Chapter 594: Naruto's Peak Battle of Wits
"What? Don't tell me Shiromo-nii is into both men and women in this world?!"
The moment Naruto heard that Lee and Guy had also been captured, he was completely stunned.
"Idiot!"
Tenten smacked Naruto hard on the head.
"I already told you, the Hokage hates bond-type ninjas more than anything. If the supermarket owner were one, how could she possibly tolerate him? And what do you mean by 'this world'? Did you dream about another world or something?"
"Then what is it?"
Naruto endured the pain and didn't rub his head.
He was afraid Tenten and the others would notice that, despite being hit, he showed no signs of disappearing like a Shadow Clone.
"It's because of you and Kakashi. Neji plans to give Guy-sensei to Kakashi for his enjoyment, and leave Lee for you."
Tenten explained.
"Leave Lee for me? But Bushy Brows and I are innocent! We're just normal friends!"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Besides, even if I were a bond-type ninja, I'd like someone like Sasuke. How could I possibly like Bushy Brows?"
"You might not, but Kakashi does."
"As your father Minato's student, Kakashi inherited your father's... preferences."
"You should know this too. Kakashi spends every day reading that outrageous boys' love novel Jiraiya wrote about himself and Orochimaru."
"Anyone who's ever worked with Kakashi ends up becoming one of his targets."
"Yamato, Obito, and Guy are all the same."
"Neji wants you to know that if you don't show yourself, he won't just give away the two girls you might like—he'll report you too."
"He'll say you, Kakashi, Might Guy, and Lee have been playing some twisted teacher-and-student free-for-all."
"Then he'll lead Konoha's Anti-Pornography Task Force to kick down the door."
"Sure, when that happens they'll only catch those three, but Neji has already prepared his excuse. He'll tell Kakashi and the others that if they don't want the Hokage to find out, they'll have to redeem themselves by reporting you."
"They'll claim you used a Shadow Clone to come and enjoy Lee, and when the inspection happened, your Shadow Clone exploded and disappeared."
"On top of that, you've made so many Shadow Clones these past few days that it's like mud splattered on your pants. Even if it isn't crap, everyone will think it is."
"The Hokage will definitely find out you've become a bond-type ninja, and when that happens, you'll earn her genuine hatred."
"At that point, hiding won't just be a game anymore."
"You may really have to live as a rogue ninja."
"Naruto, can you accept that outcome?"
Tenten patiently tried to persuade him.
As Neji's teammate, she knew the most about the situation.
She was also the one who most hoped Neji would come back to his senses.
"This..."
Naruto finally wavered.
Even though he knew this was an illusionary world, he still couldn't abandon all of his moral principles.
Just as Naruto was about to compromise and tell Tenten that he was the real body, inspiration suddenly struck him.
He remembered that the Six Paths Sage, the starting NPC, had given him a mission!
He had told Naruto to stop Kaguya's revival and create a world full of furry lovers!
The moment Naruto grasped that thought, he knew exactly what he had to do.
Tenten had only said that his mother, Kushina, hated bond-type ninjas.
She never said she hated furry-loving ninjas!
That was the loophole!
"Kiba, if we want to save Hinata and Sakura, I'll need your help."
Naruto grabbed Kiba's hands with a serious expression.
"Naruto, calm down, nya! I'm not a bond-type ninja. Don't let people see this and get the wrong idea, nya!"
Kiba hurriedly pulled his hands away in panic.
"Nya?"
Naruto immediately noticed Kiba's strange verbal tic.
But he didn't have time to worry about that.
"Kiba, your clan raises ninja dogs. Lend me one of your family's female dogs!"
Naruto finally revealed his objective.
Though the way he said it sounded incredibly strange.
"Borrow a dog? Naruto, what are you planning to do?"
Kiba asked in confusion.
"Then let me tell you my plan."
"First, I want all of you to understand one thing. If Neji can do this to me today, he can do the same thing to all of you tomorrow."
"So making my real body appear and compromise won't solve anything!"
"I think the real solution is to make Neji lose my mom's trust—that is, the Hokage's trust!"
"Only by solving the problem at its root can we get rid of Neji once and for all!"
Naruto began his speech.
"It's called 'kill two birds with one stone,' not 'once and for all.'"
Tenten couldn't help correcting him.
Still, Naruto did have a point.
Neji was abusing his authority, making everyone live in fear.
Although the Hokage was domineering and dictatorial, her intentions were good. It had to be people like Neji who were carrying out her orders the wrong way.
And Neji's intentions were actually good as well. He had simply been blinded by power.
"Tenten, go tell Neji that I've arranged to meet him beside the pond near the small forest outside the village. Not only will my real body be there, but every single one of my Shadow Clones will gather there too, so he doesn't have to worry about me tricking him."
"Ino, go inform my Hokage Mom. Whatever excuse you have to use, get her to come to where Neji and I are meeting—but make sure she arrives a little later."
"Kiba, give me a straight answer. Can I borrow one of your family's dogs or not?"
Naruto had now reached the absolute peak of strategic thinking.
At this moment, his intelligence was on par with Shikamaru's.
"Of course you can! Use as many as you want, nya!"
Kiba patted his chest and agreed without hesitation.
Inuzuka Kiba hated dogs more than anyone.
His greatest dream was to escape his family and establish Konoha's annual Dog Meat Festival.
Now Naruto seemed ready to do something to his family's dogs.
Naturally, Kiba wholeheartedly supported it. He had disliked those dogs for a long time but had never had a legitimate reason to deal with them.
Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.
Half an hour later.
Beside the pond in the small forest outside Konoha.
Neji arrived.
With his Byakugan activated, he swept his gaze across the countless Narutos standing before him, confirming their numbers.
"Naruto, I didn't expect you to have some sense of responsibility."
"But what's the point of keeping all these Shadow Clones? Dispel them and surrender."
Neji said.
"Neji, bring everyone here first."
"Otherwise, I have every reason to believe you never intended to release them. You just used this as an excuse to kidnap them!"
"Hmph."
Neji snorted coldly.
"Don't take me for an idiot, Naruto."
"If I really brought them here, wouldn't you just snatch them away by force?"
"Hinata and Sakura are being held somewhere else."
"As for Lee and Guy, I've already sent them to Kakashi."
"The moment you dare go back on your word, I'll immediately report you to the Hokage."
After saying that, Neji fell silent and waited for Naruto's decision.
As for what he would report, Naruto naturally knew.
Tenten had already explained it to him earlier.
It truly was an open scheme that couldn't be refuted.
But!
He, Uzumaki Naruto, wasn't some pushover!
He came from the real ninja world!
He had read countless forbidden books!
He had witnessed all kinds of twisted and outrageous schemes!
Suddenly, Naruto received a message transmitted through Ino's Mind Body Transmission Technique.
His mother, Kushina, had arrived!
Seeing that Neji was still staring at him arrogantly, Naruto couldn't help but sigh.
"Neji, even with your Byakugan open, you've still been blinded by power!
Let me knock some sense into you!"
"Reverse Harem Technique!"
All of Naruto's Shadow Clones used the Transformation Technique at the same time.
Then they all charged toward Neji together.
At the very same moment, Kushina arrived.
The scene that greeted her eyes was…
(End of this chapter)