Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 182 Open-ended Regime

This city, surrounded by yellow sand, displays incredible vitality.

The rambling old man was taken away by his family who came looking for him, and of course, they didn't forget to push away his makeshift stall. Before leaving, the old man stuffed a clay figurine from his stall into Afei's hands, and only then did he leave after his son's earnest persuasion. His son was carrying a knife, dressed simply in colors reminiscent of the desert, looking like he could disappear into the sand if he lay down.

Afei appeared to be examining the clay figure, but he was actually secretly observing the young man who looked like a soldier. He had seen all sorts of people and had met soldiers and mercenaries from many countries, but he was certain he had never seen such spirit in anyone else. The young man stood and walked with his head held high, exuding an air of authority without being aggressive. Most importantly, others didn't show the fear or apprehension one might have towards a soldier; instead, they greeted him as if he were an ordinary person.

"Is today's training exercise over?"

"The field training has been changed to wheat harvesting. I finished quickly today and came back early."

"You brat, why aren't you helping anymore!"

"Little Makan, here to catch the old man again? Hahaha."

"Uncle Nur, why didn't you stop him from ordering?"

"How could we stop them! You must be tired today, have some naan!"

"I grilled some extra meat skewers; that'll definitely be enough for a meal."

"Hey! I already said I can't take it, I'm going to get punished when I get back!"

"What's wrong with a little food? Why are you being so strict?"

"Then I'll pay."

"That won't do!"

"That means you can't take it!"

The young man, called Little Makan, weaved and dodged through the crowd, avoiding several stalls trying to feed him, and finally escaped the dangerous street with a practiced ease that was almost heartbreaking. Even more bizarrely, his father was also covering for him, though his acting was rather poor, and he was frequently caught. Afei watched the old man and the young man disappear from sight, their lively and cheerful antics echoing in his mind for the second time, making him think that the world had probably gone mad.

The enthusiasm of one or two stall owners could be attributed to familiarity, but for the entire street to be like this was rather strange. The military is a highly authoritative force in any country, rarely mingling with civilians. Could this be an isolated case? While pondering this, he finally noticed that the little clay figure in his hand was actually modeled after him. To say it wasn't a perfect replica was an understatement, given that only half the face was visible, yet it managed to capture a slightly melancholic expression. But to say it was a perfect replica was also an understatement, as the doll stared at him with wide eyes.

Afei subconsciously frowned, wanting to throw the thing away, but the clay figure seemed to be stuck to his hand, and he couldn't get rid of it at all.

Oh well, it's just a mud figure anyway.

Afei, resigned to his fate, dragged the clay figure into the crowd. Having been away from such a bustling place for a long time, he felt extremely uncomfortable. However, once outside the street, he found himself carrying a box of pastries and a grilled fish. He attributed this to physiological needs, even though he had actually been eating less since fusing with Hashirama's cells. Savile was ultimately too far from the continent's center; while its commercial streets were developing, they were far from the prosperity of a city, and he quickly finished exploring. Afei felt a strange sense of loss and regret, but quickly remembered his business. He found a corner, quickly finished his snacks, put the clay figure into his Divine Might Space, and then headed back towards the King's Mansion.

Along the way, there were people dressed similarly to Xiao Makan standing guard and patrolling, but they didn't pay him much attention, simply following the prescribed route. Surprisingly, there were also many civilians on the road, their clothing varied widely, from different tribes, with different professions and statuses, yet they stood together harmoniously, chatting and occupying the large square in front of the King's Palace. Afei weaved through the crowd, his pace slowing until he finally stopped. The ninja's keen ears had picked up too many sounds; some accents were so heavy he couldn't understand them, so he needed time to comprehend them.

Afei overheard someone asking where the other person was from. The answer was a place name he'd never heard of before. The person who asked grinned foolishly and told him where they came from. The two of them then laughed together for no apparent reason, leaving Afei completely bewildered. He really should have checked the intelligence on the Kingdom of Owls before leaving home; even an outdated version was better than understanding nothing at all. He then overheard people discussing parenting experiences. One person said their child didn't like doing homework, while the other said their child stayed up all night studying. When they compared names, the one who said their child stayed up all night suddenly got angry, yelling, "Your child is ranked so high, what are you complaining about?" People around them, some trying to break up the fight, others just watching the commotion, quickly returned to their usual peaceful state because the one who said their child didn't do homework apologized first.

The conversations here mostly revolved around everyday matters and children, leaving Afei and his two lone wolves, who had nothing to do with these things, standing in the crowd in a daze, unable to understand why people were discussing such things in front of the King's Mansion.

Suddenly, a clear bell rang out, and everyone looked up, unconsciously glancing towards the entrance. The quiet mansion suddenly erupted in a cacophony of voices as a group of chattering children eagerly rushed out the gate towards this direction. It was then that A-Fei noticed the inscription on the main gate of the King's Mansion had changed; it now bore four large characters that had absolutely nothing to do with the King: Flying Eagle Academy.

The third time, he felt that nothing was wrong with the world, and that he himself was the one who was going crazy.

The crowds leaving school were dense, and Afei was swept back several hundred meters, almost losing his senses again. It seemed all the previous intelligence about the Kingdom of Owls had to be overturned; the King's Palace had been converted into an academy. How could he have such a dream! But the facts were undeniable; he couldn't simply assume such a massive crowd was experiencing a collective hallucination. The people here seemed quite accustomed to the status quo, meaning the new regime had likely been in place for some time. Yet, no one in the surrounding countries had noticed these changes—was this the tragedy of small nations?

Speaking of which, wasn't the previous ruler of the Owl Kingdom killed by the Azure Jade Group? Did it all start from that time? No, such a change couldn't be accomplished in just one or two years. There must have been something fishy about that mission.

Afei had decided on his primary task. He was just about to find a soldier to gather some intelligence when he noticed a huge sign in a corner of the deserted square, clearly showing a map of the surrounding area. The royal palace was vast, large enough to fit a school with room to spare, and the current government's office building, which he had been painstakingly searching for, was right next door. The map even detailed the locations of each building's departments, offices, and the head of state's office.

...Are you really not afraid of assassination?