Chapter 96
Building Roads in the Land of Rain is a Challenging Task, Even for Ninjas
The relentless downpour constantly washes away the soil and disrupts the setting of concrete. Raindrops soaking into one's shoes make for an uncomfortable experience. Yet, despite these conditions, Yahiko and his group eagerly continued using Earth and Fire Release techniques to pave a concrete road.
Thanks to the ninja's abilities applied to public infrastructure, a concrete road stretching more than ten miles was completed in just half a day. Haneda and Nagato contributed the most to the work, both possessing Sage Body attributes—one from the Senju clan, the other from the Uzumaki clan—with vast reserves of chakra and incredible recovery abilities.
"Phew, we finally finished this stretch," Yahiko sighed, exhaling deeply as he gazed at the road leading from Kawaraseki Village to their secret base. A bright smile naturally spread across his face.
Their secret base was located near the border of the Land of Fire, a position Jiraiya had chosen long ago to prevent sneak attacks from Sunagakure or Amegakure forces. It was also conveniently located for seeking aid or retreating to Konoha if necessary.
A few more days of work, and a complete concrete road would stretch from Kawaraseki Village to the Land of Fire's border.
"Nagato, Haneda, you two did the most work today. I've been keeping track; you've put in the most effort," Yahiko said with a smile.
Nagato blushed at the praise, his eyes avoiding direct contact. Haneda simply smiled and replied, "It's nothing. Just consider it repayment for saving me."
"Haha! We've always said we don't ask for repayment, but I'll admit, this time we couldn't have done it without you," Yahiko laughed, patting Haneda on the shoulder before putting his arm around him and leading him toward the cabin. As they walked, Yahiko turned back and called out to Jiusuke and the others, "See you tomorrow, everyone."
"See you tomorrow, Yahiko, Konan, Nagato… Haneda-san," Jiusuke and the others responded.
Back inside, Yahiko and Konan flipped the white plaque with a frog emblem that hung on the wall to reveal the red side. Haneda noticed the red side had their names written on it. It immediately reminded him of the coded messages taught in ninja academies. The red side likely meant they were home, while the white side indicated they were out. If the red side was up and they weren't home, it signaled that they had been captured. If the white side was up but they were present, it meant enemies had impersonated them.
Haneda thought to himself how Jiraiya really was a bit carefree, merely adapting what he had learned from Konoha's ninja curriculum. Still, considering how chaotic the Land of Rain was, Jiraiya likely devised this system to prevent disaster in case something happened to Yahiko and the others while he was away.
As expected, Yahiko prepared dinner once again. They ate grilled fish caught earlier and freshly baked bread. After a few bites, the conversation started.
"Haneda, you seem to be doing well today. I guess your injuries are almost healed?" Konan asked with concern.
"Really? You've recovered that quickly, Haneda?!" Yahiko said, surprised, recalling that Haneda had been a patient just yesterday, yet today he had done the heaviest work.
Because Haneda had quickly taken down the four Sunagakure ninjas, Yahiko had unconsciously overlooked the fact that Haneda had been injured.
"It's fine. I'm a medical ninja, so it's normal for me to heal quickly," Haneda lied smoothly, not betraying any hint of his deception. In truth, medical ninjutsu was not his strong suit…
"Is that so?"
None of them knew much about medical ninjutsu, and they recalled how Haneda had healed the children with just a touch, so they believed him without question.
Suddenly, Yahiko noticed the Konoha forehead protector on the nightstand and asked, "Since you're almost fully recovered, when do you plan to head back?"
"Probably in the next few days," Haneda answered after a moment of thought. After today's events, he had strengthened his bond with Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, raising their affection levels above 60. But if he stayed any longer, Obito, Kakashi, and Sakumo would worry about him. Additionally, it might attract suspicion from Madara and Black Zetsu.
Haneda glanced at Nagato, who remained quiet, thinking that gaining his favor could only be achieved through Yahiko.
At that moment, Yahiko spoke again, "Haneda, I've been thinking... you're able to solve problems like food prices and things that we can't even begin to handle."
"You have a sharp mind and can see the root of many issues."
Scratching his head in embarrassment, Yahiko continued, "Honestly, when we were building the road, I was debating whether I should invite you to join us… but you're a Konoha ninja, and we're from Amegakure. If you joined, you'd be branded a rogue ninja, so I didn't bring it up."
Haneda, seeing Yahiko's sincerity, shook his head. "It's fine. If there's something you don't understand, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer."
"Really?! You mean that?!" Yahiko stood up, leaning on the table, staring intently at Haneda.
"Of course," Haneda replied with a nod. In fact, he wanted Yahiko to ask for advice. It would likely increase Nagato's favor towards him as well, potentially making things easier for Kakashi in the future. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to increase their trust in him.
"In that case, Haneda… how do we achieve peace in the ninja world?" Yahiko asked seriously, his expression intense.
The question was so direct that Haneda nearly choked on his food.
"Uh… Yahiko, that's a really complicated issue."
"The only solution I can think of is to unify the world—'one language, one standard'—so that only one voice remains. That way, wars between nations will cease to exist," Haneda explained.
"But doing that would require a massive war, creating countless war orphans… And the five great nations hate each other too much to compromise," Yahiko replied, concerned.
"Then there's no other way. Revolution always requires sacrifice," Haneda responded.
"Whether it's war between nations or internal reforms."
"Isn't that how the ninja villages were formed? The ninja clans fought each other for hundreds of years before uniting into one village."
"How many people were sacrificed, how much hatred was sown? Yet, over time, it all faded away."
"And do you know why the great nations are always at war?" Haneda asked.
Yahiko thought for a moment. "Hatred?"
Haneda shook his head. "No, it's about conflict, class struggle, and the need for resources."
"You know why the ninja world experiences widespread wars every few decades?" Haneda asked.
Yahiko pondered for a long while before answering, "The First Great Ninja War happened because the First Hokage died, and the ninja world lost its balance. The Second Great Ninja War started after the Second Hokage was killed, and trust between nations hit an all-time low."
Hearing these surface-level responses, Haneda shook his head quietly.
***
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