Chapter 259 Avenue of Hope

The border between the New Rain Country and the Fire Country is Futian Town. The town, which originally had a chaotic public security situation, was turned around under Ye Shan's heavy-handed governance. All people of unknown origin were swept away, and replaced by a large-scale transport team.

Starting from Futian Town in the east and ending at Xincang Town in the west, this is the transportation route set up by Konoha Ninja Village in the New Rain Country. There are hundreds of large and small transfer stations along the way to ensure that food can be continuously transported to the construction site. In other words, the road construction in the New Rain Country is basically carried out along this route, and the route that Uchiha Fugaku inspected today is also the same.

In front of the newly renovated administrative center building in Futian Town, Kakuei Konishi and a large group of people were waiting. Faintly hearing the roar of machinery, he frowned and asked, "The Deputy Hokage will be here soon. Who is blocking the road?"

A ninja immediately climbed up to a high place and looked far away. He returned and reported in an instant: "My Lord, there are three strange-looking vehicles coming. Should we capture them?"

"Wait a minute!" Konishi Kakuei seemed to remember something and shouted, "Everyone line up! The Deputy Hokage is here."

After a cup of tea, three square iron cars drove in the rain, at a moderate speed. Konishi Kakuei saw the Deputy Hokage sitting behind the glass, and hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and saluted, saying: "The new envoy of Hexi Province has been ordered to lead the troops to welcome the inspection!"

The so-called Hexi Province was named by Ye Shan. Because there was a big river in the west where the new rain country and the grass country bordered, it was named Hexi Province. Konishi Kakuei was the first new government envoy, who was fully responsible for all matters in the territory.

Uchiha Fugaku stepped on the brakes and the iron car stopped steadily. He got out of the car with a smile, took Konishi Kakuei's arm and said, "No need to be polite. We haven't seen each other since we separated last month. How come you have lost a lot of weight?"

Konishi Kakuei said with a smile, "Hexi Province is in the critical period of spring ploughing recently. I have been busy all day, so I may have lost some weight. But it's good to be thinner. It makes you look more energetic and looks better in clothes."

"Thank you for your hard work," Uchiha Fugaku said with a smile, "I'll have someone send you some supplements tomorrow to help you replenish your body. Work is work, but you still need to take care of your body."

"Thank you, Vice Hokage!" Konishi Kakuei bowed again, his eyes involuntarily looking at the car, and asked, "Is this the car that the Hokage has been reluctant to show to others? It looks like a unique shape, very technological."

"All of you stand up, no need to be polite." Uchiha Fugaku asked everyone to stand up, and smiled when he heard it: "Even if you don't mention it, I will still explain it to you. Come on, sit on it and feel the latest product of the Ninjutsu Research Association. It is really irresistible."

Xiaoxi Kakuei waved his hand and declined, "I won't try it. Don't be so clumsy as to ruin the treasure."

"What's so special about this!" Yuzhi Fugaku pretended to be displeased and said, "It's just a dead object. Your merits are more than enough for it!"

As he spoke, Uchiha Fugaku pulled Konishi Kakuei into the car and carefully explained to him how to use it. Soon, Konishi Kakuei also experienced what it meant for technology to change his life.

"What a treasure!" Konishi Kakuei touched the car reluctantly and sighed: "With it, the new policy of the New Rain Country has made some progress."

"Do you like it?" Uchiha Fugaku asked with a smile.

"like!"

"Take it if you like! You can take one of these three cars, Sakata can take one, and I'll shamelessly keep the remaining one for my use."

Konishi Kakuei said insincerely: "I'm afraid it's not good. This is a gift from the Hokage, how can I afford it."

Uchiha Fugaku waved his hand and said, "What are you talking about!? You and Sakata have been working day and night for the new policy. Who dares to gossip when you are in the car? Listen to me, drive away after the inspection."

Konishi Kakuei chuckled and said, "Then I'll accept it with a chuckle. Thank you, Vice Hokage, for your willingness to part with it!"

"Haha, that's right." Uchiha Fugaku laughed heartily: "Is everything ready?"

"Everything is ready, just waiting for your inspection."

"Then let's begin!"

The two came to the front of the crowd one after another. Everyone stood in the rain with bated breath, waiting for the Deputy Hokage to speak.

Uchiha Fugaku carefully looked at the crowd and saw that many of them were not wearing Konoha's standard vests. He knew that they were worker representatives and said, "Go and set up the awning. The worker representatives are not as physically fit as ninjas. They are prone to catching a cold and getting sick if they are exposed to the rain for a long time."

Soon, the awning was set up and the worker representatives huddled together, while the ninjas continued to stand in the rain. Uchiha Fugaku smiled before he spoke and greeted them cordially.

"You are all old acquaintances of mine. Many of you even grew up with me. We have a special relationship."

"Today, I invited everyone here to witness the result of the New Rain Country's efforts over the past few months - the cement road!"

Everyone clapped excitedly. The applause sounded very pleasant in the heavy rain. Uchiha Fugaku stretched out his hand to suppress the applause. When the applause stopped, he continued, "A few months ago, there were still muddy roads under my feet, and the roadside was full of starving victims. The hellish scene is still unbelievable when I think about it now."

"It is hard for me to imagine that under the rule of the Hokage, when the people of the Land of Fire were prosperous, there were starving people everywhere in the Land of the New Rain!"

"As the saying goes, one should do his job according to his position. The tragic situation of the New Rain Country has kept the Hokage awake day and night, and it is precisely because of this that he has kicked off a grand new policy!"

"Some of you brothers who are workers' representatives may not know what the New Deal is. I can simply summarize it as a new road, a new family, and a new life! The Konoha ninjas have come from afar, not to replace the daimyo nobles and enslave you, but to sincerely hope that you can live a good life!"

"Hokage-sama said it well in an article published in the newspaper of the Ninjutsu Research Association: If you want to be rich, you must first build roads! Our new policy also starts with building roads. For this, we worked day and night in the rain and finally achieved outstanding results!"

Everyone continued to applaud, they were proud from the bottom of their hearts, the applause was extremely enthusiastic, Uchiha Fugaku was forced to stop speaking several times, many worker representatives shed tears, they became witnesses and participants of history.

"Today, I specially invited the workers' representatives to participate in the road acceptance ceremony. I have no other intentions, but to ask you to give me your pertinent opinions. After all, you are the real masters of the New Rain Country!"

Jingxia, who was among the workers' representatives, raised his hand. Uchiha Fugaku applauded and said, "Let's welcome Jingxia's speech with warm applause!"

She wiped her tears and walked out of the awning. She first bowed ninety degrees to Uchiha Fugaku, then turned around and looked at the dark crowd. Her lips moved for a long time but she didn't utter a word.

"It seems that our applause is not enthusiastic enough. The brothers underground are not satisfied. Everyone, keep applauding!"

"Crash!"

Amid the applause and encouragement from the crowd, Jingxia swallowed his saliva and said, "I was born and raised in the western part of the Rain Country. My ancestors have been digging for food in the loess with their faces facing the loess and their backs facing the sky! Just last night, my team leader told me that he would come to participate in an event, and I would participate as a representative of outstanding workers. I was so happy!"

"The damn nobles took away the land left by my ancestors and drove me out of my hometown. I had no choice but to join the New Rain Country. I thought it was a shame to leave my hometown, but I never expected that I would end up in heaven!"

With tears in his eyes, he said passionately: "The ninja master of Konoha gave me food to eat, a small house and land to live in, and the dignity of a man!"

"Just now, the Deputy Hokage asked us to give pertinent suggestions. I don't have much to say, except to say: Long live the new policy! Long live Konoha!"

"Long live the New Deal! Long live Konoha!"

Many worker representatives rushed out of the awning and gathered in front of Uchiha Fugaku, shouting slogans over and over again, their eyes filled with hope.

Uchiha Fugaku shook hands with the worker representatives with a smile on his face. He called out their names from time to time and asked cordially about their health and family life. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Two ninjas brought a stone sculpture, covered with red cloth so that no words could be seen, and placed it behind Uchiha Fugaku.

Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku pulled Jingxia's arm and said with a smile: "You are a few years older than me, so I will call you brother!"

"Come on, brother, pick up the scissors and help me cut the ribbon for the new road!"

Jingxia tremblingly picked up the scissors and came to the stone sculpture with the Deputy Hokage. The two used the scissors almost at the same time, and the red silk cloth fell neatly, revealing the words on the stone sculpture: "Avenue of Hope!"

Everyone continued to applaud. When the applause stopped, Uchiha Fugaku said with a smile, "Everyone, this is the words written by the Hokage himself. He named the first road of the New Rain Country the Avenue of Hope, hoping that this road would bring infinite hope to the New Rain Country!"

"Long live Hokage-sama!"

Konishi Kakuei stepped forward at the right time, pressed his hand and said, "Everyone, it's getting late. The Deputy Hokage is going to inspect the roads in this area. Please follow him and witness the first opening of Hope Avenue together!"

Hope Avenue was filled with laughter and joy. Three of the newest cars led the way, followed by a dozen horse-drawn carriages. Everyone was happily inspecting the road.

It has to be said that with the huge investment made by Konoha Village, the new road was built very solidly. Uchiha Fugaku did not find any problems until nightfall. He could not help but become very excited and immediately wrote a report and sent it to Konoha Village.

That night, everyone stopped at a construction site, where a troupe of invited actors performed opera for everyone, and they did not leave until late at night.

Hinata Muneshi brought a basin and wet a towel to wipe Uchiha Fugaku's face. When he was about to leave, he was stopped: "What time is it?"

"To answer your Excellency, it is already a quarter past twelve!"

"Whoo~"

Uchiha Fugaku took a long breath to dispel the remaining alcohol, and sighed: "Another day has passed, time flies!"

"Go and invite Konishi Kakuei over. I have something to discuss with you."

"Yes!" Hyuga Munezane took the order and left.

Not long after, drunken Kakuei Konishi walked into the room. Before he could greet him, Uchiha Fugaku pulled him to sit down. "How are you? You're not drunk, are you?"

"Not drunk but almost."

"The workers' representatives are too enthusiastic, and they have all kinds of ways to persuade us to drink. It's impossible not to drink!" Uchiha Fugaku said with a wry smile.

"Who says it isn't?"

Konishi Kakuei had a lot of contact with Uchiha Fugaku in the past few months, and the two of them were talking late at night, so naturally there were not so many rules. After feeling his body getting hot, he took off his shoes without any hesitation and spread them on the chair.

Uchiha Fugaku threw a cigarette over and said, "The spring ploughing work is going smoothly, and the road construction is about to be completed. What do you think about the next direction of work?"

Konishi Kakuei smoked a cigarette, his eyes shrouded in smoke, and said slowly: "According to the arrangement of the Hokage, the first phase of the work of the New Rain Country will be perfectly completed. The remaining matters will be discussed in the meeting. I don't have any ideas for the time being."

"Don't worry, speak boldly. I won't leak a single word of what you say tonight." Uchiha Fugaku pretended to be displeased.

"Then I'll tell you!"

"On the surface, the transformation of the New Rain Country was very successful. Millions of disaster victims were properly arranged, and all work was carried out in an orderly manner. But is this really the case?"

"As the new policy envoy of Hexi Province, I clearly understand that everything is just the beginning!"

"What do you mean?" asked Uchiha Fugaku.

Konishi Kakuei did not answer immediately, but asked: "Vice Hokage has been in office for more than four months. Have you found any strange phenomena at the bottom?"

Uchiha Fugaku said thoughtfully: "Are you talking about the fact that the lower classes still believe that the daimyo nobles are the masters?"

"Not bad!"

"The daimyo nobles have been managing the territory of the New Rain Country for generations. Their rule has long been deeply rooted, and the people's thinking has long been rigid! In their eyes, we are just here to do charity, and sooner or later we will have to go back, and then the daimyo nobles will rule the world again!"

Konishi Kakuei threw away his cigarette butt indignantly, stood barefoot on the ground, and shouted: "The beginning of the new policy is also considered by the people to be the end! If this continues, what should we do?"

"They would rather be dogs of the nobles than men of the New Deal!"

"We can bring them advanced production technology, abundant food supply, and a comfortable living environment, but we cannot bring them advanced ideas. The so-called new policies are superficial, just like the heavy rain that has been falling for years. After it rains, the ground is still muddy. What's the use?"

"Hokage-sama always warns us to be conservative in everything and not be too radical. He really should come to the New Rain Country in person to see what kind of ignorant people he has worked so hard to help!"

Uchiha Fugaku smoked silently, his eyebrows wrinkled into a "川" shape, and said: "I know some of the truth, but I didn't expect it to be this serious!"

Konishi Kakuei hesitated for a moment, but still said: "Sir, you are the highest official of the New Rain Country, and you are fully responsible for all matters, big and small. You have the obligation to remind the Hokage."

Uchiha Fugaku smiled bitterly and said, "It was my negligence. I will apologize!"

The heavy rain outside was still falling, and so was the thing that had shrouded the New Rain Kingdom for a thousand years.