Overdrafting the Future, Starting in Naruto

Chapter 32: Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountains!

Although Uchiha Namiichi seemed cold and aloof, Genichi felt that he was actually more straightforward to get along with than Yamanaka En. As long as you had sufficient strength or some outstanding quality, you could get along with him just fine. Of course, Namiichi was still very much an Uchiha tsundere; he wouldn't bother with most people, but he wouldn't bully them either.

Meanwhile, Hatake Sakumo was very satisfied with Genichi's performance. His agreement to their spar was, in fact, a deliberate move to allow Genichi to display his strength in front of Sarutobi Shinnosuke and his team. In the world of shinobi, strength was always respected, and it was through strength that one earned the respect of others. Allowing Genichi to demonstrate his abilities would be beneficial for this mission. At the same time, it was a way to let the three great clans of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio spread the word of his strength.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Genichi's group set out again, crossing the border into the Land of Rivers. They arrived at the mining area in the evening.

Standing on another mountain peak, Genichi could see the area below lit up brightly. Besides rows of wooden huts that were clearly living quarters, there were also many lights and buildings near the mine entrance, and he could see people coming and going. The mining operation was still ongoing.

He turned his head and saw a Konoha ninja in a green flak jacket handing over duties to Sakumo.

A moment later, Sakumo returned and said to Genichi and the others, "We'll split into two groups. First, familiarize yourselves with the trap zones, patrol routes, and guard posts."

Genichi and the others nodded. The two squads then followed a Konoha ninja each to begin the handover.

The mission was to protect the mining area from attack, but that didn't mean holing up in the mine itself. Instead, they were to establish a defense-in-depth in the surrounding area. The previous team had already set up trap zones, planned patrol routes, and established a series of overt and covert guard posts. What Genichi and his team needed to do now was familiarize themselves with all of it.

This was the handover.

It took a full two hours before Genichi's group returned to the mining camp. The wealthy merchant's people had already prepared hot water, food, and even several songstresses. It had to be said, merchants really knew how to live. To bring entertainers along while mining out in the wilderness was truly enviable.

However, the songstresses were politely but firmly refused by Sakumo.

After washing up and eating a sumptuous dinner, the team rested in their wooden huts. The official mission handover would be the next morning. But Genichi didn't rest so early. He spent two hours studying the Kuji-kiri, recording his thoughts and insights in his notebook before finally lying down to rest.

The night passed peacefully.

At eight o'clock the next morning, after breakfast, Genichi's group officially took over from the two original squads and began their mission to protect the mine.

At the summit of the mountain, atop a large tree, Genichi stood, holding a monocular telescope and observing the distance. The view from here was excellent. Anyone approaching the mine from any direction could not escape observation from this point.

Of course, the forests and mountains were lush with vegetation. Standing at a distance, high up, even with a telescope, it was impossible to see any movement beneath the dense canopy. However, several empty buffer zones had been cleared around the mine's perimeter, so their line of sight was not obstructed. The main task now was to observe these clearings.

Naturally, this wasn't foolproof. It was impossible to keep watch constantly, so this was just one observation point. Sakumo and the others had their own tasks, either patrolling along the routes or checking the traps. Wild animals could accidentally damage the traps, so they had to be checked periodically to ensure they wouldn't fail when needed.

Moreover, both squads had sensory ninja this time. So, En and his counterpart also had sensory duties, performing sweeps at set intervals to prevent enemies from infiltrating. This was a simple yet effective multi-dimensional defense.

However, this kind of mission was also extremely tedious. Especially Genichi's fixed-point observation, which required him to stay at the top of a tree for half a day at a time. Fortunately, Genichi was engrossed in his study of the Kuji-kiri, so he didn't feel bored.

In the blink of an eye, it was almost time for lunch. Namiichi appeared. "Genichi, I'll take over for you."

Genichi put down his monocular telescope, nodded with a smile, and then dropped from the treetop like a large bird.

After taking ten minutes to fill his stomach, Genichi returned to relieve Namiichi and continue his duty. Namiichi then left to go on patrol.

"If only I had the Byakugan..."

Watching Namiichi leave, Genichi truly understood just how useful and convenient the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was. All you had to do was sit down, activate your eyes, and you could see for kilometers. There was no need for all this effort.

The first day passed without any incidents.

The next day, early in the morning, Genichi saw a line of cargo carts leaving the mine, loaded with initially smelted iron ore. The cargo carts were... horse-drawn carriages.

Genichi was speechless. The technological level of the shinobi world was not low. Air conditioners, refrigerators, and other electrical appliances had been around for a long time. The use of electricity had even been popularized as far back as Tobirama's era. The Konoha Hospital, for example, had all sorts of electronic medical equipment that, in Genichi's opinion, wasn't much different from his modern world. Genichi had even taken a graduation photo when he graduated, and had also taken a group photo with Sakumo and the others. Cameras, video recorders, radios, and the like were not in short supply.

In the future, the Cloud Village would even be able to build a chakra-powered star-destroying cannon.

But for some reason, the nobles of the shinobi world still used palanquins to get around. And they still used horse-drawn carriages for transporting goods. There was no sign of cars, motorcycles, or bicycles at all.

Maybe it's related to the terrible road conditions in the shinobi world?

Watching the gradually departing cargo carts, Genichi felt a bit helpless to complain about this world.

A question arose. If he were to invent bicycles in the shinobi world, would there be any potential in it? What about cars?

"Cars probably wouldn't work, but bicycles... that should be possible."

"The roads in Konoha are very flat. You could definitely ride a bicycle."

As he thought this, Genichi's eyes lit up slightly. It seemed like something he could work on. He could earn some money to build a research lab in the future. Or use it to invest in Orochimaru's research...

Genichi made a decision. He would give it a try when he got back from this mission. Ninja wouldn't need them, but ordinary people would. And even within the village, ninja could use them too.

Before he knew it, another morning had almost passed.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Genichi frowned. In his telescope, he saw several disheveled figures running towards the mine. They were on the main road. They seemed to be people from the mine.

Putting down his telescope, Genichi immediately blew a whistle—three long blasts and one short one. This was the alarm signal.

A subsequent whistle signal indicated the direction.

Sakumo and En, who were on the outermost perimeter, heard the whistle. The former immediately formed a seal and sent a shadow clone away.

Not long after, Genichi received a summons whistle. He promptly created a shadow clone of his own. His real body remained in place, monitoring all directions.

Beneath a large tree, Genichi's figure appeared before Sakumo and his teammates. "Sensei!"

Sakumo nodded, then said, "The convoy transporting the iron ore was attacked. There are ninja involved."

Hearing this, a single thought immediately rose in Genichi's mind: "Luring the tiger out of the mountains!"

(End of Chapter)