Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 272

The heavy burden of fulfilling my father's last wishes, the future of the nation, and the well-being of the people has truly fallen on my shoulders.

That's when he realized that the word "king" was far beyond what he could have imagined in the past.

It's no longer about endless check numbers, but about every family that needs to eat and stay warm.

Every mineral vein that needs maintenance.

Every expectation that needs a response.

His coronation speech was devoid of flowery language, containing only simple promises: to reform officialdom, distribute mineral profits fairly, improve people's livelihoods, and restore friendly relations with neighboring countries.

Each point directly addresses the problems caused by Nasadab's reign of terror.

The cheers of the crowd grew louder and louder; they saw hope.

Naruto, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, as special guests, stood at the back of the viewing platform and watched this scene.

Naruto crossed his arms, a relieved smile on his face.

Konohamaru and the other two straightened their little chests, feeling proud.

This mission, which they had worked to quell and witnessed the birth of the new king, has finally come to a successful conclusion.

After the ceremony, a huge luxury cruise ship flying the flag of the Moon Kingdom was ready at the port.

This is one of the gifts that King Manyue presented to Konoha Village as a token of his gratitude, fulfilling his promise.

And will be responsible for sending them back to the Land of Fire comfortably.

"Lord Naruto Uzumaki, and also Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, the three young ninjas,"

The full moon was personally escorted to the dock by the King.

His attitude was sincere and humble, without the slightest hint of royal airs: "The troubles that befell the Moon Kingdom this time were largely due to your great help, which enabled us to restore order."

"We will never thank you enough; the Moon Kingdom will forever remember your kindness."

He gestured to his attendant to present a heavy silk purse embroidered with an exquisite crescent moon pattern to Naruto with both hands: "This is the reward for this mission, and a small token of my gratitude. Please accept it."

Naruto took the money pouch, and it felt heavy in his hand. He subconsciously weighed it in his hand.

The reward was far greater than that of a typical C-level mission, and even more generous than that of many A-level missions!

His face immediately lit up with a wide smile, revealing a set of white teeth: "Oh dear, how could we accept this! Your Majesty, you're too kind! We won't stand on ceremony then!"

He said he was sorry, but he was very quick and efficient, swiftly putting the money pouch into his ninja tool bag.

King Manyue felt a sense of warmth towards Naruto's "genuine" reaction.

He said sincerely, "That's how it should be."

"The original request was just a C-rank escort mission, but it has dragged you all into such a dangerous situation, encountering powerful enemies, and even Naruto himself..."

"Alas, even ten times the reward would not be enough to express my apology and gratitude."

He meant it sincerely when he said that.

Given his past habit of spending money like water, adding a few more zeros would be the normal procedure.

But now, he needs to use the money on more important things.

Naruto waved his hand and laughed heartily, "Haha, it's nothing! Protecting our clients is our duty!"

"If the Moon Kingdom needs anything in the future, just come to Konoha and post a mission! We'll definitely give you a discount!"

King Manyue smiled and said, "Definitely."

"You are all welcome to visit the Moon Country again when you have time. I will personally accompany you and show you the scenery of Crescent Moon Island."

“No problem! It’s a deal!” Naruto readily agreed.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Naruto and his companions boarded the magnificent cruise ship, watched by King Manyue and his officials.

With a long blast of the ship's horn, the cruise ship slowly sailed away from the port, and the crescent-shaped island and the white capital city gradually disappeared into the distance.

Ultimately, it transformed into a blurry silhouette on the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

Sailing on the calm and beautiful sea, I felt a comfort that was completely different from the bumpy desert journey I had come from.

Konohamaru and the other two excitedly ran around on the deck, clinging to the railings to look at the sea view.

Naruto, meanwhile, lay leisurely on a deck chair, enjoying the sea breeze, his eyes half-closed, savoring a rare moment of tranquility.

He was secretly pleased with himself, planning how to spend this generous reward: to buy some good wine for Teacher Iruka.

For Granny Tsunade... uh, maybe I should buy her some alcohol.

Buy some newly published medical books for Sakura.

As for Sasuke... it seems like he doesn't lack anything.

After deducting Konohamaru and the others' share, there's still a lot left.

Of course, this means going to Uncle Ichiraku's place to eat super-sized bowls of char siu ramen for a whole month straight!

Double Naruto Scrolls!

Just as he was immersed in his beautiful fantasy.

A faint voice drifted over on the sea breeze; it was several sailors chatting as they wiped the deck.

"Hey, did you hear? The new king who just saw us off," a sailor said mysteriously.

"what happened?"

"I heard that he originally intended to give 50 million taels as an extra thank-you gift to those Konoha ninja lords!"

"Fifty, fifty million taels?! My God! That's a fortune!" another sailor exclaimed.

"Yes! It's piled up like a small mountain! But!"

The sailor who had spoken earlier spoke with great admiration: "Guess what? That blond-haired ninja leader refused without even thinking! He said, 'It's my duty, there's no need for that!'"

"Really?! Fifty million taels! You're just going to give it up like that?!"

"Of course it's true! His Majesty the King was quite impressed after he returned, saying that the Konoha ninjas have such high moral character, they treat money like dirt, and their hearts are filled with missions and righteousness! They are truly admirable!"

The recliner beneath Naruto groaned under the strain, nearly collapsing.

He was struck dumb, frozen in place, his smug smile instantly fading.

Then it gradually crumbled and collapsed...

Fifty million taels?!

They refused...?!

When did I refuse?! How come I didn't know?!

When did that guy Man Yue mention it?! I didn't hear him say anything!

Was that that time?

He said he felt even ten times the reward wasn't enough?!

Isn't the following just a polite remark?!

Did he really intend to give it to me back then?!

And me... I actually missed it because I was so busy weighing this "small" thank-you gift in my hand!

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of Naruto's feet to the top of his head, shattering all his beautiful fantasies!

Fifty million taels... how many bowls of ramen could you buy? How many houses could you buy?

Could...could they just let him retire early?!

Naruto nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision went black, and his heart clenched in pain.

He suddenly sprang up from the recliner, his movements stiff as if he had been glared at by Shi Li again.

He staggered toward the lounge, making unconscious, painful whimpers.

Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, who were having fun on the deck, saw Naruto rush into the cabin, his face pale and his expression distraught.

They were all startled and quickly followed.

"Naruto-sensei/Big brother, what's wrong?" The three of them asked worriedly as they pushed open the door to the lounge.

Then, they witnessed a scene they would never forget—

Their incredibly powerful mentor, Naruto Uzumaki, who had just saved a country and was praised by the sailors for his "high level of enlightenment."

At this moment, Konohamaru and Udon, who had also overheard the sailors' conversation, instantly calculated how many snacks and toys 50 million ryo could buy.

The three of them huddled together without any regard for their image, rolling on the soft carpet of the lounge, letting out earth-shattering, heart-wrenching howls!

"Wow! Fifty million taels! My fifty million taels!!"

Naruto cried the loudest, tears and snot streaming down his face: "Why! Why didn't you just give it to me! Why did you have to ask?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who would say no?! My ramen! My villa! My retirement life!!!"

"Waaaaah... I could buy so many of the latest ninja tools and game consoles with that money..."

Konohamaru also cried his heart out, as if he had missed the whole world.

"Ugh... I could... I could buy an entire candy factory..."

Udon cried as she did calculations, her snot bubbles bursting and popping again from her grief.

The three boys hugged each other and wept bitterly, looking utterly grief-stricken, as if they had lost the most important thing in their lives.

This contrasted sharply with the admiring conversations of the sailors on deck, creating a stark and comical effect.

Moegi stood at the door of the lounge, watching the three people inside rolling around in a heap, weeping bitterly for the "lost money".

He was first stunned, then helplessly held his forehead and let out a long, deep sigh.

She eventually closed the door to the lounge quietly, shutting out the shameful wails inside.

Standing alone in the corridor, gazing at the azure sea outside the window, her young face was etched with a maturity and weariness beyond her years.

"Boys...as expected...no matter how strong they become...in some ways...they'll always be idiots..."

She muttered under her breath, her voice filled with a deep sense of helplessness.

The weight of enlightenment is sometimes far heavier than imagined.