"I… I will tell Raikage-sama," the messenger stammered, lips trembling.
He planned to leave with his men, but Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly said, "I told you to leave alone."
The messenger froze, turning stiffly to face the furious, terrifying old man. Hiruzen's wrinkles seemed carved by a knife, and his eyes narrowed sharply.
The ANBU acted instantly.
Kakakka~
Less than ten seconds later, only the leader of the Cloud Village envoy remained. The rest had been beheaded.
A cold-haired ANBU approached the messenger. "Sir, please leave Konoha. You are not welcome here."
Glancing at the short sword still dripping with blood, the messenger dared not speak. He turned and fled, escaping Konoha overnight, while the ANBU cleaned up the corpses.
Hiashi finally spoke, "Isn't this a bit… extreme?"
Hiruzen's expression softened. "Previously, Konoha's attitude was peaceful, so Raikage thought we wouldn't dare start a war."
In fact, they didn't!
"But if our stance is extremely firm, Raikage will have to consider whether we have any trump cards."
Hiashi nodded slowly. I see… as expected of the Lord Hokage.
Originally, Hiashi had been dissatisfied with Hiruzen. But now he realized everything Hiruzen had done was for Konoha and the peace of the ninja world.
Otherwise…
Even Hiashi, leader of the Hyūga clan and quick-tempered when provoked by the Cloud Village, could not have remained so calm. How could Hiruzen, a true Shinobi, not get angry?
It wasn't that he didn't get angry—it was that he chose not to. He was worthy of being Hokage.
Then Hiruzen left with the ANBU. Seeing the matter resolved, Naruto yawned and planned to return home to eat.
However, Hiashi suddenly said, "Little Naruto, if you don't mind, shall we have a little chat?"
"Huh?" Naruto was a bit surprised but nodded.
Later, Hiashi had a meal prepared and entertained Naruto alone. He first thanked Naruto for saving Hinata, then discussed some of Naruto's personal matters, like whether he had enough money. Naruto didn't bother being polite and continued eating.
After a while, Naruto was full. Hiashi picked up a glass of wine and, after taking a sip, revealed his ultimate goal.
He asked, "Little Naruto, I wonder what you think of my little girl?"
"Hinata?" Naruto thought of her cute little face. "Pretty good."
In truth, Naruto had already noticed Hiashi's intention but didn't comment, letting Hiashi bring it up himself.
Hiashi didn't waste time. "In that case, why not let me decide and have you get engaged to my little girl first?"
Hiss…
Naruto put down his chopsticks in surprise. He had expected Hiashi would only temporarily agree to matters between him and Hinata, leaving discussion of clan rules for later. But now… Hiashi wanted to arrange an engagement immediately?
"Don't you want this, little Naruto?" Hiashi pretended to be angry.
To be honest, Hiashi was quite intimidating. Even pretending, he radiated stern authority.
Naruto seized the opportunity: "Of course I do."
Hiashi nodded immediately. "Good. Today is special for you and Hinata. Then, in eight years, you shall have your wedding."
Is that settled? Hinata is now my fiancée? Naruto thought, momentarily confused. The Hyūga clan was old-fashioned; he hadn't expected Hiashi's agreement to come so easily.
By the time Naruto returned home, it was late at night—and he now had an engagement contract.
Seeing Naruto smiling like an idiot, Kurama couldn't help but comment, "Don't forget about me."
"No, no," Naruto replied, reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll find a way as soon as possible, and you'll be free then."
Seeing Naruto so confident, Kurama remained silent.
Naruto also felt a bit uneasy. Before, Kurama had been sealed and could only sense the outside. Now, it could see everything. If he and Hinata tried anything, the fox could watch him from within, making him cautious.
After completing the tasks, Naruto gained a simulation count. He had begun to cherish these opportunities, knowing he had to be cautious and ensure his character's strength.
But today, Naruto was tired. Since he didn't have school tomorrow, he went straight to sleep.
Early the next morning, Naruto heated the leftovers from the previous day and began his simulation. The goal: to find a way to survive the death of the tailed beasts.
"System, start simulation!"
[Ding~ Host consumes a simulation opportunity and starts creating the character.]
[Character surnames drawn: Senju, Yamanaka, Moonlight… Senju]
"Huh? A Senju surname?" Naruto exclaimed. "Jackpot! Maybe I can get Senju bloodline."
He selected Senju, then the remaining attributes:
Final product:
Surname: Senju
Talent: Uzumaki Kushina
Health: Neji
IQ: average
Personality: Xiao Li
Interpersonal relationships: Shino
Appearance: Hatake Kakashi
Hobbies: Orochimaru – Immortality Experiment
Specialties: Senju Tobirama
[System evaluation: You were born into the famous Senju family. Your ninja talent is excellent. You have no congenital disease. Your IQ is average. Your character shows amazing perseverance. You are discreet and unnoticeable if quiet. You are a handsome, sunny boy. You seek eternal life. You excel at developing advanced technology.]
Naruto was extremely satisfied. This was his seventh simulation. As he had suspected, the intensity of the role was growing.
Simply put: Orochimaru's ambition, Senju Tobirama's abilities, and Xiao Li's perseverance—all in one.
He didn't know if he could achieve eternal life, but his physical fitness would certainly improve significantly. Perhaps even strong enough to face a tailed beast.
Next, Naruto set the simulation time to the Second Ninja War—when Orochimaru made his fortune—hoping he could unite with Orochimaru in the simulation. The location, of course, was Konoha Village.
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