In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Time passed little by little as Ino scribbled on a piece of paper, but she still couldn't come up with a solution. Even if she requested an audience with the Daimyo, she would most likely be stopped at the door.

The Yamanaka clan's influence only held weight in Konoha, and even if her father comes here, he still can't do anything to these unruly Land of Fire's nobles.

After all, these nobles controlled the vast majority of the Land of Fire's wealth and they didn't take Konoha seriously in the slightest. They even have the right to participate in decision-making on certain major events.

Ino was certain that the Chakra Communication Project posed no threat to the nobles' health, such claims were simply complete nonsense. What harm could a Chakra communication tower do?

If anything, if they cut down on their extravagant feasts and freed themselves from certain diseases, they might even live a couple of years longer.

With a loud bang, Ino slammed her fist onto the table, unable to suppress her anger Her teeth chattered in frustration, and she was tempted to march over there and kick those bastards right in the face.

"That bunch of hypocritical scumbags!"

Despite her rage, she still had to calm down and deal with the situation. After all, the Intelligence Department invested an enormous amount of resources and effort into this project, and if it got stuck in the capital of the Land of Fire, their morale would take a major hit.

…

The next day.

Three ox-drawn carts departed from the Konoha's Intelligence Department's construction camp, making their way down the capital's main street toward the noble district. Ino sat inside the cart, resting with her eyes closed.

After weighing her options, she ultimately decided to negotiate with those nobles, whose brains grew in the sewers, in the name of Konoha Intelligence Department… to try and reason with them once more.

Upon arriving in the capital, she handed over her name card.

The estates of the Land of Fire's nobles were indeed extravagant. Even though it was the dry season in the middle of summer, there was still the sound of running water within the courtyard.

Unlike Konoha, the capital was situated on a plain, making it susceptible to droughts.

A servant accepted the name card but did not immediately go inside. Instead, he took a moment to scrutinize Ino and her entourage. With an expressionless face, he glanced downward before speaking with a dismissive tone, "Wait here!"

"What kind of attitude is that!" Yamafuji, a male Shinobi from the Intelligence Department, couldn't hold back his anger and nearly acted on impulse, but his colleagues stopped him just in time.

Watching the servant disappeared into the estate, one of the team members spoke up.

"Calm down, Yamafuji. It's not worth offending those nobles. All the ruffians and hooligans in the capital take orders from them, and we can't hurt the civilians."

"Exactly. Even if a fight breaks out, we won't gain anything from it. If we accidentally kill a civilian, this entire project could be forced to halt."

"But this is just too humiliating…" Yamafuji muttered in frustration, though deep down, he also felt a bit relieved that he hadn't acted rashly.

It is best for Shinobi not to interact with nobles and only live in Shinobi Villages. The Land of Fire was still under aristocratic rule, and some nobles even retained a slave system.

The Daimyo is the true ruler of the Land of Fire, while Konoha was merely military organizations under the Land of Fire's command. The term 'army' generally referred to Shinobi Forces, with very few civilian troops.

Nobles controlled most of the land and production tools outside the Shinobi Villages. Even if they lived indulgent and depraved lives, they could still enjoy endless wealth and luxury.

Essentially, these nobles were no different from the financial conglomerates. They are rich and basically feared nothing.

"We'll wait a bit longer." Ino said patiently.

Today, she wore a formal kimono, giving her an air of elegance and composure. Her hair was neatly coiled and secured with a decorative hairpin, revealing her slender, fair neck… she looked like a painting under the sunlight.

After a while, the servant hurried out, walked in front of the people from the Intelligence Department, then bowed and said, "My lord invites Ino-sama inside for a conversation. Please follow me."

This clearly meant that the rest of the Intelligence Department's members were to be left outside. Everyone's faces changed when they heard this.

Ino frowned slightly, but there was nothing she could do.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded calmly and said, "Lead the way."

The servant turned and walked into the courtyard, then Ino turned her head to look at the people from the Intelligence Department who came with her and gave them a reassuring look before following along.

Watching Ino disappear into the courtyard, the others couldn't hide their concern.

"Will this really work?"

"I don't know. Nobles are always arrogant. Even Ino-sama might..."

…

The sound of her wooden sandals echoed crisply as Ino walked through the courtyard. She passed over an arched stone bridge, beneath which a gentle stream flowed, carrying a cool breeze that momentarily relieved the scorching heat.

Finally, she reached the audience hall.

Several men dressed in noble attire were seated in the upper positions. They lifted their heads, scrutinizing this young successor of Konoha's Intelligence Department. She seemed rather young, like an elegant and mild-mannered girl.

"Enwa-sama." Ino walked to the center and bowed formally. She then turned and extended the same respectful gesture to the other nobles, her movements composed and measured.

Several nobles looked at Ino with interest. Their faces were pale and bloated, indicative of indulgent lifestyles. Nobles in the Land of Fire had a peculiar trend of applying white makeup to appear more distinguished.

Behind closed doors, however, they lived decadently. Not only gifting servants to each other, but also frequently organizing extravagant gatherings of questionable nature. Their activities resembled some sort of genetic awakening.

"The weather is quite fine today, so what brings you here, Ino-san?" The noble called Enwa spoke in a pretentious manner, deliberately using archaic phrasing to sound refined.

"The Intelligence Department is planning to build a Chakra Communication Network in the capital." Ino replied, neither servile nor overbearing, "However, I have heard that you esteemed gentlemen may have some misunderstandings about this technology, so I have come to clarify.

"We don't understand those things very well, so just don't build them here." One of the nobles spoke, "Anyway, the Land of Fire has other places besides the capital, so you can just build them there."

Hearing this, Ino lowered her head even further. Not because she was afraid, but because she didn't want these people to see her changing expression. Taking a quiet breath, she lifted her head again and smiled.

"The capital is the heart of the Land of Fire, densely populated and commercially prosperous. The communication project will bring only benefits to the people here, with no downsides or risks."

"I can assure you esteemed gentlemen that Chakra Communication Technology is already fully developed and poses no threat whatsoever to your health."

"On the contrary, the communication networks can make life more convenient and improve business efficiency…"

"Enough!"

"No need to say more!"

One of the nobles kneeling on either sides impatiently interrupted Ino. He was bloated and round, his face large and waist thick. Just kneeling for a while had already made his forehead sweat.

Dark circles hung under his eyes, giving him the look of someone who had a close friendship with the Shinigami. He glanced sideways at Ino and asked in an unpleasant tone, "You've said a lot, but tell me, what's in it for us?"

"It will make life more convenient." Ino answered, lowering her head slightly.

"Our current life is already convenient enough. Do we really need to change anything?" The fat noble spread his hands and said, "To be honest, who can say for sure that this technology is safe?"

"As for you, little girl from the Yamanaka Clan, your word doesn't count. I think you don't really understand what you're talking about. How about this, ask your father to come here instead."

"If the Intelligence Department is willing to share some benefits, we might be willing to discuss further."

Everything before this was just nonsense. The last sentence was the real point. The nobles of the Land of Fire only cared about profit, and without benefits, why would they bother with this at all?