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The Land of Fire was vast, with most of its territory covered in forests, dotted with numerous cities and thriving economically. However, since the end of the war, there has only been peace for 20 to 30 years.

Among the great noble families of the Land of Fire, they constantly devoured each other. Aside from the tragic demise of the Enwa family, only three great noble families remained in the capital: the Fukama, Terahara, and Egawa families.

These three noble families shared deep-rooted connections with the Sarutobi Clan, the Temple of Fire, and the Hyuga Clan. After all, old noble families didn’t rise to power out of thin air.

Without the support of Shinobi, how could they have survived during the Shinobi World War, let alone thrive and annex other noble families to rapidly expand?

The only reason they have been safe and sound until now is thanks to two things: clinging to powerful allies and sheer survival instinct. They could bend or stand tall depending on the situation. If they couldn’t kill their enemy, they would immediately grovel and apologize to avoid future calamities.

To these old noble families, kneeling and apologizing wasn’t shameful, instead, it was an honor. After all, the world wasn’t about constant fighting, but about navigating human relationships and social intricacies.

For the past two days, the three noble families’ envoys’ daily routine had been waiting in the conference room from nine to five. They’d eat when it was time and return to the lodgings arranged by Konoha at night to rest.

Waiting was dull and tedious. At first, the three sat silently, sipping tea and reading. When their gazes occasionally met, they exchanged polite smiles and nothing more.

Finally, the envoy from the Fukama family couldn’t bear the silence any longer. He was a middle-aged fat man with a mustache on both sides of his face, and his speech seemed animated with every word.

"I think that although Enwa-sama died unfortunately, it is not a bad thing for our three families. However, we still need to show the proper attitude to uphold our noble dignity."

"Exactly!" The envoy of the Terahara family frowned and nodded, "We nobles aren’t pushovers… how can we let those Shinobi push us around?"

"Right, right. We must demand an explanation." The envoy of the Egawa family readily agreed.

"Konoha must give us explanation and even compensation!" The envoy of the Terahara family added, "Today it is Enwa… who’s to say it won’t be one of our masters tomorrow?"

"That might not be a good idea. After all, the Enwa family was in the wrong first." The Fukama family's envoy hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, "I think we should just ask for an explanation. It's not wise to confront the people of Konoha head-on."

He vividly remembered his master’s repeated warnings before coming to Konoha: Be polite. Do not clash with Konoha’s Kyubi’s Jinchuriki. No matter how the other two families push for accountability, do not follow suit.

"How can you be so spineless?" The envoy of the Terahara family shot the middle-aged fat man a sidelong glance. “Shouldn’t we hold them accountable? Are we supposed to grovel and beg?"

"Yes, where is your noble dignity? Have you completely abandoned our noble honor?" The envoy of the Egawa family was also filled with righteous indignation and slammed the table with a bang.

"This..." The fat man from the Fukama family suddenly broke into a cold sweat, cursing in his heart, ‘The envoys from these two families were really crazy. Why would they want to stir up trouble with Konoha now?’

After all, even he knew that what had happened had already happened and that the person was already dead. The Enwa family was wiped out, and their lands and assets were practically devoured by the three great noble families.

He now regretted speaking up, ‘Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut?’

Seeing how the other two envoys seemed increasingly reckless, he resolved to distance himself during the discussions.

If things got heated, he’d draw a clear line to avoid getting caught in the fallout.

‘Then again… maybe this isn’t so bad. If those two go head-to-head with the Kyubi’s Jinchuriki and things spiral out of control, the Fukama family could benefit from the aftermath.’

After all, unlike the Enwa family, both the Terahara and Egawa houses were deeply rooted. Even if just a fragment of their meat fell, it would be enough for the Fukama family to prosper for years.

With that thought in mind, the middle-aged fat man simply stopped trying to persuade them and instead fanned the flames.

“You’re right! Look at our status… how could we possibly compromise with some lowly Shinobi? We must demand accountability and not give them chance to weasel out of this!"

"Exactly! Will you compromise?" The envoy from the Terahara family asked.

"I won't compromise!" The envoy of the Egawa family flashed a silver-toothed grin, "Who among the nobles would bow to a Shinobi?"

The two smiled at each other, then clinked their teacups in a mock toast.

“Bah, pathetic!”

The middle-aged fat man from the Fukama family had no idea what they found so amusing, but not wanting to dampen the mood, he raised his teacup and took a sip.

A silly smile appeared on his fat face, his small eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly in pride.

…

On the other side, Naruto and Yugao were rushing back toward Konoha.

After a full day of travel, Yugao, who was soaked all over, was exhausted. She was sweating profusely and panting heavily, looking utterly drained.

"Wait! I can’t go on anymore! Slow down!" She panted, holding her lower back, "Do you always move this fast? Did you leave the stove on at home or something?"

"Seriously? Resting again? Uzuki Yugao-sama, we’re traveling here. Do you think this is some kids’ playdate?" Naruto stopped, without even a drop of sweat on him.

His physique had become so monstrous that just keeping pace with him felt like an over-the-top training regimen for Yugao. And if even an Anbu Commander couldn’t handle this speed… well, that was saying something.

"What is this pace?" Yugao couldn't hold on any longer. She was so tired that she bent over and supported her knees with her hands. She barely raised her head to look at him, and sweat immediately trickled into her eyes.

"This is normal speed, otherwise, how do you think I've survived until now?" Naruto said teasingly, " Out here, you survive by being quick on your feet. Slow down, and you get chopped up."

Speaking of running away, Naruto suddenly thought of Jiraiya, ‘I wonder how Pervy Sage was doing now? He’d said he was off searching for the Child of Prophecy, but it had been over half a year and there’s still no news from him.’

‘The Child of Prophecy, I don't know if it's just something that old toad had spouted in his senility. Either way, anyone who played around with fate and destiny usually didn’t end up too well.’

"Alright, fine. Let’s rest a bit." Naruto finally agreed reluctantly. Actually, it wasn’t like he had to rush. It was just that traveling was dull and pointless, so the less time spent on it, the better. Plus, without a better mode of transport, all he could do was push his legs harder.

"You… your travel speed is just… insane..." Yugao muttered as she collapsed onto the ground, her eyes were lifeless, and she murmured, "I seriously can’t take it anymore."

Hearing this, he leaned back, his gaze lifting toward the thick canopy above. The leaves swayed gently as a breeze brushed through the treetops.

“It would be nice if I could fly.”

"Fly?" Yugao let out a breathy laugh, glancing at the patch of blue sky peeking through the foliage, "What, you planning to sprout wings?"

"Why not? Times have changed. We even have trains and ships now. Why can’t we have something that flies?" Naruto asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Who knows? Hasn't the communicator been invented? But do you see that the disputes between countries have disappeared?" Yugao said with a sigh.

"Shinobi are born for war. They are either fighting over resources or protecting them. Who’s got the time to invent fancy gadgets? Didn’t the old generation just travel on foot like we’re doing now?"

"Besides, there is no direct train from the capital to Konoha. Even if we get off the train halfway, it would be more troublesome than just walking there directly."

"This is so ridiculous. Shinobi ends up becoming obstacles to a peaceful life. Seriously… can’t this whole system just die off already?" Naruto grumbled, then took out some rations and takes a few bites.

"Well, with the way things are heading, airplanes will probably be a thing soon."

"Airplanes? What’s that?"

"You don’t…" Naruto started, then stopped. “Never mind.”

"Oh." Yugao realized he was making one of those weird jokes she never got and decided to drop the topic.

As for the so-called airplanes, she didn't take them seriously. She just thought it was Naruto's nonsense, after all, he often said some bizarre stuff.