After a fierce and arduous battle, Boruto and Kawaki, leveraging their numerical advantage, successfully struck Code's vital points. After delivering several finishing blows and confirming that Code indeed showed no signs of life, Boruto, disregarding the strong image he had just cultivated, plopped down onto the ground.
"Hiss!!"
The sharp sensation from where he sat made him suck in a sharp breath. Only then did he remember that the surrounding ground had long since lost its evenness during their battle.
Kawaki watched the slowly approaching Cloud shinobi, a faint sense of unease prickling him. Ignoring his exhaustion, he kicked Boruto.
"Get up! Back to Konoha!"
"What's wrong?" Boruto asked, but his body honestly got to its feet. Through the cooperation in this battle, the two had developed an instinctive understanding.
"Something's not right," Kawaki said. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he faintly sensed a trace of killing intent.
He shouldered Code's corpse and extended his left hand towards Boruto. The two opened a spatial tunnel and left Kumogakure.
The encircling Cloud shinobi watched their disappearing figures, their gazes flickering with uncertainty.
Once out of the Land of Lightning's territory, Kawaki tossed Code's body aside and lay flat on the grass beside Boruto.
"What was that all about just now?" Boruto asked, turning his head to look at him.
"I sensed killing intent."
"Could it have been your imagination? That was Kumogakure, not a Kara base. Dad even treated Lord Raikage to a meal not long ago."
"It's best if it was..."
...Land of Dragons.
The Deva Path paused the fountain pen in his hand and looked up at his original self who had appeared in the room. "How was the harvest?"
"Unexpectedly large," Naruto replied, walking over to a nearby sofa and sitting down.
"How much time has passed?"
"About two months."
"The time flow rate between the two worlds is quite similar." Naruto nodded slightly. "Call everyone for a meeting."
"Our policies need adjustment."
Watching the ANBU disappear, Naruto slowly walked to the window, gazing at the drastically changed landscape of the Land of Dragons and letting out a soft sigh.
It had to be said, with the boost from ninjutsu, the productivity of this world was truly terrifying.
Half an hour later. In the conference room, everyone had assembled.
Finance Minister Yoshikawa Eiichi, Foreign Minister Uzumaki Karin, Minister of Military Affairs Momochi Zabuza, Minister of Land and Transportation Haku, and Prime Minister Deva Path...
Yoshikawa Eiichi had been the financial steward during the Dragon Heritage's earlier days. With the organization's successful formal establishment as a power, his status had naturally changed. However, managing the finances of an organization and managing the finances of a nation were vastly different. Therefore, he was currently studying under the former Finance Minister of the Land of Rivers (now Secretary to the Finance Minister).
Besides Zabuza, Uzumaki Karin and Haku were in similar situations. When it came to governing a country, they were all novices. Fortunately, none of them lacked intelligence. After two months of learning, they had somewhat started to look the part of ministers.
"You have all worked hard during this period. If not for everyone's dedicated efforts, the Land of Dragons would not have achieved such significant development in such a short time," Naruto began. "The Minister of Military Affairs has repelled exploratory attacks from neighboring countries, ensuring domestic stability. The achievements of the ninja forces cannot be overlooked. Subsequent ninjutsu scrolls, supplies, and stipends will be delivered to the front lines by the Finance Minister."
"It is what we should do," Zabuza replied curtly.
"It is what you deserve." Naruto waved his hand dismissively, then looked towards Uzumaki Karin. "The resources the Foreign Minister has brought into the country over these past two months are evident to everyone, I believe..."
Acknowledging achievements, bestowing commendations, offering encouragement—this process for everyone took another half hour.
"Next, we move to the second item on the agenda: adjustments to the Five-Year Plan," Prime Minister Deva Path announced.
Naruto, meanwhile, sat at the head of the table, lightly sipping his tea. He was contemplating whether to remove the Deva Path from the position of Prime Minister. After all, a country's development required someone to identify and address deficiencies. He himself was already the Daimyo. If his clone continued to serve as Prime Minister, to put it starkly, a single erroneous decree from him could bring the entire nation crashing down.
"Where can I find such a person?" Naruto fell into deep thought. The position of Prime Minister was not one just anyone could handle.
Currently, the bureaucracy of the Land of Dragons was broadly divided into two systems: the Dragon Heritage faction and the former Land of Rivers officials. The personnel pool from Dragon Heritage was ultimately insufficient for a nation, making it inevitable to rely on former officials from the Land of Rivers. The Dragon Heritage faction had virtually no one suitable for high administrative posts; most were ninjas who only knew how to fight. Zabuza and the others had been pushed into roles they weren't prepared for. As for the former Land of Rivers officials, he had mostly given up on them—they were largely useless gluttons and parasites, occupying positions without contributing. There were perhaps one or two marginally talented individuals, but they clearly couldn't command the respect of, or control, the Dragon Heritage faction.
Then, Naruto reviewed the administrative talents he knew from his old world and couldn't help but clutch his head. They were few and far between, and all of them came with strings attached to their existing affiliations.
"It seems I'll have to cultivate them myself." But that was fine too; he could trust those he trained personally.
"The planning for road infrastructure remains unchanged," the Prime Minister Deva Path continued, outlining the new directives. "Next are the items requiring modification: on the foundation of road construction, we will add railway tracks; there's also the research, development, and implementation of communication technology; and improvements to steel smelting processes..."
Prime Minister Deva Path began to assign the advanced technologies Naruto had brought back—presumably from a different time or world—as tasks. Technology, in the end, was just technology. If it couldn't be put into practical use, it would be meaningless.
"Additionally, the administrative system requires some revisions. The Ministry of Finance will be changed to the Department of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will be split into the Department of Scientific Research and the Department of Education..."
"The positions of the current ministers of these respective ministries will largely remain unchanged. The new Minister of Education will be the same individual who headed the former, larger ministry. As for the Department of Scientific Research..." Prime Minister Deva Path put down his documents and gestured for Asura Path Amado, who was seated at the end of the table, to come forward.
"It will be managed by Amado. The development of the Thunder Train mentioned in the plan, the R&D of new-generation communication technology, improvements in steel smelting processes... he will be responsible for all of it."
Hearing this, the ministers exchanged bewildered glances. According to the plan, the status of the Department of Scientific Research was undeniably significant; most of their own departments would even have to make concessions for it. In other words, the Head of the Department of Scientific Research would, in a sense, become a figure ranking above them. Just moments ago, they had been wondering whom His Excellency the Daimyo would appoint as Head of the Research Department. They hadn't expected someone to be "parachuted in" like this.
But seeing that none of the core ministers—Karin, Zabuza, Haku—voiced any objections, the subordinate ministers naturally dared not say anything.
"That's all for today's meeting. Dismissed."
After the ministers had left one by one, Naruto looked at the Deva Path.
"I forgot to ask, who's in charge in Konoha now?"
"No one," the Deva Path replied, shaking his head. "After the founding of the Land of Dragons, the Konoha leadership's ostracism towards me became palpable. There was no point in staying any longer, so I left."
Naruto mused, a thoughtful expression on his face, "And here I was, thinking that if we were to move against the Land of Fire in the future, we might have someone on the inside to coordinate."