Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 342 He's going to become a monster!
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the eaves of a courtyard outside Daming Mansion in a warm golden hue.

This is a residence specially arranged for the people of Konoha. Although it is not as luxurious as the interior of the Daimyo's mansion, it is still fully equipped and the environment is quiet.

"Bye-Bye."

"See you tomorrow."

After saying goodbye to his companions at the gate, Naruto went alone into his assigned quarters, closed the door, and shut out the last trace of noise from the outside world.

The black cat had run off to play somewhere, but Naruto didn't pay it any mind. As usual, he first checked all over the room, and then went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

However, around him, an invisible yet incredibly clear perception, like ripples on water, quietly spread out from him.

—Kagura's Mind's Eye.

Without needing to consciously concentrate, all the chakra within hundreds of meters around him was clearly reflected in his perception.

In his perception, two distinct streams of chakra were scattered across the east and west sides of the courtyard.

One of them was that Konoha ninja named Yamato.

The other one was an unfamiliar chakra, clearly belonging to someone from the Daimyo's mansion.

"Heh..." Naruto chuckled to himself, "Looks like we're quite popular, we have people 'protecting' us wherever we go."

"Hmph!" The only response he received was a cold, annoyed snort from the Nine-Tailed Fox within the sealed space.

A smile crept into Naruto's eyes. He said nothing more and continued what he was doing as if nothing had happened: washing rice and starting a fire. Everything seemed so natural and ordinary.

Since they want to see it, let them see what a "normal" child should be like.

However, Naruto calmly calculated the time in his mind.

In the past two days, he has figured out the patterns of the two groups of monitors through "Kagura's Mind's Eye," and that there are brief gaps in their movements at fixed times...

coming.

Naruto walked calmly into the small washroom in his residence and quickly formed hand seals.

With a soft "poof," a wisp of white smoke dissipated, leaving behind a shadow clone that looked exactly like him.

The two nodded to each other, and one of them, Naruto, naturally turned and walked to the kitchen to take over the task of preparing dinner.

Meanwhile, the other Naruto used the blind spots created by the trees and buildings to silently slip out of the back window and blend into the deepening twilight of the courtyard.

The residence was a separate courtyard on the outskirts of Daming Prefecture, and its defenses were not very strict.

Neither Yamato nor the Daimyo's sentries had expected that Naruto had not only known their locations long ago, but also mastered the skills of concealment and counter-tracking.

Transformation!
Another barely perceptible chakra fluctuation occurred, and Naruto's appearance had changed, transforming him into a plainly dressed ordinary person who blended into the gradually thinning crowd in the capital.

He kept his head down and walked hurriedly, just like an ordinary citizen who had been busy all day making a living and was eager to go home.

His goal was clear: the slums.

If you want to see the truth beneath the glamorous facade of the capital and glimpse the struggles of the masses in the shadows, there is no better place than there.

He avoided the main roads and instead chose to travel through narrow alleys. The further he got from Daming Prefecture and the bustling commercial streets, the faster the surrounding scenery deteriorated.

The magnificent samurai residences and neat townhouses were gradually replaced by low, dilapidated row houses.

A row house is a wooden house built in the narrow alleys of the downtown area. The kitchen is right inside the entrance hall. There are at most two rooms, a public toilet, but no bathroom.

In densely populated capitals, middle-class and higher-ranking merchants could still own independent shops on the main streets, but other commoners and artisans almost all rented these longhouses.

These row of wooden bungalows are crammed together, with low-hanging eaves and walls covered with weathered marks and patched planks.

The air began to fill with a damp, musty smell, the stench of rotting garbage that hadn't been cleaned up in time, and the stench of cheap, low-quality liquor.

The streets became muddy and murky, with potholes filled with stagnant water. The tattered clothes hanging on bamboo poles swayed helplessly in the evening breeze.

Some emaciated children were chasing and playing at the alley entrance, wearing clothes that were obviously ill-fitting and full of patches.

In the corner, an elderly person with a blank stare huddled up, or a group of idle wanderers, looked at every passerby with wary or numb eyes.

"..."

Naruto slowed his pace, fully engaging his keen senses.

He heard arguing, children crying, and patients coughing weakly coming from behind the thin wooden wall.

The deeper one goes, the more dilapidated the surrounding scenery becomes, and the chilling atmosphere in the air grows increasingly intense and tangible.

Most of the longhouses on both sides had broken doors and windows, and were nailed shut with rough wooden planks, clearly indicating that they had been uninhabited for a long time, leaving only a desolate scene.

Only a few scattered houses still emitted faint lights and the soft sounds of people, which only added to the desolation.

Naruto fell silent.

If I'm not mistaken, most of the people here were forcibly evicted. Was it to prevent "emptiness" from taking root here?
As for the impoverished people who were evicted, what will become of them...?

Naruto recalled the blood-soaked soil and bustling city outside the city.

However, it is clear that even so, a steady stream of poor people continues to emerge, and the void left behind will only be filled with deeper despair.

This is another side of the capital of the Land of Fire, forming a stark and cruel contrast with the magnificent palace of the nearby Daimyo and the delicacies served at the banquet.

It's hard to imagine that such a place still exists in what is clearly the most prosperous capital of the Land of Fire; it's as if it were a product of two different eras.

Naruto's purpose in this trip was not only to witness suffering, but also to gather intelligence.

Is the appearance of "emptiness" related to extreme poverty and despair...?

Are the policies of Daming Prefecture beneficial to the common people...?

The real Land of Fire, which is never mentioned in the book...

Like a silent ghost, Naruto moved through the maze-like alleyways, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings and his ears catching any potentially useful words.

Kagura's "Mind's Eye" remained activated, not only to guard against potential dangers but also to more deeply sense the almost tangible oppression and despair permeating the area...

Without a doubt, this kind of environment is the best breeding ground for 'emptiness'.

As night fell, the dim light of oil lamps flickered in the slums, like fireflies, but could not illuminate the deep darkness.

"It seems this is the only way for today."

Naruto knew he had to return to his residence before curfew began.

However, just as he was about to turn and leave.

"He's not a monster! He's my child!"

"You can't do this!"

A sudden, intense commotion, accompanied by terrified cries, angry shouts, and the sound of things breaking, arose from the depths of the alley not far away.

According to Kagura's perception, an unusually cold aura was spreading in that area.

“This aura…” Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

Almost at the same time he sensed the anomaly, several other auras in the distance also stirred.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Several swift black shadows swept across the rooftop above him, their movements agile and synchronized, clearly indicating they were ninjas hired by the Daimyo's household.

They also noticed something was wrong and rushed to the scene immediately.

Immediately afterwards, heavy and chaotic footsteps and the clanging of metal armor came from the alley entrance, and a patrol of samurai carrying long spears and wearing katana at their waists rushed over upon hearing the noise.

Without the slightest hesitation, Naruto concealed his aura to the extreme and, using the dilapidated houses as cover, silently made his way towards the center of the commotion.

Meanwhile, in the distant center of the riot, several poorly dressed onlookers were being roughly shoved by several burly men dressed as slaves, wielding sticks.

Scattered on the ground were broken and simple belongings, while a boy was pinned to the ground with his hands tied behind his back by two town slaves.

A gaunt old woman stood with her arms outstretched, blocking several burly men from the town's slaves. Behind her, a figure huddled up.

Town slaves were low-ranking personnel employed by the "town office" to perform odd jobs and guard duties.

Samurai were generally affiliated with nobles. Even in the most prosperous capital of the Land of Fire, it was impossible for samurai to manage all the security. Most of the time, the "town hall" was responsible for it.

However, when faced with an unarmed old woman, these burly men who usually roamed the streets appeared unusually nervous, as if something extremely terrifying was lurking behind her.

"I'll say it again, get out of the way!"

The leader of the town slaves broke out in a cold sweat, his voice shrill with tension, his eyes fixed on the shadow behind the old woman: "He's going to turn into a monster! If we don't deal with it now, it'll be too late!"

"Don't kill him! He can still be saved!" the boy with his hands bound shouted. "Wait for my teacher... wait for the people from the Fire Temple! They can..."

"No, no, you can't take my son away, he's just sick..." The old woman's voice trembled, but she refused to budge an inch.

"He's dying! If he really dies, he'll turn into a monster!" Another burly man finally lost his patience, roared angrily, and shoved the old woman away roughly.

The old woman screamed and stumbled, falling onto the cold, muddy ground.

This completely exposed the figure she had been trying to protect.

A young man curled up on the ground, convulsing violently.

"Roar..." He let out a low growl that was not human. Under the skin of his bare neck and arms, there seemed to be dark lines moving and wriggling under his skin, as if they were alive.

That chilling aura was surging wildly from his body.

(Two more chapters to go)
(End of this chapter)