"There's no need for that," Naruto's voice was colder than the underground space itself. "After eating an egg, there's no need to go and see the hen that laid it."
Under Zero's mask, he gave an awkward smile.
Naruto's finger, tapping the control panel, suddenly stopped. His gaze shifted from the dense military data on the light screen to a separately popped-up window. It was the member file for 'Utsusemi,' and beneath Hyuga Neji's photo, a line of red text was particularly striking.
[Loyalty: High.]
[Potential Risk: The 'Caged Bird' cursed seal placed by the Hinata Main Family.]
Naruto frowned in thought. He greatly admired Neji's talent, but the 'Caged Bird' cursed seal was like grit in a meal, unpleasantly grating. He didn't want his warrior to live forever under a shadow.
Yui… Feudal Lord… power.
In an instant, a new logical chain was completed in his mind.
"Perhaps I can meet him after all," Naruto corrected himself, as if his previous refusal had never happened. "After all, I also have something I'd like to ask the Feudal Lord for help with."
Zero didn't press further, merely bowing slightly: "Yes." He never questioned orders; he only needed to understand and execute them.
Konoha's highest-grade inn, "Matsukaze-ma" tea room. This place was exclusively for nobles and Jonin, with extremely high security. Zero's subordinates had already taken over everything in the vicinity; no rustle of leaves could escape their surveillance.
Naruto changed out of his training clothes, which were easy to move in, and put on a newly tailored black uniform. The fabric was crisp, the cut was fitting, and there were no superfluous decorations, only simple patterns outlined with silver thread on the collar and cuffs. On his chest was a small yet substantial silver Uzumaki emblem, representing the new 'Root' symbol.
He wasn't wearing a forehead protector, and he looked less like a Ninja and more like a disciplined military officer.
Inside the tea room, incense smoke curled upwards. Yui sat restlessly, her hands nervously placed on her lap. She had already changed into a luxurious kimono, but the childishness on her face couldn't be hidden by the attire.
"Grandpa Hase, what… what should I say later?"
Hase, the elder beside her, sat upright, his eyes slightly closed: "Your Highness, you only need to express your gratitude. Remember, you are not facing an ordinary young man, but Konoha's Shadow. Your words must be cautious."
The door was gently pushed open.
Naruto walked in.
Yui's breathing instantly stopped.
The young man before her was completely different from what she had imagined. There was none of the rumored cheerfulness, nor the gentle smile a hero should have. The black uniform gave him an aura of untouchable distance. Especially those deep blue eyes, calm like a frozen lake, showing no emotion.
"Uzumaki… Lord Naruto." Yui quickly stood up and bowed somewhat awkwardly.
Naruto merely gave a slight nod before sitting down opposite them, his movements crisp and decisive.
"Lord Naruto, this time… thank you very, very much!" Yui's cheeks flushed, and her tone was filled with sincere admiration. "You are Konoha's hero; you saved us, and you saved the entire Village…"
Her words were cut short by Naruto.
"I don't need faith."
Naruto's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly dropped the air in the entire tea room to freezing point.
In his mind, countless worlds corrupted in the name of "faith" flashed by—the fanatics who screamed the names of gods and ultimately became food for warp demons, the scenes of entire planets dragged into war by illusory beliefs. Faith was the most fertile ground for chaos, the greatest enemy of reason.
"I only need order," he looked at the naive princess before him, adding word by word.
The atmosphere became extremely awkward.
Hase quickly cleared his throat, trying to smooth things over: "Lord Naruto acts decisively and isn't bothered by trivialities, Your Highness. We should be grateful for Lord Naruto's protection."
Yui's face grew even redder, but she still gathered her courage and insisted: "Regardless, Yui will never forget this life-saving kindness."
Naruto picked up a teacup but didn't drink, merely feeling the warmth of the cup with his fingertips. He changed the subject, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather.
"Your itinerary was leaked from within the Feudal Lord's Mansion."
"Boom!"
These words exploded in Hase's mind like a clap of thunder. He abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with horror.
Naruto continued, as if explaining a chess game unrelated to him: "The attackers' target was very clear: you, the Princess. To accurately know your route and have the audacity to use Iwagakure's hands to act within the Land of Fire's borders, there's only one possibility."
He put down the teacup, his gaze falling on Yui's perplexed face.
"Someone in the 'Ooku' of the Feudal Lord's Mansion wants you to die outside."
"I suggest you pay more attention to the people around you when you return."
Hase's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat. This was the deepest secret of the Feudal Lord's Mansion, the turbulent undercurrent beneath the surface. As an old retainer, he had only vaguely perceived it but never dared to delve deeper. Yet, this young man, barely thirteen, had revealed the truth with a single sentence.
How could he know?!
"Lord Naruto… do you have evidence?" Hase's voice carried a hint of imperceptible tremor.
Naruto's lips curved into a faint smile; he didn't answer, that smile itself was the most conclusive evidence.
Hase completely understood. The person before him controlled Konoha's most powerful intelligence network; the Feudal Lord's Mansion likely held no secrets from him.
He recovered from his shock, stood up, and bowed deeply to Naruto.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Naruto. This old man is immensely grateful." This gratitude was more sincere and heavier than any before.
After sitting down, Hase pondered for a moment, as if having made a decision, and tentatively began: "It's shameful to say, but the Feudal Lord's Mansion's guard corps is currently in need of personnel. The last border conflict with Kumogakure resulted in the loss of several senior guards. Among the remaining, many are advanced in age and will need to be replaced in three to five years, but candidates for the next batch of guards have been slow to materialize.
Although the replacement will be three or four years from now and isn't urgent, it's wise to plan ahead and scout for good successors among the younger generation now."
He looked up, his gaze fixed on Naruto, his tone growing more respectful.
"I wonder, Lord Naruto, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend? Talents recognized by 'Root' must be the elite of the elites."
It's here.
Naruto's heart was calm; this was the opportunity he had been waiting for. An opportunity that could help Neji with his difficulties without immediately transferring him away from Naruto's side.
He feigned contemplation, and after a moment, slowly spoke: "The 'Root' indeed has a member, codenamed 'Utsusemi,' skilled in long-range precise strikes, with outstanding abilities."
He looked at Yui: "The mission to protect you this time was primarily carried out by him."
"Three kilometers away, one-shot kill," Naruto stated a fact. "As a guard, he is the perfect candidate."
Hase's eyes instantly lit up. A one-shot kill from three kilometers away? What did that even mean? It meant any assassin was already dead before getting within a hundred meters of the Feudal Lord!
Yui also showed a look of yearning; having such a powerful guardian would undoubtedly be a huge security guarantee.
But Naruto's tone shifted, tinged with a hint of "regret."
"However, he is from the Hyuga branch family, and his duty is to protect the Main Family. What's more troublesome is that the 'Caged Bird' is etched on his forehead."
"Hyuga Hiashi might not release him," Naruto analyzed coldly. "The branch family's cursed seal deprives them of the right to choose freely from birth."
"Caged Bird?" When Yui heard these words, the yearning on her face turned to sympathy and anger. "That practice of binding one's own clan with cursed seals… it's too cruel!"
Hase's eyes, however, flickered rapidly. He wasn't swayed by emotion but quickly weighed the pros and cons.
A moment later, he said in a deep voice: "What if… it was by an edict personally issued by the Feudal Lord?"
He looked at Naruto, saying word by word: "No matter how powerful the Hyuga Clan is in Konoha, they wouldn't dare openly defy the Feudal Lord's will. This is the rule of the Land of Fire."
A hint of imperceptible satisfaction flashed in Naruto's eyes, but his expression remained cautious: "This requires a sufficiently weighty reason, and even if the person is transferred, the 'Caged Bird' is still a hidden danger. The Hinata Main Family can, with a single thought, make him lose all combat ability, or even… die."
He paused, then threw out the final solution.
"Unless there can be a reason for the Hyuga Main Family to willingly remove the cursed seal for him."
"No problem," Hase's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. He had completely understood Naruto's intention and found the perfect point of convergence.
He said confidently: "Protecting the direct bloodline of the Feudal Lord—this reason is sufficient. Citing that the 'Caged Bird' cursed seal might affect the stability of the guard mission, and demanding the Hinata Main Family to remove the cursed seal, they cannot refuse."
"This is for the Feudal Lord's safety, and also for the honor of the Hyuga Clan."
The atmosphere in the tea room, from initial awkwardness and tension, transformed into an unspoken understanding.
A transaction concerning Hyuga Neji's future was thus concluded.
Naruto stood up, preparing to leave.
"For the specific plan, Mr. Hase can discuss it with my subordinate, Zero."
He walked to the door, then stopped and looked back at Yui.
"Your Highness."
"Yes!" Yui instinctively straightened her back.
"Naivete is not a fault; I don't reject naivete," Naruto left with a final statement, "but if it will cost you your life, then it must be corrected."
With that, he opened the door, and his figure disappeared down the corridor.
In the tea room, only the old man and the young woman remained, still unable to calm down after being bombarded with such a massive amount of information.
Hase looked in the direction where Naruto had disappeared and let out a long sigh.
×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×
Read Extra Chapter Visit My Patreon
I have only 1 tier
19$ Tier – Access to 40 advance chapters
patreon.com/Lempil
patreon.com/Lempil