Chapter 30: Eager to spend money
(Skip if Uninterested)
"Question, if a teammate suddenly falls during a mission, and you ask if they're okay, what does it mean if they answer 'I'm fine'?"
"It means..." Hinata, holding a piece of fish, furrowed her brow in deep thought, the orange sunset casting a warm glow on her, making her look even more adorable.
The two of them were sitting on a picnic blanket, playing a Q&A game. Although the game was a bit childish, it was just right for two young people who had mutual feelings for each other.
Hinata had also received the Ninja God's diary, and Naruto told her he had received it too. He brushed it off with a few vague words, claiming he didn't understand it.
"Mm... it means the teammate needs medical attention," Hinata answered softly.
"Wrong." Naruto gently tapped Hinata's head and said seriously, "This means your teammate's airways are clear, and no blood is blocking them."
"I see," Hinata nodded, still a bit confused, thinking Naruto was seriously teaching her.
"So, what should you ask him then?"
"Where does it hurt?"
"No, you should ask him, 'What is 1000 minus 7?'"
...
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!"
"Yamato, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Hinata's teammate, Inuzuka Kiba, stopped and sniffed, "I probably inhaled some nearby pollen."
Kiba's sister, Inuzuka Hana, walked over, crouching down in front of Akamaru to check his injured leg. As the only veterinarian in the medical division, handling a minor injury like this was no problem for her.
"Hana, about those things that just appeared in my mind... I'm a little concerned," Kiba asked worriedly.
"Kiba, this involves high-ranking figures in Konoha, like Danzo. We should avoid discussing it too much," Hana, a more mature woman, replied calmly.
She and Uchiha Itachi graduated together and, thanks to the Inuzuka clan's resources, she was now a Chūnin in Konoha.
Having been in the medical division for many years, she had heard many secretive matters but had kept them to herself to avoid trouble.
For instance, there was the incident when the Konoha corpse disposal team was blocked by Root ninja from entering the Uchiha clan's compound, and the Uchiha corpses were burned overnight by Root.
There were also some bad rumors, such as the idea that the Hokage had tacitly approved Root's actions to further bloodline limit human experiments.
There were many such rumors and secrets, and it was hard to tell what was true and what was false.
Hana didn't want her younger brother to get involved in these troublesome matters, nor did she want Kiba to make any reckless decisions that could attract the attention of Root.
That organization never meddled with good people, and if Kiba were dragged into it, his life would be ruined.
Kiba didn't understand his sister's good intentions. Pressured by his age, he could only suppress his curiosity and squat down in front of his beloved dog, Akamaru.
"Sis, how's Akamaru doing?"
"He's fine..."
Similar scenes were unfolding all over Konoha. On the training grounds, Kakashi looked at the gloomy Sasuke, unsure of what to say.
It was getting late, and night had fallen.
All Kakashi could see was Sasuke's outline standing motionless in the dark. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he thought, "This is bad."
"Sasuke, don't fall for it. This might be an enemy genjutsu."
Sasuke didn't respond. He just stood there, exuding a chilling aura of resentment. He raised his head to look at Kakashi and, gritting his teeth, asked,
"Why does Danzo have my clan's eyes?"
Kakashi was also taken aback. He knew Danzo was involved in shady dealings, but he didn't expect him to be so vile.
Too many eyes? Had he transplanted them to other parts of his body?
The thought made a chill run through Kakashi's body. But even so, without concrete evidence, he couldn't tell Sasuke this.
"Removing a radish brings up the mud; Danzo may be dirty, but he's not the only one," Kakashi thought. Based on what he knew about Danzo, things weren't that simple.
"Sasuke, stay calm."
"Kakashi, how can I stay calm?"
...
Sizzle~!
The prepared black fish sizzled in the oil, crackling by the fire, and the delicious aroma spread through the air, carried by the night wind.
"Naruto-kun, did you bring the pot?" Hinata asked, a little embarrassed.
"Of course, for a picnic, you need to be fully equipped!" Naruto pointed at the collection of tools, "The oil pot is a must, and I'll show you something cool later."
"What is it?" Hinata asked, stunned, her face turning red again.
Naruto glanced at Hinata, noticing her flushed face illuminated by the fire, and gave her a mysterious smile as he flipped the black fish in the pot.
"You'll see soon."
The Konoha building was brightly lit, and many ninja rushed in and out through the front doors, their faces tense and anxious.
In the high-level meeting, Sarutobi Hiruzen and other old noblemen from the same generation stared at Danzo, who was sitting at the table, their expressions grim.
"Danzo, do you have anything to say?" Tsumugine Koharu asked seriously.
"I have nothing to say," Danzo replied, folding his arms. "Shouldn't the focus be on that jutsu that appeared in everyone's minds?"
"If the person behind this says whatever they want, the village will be at a disadvantage. Today, they can spread rumors about me, but tomorrow it could be anyone."
"On that note, I'll take a wait-and-see approach. Let my subordinates investigate," Danzo said solemnly.
The room fell silent as Tsumugine Koharu and Hiruzen's faces became slightly darker, but they didn't continue to question him.
They knew it wasn't realistic to make Danzo prove his innocence on the spot. Not that it couldn't be done, but it would be a fruitless effort.
If the truth came out, it would be awkward; Konoha still needed Danzo, and they couldn't remove him from his position. Besides, Danzo had a point.
The high-ranking officials present all had their own secrets, just none as extreme as Danzo's. If there was truly an all-knowing Ninja God, perhaps the next person exposed would be...
...
Boom!
Fireworks shot up into the night sky, lighting up Hinata's face. The beautiful display of fireworks reflected in her eyes.
A look of joy spread across Hinata's face as she gazed at the night sky, feeling an unmatched sense of happiness. All of this was thanks to the person standing beside her, the boy lighting fireworks from afar.
Naruto had completely forgotten about the Ninja God's diary, not thinking about it at all, and had no idea how much it had stirred the village.
He ran over to Hinata, standing by her side. Together, they looked up at the fireworks, their hearts filled with happiness as they silently thought,
"How wonderful! I'm so happy to have Naruto-kun!"
"How wonderful, I finally spent some money, I'm so happy!"
______________________________________________
If you want 15 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon:
patreon.com/PureParadox