78: Chapter 78 The End of the Year ApproachesAs the days went by, the sea breeze gradually carried a biting chill, and the trees on both sides of the street had long since lost their leaves, their bare branches pointing towards the gray sky.
The atmosphere of the year-end has quietly grown stronger without us even realizing it.
The logistics warehouse area of Tianqi Chamber of Commerce is still bustling.
"Hey!You, the one with the whirlpool mask!"
Deidara, wearing a white lab coat with the "Explosion Art Research Institute" logo, stood with his hands in his pockets, chin up, and with a slightly arrogant look in his eyes, which still held a hint of arrogance even after the swelling had subsided, he glanced sideways at Fei, who was taking inventory of supplies.
"I'm talking to you!You ugly thing!"
"The batch of 'Chakra Activated Clay' that I applied for at my research institute, it's been three days already, why hasn't it arrived yet?Hmm?"
Ah Fei, holding the list, paused, and the corner of his mouth behind the mask twisted violently.
Ugly thing?
He forcefully suppressed the urge to immediately unleash his divine power and twist the blond bastard into a pretzel.
"Director Deidara, the active clay you requested needs to be shipped from the Land of Craftsmen.Sea freight takes time, but it is expected to arrive at the port tomorrow.I will deliver it to you as soon as it arrives!"
"Tomorrow?It's tomorrow again!"
Deidara clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, walked half a circle around Tobi, and his critical gaze swept over Tobi's drab gray clothes and orange spiral mask.
"Hey, can you change your clothes?Or at least take off that lousy mask?It's ruining my mood and dragging down the whole chamber of commerce!"
Obito felt his temples throbbing, and his fingers gripping the checklist turned slightly white from the force.
Insubordination!How dare a mere Akatsuki prisoner, beaten into submission by Naruto, spout such nonsense in front of me?
He took a deep breath and kept trying to mentally prepare himself.
For the Eye of the Moon Project!For Lin!We can't stoop to the level of this idiot!
"Hehe, Director Deidara is joking."
Ah Fei chuckled dryly, "Personal hobby, personal hobby."
"A hobby?Your hobby is certainly quite unique."
Deidara chuckled, then suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice with a hint of mischief, "Hey, you don't wear this thing all the time because you're too ugly, do you?Hmm?"
"Snap!"
Obito accidentally pinched a tiny crack in the edge of the list in his hand.
Killing intent!An unprecedented killing intent surged within him!
He could almost picture himself using Wood Release: Wood Piercing Technique to riddle the bastard with holes, or using Kamui to twist off his golden head!
Just as he was on the verge of losing control, a cough came from not far away.
Shizune, holding Ton-Ton, appeared at the warehouse door at some point."Director Deidara, the chairman asked me to ask if the research institute's budget for the next quarter has been prepared?"
"Okay, okay!"
Deidara waved his hand impatiently, glared at Tobi, muttered "bad luck," and turned to leave.
Watching Deidara's departing figure, Obito's face beneath his mask was so gloomy it could drip water.
He felt that his patience as a member of the Chamber of Commerce was being pushed to its absolute limit by this blond-haired man.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce is located in a special training ground beneath a cliff by the sea.
Shuiyue sat cross-legged on the ground with her eyes closed.
His body was surrounded by a pale blue chakra tinged with moisture—the power of the Three-Tails.
Deep within his consciousness, in that strange space constructed from a "binary array," he was staring wide-eyed at a dark red turtle whose size had shrunk countless times and which appeared somewhat dull-witted.
"Hey, big turtle, try spraying another mouthful of chakra?Control the amount this time!" Shuiyue communicated telepathically.
The Three-Tailed Isobu slowly raised its head, its small eyes seemingly devoid of any spirit.It tilted its head, then opened its mouth and exhaled a small, gentle stream of chakra, like a wisp of smoke.
"Yes, yes, yes!Keep it up!" Shuiyue was a little excited.
Unexpectedly, this three-tailed beast, which had been holed up in the lake for who knows how many years and was timid and lazy, became exceptionally.cooperative after being forced to become a "code tailed beast".
It seems to accept the status quo well, without fierce resistance or gloomy curses, but often expresses simple thoughts such as "I want to sleep" or "Don't bother me".
As long as it's not excessive, it generally grants Shuiyue's requests to mobilize chakra, and its cooperation is ridiculously high.
This allowed Suigetsu to master the tailed beast chakra at an astonishing speed.
Although he is still far from being a perfect Jinchūriki, he can already reliably borrow some of the power to enhance the power of the Water Transformation Technique and the Exploding Blade.
"Looks like you're not so bad at all, except you're a homebody."
Looking at the turtle in front of her, Shuiyue felt that it was very different from the image of the world-destroying tailed beast in her mind.
Isogai glanced at him lazily, then pulled his head back halfway into his shell, emitting a mental fluctuation similar to snoring.
A few days later, at the port of the Land of Waves.
The sea breeze was chilly, blowing the girl's long golden hair and delicate skirt.
Temari stood by the gangway of the ship that was about to set sail back to Sunagakure, looking at Naruto who had come to see her off, her eyes filled with reluctance.
"The Chamber of Commerce is busy at the end of the year, so I won't see you off."
Naruto looked at her with a smile on his face.Their relationship had already developed a bit of affection through their frequent, albeit somewhat distant, interactions.
Temari bit her lower lip, then suddenly stepped forward, opened her arms, and hugged him tightly.
The girl's body was warm and soft, carrying a unique scent of sunshine.
Her hug was a little awkward, but unusually strong, as if she wanted to remember the warmth of her body in this moment.
Naruto was slightly taken aback, then gently returned the hug.
Temari raised her head, her cheeks flushed, like the most beautiful sunset on the horizon.
She tiptoed and swiftly planted a soft, feather-like kiss on Naruto's lips.
Instantly separate.
Her eyes were like a clear lake, shimmering with light, and her voice was as soft as a whisper.".I'll come next time."
After saying that, she didn't dare to look at Naruto anymore, turned around and ran up the gangway as if fleeing, her figure disappearing at the entrance of the cabin.
The Land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village, the Mizukage's Office.
Mei Terumi looked at the final analysis report presented by the intelligence department in her hand, a layer of frost covering her charming face.
"The Three-Tails' chakra reaction.the area where it finally disappeared highly overlaps with the area of operation of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild."
"Traces of Naruto's activities were also found at the site where Sasori of the Red Sand fell."
She slammed the report down on the table, her chest heaving slightly, clearly quite angry.
"That Naruto Uzumaki!His appetite is way too big!It wasn't enough that he swallowed up the interests of the Land of Rice Fields, now he's reaching for the tailed beasts of Kirigakure!"
Chojuro, standing to the side, asked cautiously, "Lord Mizukage, should we.take drastic measures?"
Mei Terumi took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "Not for now.The opponent's strength is unknown, and rash action will only increase the losses."
"First, send a formal diplomatic inquiry letter, using strong language, to test their reaction."
"At the same time, let Qing lead a team to form an elite investigation team to secretly infiltrate the Land of Waves and the surrounding waters to collect evidence."
She looked out the window at the misty village, her eyes sharp: "I want to see just how capable this Naruto Uzumaki really is!"
The Apocalypse Chamber of Commerce distributed generous year-end bonuses and New Year's gifts to all its employees, which enlivened the streets and alleys of the entire Wave Kingdom.
Along the streets, many shops have already hung red lanterns and pasted auspicious couplets.
The stalls selling New Year pictures and fireworks were crowded with people.Children wearing new cotton-padded jackets chased and played in the street, clutching candied hawthorns or newly bought rattles in their little hands.
The air was filled with the aroma of dumplings and sweet cakes, mixed with the salty scent of the sea breeze, creating a unique and warm festive atmosphere.
The Chamber of Commerce's security team has also increased patrols to ensure security during the holiday season.
A bustling and thriving scene.
Beneath this peaceful and lively surface.
Obito's killing intent toward Deidara grew stronger every day.
Although Akatsuki's plans were significantly slowed down, Pain's patience was not unlimited.
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