Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 43 Investigation Report on the Land of Waves

Mission: Investigate the itinerary of the current lord of the Land of Waves.

Time limit: three days.

Executor: ***

The boy arrived at the port aboard a merchant ship. He was the youngest laborer on board, and the captain, seeing his diligence and pitiful state, gave him a meal. The sea route from the Land of Water to the Land of Wind was long, passing through many islands and countries. Paying tolls was common, with the Land of Fire taking the lion's share. However, the merchant ships needed to dock for supplies, and only the Land of Fire was relatively prosperous, with ports and supplies available for merchant ships. They had no choice but to accept this situation.

Just two months ago, the captain, returning from the Land of Wind, discovered a new port while aboard Dongfeng's fleet. This little-known nation had surprisingly started a port business, and was doing it quite well, even gaining the approval of the established shipping company Dongfeng. The port fees here were negligible compared to the Land of Fire, and supplies were also quite affordable, only water was a bit pricey. This was understandable, given it was an island nation.

The captain felt he had struck gold. He immediately approached the dock manager to express his desire for long-term cooperation and promised to introduce merchant ships from his network to the dock to secure better deals. The captain had come to finalize the contract, as he had already fulfilled his promise. Many of his friends had used the ship's few long-distance communication devices to relay messages to him, praising the place highly.

The captain decided to allow ample time for bargaining, so he gave the crew three days off, leaving only a small number of people on watch. The boy was too young, and the captain wasn't comfortable leaving him to guard the ship. Besides, the place wasn't very big, so he let the boy run around with him.

Leaving the dock area, the boy found the place rather ordinary. The only bustling area was the harbor; the rest was mostly wooden houses with few shops, probably because they were all concentrated near the dock. He habitually headed towards the highest point on the island, only to find it fenced off. Many shirtless, burly men were pushing square bricks uphill. Their wooden carts were ordinary, but the wheels were supported by two flat iron bars, seemingly to save effort.

"Sister, what are they building?" The boy circled around and finally set his sights on a very young woman. He casually struck up a conversation and began to probe her for information.

The young woman, without any suspicion, replied, "They're building something called a 'lighthouse.' Once it's finished, we'll be able to see the light even when it's dark, and our ships won't get lost at sea!"

Isn't the highest point the lord's residence?

The young man bid farewell to the young woman and walked towards the other side of the island. The pier was on the mainland side, but what was on the sea side? The young man thought of vast primeval forests and residential areas, but this was the last thing on his mind.

He saw a rice paddy.

Isn't water very precious here? Why grow rice?

The boy didn't know anything about farming, but he vaguely remembered that rice is a very water-intensive crop. However, this rice paddy was full of shimmering water, and it didn't look like it was short of water at all.

“Kid, you don’t look like a local. This isn’t a place to play around. Go back now.” The middle-aged woman stopped the boy.

"I'm...sorry, the captain went to discuss business and left us to our own devices. I just thought this place was so beautiful and it reminded me of my home." The boy lowered his head in embarrassment.

The middle-aged woman didn't make things difficult for him; instead, she personally escorted him back to the vicinity of the lighthouse and pointed him in the right direction. However, this didn't deter him. He planned to investigate again under the cover of night, but then he stopped in his tracks, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

He saw a man with dark skin, surrounded by lighthouse repairmen. The man had black hair and eyes, dressed plainly, and had a small bun tied at the back of his head. His dark complexion resembled that of a fisherman who had spent over a decade at sea. But the boy was 100% certain he wasn't a fisherman, because his demeanor was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

The boy subconsciously restrained his aura and slowly approached, only to hear the laborers calling him "Taoli" and "Sir" repeatedly. It turned out that he was Mr. Taoli, the new lord of the Land of Waves.

With his target locked, the boy began to observe Tao Li's daily life from a distance.

At 1:30 PM, Tao Li appeared at the construction site, chatted with the workers for a few minutes, and then joined the construction work! Tao Li easily climbed to the highest point of the wall and personally laid bricks for two hours. (Note: After two days of observation, the bricklayers rotated every two hours, while the brick-carrying workers rotated every one hour. For the next two days, Mr. Tao Li also carried bricks for two hours.)

At 3:55 PM, Tao Li went to the irrigation canals near the rice paddies. They were irrigating the rice with seawater! Tao Li pedaled the waterwheel for an hour, inspected the rice paddies for an hour and twenty-three minutes, and visited each household in turn. (Note: The waterwheel pedals are rotated every half hour. Mr. Tao Li comes every day, showing great concern for the rice's growth.)

At 8:40 PM, Tao Li ran back to his lodgings and had dinner with a young girl. The two seemed close, possibly siblings or partners. The girl's name was Bai, and she was the dock manager. (Note: This is a record error; Bai is male, and the islanders call him "Little Mr."...no wonder they sleep in separate rooms...)

Lights out at 1:16 AM. There were patrol personnel near the house; their behavior suggested they were ninjas. (Note: Subsequent investigations revealed that the island's patrol force was mostly composed of islanders, with only four individuals suspected of being ninjas. Mr. Taoli appeared to be in good health and possessed excellent physical strength.)

At 5:27 AM, smoke rose from the chimneys. The young woman prepared breakfast and woke Tao Li. After eating, they each led a patrol team out. Tao Li spent two hours and forty-seven minutes surveying the outer perimeter of the island; the teams behind him could barely keep up. Miss Bai surveyed the inner island in just thirty-six minutes before leading her team to work at the port. (Note: Correction again, Mr. Bai is male…)

At 9:00 AM, Tao Li went to the inner island office to begin work, handling five business disputes, punishing one disturbance, and reviewing several official documents. This task continued until 11:30 AM, after which Tao Li went to the office cafeteria to eat with the other staff. (Note: Later, I wanted to sneak into the office to review the documents, but the patrols were very strict, and a barrier had been set up, confirming the presence of ninjas on the island.)

At noon, Tao Li finished his lunch and returned to his office. After confirming that there were no official documents, he lay down to rest for an hour before getting up and heading to the lighthouse construction site.

In summary, Mr. Peach and Plum is a very responsible and approachable lord. The villagers mostly address him as "Mr.", with only a few calling him "Sir." Everyone loves and respects him. His appearance is as follows: he is healthy, his speed is above average for an ordinary person, and he has the best relationship with Mr. Bai.

Personally, I don't think he's the villain who illegally seizes other people's property, as Kado claims. If there has to be a villain, it's definitely Kado.