In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Halfway away from Kumogakure, Naruto decided to make a brief detour home to bring Kurama along, as he was running out of manpower. He had previously promised Ino and Hinata that he would return in six month, and only about a month had passed, so he wasn't exactly breaking his word.

This return to Konoha was also to resolve the issue of long-distance travel. After all, too much time was wasted on the road, which was highly inefficient.

In addition, since he is alone in Kumogakure, it is inevitable that he was cut off from the news.

He wanted to know Obito's movements, and going back to Konoha meant he could directly ask Kakashi for any unusual clues and have the Anbu investigate.

He can also make use of the power of Sunagakure. Even if Obito's whereabouts are elusive, Konoha and Sunagakure are two of Five Great Shinobi Villages after all, so it is still possible to narrow down a general area of activity.

As for why Naruto didn't personally seek out Obito, it was mainly because he felt it was not cost-effective.

First, their goals were completely different.

That delusional Obito claimed he wanted to create a world with Rin in it, but that was just an excuse. His true motives were resurrecting Uchiha Madara and seeking revenge.

In the final analysis, whether it is Madara or Obito, they were nothing more than pawns in a greater scheme. Under Black Zetsu's manipulations, the only true beneficiary would be the ancient crone, Otsutsuki Kaguya.

However, Naruto wanted to resolve the Otsutsuki crisis once and for all, and he did not take Otsutsuki Kaguya seriously at all.

Secondly, Obito can use Space-Time Ninjutsu, and with Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows assisting him, pursuing him would be a futile effort, like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

Madara's goal is to revive and take back everything that belongs to him. Obito was just a manipulated fool, and fixating on him was pointless.

If there is a chance, it is better to put these people in a mental hospital. It seemed that the high concentration of Otsutsuki's bloodline in mixed-bloods tended to cause mental instability.

Tobirama's claims about the 'Evil Uchiha' weren't entirely baseless. The Uchiha's Sharingan was absurdly overpowered, and every now and then, a prodigy would emerge from their ranks.

Whether it is Izanagi, Izanami, or even Susanoo, in the eyes of Tobirama, the Uchiha Clan is the hidden source of disaster.

They have incredible abilities and are mentally unstable, so they're no different from a ticking time bomb if placed in the village.

This also proves that the closer one is to a pure-blooded Otsutsuki, the more they lose their humanity. The stronger one is, the less they identify with the human identity.

That was precisely why Naruto didn't want to get entangled with the two deranged Uchiha. It was more efficient to sabotage their plans from the shadows. He'll just cut off their supply lines and let them waste their efforts.

If they wanted the Rinnegan, Naruto wouldn't let them have it. The Rinnegan was still in Nagato's possession.

Thanks to the Uzumaki Clan's strong regenerative abilities, ever since Naruto extended Nagato's lifespan, his body had been slowly recovering, so taking the Rinnegan from him wouldn't be an easy task.

As for the Biju, Obito had no chance of gathering them all. Except for the wild Sanbi, who was still wandering in the lake, the rest of the Biju were heavily guarded.

Without the Biju, all of Obito's efforts would be for nothing.

Besides, Naruto was more focused on completing missions and earning rewards… his blade wasn't sharp enough, and his horse wasn't strong enough yet. So wasting time in a pointless struggle against Obito would be a losing strategy.

Naruto's current plan is to gain control over the three Great Shinobi Villages, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure, then leverage the three villages to access their resources and advance the Fallen God Project.

He didn't need absolute control over the three Great Shinobi Villages, he just needs enough influence to make them useful.

Ultimately, his goal was to eliminate the Otsutsuki threat and create a Shinobi World where he could enjoy a peaceful life. Once it was done, he could just walk away, leaving behind nothing but his legacy in the shadows.

Even if he spent his days slacking off like a salted fish, that would be fine too.

As Naruto continued on his journey, he opened his mission panel, which showed that the progress bar for Mission Line II was almost halfway through. He then clicked on Mission Line III, and the progress bar had already reached the halfway point.

There were still five vacant spots for Jashin's followers, and he needed to speed things up.

Seeing that he is about to enter the desert territory of the Land of Wind, Naruto hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to head straight for Konoha first.

He'd swing by Sungakure on his way back. After all, Sungakure's Shinobi are pretty weak, and they lacked promising talents like Ajisai, so Naruto really doesn't want to waste a vacant spot here.

Due to the addition of Yugito, Samui, and Mabui during this period, the status of the ten-member Jashin's followers has skyrocketed instantly.

Naruto had changed his mentality from being eager to complete Mission Line III to selecting good candidates. Recruiting just anyone wasn't only unethical, but also a huge waste of potential.

Land of Fire, the capital.

"They won't allow the infrastructure project? Why?" Ino held her head, trying to endure the discomfort of overwork and asked, "This is obviously beneficial to the capital of the Land of Fire, and we already secured approval for it."

"That… Ino-sama, we're not entirely sure either." A girl from the Intelligence Department said in a low voice, feeling aggrieved, "Our people were stopped as soon as they arrived, even though half the work was already done."

"I heard…" She glanced at Ino hesitantly, unsure if she should continue.

"Just tell me what's going on. I won't blame you." Ino sighed.

"I heard that the nobles in the capital don't like it. They claim that the Chakra-based communication network is harmful to their health, and having it in the capital will..."

The little girl said this tremblingly, then added with her lips pursed, "Our project was originally approved by the Daimyo, but the Daimyo seems to have completely forgotten about it and now he no longer acknowledges the agreement."

"The Daimyo won't acknowledge it?" Ino frowned and said, "The Daimyo really treats us too casually. Did you present the Konoha's official seal?"

"Yes, we did. But the people in Daimyo Mansion said that we have to wait because Daimyo is not feeling well. They said he doesn't have time to review any messages and that everything will have to wait until he recovers." The girl explained.

"I see… Perhaps he's under pressure from the Land of Fire's nobles." Ino's eyes narrowed as she silently calculated her next move.

"Yes, Ino-sama, if this continues, all our previous efforts will be wasted." The little girl, who was actually a year older than Ino, looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Originally, she was an employee of Konoha's Intelligence Department. After graduating from the Academy, she was not strong enough to enter the normal Genin Team, so she opted for an administrative path instead.

At first, she thought she would be able to enjoy the coolness of the Hokage Tower after entering the Intelligence Department, but she didn't expect that soon after she entered, she got caught up in the Intelligence Department's takeover of the communications reform project.

The Intelligence Department had significant funding, and this was the perfect opportunity for its members to shine. She figured it would be exhausting but worth it, as it is a rare chance to break out of a stagnant position.

However, after grinding through the initial hardships and reaching the point where they could finally showcase results, just when half the Land of Fire's capital's communications infrastructure had been set up, the project was suddenly halted.

If it had been due to procedures, safety or other issues, that would've been understandable, but in the end, it was stopped because of a ridiculous reason given by those aristocratic nobles who were out of touch with the world.

Thinking back on all the sleepless nights and hard work, this girl couldn't help but feel deeply wronged.

"I understand. I'll find a way." Ino's expression remained unchanged, and she waved at the little girl, "You should go back and get some rest first. Let me think this through."

"Yes, Ino-sama." The girl bowed and left.

Inside the modest office, Ino sank into her chair, with her hands clasped together over the desk. Her brows furrowed, frustration boiling beneath her composed exterior.

She wanted nothing more than to slap those nobles across the face, crack open their pig heads, and see what nonsense was inside. But unfortunately, offending the Land of Fire's nobles would only make the communicator project more difficult to move forward in the capital.

Not to mention, the Yamanaka Clan had long maintained ties with those very same nobles, and she couldn't afford to bring trouble to her father.