Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 353 Promotion?

This massive snowfall lasted for a full twenty days before finally ending.

The snow stopped, and the endless clearing work finally had a glimmer of hope. In some areas where the snow stopped earlier, people were almost immediately organized to clear snow and ice from roads and rooftops. Although the houses and roads had been upgraded, this kind of work couldn't go on forever. If the fluffy snow froze into ice as it melted, it would not only affect the use of roads, but also pose a great challenge to rooftops, trees, and farmland. A slight mistake could easily cause damage, so it had to be cleared as soon as possible.

Konoha was indeed within the disaster area, but its urbanization was better than that of typical rural areas, and the houses were more sturdily built, so roofs that collapsed directly were not common. However, many trees, power lines, and other relatively fragile infrastructure were damaged. On the tenth day after the disaster, some areas of Konoha experienced power outages. Fortunately, electrical technology at this stage was not as advanced as it would be in later years, and most households used stoves for heating, so the power outages did not cause fatal injuries.

In this freezing weather, it was really difficult for the already scarce number of electricians to go out and carry out emergency repairs. The power plant was directly dispatched from the Land of Fire, and normally maintenance would drag on for about a week before it could be completed, which was in stark contrast to the high efficiency that followed after being reprimanded by the Hokage in later years.

Tsunade knew she couldn't rely on these people, so she immediately recalled all the ninjas who were skilled in Lightning Release who were left behind, and forced the power plant to produce a maintenance manual that included all common problems.

The Hokage's orders are indeed less effective than the Daimyo's, but Tsunade came under the Daimyo's name. Konoha is responsible for part of the Land of Fire's disaster relief efforts, and if logistical issues cause delays, the Daimyo will hold them accountable, and the Hokage will certainly give them a good talking-to about the power plant's lack of cooperation.

The factory manager realized it was a setup, but in these extraordinary times, the Hokage's priority was still very high. The power plant wasn't a particularly important source of revenue for the Daimyo, so it was hard to say who he would side with. He had no choice but to give in.

It was expected that power transmission lines would be affected by the snowstorm; similar problems occurred in the area we manage. However, your manual seems to be more detailed than the version provided by the spacecraft; indeed, practical experience is the best teacher.

"Should we consider acquiring some established power plants?"

Can this kind of factory be sold?

"There's no chance with the Land of Fire, but there's still a possibility with the Land of Lightning; their market is basically unregulated."

I'll go look for one.

"...No, haven't you guys been thinking a bit too wildly lately?"

Isn't it good?

I'll learn from you.

Haha, isn't this just wanting to bring home all the good stuff you see?

Yes, I agree.

Thanks to the preparations made before the snowstorm, although the snow covered a large area, the damage was not so exaggerated. Most importantly, not a single person in the area they led froze to death! This is the biggest progress; losing other things is not a big deal.

However, we must also thank the Edo Tensei army that worked tirelessly on the front lines. This time, they even utilized logistics, with several senior members not in Beichen but instead working in their respective front lines to ensure timely adjustments in deployment. It was through this united effort, and at the cost of dozens of Edo Tensei seniors being briefly frozen by the snow, that they finally achieved such remarkable results in the snow disaster.

Fortunately, our area isn't large, but it contains people from all sorts of places. Several low-latitude mountains have been almost completely cleared, and many people have been blackened several shades by the smoke from the charcoal-fired ovens. We'll have to find a way to compensate them afterwards.

'Alright, alright, can you stop assigning tasks? I'm tired even if you aren't.'

"Stop talking, I still need to draft the documents for annexing the Land of Fire..."

[And this year's planting plan will be drastically changed...]

Electronic devices are still too vulnerable to extreme weather conditions; we need to focus our efforts in this area...

The originally lively chat was quickly drowned out by a list of tasks, and even across the vast distance of telepathy, one could feel their physical and mental exhaustion.

"Ha, weren't you shouting those slogans so loudly before? Why are you so unwilling to do the work?" Nine-Tailed Fox couldn't stand it anymore and couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

In his eyes, the tasks assigned by each department did seem tedious and troublesome, but they had so many people under them, and each person doing their own job could share the burden, and there was always hope of finishing the work. Naruto, on the other hand, was all alone, yet he was like a control freak, constantly monitoring every project. His desk was piled high with documents he could never finish reading, and his path seemed endless. As long as true peace hadn't arrived, Naruto would never stop.

"Kurama, that's not how it works. It's normal for everyone to vent when they're tired. But we can keep these thoughts to ourselves. To the outside world, we need to maintain our energy so that everyone will believe us." Naruto's words were full of laughter. When it comes to being energetic, no one is more qualified to speak than him.

Of course, a balance between work and rest is also important; it's time for the young people to get some exercise. The cleanup work following the snow disaster can be left to the second team.

The proposal was passed unanimously in an instant; after all, nobody wants to work non-stop!

Although the work was handed over, the final review still had to be conducted by the senior colleagues. Without this step, no one would know how much trouble these young people could cause. Despite the bumps along the way, the determined young people did not disappoint their seniors and quickly restored the disaster-stricken area. Everyone then began the new year's production and life in an orderly manner.

Due to the unexpected situation at the beginning of the year, the winter Chunin Exams were canceled this year, and the vast number of Hokage files were almost exhausted. Naruto felt that he could finally breathe a sigh of relief and was just about to replan his schedule for the year when Tsunade's transfer order came down.

He was placed in the elite Jonin corps and became a member of the combat squad directly under the Hokage. As for his position in the mission allocation department, Shikamaru will take over.

The title "Directly under the Hokage" certainly carries significant weight, but... isn't this happening a bit too fast? He's only been out of school for a few years, and he's already an elite Jonin? And those old fogies didn't object?

“Elite Jonin are the village’s most important combat unit. All the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki have reached this level.” Perhaps because Naruto’s shock was too obvious, Granny Tsunade kindly explained, “In addition, becoming an elite Jonin means being directly under the military. Apart from being an instructor, you are not allowed to serve in other departments. That’s why they agreed to it.”

"Oh, I see." Naruto was genuinely enlightened, because he had been a Hokage candidate for ten years, and whether or not he was an elite Jonin did not affect his participation in various decision-making processes.

"If it's you, I don't need to say much. When you're on a mission, remember to show off your skills and let those arrogant guys see what you're made of."