After defeating Zabuza, the rest of the journey proceeded without incident. They successfully met up with Yagami, who was waiting in the supercar, before boarding the boat to the Land of Waves.
The Land of Waves is surrounded by the sea. Although it is close to the mainland of the Land of Fire, without a cross-sea bridge, the only way to travel between the two is by boat.
This reliance on maritime transport is precisely why Gato could dominate the entire Land of Waves by obstructing the bridge's construction.
"Senior Yagami, what was that thing you were sitting on earlier? It feels like you got to the beach way faster than us! Can it be used as a mode of transportation?"
On the boat, Naruto fixated on the sealing scroll attached to Yagami's waist, unable to take his eyes off it.
The Uchiha supercar wasn't entirely unheard of. In fact, it was somewhat infamous—many people knew about the Uchiha Clan's development of something called a supercar. However, few had actually seen it. Yagami mostly used the supercar within the confines of the Evernight City.
Currently, the only completed supercar in existence was the one in Yagami's possession.
There was a simple reason for this.
While Orochimaru's scientific research progress was impressive, the production capacity of the entire shinobi world was insufficient to meet the demand.
Although Evernight City had recruited civilians for basic production tasks, they lacked the technical expertise for high-end projects.
The Uchiha Clan's shinobi, equipped with Sharingan, could handle more intricate work. Sharingan allowed them to perform precise operations without fully understanding the underlying principles.
However, the Uchiha Clan's numbers were limited. Not every Uchiha had awakened their Sharingan, and even with their strength, certain challenges couldn't be overcome through raw power alone.
Anticipating the production bottleneck, Yagami began planning solutions three years ago.
One such initiative was the rural revitalization plan for Konoha. This plan wasn't motivated by altruism; it was a calculated move to address the Uchiha Group's production needs.
By contributing to Konoha's reconstruction, ostensibly without expecting anything in return, the Uchiha Group could leverage Konoha's resources for their own benefit.
Another goal of the initiative was to cultivate the technical talent necessary for the Chiba factory in Evernight City.
Convincing Konoha's shinobi to leave their home and develop elsewhere, as the Uchiha had done, was out of the question. The Hokage administration would never allow it, and the shinobi themselves wouldn't abandon their vested interests in Konoha.
However, persuading individuals to temporarily relocate to Evernight City under the guise of external assignments was much easier. This way, they wouldn't be labelled as traitors, nor would they attract hostility from Konoha's leadership.
The Hyuga Clan was the first to receive business training under Uchiha guidance. Their Byakugan provided distinct advantages in scientific research, particularly for detailed and precise work.
The choice to start with the Hyuga wasn't due to any deep bond between the two clans but because the training process could be conducted discreetly.
Once the first batch of trained Hyuga members settled in Evernight City, the Hyuga Clan began spearheading recruitment efforts within Konoha, quietly taking over Uchiha's role in the village.
With Konoha's economy struggling, smaller ninja clans found it increasingly difficult to sustain themselves within the village. When presented with opportunities for new income, many of them began to explore the possibility of collaborating with the Uchiha Group.
In addition to targeting ninja clans, Konoha's civilian shinobi was also a primary focus of the Uchiha Clan's development efforts. Compared to established ninja clans, civilian ninjas were easier to recruit and cultivate.
The reason was straightforward: Konoha lacked funding. Training resources for civilian ninjas were provided through Uchiha's Rural Revitalization Plan, leaving ample opportunity for the Uchiha Clan to sway them.
Three years had passed, and the earlier investments were now yielding results. As for whether the influx of individuals from Konoha to the Evernight City would dilute Uchiha's control over the city, Yagami had carefully considered this issue.
Previously, those who arrived from Konoha were primarily technical staff and were generally excluded from managerial roles.
Of course, while Konoha was cultivating technical talent, the Uchiha family simultaneously focused on training management personnel. Yagami remained deeply protective of the foundation he had built.
The Third Hokage was well aware of Uchiha's long-running efforts, but even as he recognized that the clan was siphoning talent from Konoha, there was little he could do to stop it.
Konoha's financial situation was dire. Even if the Third Hokage wanted to retain these people, he lacked the resources to do so. People in Konoha were struggling to make ends meet. Blocking their attempts to seek a better life would only lead to rebellion.
Furthermore, attempting to use force to detain people would provoke Uchiha, who had invested considerable financial resources into training them. Uchiha would never stand idly by while Konoha forcibly retained willing individuals who wanted to relocate to the Evernight City.
"Is it a tool for transportation? You could think of it that way, but it's more accurate to call it a ninja tool. Transportation is just one of its functions," Yagami replied with a smile. The supercar's allure was undeniable—even across dimensions! Though Naruto was the one asking, Sasuke's attention was equally fixed on it.
As the ninja world's first supercar and Yagami's personal vehicle, this car was far from ordinary.
It was equipped with an array of advanced technological weapons and operated on a clean, pollution-free energy source.
Even the Three-Tails, since its birth, could never have imagined its Chakra being sealed into a small black box and used as an energy source—a glorified power bank.
"Shh! Everyone, we're approaching the Land of Waves," Kakashi whispered. "We don't know if Gato has stationed anyone to monitor us, so it's best to stay quiet."
Naruto wanted to continue his line of questioning, but Ozuna stopped him.
While Team 7 had lost their fear of Gato after the encounter with Zabuza, Tazuna remained wary. Years of oppression under Gato's rule had left deep scars.
As this was an escort mission, they chose to adhere to their employer's instructions, even if the payment he offered didn't seem fair for the risk involved.
After landing, they escorted Tazuna safely to his home, where a beautiful woman with long hair and a shawl greeted them, flanked by ten young boys wearing straw hats.
"Thank you so much for escorting my father back!"
Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, bowed deeply in gratitude.
Kakashi stepped forward smoothly, replying, "You're welcome, ma'am. This is simply our duty!"
The ever-charming Kakashi, adept at interacting with women, soon found himself chatting and laughing with Tsunami. Meanwhile, a young boy flew into Tazuna's arms.
"Grandpa! You're finally back!"
Inari clung tightly to Tazuna, his affection overflowing. The scene was heartwarming yet awkwardly sentimental for Naruto, who rarely experienced such moments. Even Sasuke, who often indulged his more childish side in front of Itachi, found himself quietly cringing at the display.
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Hey everyone! 🌟
This marks the final chapter of this book — and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me until the end. Your support, comments, and encouragement have meant so much throughout this journey.
But this isn't goodbye! I'm currently working on two other Naruto fanfics:
🔹 Naruto: The Clanless Prince🔹 Naruto: Promotion is My Ninja Way
If you've enjoyed this story, I'd love for you to check those out and continue supporting me there too! 🙌
Once again, thank you all — and I hope to see you in my next stories! 💙