"Naruto, do you hate the village?"
"I can't wouldn't say hate, but I don't like it." Naruto paused, then organized his words and said, "This village doesn't respect its heroes. They want me to risk my life without giving anything in return."
"Huh?" Hinata was a little confused, obviously not understanding what he said, "But the current Hokage is Kakashi-sensei, and you're his student. He wouldn't let that happen."
"Kakashi wouldn't, but others might." Naruto interrupted, "Kakashi told me privately that he'll only be in office for a few more years before he steps down."
"Although I'm not a Jinchuriki anymore, I'm still one of the strongest. If something happens, they'll probably expect me to step up."
"While Kakashi is in office, I don't have to worry about anyone causing trouble for me. But after that? Unless the next Hokage is Shikamaru, I don't want to gamble with my future. After all, this village has a bad track record."
"Kakashi's father died by suicide, and the Sannin disbanded and refused to return to the village. Hinata, to be honest, I feel safer and freer outside."
Hearing this, Hinata fell silent.
She now roughly understood that Naruto had his own difficulties and did not completely trust the village. Instead, he wanted to maintain an equal relationship with the village like Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Naruto is very powerful, and with the backing of two of the Sannin and the Hokage's support, he is completely capable of standing on equal footing with the village.
"Alright, I understand." She nodded and forced a smile.
"If I don't want to come back, you can always leave the village." Naruto added, "Don't you get bored staying in this village all the time?"
"Leave the village?" Hinata lowered her head and stammered, "But... where would I go? Father says it's dangerous outside, and the Hyuga Clan’s members..."
In the Konoha Forest, Obito was resting on the trunk of a giant tree. He seemed to have sensed something and suddenly opened his eye. Zetsu's upper body emerged from the tree, silently staring at him.
"Did you find it?" Obito asked.
"The Kyubi is in Konoha, and Naruto is also there." Zetsu, the battlefield reporter, said, "All we need to do is capture someone he cares about, threaten him, and force the Kyubi to reveal itself."
This was their usual method, just like what they had done to Yahiko and Nagato on the battlefield in the Land of Rain years ago. All they needed was to set the stage.
While the tactic is old, it never failed.
"Good. Gather more information. It's best if we don't have to reveal ourselves." Obito said while looking at the brightly lit Konoha. He was already used to operating in the shadows.
Over the years, he had done this countless times.
In the Land of Rain, Obito had posed as Madara, using a scheme to make Nagato hate the world. He had orchestrated the formation of the Akatsuki and manipulated them from behind the scenes.
During the Third Shinobi World War, he controlled the Yondaime Mizukage and started the Blood Mist Era, which plunged Kirigakure into chaos, nearly causing the village's Shinobi lineage to collapse.
Then, taking advantage of Kushina's weakened state during childbirth, he had orchestrated the Kyubi Chaos, forcing Minato and Kushina to sacrifice themselves.
On the night of the Uchiha Clan’s Massacre, he had been fully involved, striking a deal with Itachi to help him slaughter the entire clan under the condition that Sasuke and Konoha would be spared.
All these years, he had grown accustomed to using schemes to defeat his enemies. He had never failed once. He watched numbly as those he manipulated struggled, suffered, and died in resentment.
"The targets have been identified, but it seems that there are two of them." Black Zetsu said, "One is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan’s Clan Head, and the other is the eldest daughter of the Yamanaka Clan’s Clan Head."
Hearing this, Obito thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "Then we'll capture both."
"Hehe." White Zetsu suddenly laughed and said to Obito, "Then let's each catch one. We’ll then go find the Kyubi’s Jinchuriki."
Late at night.
Naruto was having dinner at an outdoor food stall with Shikamaru, Choji, and Inuzuka Kiba, each sitting on one side of a small table. Moths fluttered aimlessly around the hanging light above, their movements foolish and erratic.
The heat of summer had passed, and the last traces of humidity dissipated with the arrival of early autumn, carried away by the night breeze.
The place where they were eating wasn't some luxurious restaurant, just a simple street stall. The owner was a middle-aged man, who brought in a few bottles of sake with a clang.
The stall was situated on an endless street in Konoha, with lights stretching into the distance, twinkling like stars connecting to the sky.
"Cheers!!!"
The shadows of the four people stretched out long under the light, swaying as they clinked their glasses. The sound of clinking cups filled the air as they talked, downing the sake one sip at a time.
Naruto held his bottle by the neck with two fingers, squinting as he listened to Shikamaru and the others ramble on. The more they drank, the more they opened up.
Shikamaru complained about the tediousness of life, how married life was mundane and filled with trivialities. He seemed to be complaining, but it sounded more like he was bragging.
Choji made a sarcastic comment, and Shikamaru laughed, shoving him playfully. Amid the noise and laughter, they drank round after round, all of them getting quite drunk.
The more Naruto drank, the more uneasy he felt. Eventually, he decided to stop drinking altogether. Noticing this, Choji asked with concern, "Naruto, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"If you're not feeling well, don't drink." Shikamaru, who was lying on the table, muttered dazedly. He was the drunkest among the four.
"What happened?" Kiba looked at him and asked with a smile.