Naruto: People are in Konoha, the system arrived 20 years earlier Chapter 041

Both sides ultimately avoided armed conflict, successfully completing the transaction in a mutually acceptable manner.

With the Hidden Cloud Village’s initiative, Kazahana Nadare, the imprisoned younger brother, regained his freedom and embarked on his journey home.

Meanwhile, after careful selection, the Land of Snow’s envoy confirmed fifty talented individuals as bargaining chips for the exchange.

For those not chosen, emotions were complex and varied.

Some felt fortunate to remain in their familiar homeland, enjoying a stable life.

Others secretly regretted missing a valuable opportunity that could have led to a broader world.

Coincidentally, the brothers Kazama Takuya and Kazama Yuuki were not among the fifty lucky individuals.

With everything prepared, the group embarked on their journey again, heading to the pre-arranged location for this crucial transaction.

“Sirs, do you think the other side will honestly complete the transaction this time?”

The Land of Snow’s envoy’s face barely concealed a hint of worry, secretly wondering if the other side’s previous concession was merely a delaying tactic, an attempt to secretly mobilize troops. Such speculation was not unfounded.

Sakumo perceived the other party’s apprehension and gently reassured them, “Don’t worry, they won’t be able to contact their main base in such a short time.”

If they hadn’t known the other party’s true identity before, there might have been such a hidden danger.

But now it was an open-book exam; knowing the other side was from Hidden Cloud, this amount of time was simply not enough for a round trip.

Upon hearing this, the heavy stone in the Land of Snow’s envoy’s heart slightly dropped, and he softly said, “That’s good.”

He was also afraid of any further accidents. When bargaining with the other side before, he had been very brave. If the other side held a grudge against him, he would definitely be in deep trouble.

Time flowed like fine sand, and the group finally arrived at the transaction location—Rikushin Valley.

Here, two suspension bridges spanned a deep chasm, with each side guarding one end, creating a tense and subtle atmosphere.

“Begin,” the Cloud Ninja captain ordered in a deep voice.

The Land of Snow’s envoy first handed a large scroll to Sakumo.

Sakumo gently tossed it, and the scroll landed, tracing a graceful arc in the air.

Just as a Cloud Ninja was about to step forward to retrieve it, Hayato suddenly drew a sharp kunai from his ninja pouch and threw it with precise accuracy.

“Clang!” The kunai firmly embedded itself between the scroll and the Cloud Ninja, forming an invisible barrier.

The Cloud Ninja captain frowned and questioned, “What do you mean?”

Hayato’s expression was calm, and he spoke directly, “It’s not too late for you to retrieve it after we leave.”

At this moment, someone from the Cloud Ninja team stepped out and questioned, “How can we be sure you won’t use fakes?”

Seeing this, the Land of Snow’s envoy took advantage of the situation, stepped forward, and said with an undeniable authority in his tone, “You can only choose to trust us.”

The Cloud Ninja captain raised his hand to stop his companion’s argument, shook his head, and his gaze was profound, “We value living individuals more than inanimate objects. Circumstances are stronger than people; we have to compromise.”

It was all Konoha’s fault for going straight for the ultimate move.

Time continued to pass, and the hostages from both sides slowly walked across the suspension bridge. A gentle breeze brushed by, and a single fallen leaf drifted down, adding a touch of tranquility to the tense transaction.

Personnel from both sides began to cross paths on the suspension bridge. The Land of Snow’s envoy, still anxious from the previous impersonation incident, had fine beads of sweat on his forehead, silently praying, “I hope everything goes smoothly.”

Waiting always felt long.

Hayato, on the other hand, was leisurely yawning, confident in the impending outcome.

The abyss beneath the suspension bridge became a natural barrier that prevented both sides from acting rashly, as no one wanted to risk the lives of the hostages.

As Hayato expected, this transaction proceeded smoothly without any disturbances.

The Land of Snow’s envoy rushed forward to untie Kazahana Koyuki’s restraints, asking with concern, “You’ve suffered.”

Koyuki gently shook her head, reassuring the envoy in turn, “It’s all over.”

This person’s first impression on Hayato was that of a gentler individual; at least, what she displayed now was not that of a spoiled brat.

This was a stark contrast to the previously released Kazahana Nadare.

Hayato still remembered that day when Nadare returned to their camp.

He immediately unleashed a barrage of complaints at the Land of Snow’s envoy, accusing him of taking so long to rescue him.

“This is not a good place to talk; let’s leave first,” Sakumo stepped forward and said.

Koyuki and the Land of Snow’s envoy both nodded, then followed Sakumo to leave.

After the transaction was completed, everyone prepared to withdraw. The Cloud Ninjas waited until the Land of Snow’s group had gone far away before stepping forward to pick up the scroll. After confirming its contents, they carefully put it away.

As for whether the scroll contained genuine core technologies, they would need to study it carefully upon returning to the village.

Then, they turned their gaze to the Land of Snow’s researchers at the scene.

Their faces showed either anticipation or sadness.

For them, the future held too much uncertainty.

“Come with us,” the Cloud Ninja captain said, and then the surrounding Cloud Ninjas dispersed, encircling the many researchers.

In any case, they had perfectly completed this mission. Although they only made a small profit, they didn’t lose anything.

On the other side, Hayato and his group returned to the temporary camp, regrouped with the remaining personnel, and prepared to leave the Land of Arc.

Hayato and the others did not give much thought to the future diplomatic relations between the Land of Snow and the Land of Arc.

They had successfully completed their mission of ensuring the safety of the hostages.

On the long journey back, a silent and profound night quietly descended.

The moonlight was like washed silver, casting its glow across the land, adding a touch of mystery and serenity to the journey.

In this quiet night, the Kazama brothers—Takuya and Shouta—quietly approached Hayato.

“It seems you’ve made your decision?” Hayato’s lips curved into an intriguing arc, his eyes glinting with an all-knowing light.

The Kazama brothers exchanged glances and smiled, their eyes filled with both determination and anticipation.

“We’ve thought it over. If there’s a chance, we hope to live in Konoha.”

During this time, the two brothers had experienced too much; those unbearable memories haunted them like nightmares.

In the Land of Snow, they felt like mere pawns, ready to be traded as goods at any moment, sent to an unknown and distant corner to barely survive.

In contrast, the olive branch extended by Hayato was undoubtedly a ray of light illuminating the darkness.

Rather than being manipulated, it was better to join Konoha.

The Land of Fire not only offered a superior living environment but was also a place full of freedom and hope.

They no longer wished to be dictated by fate and decided to seize this rare opportunity to join Konoha and pursue their own future.

Of course, a hint of concern lingered in their hearts—whether Hayato truly had the ability to grant them freedom.

Facing the brothers’ doubts, Hayato nodded gently, his eyes gleaming with confidence:

“I understand. Leave the rest to me.”

After speaking with the Kazama brothers, Hayato strode directly towards the Land of Snow envoy’s residence.

“What did you say? You want to take my people?” The Land of Snow envoy’s face instantly filled with astonishment, his tone tinged with displeasure.

“Oh, don’t put it so harshly,” Hayato spread his hands, a relaxed smile on his face. “This is merely a bridge of friendship between our two nations, letting them go to Konoha for a period of exchange and study.”

“A period” was a highly flexible term, capable of being as brief as morning dew or as long as years.

To enhance his persuasiveness, Hayato threw out another tempting bargaining chip: “Moreover, in return, the Uchiha clan will dispatch elite talents here to provide targeted training for your ninjas, jointly promoting friendly exchanges between our two nations.”

He intended to lure them away first, and who knew, perhaps the purpose of their coming here wouldn’t be simple training.

At these words, a hint of temptation flashed in the Land of Snow envoy’s eyes.

He looked at Hayato, his voice tinged with hesitation, “Are you sure you can do it?”

Hayato smiled slightly and slowly revealed his trump card, “My grandfather is an elder of the Uchiha clan. You should be able to trust my words, right?”

The envoy pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then slowly said, “This matter is significant. I need to discuss it with the Daimyo before making a decision.”

Hayato understood this and nodded slightly. From the envoy’s attitude, he already saw a few chances of success.

After all, the conditions he proposed did not involve the entire Konoha, but rather an exchange in the name of the Uchiha clan, which undoubtedly lowered the other party’s guard.

After some twists and turns, the Land of Snow Daimyo finally agreed to Hayato’s request.

After all, for a Daimyo who could easily abandon a hundred talents, what were mere two individuals?

Moreover, Konoha’s support this time saved them the cost of dozens of talents.

To him, it was already a profit, not to mention the training incentive Hayato added at the end.

Upon hearing this good news, Hayato eagerly informed the Kazama brothers.

Upon hearing it, the two were so excited they almost jumped, their eyes sparkling with endless anticipation for the future.

After briefly explaining the situation to Sakumo, the group of four embarked on their journey home.

Sakumo was quite surprised that Hayato managed to bring back two talents.

Although he wasn’t sure what Hayato had done to achieve this, it was ultimately beneficial for Konoha.

He believed that even the Hokage would approve of Hayato’s actions if he knew about it.

There was no train service for the journey back to Konoha, so the group of four spent a considerable amount of time returning to the village.

Hayato first took the Kazama brothers to the relevant department for simple information registration, then went with Sakumo to the Hokage’s office to report on the mission.

“Well done, Sakumo, Hayato.” The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, looked at the two with appreciation, his eyes filled with relief and satisfaction.

He was especially pleased that the two had managed to handle the relationship with the Hidden Cloud Village appropriately, avoiding an unnecessary conflict.

When he learned that Hayato had actually brought back two research talents from the Land of Snow to Konoha, Hiruzen slowly drew on his pipe, his eyes gleaming with deep thought.

He silently pondered how to use this opportunity to bring more benefits and development to Konoha.

This might be an excellent opportunity to deepen technological exchange and common progress with the Land of Snow.

Without asking much about Hayato’s specific methods, Hiruzen dismissed him, keeping Sakumo behind.