communicate with them, and rejects them blindly.
He only hoped that through this war, Fugaku would mature and stop looking at the clan with such immature thinking.
However, the four elders also know that this kind of thing is difficult. The negative power of Sharingan affects people's thinking and personality. Pessimists can only see pessimism in their eyes. Fugaku was just one of the victims.
"I know. I'll make it clear to him."
Li Huo nodded.
He was only acting as a microphone. Seeing that the elders from all directions were in a bad mood, he resigned and left.
◎
In the cold winter, you can still feel the warm sunshine shining from the sky.
Although people in the Ghost Country live a richer life than before, everyone is still used to storing a lot of food at home to survive the cold winter.
In this era when the labor force has not been liberated in large quantities, the lifestyle of people in war zones and peaceful countries can be described as austere. Of course, people in countries at war will live a more miserable life.
Before the New Year Festival, Shiraishi, who had nothing to do, once again led people to explore the rural areas of the Kingdom of Ghosts.
The main roads between towns in the Kingdom of Ghosts have been completed with smooth road construction. Even if the construction of these roads requires passing through forests and mountains, they have been cleared by professional ninjas. Access to rural areas is also well underway. Some places are really remote and difficult to build, but considering the development plan for the next few years, this is also necessary.
Shiraishi does not expect to change the way of life of the people of this country at once. Even if there are special professions such as ninjas with a lot of productivity, it is impossible to completely change the way of life and life of a country in just one year. level.
Otherwise, areas like the Kingdom of Winds would have been able to use water escape ninjutsu to build lakes long ago. The Kingdom of Winds would not have regarded water sources as so important and would have to import them from foreign countries every year, spending a large amount of money.
Ninjutsu is time-sensitive, and so is the water flow created by Water Release. When the chakra in the water flow disappears, the water flow will naturally disappear, and the lake created will also disappear. It can be used to solve urgent needs, but with such a large population in the Kingdom of Wind, water escape cannot be used just right every time to solve urgent needs.
For the same reason, the same is true for earth escape, thunder escape and other escape techniques. However, there are also special escape techniques that can be maintained. For example, Wood Release.
Therefore, if the earth escape ninja does not learn professional road construction knowledge, the road he builds will only last for a period of time and then collapse immediately. Ninja's ninjutsu only speeds up the process, rather than getting it right in one step. Just use any ninjutsu to get it done once and for all. Otherwise, the existence of civilians really has little meaning.
However, as long as the ninjas are instilled with the corresponding construction knowledge, it will not be a problem for them to be able to do one for a hundred in the construction industry. Some special personnel can do one for a thousand, such as when Ruri activated Susanoo to move building materials, and Ayane used Shen Kong to demolish old buildings, which can save a lot of manpower and material resources. The consumption of funds will also be relatively reduced.
Make rational use of every resource in hand, and neither belittle the convenience brought by ninjutsu nor ignore the sense of glory of ordinary people participating in labor. This is what Shiraishi requires.
A great era will come, not created by individuals, but by the entire human collective. Human history is created by the collective human beings, not by one individual. In this world, people without organization can't do anything. That's what humans are. We neither want to cater to the organization, but must rely on the power of the organization to survive in this world.
After inspecting these remote rural areas, Shiraishi was generally satisfied. Although some areas are not perfect, the serious work attitude of the subordinates should be rewarded in time, rather than blindly dampening their enthusiasm.
After all, the New Year is coming. No matter how enthusiastic you are about your work, you will miss your parents, children, and your wife at home. This is human nature.
Some employees temporarily left home to reunite with their relatives, causing the project to be slow, but as long as it can be completed by the beginning of next spring, Shiraishi can't blame him for anything.
It took nearly half a month to inspect these places, and all of them were inspected, but some areas were randomly selected for work inspection.
Although I am willing to believe that the people under me will not gradually forget the original intention because of their rich life, this trust is not an obligation that must be indulged in the first place. Shiraishi has always believed that without personal practice, one has no right to speak. It can be regarded as taking responsibility for oneself.
◎
It snows this time of year.
The stove was burning in the room and there was dew on the windows.
After returning from the inspection mission, it was already dusk. Shiraishi sat in the entrance hall and began to take off his shoes.
"It's a little early to come back this time."
Liuli appeared behind Shiraishi wearing home clothes and said these words.
In the past, when Shiraishi went out for inspection work, it would take at least a month.
Shiraishi took off his shoes while changing his home, turning his head slightly and smiling: "Because we don't patrol every place, we just randomly select a few places as key investigation targets, which is of course faster than usual patrols."
Shiraishi noticed that there were fewer slippers on the shoe cabinet and asked in confusion: "Is anyone here?"
"Huh, you'll know just by looking at it."
Liuli snorted lightly, turned around and walked in.
Shiraishi didn't pay attention and came to the living room and found that someone was indeed coming.
And they are not strangers. Ruri's mother, Miyoko Uchiha, and Ayane are sitting there talking about something. Judging from the atmosphere of the conversation, they should be getting along pretty well.
Liuli also sat opposite them, picked up a teacup, and drank tea quietly.
Turn on the lights in the living room, filling the room with a bright and clean atmosphere.
"Xiao Baishi is back."
Miyoko greeted Shiraishi with a smile.
"Yes."
"I always feel that I am becoming more and more masculine. If Auntie were twenty years younger, she might be chasing after me."
As a mother, Miyoko started teasing her without fear of death in front of Ruri.
As for the lively atmosphere, Shiraishi was worried that Liuli would throw the cup out immediately and make his mother's head explode.
But this didn't happen, because Liuli just drank tea calmly, and seemed to be used to her mother's off-line behavior.
"But Auntie is now old and beautiful, and can no longer attract the attention of young people."
Miyoko, who always wears gorgeous clothes at all times and looks like she is in her twenties, is the person least qualified to say such a thing in Shiraishi's opinion.
"No, Auntie looks very young now, like a teenage girl."
Ayane laughed from the side.
"Ayane-chan still talks so sweetly. It would be great if Ruri-chan could do the same. Right, Ruri-chan?"
Miyoko covered her mouth and chuckled. Although she knew that Ayane was talking politely, she still felt happy after being called a teenage girl. She then hinted at Liuli with her eyes, as if she hoped that she would also say something to make people laugh. Happy words of praise come.
"Middle-aged women should not imitate young girls and pretend to be young. Your crow's feet will appear when you smile."
Ruri put down her teacup and said these words that made Miyoko's mouth twitch.
"Sure enough, boys are more fun. So, Xiao Baishi, I'll leave it to you tonight."
Miyoko smiled and hinted with her eyes.
Please what? I was the one down there at night. Shiraishi complained in his heart.
And it’s not something that children can play with.
"By the way, why are Auntie and Ayane here together?"
Shiraishi asked about this topic.
"We are discussing what we should prepare for the festival in the near future."
Ayane answered.
For lively activities like festivals, women always put a lot of enthusiasm into it.
"Is that so? Then you can chat slowly and don't pay attention to me. I'll go up and take a rest first."
Shiraishi is not very interested in topics between women, and who knows what trouble these people are causing. He is exhausted now and just wants to have a good rest.
While the three women were discussing the festival in the living room, Shiraishi returned to the room alone and fell asleep.
Although it is true that ninjas have more energy than ordinary people, after so many days of high-intensity work, no matter how energetic they are, they will feel mentally exhausted.
I fell asleep in a daze, and when I woke up, I suddenly felt a little thirsty in my mouth and my nose felt a little blocked.
It was already bright outside, and it was obviously the next morning.
The wind is blowing loudly. Although just hearing the sound will make you feel cold, it gives you a New Year atmosphere.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Liuli, who was sleeping next to her, opened her eyes and seemed to realize that something was wrong with Shiraishi's situation.
"Yeah, I seem to have a little cold."
Shiraishi covered the pain and said a little helplessly.
"They say you should pay more attention to your health when you go out alone. Fortunately, you are a medical ninja."
Liuli sat up from the bed, then got out of bed, went outside to pour a cup of hot water, and looked for cold medicine, and put them on Shiraishi's bedside table.
"Sorry for causing you trouble."
Shiraishi picked up the medicine and put it in his mouth, then took another sip of hot water.
"Are you going to work today?"
"No, I want to have a good rest at home. It's okay if my work over there is delayed for a day or two."
"Really, I originally planned to let you go shopping with us today."
Liuli seemed to have a headache.
"It's not the New Year's Eve festival anyway. I will take care of myself these days. Just have fun."
Shiraishi felt a little dizzy. If he had known this, he would have prepared more things when he went out on patrol instead of traveling lightly.
After taking the cold medicine, Shiraishi continued to lie down, not wanting to move.
When Liuli saw Baishi like this, she felt that it was really inappropriate for him to go out at this time. Besides, he was also very busy with his usual work, and he was also very hard at home at night, so she might as well give him a few days off.
After getting dressed, Liuli washed briefly and went out.
There are shadow dancers there, so don’t worry that no one will take care of Shiraishi.
When they arrived outside, their mother Miyoko and their rival Ayane were already waiting there.
"Strange, why didn't Mr. Baishi come out?"
Ayane tilted her head, feeling confused.
"I have a cold. I have to recuperate at home today."
Liuli replied.
"That's really bad. Indeed, Shiraishi-kun's physical condition has declined a bit compared to before."
Ayane touched her chin and commented in a very professional tone.
"Maybe it's because I lost too much money at night. Although they haven't gotten married yet, they are like newlyweds who have fallen in love and can't extricate themselves. Xiao Liuli also needs to control this aspect. But it's the same as her mother at that time. Dad also worked very hard to give birth to little Liuli."
Miyoko said with a smile.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Is this what a mother should say?"
Liuli was a little embarrassed.
Shiraishi's cold was related to her unrestrained demands.
No, hers is just a very normal physiological need for human beings to survive in this world, and she just wants a little more than normal people in that regard.
"Stop talking about such meaningless topics. I only agreed to come out to relax after putting aside my practice time."
Liuli took a deep breath and ended the topic.
"Yes, Xiao Liuli is also very cute. Let's stop here. After all, the festival in the Kingdom of Ghosts is still very lively, so you have to prepare well."
"Aunt Miyoko has lived here for many years and must have participated in many festivals. How does it compare to Konoha?"
Ayane asked curiously.
"Konoha? After all, I rarely go back to Konoha during the Chinese New Year. In recent years, I only go back occasionally to visit, or through secret channels... How can I put it, each has its own merits. However, here in the Kingdom of Demons, the region The characteristics of the customs and culture are more prominent.”
Miyoko has lived in the Kingdom of Demons for many years and knows most of the things here.
It has customs and culture that are different from those of Konoha and Fire Country, which makes people from all over the world feel very novel.
If I have to say it, it is the gap of faith.
As far as Miyoko knows, the Fire Country believes in monks, that is, beings with 'Buddha' qualities like the Fire Temple. Unlike the Country of Fire, the Konoha Ninja Village believes in the Will of Fire, but the Will of Fire was born too short ago. In terms of the cohesion of belief and culture, it cannot be compared with the witch culture of the Country of Ghosts.
Afterwards, the three of them wandered around the commercial street of Ziyuan City.
Because their identities were too sensitive, Ruri and Ayane wore clothes without family emblems, and their faces were covered with masks.
There are more and more people from abroad in the Kingdom of Ghosts, which is the result of Shiraishi's good leadership, but one must also be careful to avoid exposing one's identity.
After all, Ruri and Ayane, who are S-class rebellious ninjas, are also famous figures in the ninja world.
Originally from the White Fang team, their names had already caught the attention of senior officials in various countries, and they seemed familiar to them. Their defection further expanded their fame. Despite this fame, it comes with a lot of negative consequences.
As for Shiraishi, a mediocre ninja, because Konoha did not give any decent information, the village's understanding of Shiraishi was still at the level of a medical ninja without any threat. From this perspective, it cannot be said to be completely wrong.
Putting aside the combat abilities of several clones, his own level is only that of an elite jounin.
"Although Xiaobaishi doesn't know how to do business, he sometimes has his own unique insights on how to develop business. In just a few months, this commercial street is full of vitality."
Miyoko pointed to various branded shops in the commercial street. Whether it was goods or shops, most of them were decorated and looked like luxury goods. But in fact, the price is very close to the people, which dredges the vitality of the ghost country's business.
"Didn't you and dad do this?"
Liuli asked doubtfully.
"No, the detailed development was indeed done by us, but the grand strategy was provided by Shiraishi." Miyoko showed an admiring look and smiled: "He said very bluntly at the time that wealth is concentrated among the rich. With this, civilians will lose the opportunity to climb up, and the goods in the store will be monopolized by the rich, which will lead to a downturn in the entire market. They will hold on to dead money, which will eventually lead to the decline of the country's power."
Although Liuli and Ayane do not understand business issues very well, judging from the current situation of the commercial street, even some civilians have started business with the help of loans provided by the Shion Flower Chamber of Commerce, and the business is still very popular, then This means that the grand strategy given by Shiraishi is correct and has actually helped the economic development of the Ghost Country.
"Can such a sentence stir up the market?"
"No, maybe it has something to do with the road."
Miyoko looked at the ordinary road beneath her feet with a thoughtful look in her eyes.
At first, she was hesitant about Shiraishi's proposal to build roads.
If Liuli hadn't threatened them with Sharingan, she really wouldn't have wanted to spend such a huge amount of money to do something that had no benefit to her.
She is just a businessman, essentially a vampire who exploits civilians, not a charity. Benefiting the common people is equivalent to cutting off one's own interests and reducing one's wealth. As a businessman, she doesn't want to do this kind of loss-making business.
Now it seems that as a top businessman in the ninja world, she has been taught a lesson.
Road construction, a seemingly very loss-making business, is the real way to make money.
The lost funds will come back, and the return will be ten times or a hundred times.
After the roads in the Kingdom of Ghosts were rehabilitated, more businessmen were willing to come to the Kingdom of Ghosts, which led to commercial interaction. These foreign businessmen also contributed a lot to the rapid development of the Kingdom of Ghosts.
Unlike Ruri and Ayane, they are interested in the packaging, quality, and functions of goods, but as a businessman, Miyoko can see more distant things through the changes of more than half a year.
A path that the ninja world has never imagined is quietly taking place within the Kingdom of Demons.
I picked out a lot of products and bought them without having to worry about money. I still didn’t stop until noon.
The commercial streets of Oni no Kuni are wider than those of Konoha, and the variety and quality of products are also much higher.
After all, this is not only driven by the merchants of the Kingdom of Ghosts, but also a large number of wealthy businessmen from abroad who are concentrated here. Let the wealth flow, and the commercial street will naturally develop rapidly.
"Ah, my stomach is full. I didn't expect that I can eat so much delicious food here."
Ayane returned to the private room from the bathroom. There were no outsiders to disturb her, so she could eat and drink openly.
"I eat so much every time, it's time to lose weight."
Liuli looked at the empty plates in front of Ayane and said this to her.
"It's so rude. My breasts are just a little fuller. My figure is not out of shape."
Ayane coughed.
"It's okay. A girl who can eat is a blessing. But it's a test of her husband's ability to make money. Ayane-chan can eat as much as she wants. Auntie will pay the bill."
Miyoko really likes Ayane's cheerful personality. Although she doesn't speak the truth, she makes people feel very comfortable when getting along with her.
"Thank you, Aunt Miyoko. Then I'm not polite. After all, it feels like such a waste not to eat so much food."
A long time passed like this, and Ayane was still eating and drinking at the dining table.
Although Hu Tianhai eats like this, Ayane's eating movements are very elegant and not rude at all. At first glance, she looks like a well-educated lady, which gives people a pleasing feeling.
Liuli looked at Ayane's happy eating look, and was a little jealous. This woman always eats so much, why does she only have breasts that shouldn't grow? Normal people would have become fat pigs long ago.
Liuli changed her position and sat there, while Ayane was still eating and drinking, with no intention of stopping when she was full.
After eating and drinking for such a long time, Liuli felt like she was dragging her feet much more than usual.
Procrastinating more than usual...
Liuli felt something was wrong. Even though this woman would usually eat a lot, it took too long this time.
His face suddenly changed, and his eyes immediately turned scarlet, meeting Ayane's raised gaze.
Ayane's eyes were dull, her body was stiff, and the tableware she was holding was suspended in the air.
"Hey, Liuli, what do you do-"
Miyoko saw this scene and immediately knew that Ruri had used a genjutsu on Ayane.
Although she knew that Ruri hated Ayane, using Sharingan genjutsu to sneak attack her companions was just too much.
boom!
Ayane's body turned into a ball of white smoke and disappeared into the seat opposite.
Miyoko's voice stopped abruptly.
Shadow clone?
Not only is there not a word of truth in her mouth, but the behavior itself is also full of deception. At this time, Miyoko seriously felt Ayane's cunning and danger.
