In the crowd, a little boy broke free from his mother's hand and rushed forward.
Imitating the man who performed the "dogeza," the boy also knelt down in front of Naruto, speaking with all his strength, "Hero, could you please stay in our village?"
Naruto looked at him, "You want me to stay?"
"Pirates," the boy said, seemingly using up all his strength with his earlier request. Now his voice was weak and small, "There are more pirates than the ones you defeated."
"Our village is raided by pirates every few days."
"Even if we move someplace else, they keep finding us."
"My father died because of other pirates."
"Hero! Please stay in the village and protect us!"
Naruto shook his head without hesitation, "Why should I stay?"
The boy raised his head, a bit puzzled, since he had just explained, "Because there will be more pirates! They'll come and raid our village, killing others."
Naruto met his gaze and nodded, "Yes, there will always be more pirates."
"I killed this group today, but another will come in a few days."
"Even if I kill all the pirates now, new ones will emerge in a few years."
The boy appeared bewildered, struggling to understand Naruto's words.
"If I stay to protect you, how long should I stay?" Naruto asked, "Pirates will always exist; should I stay forever?"
The boy opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Why not?"
But, such words were difficult to utter.
"I have my own matters to attend to," Naruto said softly, his tone gentle, "Things that are very important to me."
"Just as important as your desire to protect the village."
The young boy's eyes were red with emotion, and he anxiously clenched his fists.
"Why would you rely on others to protect you?" Naruto crouched down, gently ruffling the boy's hair. "If you want something done, why not do it yourself?"
"If you want to protect the ones you care about."
"Then use your own hands."↵
The boy gritted his teeth, "But I don't have that kind of strength."
Naruto said no more and began forming hand signs to cast a jutsu.
"Ninja Art, Summoning Technique."
Two blank scrolls materialized.
He wrote something on them before placing them before the young boy.
The boy looked at the scrolls, then looked up at Naruto, confusion in his eyes.
"Can you read?" Naruto asked him.
The boy shook his head, "Not yet, but the village elder can."
Naruto patted his head, "Then start by learning to read."
"Then study what's on these scrolls."
"This is chakra refining, along with some techniques in taijutsu and swordsmanship."
"Work hard and grow strong."
With that, he stood up and left with Karin.↵
The boy, clutching the scrolls, stood and bowed deeply towards him, shouting, "Thank you, Hero!"
In his eyes, the sight of Naruto's golden hair shone brilliantly, just like the sun.
Naruto didn't turn back, simply waving a hand.
The two left the village.
Karin tilted her head, staring at Naruto, "Are we not going to be ninjas anymore?"
"Why be ninjas?" Naruto replied with a question.
Karin looked ahead, "I thought you wanted to rebuild Uzushiogakure, to restore the Village of Whirlpool."
Naruto softly echoed the words, "Rebuild the Village of Whirlpool, huh."
"Maybe one day, maybe not."
"But before making any decisions, there's something I need to understand first."
Karin kicked a stone by the roadside, "What do you need to understand?"
"What is the purpose of a ninja's existence?" Naruto took a large step forward.
This is a question often overlooked, yet holds great significance.
In the Soul Society, "What is the purpose of a Shinigami's existence?" has a clear answer:
to maintain the stability of the "Three Realms."
But what is the purpose of a ninja's existence?
According to the education in Konoha, a ninja exists to complete missions.
The teachings Karin received in Kusagakure were no different.
Yet, this is merely the purpose of a ninja as a "tool," not the true purpose behind being a ninja.
Karin lowered her head, examining her clothes.
She thought, perhaps not being a ninja isn't so bad; it's just that since her mother was a ninja, she naturally thought she was meant to be one too.
These past few days, away from Konoha with Naruto, she hasn't felt like a ninja at all.
Even her attire doesn't reflect a ninja's spirit.
These past few days have been the happiest and most exhilarating of her life.
"Then, perhaps, being a ninja isn't necessary."
She quickened her pace to catch up with Naruto.
On their journey searching for the "Village Ruins," they came to realize a harsh truth: this land was teeming with bandits.
Here, there seemed to be no place for good people.
Whenever they encountered others, conflicts were inevitable.
Naruto and Karin would simply observe.
If both sides were villains, Naruto would ignore them and move on.
However, if one side was being bullied, Naruto would intervene.
At the Konoha Coast, Kisame unfurled a scroll, reading the intelligence, "Impressive that even Zetsu could detect it. Such strong sensory perception?"
"Heading towards the Land of Whirlpools, huh?"
Itachi Uchiha didn't respond to Kisame's comment but gazed towards the barely visible island on the horizon.
"Let's go, Itachi. Your previous assessment had some miscalculations," Kisame said, rolling up the scroll. "The departure of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki wasn't a misleading rumor planted by Konoha."
"However, Zetsu confirms he's incredibly strong."
"The news of Orochimaru's death also seems likely to be true."
"At such a young age, to possess strength comparable to the Sannin is indeed impressive."
Itachi replied calmly, "There's nothing particularly remarkable about it."
"Our task isn't to capture the Nine-Tails right now."
"The organization isn't ready yet."
"If we can't take him away, then we'll gather as much information on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as possible."
"Our understanding of him is currently blank."
Kisame shook his head, "Truly rational, Itachi."
They sailed towards the Land of Whirlpool.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Karin arrived at the ruins of "Whirlpool Village."
This place was more dilapidated than any village or town they had passed through.
Buildings lay collapsed and totems shattered.
Only on some moss-covered stone pillars could the remnants of the Uzumaki clan totem be seen.
"There's nothing of value here," Karin said, pushing aside two sections of ruins and only finding some skeletal limbs.
These limbs were only dismembered hands and fingers—no complete bodies.
"Ninja corpses hold great value. Those who attacked the Uzumaki clan took the bodies with them when they left."
The village's stored information, needless to say, was also gone.
Naruto didn't speak. He knelt before a stone tablet, brushing away the moss, "Not entirely."
"Look at this."
Karin leaned over.
The tablet bore inscriptions detailing the founding of "Whirlpool Village."
Under the leadership of clan leader Ashina Uzumaki, the Uzumaki clan took root here and established the village.
"This doesn't help you," Karin muttered, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Naruto shook his head, "Who knows? There might be another tablet with what I need."
"Let's keep looking."
Chapter 66 - A Few Words Before the Launch
Let's start with the juicy details.
Tomorrow's update will be released sometime after 2 PM. It's not that I don't want to release it earlier, but due to a slot on a recommendation list, the content has to remain free until then.
Tomorrow, you can expect a guaranteed fifteen chapters! The word count will total over 40,000!
After that, expect even more updates daily!
That's all for now. There are so many things I want to share, but time is running short! Let me pour my passion into tomorrow's 40,000 words.
So here's a big thank you to our chief editor, Brother Green Bean, and our editor, Sister Orange!
Also, a shoutout to the editors next door, Little Star and Tooth Tiger!
A round of thanks to Guru Goo, Mentor Meow, Lamp Baby, Farmer Da Zhuang, and Brother Changshi! It's a whirlwind of gratitude!
Let's gather inspiration and energy!
From 'Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!' by Changshi, let's just let them show their loyalty~~
For a humorous twist, dive into 'Entering the Unscientific Realm' by our rookie fisher. The author's education level is a bit low, so it's advised to read without overthinking [serious face!].
Exploring KissPig's new creation "A Serene Life Back on the Island," which offers a heartwarming slice-of-life narrative capturing the brilliance of life itself.~
Delving into Jasmine's latest work "Strange Tales," as Jasmine truly embodies divinity in storytelling!! Can't help but adore Jasmine's masterpiece!
Entering the world of "Reincarnation Means Romance!" by MorePigeons, where love is the theme! Oh, how I wish for romance!
Unveiling DurianOldWine's epic "My Son Yang Jian Possesses the Emperor's Demeanor," where you find yourself playing the role of the father of Erlang Shen!
HungerFish presents "Where the Wind Chime Rings, There's a God," featuring top-notch writing and a rich taste of the immortal and chivalrous!
In "Even the Gentleman Guards Himself," by YangXiaoRong, which soars to the top with first place in monthly votes and consistently holds a top three spot in sales!!!
Pudding's super adorable work "My Citizenship is Fraught with Danger" brings you urban high martial arts and exotic beasts in a grand and spectacular manner.
Bamboo Leaf Cake writes "Living in Tokyo, Lawless in the Legal System"; how to describe this book? It's transparent, the quintessence of adventurous tales!
Tea Seven Bowls offers "This Top Stream Only Wants to Progress", a celebrity in the system on a cultural tourism path!
Chen Zhaocai is a Cat's "Reincarnated with an Attribute Panel"; simple and exhilarating with rave reviews.
A Sword Pierces with "Reincarnated but Who Plays Go?"; it's the flagbearer of Go literature, absolutely top-tier!
Tian Li's "Wizard: Grinding Experience Starting with Knight's Breathing Technique" is a completed wizard advancement story, five million words, with a smooth landing! No worries about serialization here~
Kitaura Minami's "Epicurean Song": A phantasmagorical culinary epic! Very good! Very, very good!
Summer Dragonfox's "Does My Fighting Style Hurt You?": A spirited combat tale from a young male writer!
Hotpot Master's "Deification: Is Longevity a Calamity? Bloodshed Transforms Fate!": A highly entertaining author!
Radish's "Who Needs a Corporate Grind When You're a Tycoon?": A lavish tale of wealth! Spend, spend, spend!
Microwave Hot Cola's "What is a Bath-style Mid-laner?": A new book by the celebrated top-lane author!
That concludes the list!
Off to weave new tales!
(End of Chapter)