Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 67 Burning Escape from Ye Cang
When Uchiha Shisui arrived at the eastern border of the Land of Bears with two teammates, searching for a way to cross the Valley of Hell.

In the desert region bordering the Bear Kingdom and the Wind Kingdom, three figures were speeding through the swirling yellow sand.

The leading female ninja from Sunagakure was agile, her birch-green hair fluttering in the wind, and her long legs kicking up clouds of dust on the sand.

Behind her followed two Chunin from Sunagakure, dressed in the village's distinctive windproof attire, wearing windproof hats, and with purple markings on their faces.

"Lord Yekura, the Land of Bears is just ahead." A Sand Ninja saw a light green grove of trees ahead and knew they had reached the border of the Land of Wind.

"Full speed ahead!" Ye Cang's expression was solemn, showing no intention of stopping.

The two Chunin had no choice but to continue advancing with the Jonin who was leading the team.

The three figures quickly disappeared into the lush forest. As they went deeper, the surrounding trees grew taller and taller, and the endless yellow sand was completely blocked by the towering ancient trees.

As Yekura moved through the forest, her brows furrowed, deep in thought about the task the Fourth Kazekage had given her.

Because the daimyo of the Land of Bears was slaughtered by the Star Ninja, the entire noble family of the Land of Bears was wiped out in the bloodshed. A few nobles who escaped the massacre sought help from the daimyo of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

These noble marriages are prevalent throughout the ninja world. Even in the Land of Bears, with a population of less than one million, the daimyo and nobles have a tradition of intermarrying with neighboring countries. This is also an instinct for small countries to survive in the cracks.

Upon hearing that the daimyo and nobles of the Kuma Kingdom had been slaughtered by ninjas, the daimyo of the Land of Wind flew into a rage and summoned Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

Although it was a ninja village from another country that launched the rebellion, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind still used this as an excuse to severely criticize Rasa and Sunagakure, and even took the opportunity to reduce the Land of Wind's financial investment in Sunagakure.

After being scolded, Rasa returned to Sunagakure, summoned Pakura, and entrusted the task of scouting the Land of Bears and the Star Village to this Scorching Release ninja.

However, Rasa did not give direct instructions on whether to send troops to the Land of Bears to quell the rebellious Star Ninja, but instead let Pakura decide for herself based on the situation.

After entering the Land of Bears, Yekura and her two companions first disguised themselves and infiltrated a city in the central part of the Land of Bears near the Star Village, hoping to find out some useful information.

As they entered the city gates, the three of them even prepared themselves to witness the city being massacred.

However, the crowds coming and going at the city gate surprised Ye Cang and his companions.

Ancient cities all had entry and exit taxes, and this was the same in every city in the ninja world.

However, the main targets of taxation were merchants, and very little tax was levied on pedestrians entering the city.

However, Ye Cang and his two companions discovered that most pedestrians entering the city did not pay taxes, and the guards at the city gates only checked small merchants carrying goods, while ordinary people were allowed to pass at will.

Upon entering the city, the sheer scale of its prosperity astonished Yekura and his companions.

The streets were bustling with merchants and travelers, and many small vendors set up stalls on both sides of the street to sell their goods. Clearly, this street was the commercial market of the city.

This place is completely different from the city I had imagined after the rebellion.

Feeling the unusual bustling atmosphere of the city around him, Yekura even suspected that he had unknowingly fallen under the enemy's genjutsu and hurriedly activated his chakra.

After finding nothing amiss, Yekura gave a signal to the two Chunin beside her.

The two Chunin nodded in response and began to scatter to gather intelligence.

Meanwhile, Yekura arrived at an izakaya (Japanese pub) in the bustling city. Izakayas, places teeming with all sorts of people, are the easiest places to gather information.

However, sifting through the vast amount of information sifted out by drunken patrons to extract valuable intelligence is a very difficult task for ninjas.

After entering the izakaya, Yekura found a corner to sit down, ordered a pot of sake, and began to listen attentively to the chatter and banter of the customers coming and going.

"I heard that the Kamijou family in Saga Castle was massacred! All their assets were confiscated!"

"That's not all. Yesterday I met a merchant from Saga Castle who said that they held a public trial for the head of the Kamijou family there. Many victims who had been persecuted by the Kamijou family, resulting in the separation of their wives and children and the destruction of their families, came forward to recount the crimes of the Kamijou family. In the end, the head of the Kamijou family was hanged on the castle gate!"

"Hahaha, this is truly gratifying! When I was a merchant in Saga Castle, I was extorted for a lot of silver by the Kamijou family's dogs!"

"That's not all. I heard that after the assets of those big families in Saga Castle were confiscated, farmers without land can rent these fields from the government for only 10% of the rent! The government even provides low-interest or even interest-free loans for farm tools and seeds."

"One-tenth? In the past, noblemen who rented for 50% were considered very kind people!"

"Who is this newly appointed ruler? Why is he treating these farmers so well?"

"It's not just good for farmers, it's good for us merchants too. Haven't you noticed that the city gate tax has been reduced a lot? And as long as your goods are registered in one city, you can be exempt from city gate tax in other cities for a certain period of time with the certificate."

"The commercial transaction tax is only 13%! Many of those other exorbitant taxes have been abolished!"

"If the new ruler continues this policy, I will support him forever!"

"Hahahaha! Well said! I wish the whole country were like this! Doing business without fear of being extorted, or losing everything if you accidentally anger the local bully!"

Listening to the discussions of the surrounding guests, Yecang felt a little dizzy.

As a ninja, she received combat training from a young age and her business knowledge was really lacking.

But the excitement and anticipation for the future among the travelers drinking and chatting in the izakaya is very infectious.

Yekura couldn't understand why, even though the country had suffered a ninja rebellion that killed daimyo and nobles, ordinary people could still celebrate so happily.

Just as she was deep in thought, a figure sat down on the stool next to Ye Cang.

"Boss, a pot of sake, please." A male voice, clearly that of a young man, came from beside him, causing Ye Cang to turn his head slightly to observe.

A black-haired boy with spiky hair, wearing a black coat, sat down next to her. As if noticing Ye Cang's gaze, the boy turned his head and smiled at her.

Instantly, Yekura felt a chill run down her spine!
This boy is definitely not an ordinary person!

Just as Ye Cang was about to draw his weapon and enter combat mode, he heard the other party say softly, "This is a busy city. You don't want to kill many innocent ordinary people, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Yekura's hand, which was already resting on her ninja tool pouch at the base of her thigh, suddenly froze.

Her muscles were tense as she stared intently at the boy beside her. Her intuition told her that this man was the mastermind behind the upheaval in the Land of Bears and the rebellion in the Star Village!

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(End of this chapter)