Chapter 318: Old Acquaintance
With the entirety of Konoha needing repair, daily necessities and even food were naturally in short supply. The Cloud's Construction Ninja only helped build the basic structures; everything else had to be resolved by the owners themselves.
But as the end of the year approached, the weather turned cold. Without certain things, people genuinely couldn't survive a single night—especially the civilians without chakra. So with a wave of his hand, Dana allocated a massive amount of supplies.
Cotton quilts, food, charcoal, and even some basic daily necessities.
As streams of light landed and Cloud ninja took out massive amounts of supplies from super-large sealing scrolls, even the proud Tobirama Senju had to admit it.
"The times really have changed."
"You should add '-sama'."
Dana told Tobirama that while times had indeed changed, the reason for this effect was a change in productivity.
The emergence of the United Iron & Steel Company had changed the Cloud Village's production model and allowed the Cloud to enter the initial stage of industrialization. With industrial support, the output of various daily necessities was actually huge, and therefore very cheap.
Even with the same income, ordinary people in the Land of Lightning, especially in the Cloud Village, lived better and more refined lives.
If Konoha were to do this—providing disaster relief and supplies for everyone in the village—it would be an expense that hurt their bones. But for the Cloud, it was just a business transaction.
Of course, accounts still had to be settled.
Later, it would be repaid in installments from Konoha's financial plan.
Hyuga Clan Main House.
Several Main Family members sat discussing matters in the large hall. Several charcoal braziers were lit nearby, burning charcoal transported by the Cloud, making the large hall warm as spring.
"You mean, that person wants you to inherit the Clan Head position?"
There were three branches of the Main Family, totaling eight people. It was said that centuries ago, there were five branches, but two had gradually died out.
Hiashi Hyuga nodded expressionlessly. "That person hopes the new Konoha will be led mainly by the younger generation. It is said the new high command won't be very old either."
The Main Family members looked at each other.
There was a hierarchy even among the Main Family. Hiashi's branch was the Clan Head's lineage. However, his father died when Hiashi was too young, so the position was temporarily held by someone else. Originally, the position would be returned to this branch when Hiashi was older.
But since Konoha's "Supreme Emperor" had spoken, advancing it by a few years wasn't impossible.
It's worth mentioning that although the Hyuga Main Family was extremely harsh on the Branch Family, there wasn't much infighting among the Main Family itself because each of them enjoyed too many resources.
"A Konoha led by the younger generation... Did that person promise anything?"
Hiashi said calmly, "Only a hint that the Hyuga clan will be heavily utilized in Konoha in the future."
The Main Family members looked at each other, speechless. That was a bit light...
Logically... shouldn't he promise something tangible?
But fortunately, it didn't require the Hyuga family to pay anything, just handing over the Clan Head position a few years early.
The oldest Main Family member said, "In that case, take this opportunity to return the Clan Head position to you. I haven't had much energy in recent years, so I'll be happy to relax."
Hiashi nodded, appearing neither happy nor sad.
Soon, the news that Konoha Inspector Yotsuki Dana had contacted the Hyuga and Uchiha clans spread among the ninja clans. No one knew the specific details, but it made clans large and small extremely curious.
Dana didn't spread the news himself, but he didn't deliberately keep it secret either.
Now that Konoha's reorganization and integration were irreversible, every ninja clan had to start planning for their future. Most clans were waiting and watching—observing the Cloud's style and Yotsuki Dana's personality. Some were smart, some confused.
But no one was willing to be left behind, and no clan wanted to be the one washed up on the beach by the wave of the times.
So after the news spread, Dana soon received many invitations from numerous clans hoping he would grace them with his presence.
Some were in their own clan grounds; smaller clans with shabby grounds booked newly opened restaurants.
Dana tossed the invitations aside casually, paying them no mind.
Tobirama subconsciously gathered the invitations to throw them away. He knew Dana wouldn't go to these appointments.
But the moment he picked them up, Tobirama froze on the spot.
Wait... why am I getting so practiced at this?
And it feels like we have more and more tacit understanding...
Why did I turn myself into a deputy again?
Dana didn't notice Tobirama's complex emotions. He asked, "Konoha's houses are mostly rebuilt. What has Hashirama-senpai been busy with lately?"
Tobirama felt a hint of annoyance but instinctively replied, "It is said he spends every day at the Ninja Academy, acting as a teacher and playing with the kids."
Dana leaned back in his chair, his body crackling with electricity, waking himself up a bit.
"I really envy him... Unlike us two, working ourselves to death every day. The food isn't very tasty either. You Konoha guys are lacking; you don't even have an Ichiraku Ramen."
Just then, a ninja knocked and entered. "My lords, a person calling himself 'Yoshitoki' is outside the Hokage Building."
Dana jumped up with a carp kip-up.
"Finally here!"
Dana hurried downstairs to welcome him. Sure enough, a shiny bald head was exceptionally conspicuous, flanked by Mamoru Anzai and Kira.
"Grandpa Yoshitoki, you're finally here... I thought you went missing..."
Tobirama was confused. This person looks only 30 or 40 years old. Why call him Grandpa?
Since regaining his youth, Yoshitoki had been traveling the ninja world. He returned once when Dana was in a coma but left again after Dana woke up.
Konoha also possessed decent research capabilities, such as the new Root. After the negotiation ended, Dana sealed that place temporarily. Then, using the golden slug, he contacted Yoshitoki, who was wandering outside, hoping he could come to Konoha to help identify and inventory Konoha's research results to see what was valuable.
As for whether the "New Root" would be reactivated later, it depended on the inventory results.
"I went to the Land of Craftswork (Takumi no Kuni) earlier. There were quite a few interesting technologies there, so I stayed a bit longer."
Dana was surprised. "Land of Craftswork? Where is that?"
"A small island nation in the southeast sea. The residents are passionate about making various ninja tools and even have their own small ninja village..."
Anzai and Kira also looked travel-worn. Kira, in particular, had a scowl on his face. After returning to the ninja continent, he learned that a war had been fought silently. He felt he missed a great battle and a chance to make a name for himself in the ninja world.
He always felt that when Dana-Nii-san assigned him this Super S-Rank mission, he was being hoodwinked. He had been running all over the world with Yoshitoki for a year.
After catching up with Dana, Yoshitoki looked at Tobirama. "Is this an Edo Tensei body? truly miraculous to bring a long-dead old friend back to the living world."
Tobirama was startled. "Old friend? What do you mean?"
Yoshitoki nodded. "Although your appearance has long since grown into adulthood, I remember your name. Calculating by current methods, probably around Ninja World Year -20 (20 years before the founding of Konoha)... I recall your two younger brothers, named Itama and Kawarama, had dysentery. At that time, you and your brother stopped me on the road. Do you remember?"
Tobirama was initially blank, but then a trace of distant memory emerged. He gradually recalled, then his jaw dropped!
"You're that traveling doctor?!! How is that possible? You looked twenty or thirty back then! Doesn't that mean you are..."
Yoshitoki laughed. "Age-wise, I'm already 96 years old. My appearance has changed a bit due to a special ninjutsu."
Tobirama still couldn't believe it. This person, who looked at most 40, was actually older than him!
No, I've been dead for a long time, so I can't calculate like that... Wait, no, it's still shocking!
He remembered that his two younger brothers had eaten something bad and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for days without improvement. Seeing them dying, he and his big brother were desperate. They ran to a busy main road to wait, hoping to find a doctor.
They waited from morning till night, unable to find a doctor. Few people were even willing to listen to two children speak.
Until a man carrying a wooden box walked over and volunteered that he was a doctor. After curing his brothers, he didn't even take a consultation fee, saying only that he didn't charge for treating children.
Just like decades later, when Yotsuki Dana found the reclusive Yoshitoki, Yoshitoki still maintained the habit of treating children for free.
Yoshitoki smiled. "Those two children... how were they afterward?"
Tobirama's eyes dimmed, and he said bitterly, "Itama and Kawarama... were surrounded and killed by the Uchiha clan a few years later..."
Yoshitoki sighed. "Ah... that era was indeed dangerous..."