Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 141 Even If We Meet Again

As soon as the makeshift trio was discovered, the intelligence personnel hidden among the guards at the scene immediately issued the signal to go into battle. Border cities and daimyo are usually guarded by ninjas from various countries; they are few in number but all are elite, and this mansion is no exception.

Ninjas, unable to interfere in the chaotic private lives of nobles, would simply stay away to avoid overhearing anything unpleasant. So, although they acted immediately upon hearing the commotion, they were still blocked by a group of ninjas who appeared out of nowhere. This group was small in number, but their strength was unexpectedly formidable; Huang Tu's elite squad couldn't break through their defenses for a while.

Seeing flames shooting into the sky from the direction of the alarm, Huang Tu, unable to shake off the troublesome enemy, decided to risk a breakout. He knew the Light and Heavy Rock Technique, and to escape the encirclement, he risked using flight as a cheat. While ninjas are seen as omnipotent by ordinary people, only the Tsuchikage's lineage truly possesses the ability to fly without external equipment. This indeed caught the enemy off guard, especially since Iwagakure didn't even bother with destruction, directly using a large area of ​​Earth Release as cover.

Relieved to have escaped the encirclement, Huang Tu quickly approached the old lord. He knew better than anyone that the current lord was merely a nominal heir; the real power lay with the old lord hidden behind the scenes. If anything happened to that man, Iwagakure would likely face the wrath of the daimyo. However, as if possessed, he glanced back, and a white shadow abruptly appeared in the moonlight. Like a ghost, it rose from the rooftop and stretched out its hand in his direction.

...Holy crap! A flying ninja!?

Countless possibilities flashed through Huang Tu's mind. His biggest suspect was still that bomb-wielding kid who had recently defected, but he quickly ruled that out, because that kid hadn't even learned the Light and Heavy Rock Technique. But the secret techniques of Iwagakure were always strictly guarded; there was no way they would have been leaked! No, now wasn't the time to think about that; that person was getting closer!

Huang Tu was about to use a ranged Earth Release technique, but his ninja-like sense of danger made him change his hand seals. Hard rocks condensed into a shield in his hands, which were then sliced ​​open by invisible wind blades. The recoil sent him plummeting towards the ground. He dared not relax his defense, as the wind blades seemed endless, showing no sign of stopping. This direction was also towards the old city lord; at most, his landing would be less than aesthetically pleasing. This would create distance, and as long as he could touch the ground and escape the opponent's superior air superiority, he had plenty of ways to prioritize protecting the old city lord.

The relentless wind-style attacks were so frequent that his makeshift stone shield was about to be worn down. However, the ground was also very close, and he even adjusted his landing posture and gathered his chakra to prepare for a large-scale earth-style technique. But the battlefield was ever-changing. As the night sky appeared between the broken rocks, a white mask suddenly appeared.

The head-on attack was unexpected. Caught off guard, Huang Tu only had time to gather some chakra to protect his head before everything went black, and he suddenly lost track of where he was.

When Sasuke caught up with Kabuto, the two were almost at the city gate. Kabuto certainly couldn't lead the boy towards the inn; if pursued, it would only bring endless trouble to Lord Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound Village. However, there were indeed pursuers, but they seemed to be someone with the same goal as them.

"Sasuke!" As soon as she was freed from control, Karin rushed to Sasuke's side, trying to hide herself behind him. She didn't shout loudly; even in the chaotic city-state, amidst the clamor of people, she didn't forget to stay vigilant.

"Sorry, we met on the way, so I brought your companions along." The man in white, who had deliberately taken a detour, first expressed his goodwill.

"He's the source of that chakra," Karin whispered, her hand trembling as she gripped Sasuke's clothes. Putting aside the question of whether chakra is yang or not, just feeling a sun-like chakra source up close was enough to send chills down the spine of any sensory ninja; she had no way of knowing whether the other party harbored any ill intent.

Sasuke hadn't been planning to let his guard down, and Karin's words made him even more alert, prompting him to reveal his Sharingan. "Who are you?"

"Sasuke-kun, I didn't expect to meet you here." The man's voice was calm as he removed his mask. "Do you remember me?"

White hair, golden eyes, a gentle smile, and a youthful voice.

Sasuke has always had a good memory, and of course he would not forget that impressive country, and the person who ended the battle with a scroll of documents.

“Golden Wheel?” Sasuke remembered the name and also the shocking words written in Tazuna’s treasured book. “Is Dongfeng’s business so extensive? They even manage this.”

“They kidnapped our children,” Jinlun said matter-of-factly. “We’ve found their hideout and plan to follow the trail, gather evidence, and bring them all to justice.”

"Excuse me for interrupting." The man gently set the boy down, pointed to a building in the distance, and asked, "Does your 'wipe them all out' include them?"

Jinlun tilted his head and smiled, "Why not? Evil should be punished."

Kabuto and Karin were both shocked by this rebellion, but Sasuke felt that this scene was strangely familiar. He thought of a golden shadow smiling broadly under the moonlight by the window, saying the same unconventional words.

Why not become the "east wind" that brings change?

Wait, did Naruto get involved with Dongfeng back then?

“I’m here to pick up that child; his mother is waiting for him.” Jinlun didn’t give them much time to think. He turned his gaze directly to the boy who had just been freed. His eyes were dazed, and he looked disoriented.

"He shouldn't be your lost child, right?" Karin couldn't forget the fear that Jinlun had instilled in her. She disliked that person and, of course, didn't believe what he said.

“All the people who have suffered are our companions. He is certainly our child, and the lost little fellow has long since returned home safely,” Jinlun said with utmost sincerity.

None of them had ever heard such words. Most rulers took their people for granted as their private property, sometimes showing them affection like a useful object, and other times raging like thunder, smashing and discarding them, ruling supreme. Ninjas, on the other hand, treated civilians as fragile objects to be protected, or as ants to be trampled upon at will.

But Jinlun said that they were the people, and the people were their companions.