bioinnovel Chapter 604 Peaceful Times.
Chapter 604 Peaceful Times.
"It really... brings back memories."
A soft sigh rang in Hozuki Kaigetsu's ears.
He turned his head and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi standing with his hands behind his back on the shore, looking at the steel fleet in front of him with a complex look of reminiscence on his face.
In that instant, Hozuki Kaigetsu seemed to see a phantom of mountains of corpses and seas of blood in this middle-aged Hokage.
He recalled the great naval battle a few years ago that determined the fate of the ninja world, and the man who single-handedly swept away the Third Mizukage with a stick and killed the Third Raikage with a club.
It turns out that he was riding on such a steel behemoth to the battlefield.
Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to notice his gaze, turned his head, and smiled at him.
Then, he raised his hand and gently patted Hozuki Kaigetsu's shoulder.
"after,"
He said, "These ships will also dock at the port of Misty Hidden."
"But what comes in can be food, caravans, engineers to help you rebuild your homes, not just cold weapons and ninjas."
This sentence seems to possess a certain magic.
Hozuki Kaigetsu subconsciously touched the heavy "Three-Year Revitalization and Development Plan of Kirigakure" in his arms.
He raised his head and looked once more at the fleet forged from steel and fire.
An unprecedented grand blueprint slowly unfolded in his mind.
He saw it: a brand-new port rising from the ground; fleets laden with tuna and cod traveling between Konoha and Kirigakure; engineers in Konoha uniforms guiding Kirigakure ninjas in building reservoirs and tidal power stations…
He saw a brand new future for Kirigakure.
"Waaaaah—!!"
A long and powerful whistle interrupted his reverie.
The flagship at the head of the ship slowly raised its anchor.
The massive steel fleet began to sail out of the harbor one after another, like a group of awakened ancient beasts, heading towards the vast blue sea.
And at the same time they set sail.
A seabird with feathers as black as ink and eyes that gleamed with an eerie red light took flight from the other side of the distant horizon.
Ignoring the raging winds at sea, it crossed thousands of miles of waves at an incredible speed.
Finally, they landed on the top of a sinister building that resembled the head of a demon, on an island shrouded in thick fog year-round.
It spat out a small, wax-sealed paper roll from its mouth.
On the scroll, there was only one line of brief, encrypted information written in special ink.
"The target has departed."
On the vast, boundless blue sea, Konoha's steel fleet is steadily and calmly cutting through the waves.
On the flagship's deck, Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched out in a relaxed manner, feeling the salty sea breeze that ruffled his carefully styled hair before leaving home.
He didn't care at all; instead, he squinted his eyes contentedly, a long-lost peaceful expression, like that of a retired senior cadre, appearing on his face.
"Ah...this damned, corrupt, decadent peaceful time."
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a satisfied sigh, then leisurely took out a brand-new set of fishing tackle, gleaming with metallic luster, from the sealed scroll behind him.
From the carbon fiber fishing rod that automatically adjusts its weight, to the smart fishing float that can automatically adjust its depth according to the water flow, and then to the folding lounge chair next to it that is so comfortable it's almost unbelievable, and even has its own heating and cooling functions.
The exquisite quality of this equipment caused Hozuki Kaigetsu, who was standing to the side, to twitch slightly at the corner of his eye.
He simply couldn't reconcile the man in front of him, who looked like he was on a beach vacation rather than on a perilous mission to an enemy country, with the legendary ninja who could sink a ship with a single blow and kill the Raikage with a single stick.
The art style is too jarringly disjointed.
"Still water".
Hiruzen Sarutobi skillfully set up his fishing rod, baited it with special bait, and then asked the shadowy figure behind him without turning his head.
Do you know how to fish?
Uchiha Shisui stood three steps behind him, maintaining this posture since boarding the ship, like a perfect sculpture, without even changing the frequency of his breathing.
Upon hearing the Hokage's question, his body swayed almost imperceptibly.
"This subordinate... has never studied it."
His voice was as humble and gentle as ever, devoid of any emotion.
"Life is long, you have to find some fun."
Hiruzen Sarutobi cast the fishing line in a perfect parabola, and the hook fell silently into the distant sea without creating a single ripple.
He leaned back in his recliner, put on a pair of sunglasses he'd somehow produced, and said casually, "A mission is a mission, and life is life. If you're always on edge, the string will snap."
Shisui remained silent for a moment, then bowed slightly: "Your subordinate has learned much."
Then he returned to the state of the sculpture, as if the conversation had never happened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't care and chuckled to himself.
Asking a top-tier ninja like Shisui to understand the joy of slacking off is indeed a bit much for him.
The other ANBU ninjas behind him, though all wearing masks and their expressions obscured, stood as straight as javelins, their clothes unmoved even by the wind, silently revealing the turmoil in their hearts.
The Hokage... seems to be serious.
We are heading to a water-filled country fraught with crisis and extreme xenophobia to carry out an S-class classified mission capable of overthrowing the regime of a major power.
Meanwhile, the supreme commander was fishing.
Is this reasonable?
This is highly unreasonable.
But he is the Hokage.
Therefore, there must be some profound meaning behind this that we cannot understand.
For example, one could use fishing to sense changes in ocean currents and thus determine the enemy's movements.
Or perhaps, they are using this leisurely demeanor to create a false impression for the unknown enemy, luring them deeper into their territory?
In an instant, the minds of the elite members of the Anbu began a frantic brainstorming session, trying to find a reasonable explanation for the Hokage's slacking off that was consistent with his status as a ninja hero.
The person who started all of this was unconsciously adjusting the angle of the recliner so that they could bask in the sun more comfortably.
A deeper meaning?
What deeper meaning could it possibly have?
The biggest implication is that after being a 007 corporate slave for so many years, it's a rare opportunity to go on a business trip at public expense, so why not enjoy it?
In the eerie atmosphere on the deck, a mixture of leisure and grimness, an overly lively figure broke the silence.
"Wow—! The ocean!!"
Wow! What a huge ship!
After the initial awkwardness and discomfort, Hozuki Shio completely unleashed her foodie and curious nature.
She was like a husky just released from its cage, running around on the huge steel warship, full of curiosity about everything on board.
A moment later, he ran to the bow of the boat, opened his arms wide like in the movies, and shouted into the sea breeze, "Wuhu~~".
A moment later, he ran to the stern of the ship, looking at the huge white waves, trying to figure out how that thing was turning.
She quickly became very familiar with the ninjas in charge of logistics and food on the ship. She even used her Hozuki clan's water transformation technique to help the kitchen retrieve a lot of fresh seafood from the sea as a supplement, successfully winning the favor of all the chefs.