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Hinata rested her cheek against his chest, closing her eyes with a small smile.
"We could go off together… somewhere far from everything, just for a few hours," she murmured softly, seductively.
Reika lifted her head and looked at her with a frown.
"And leave me out? As if I'd allow that…"
Naruto laughed again, wrapping his arms around them both.
"Relax… I'm not leaving anyone behind," he murmured, feeling tempted to leave with them right then and there.
But at that moment, Neji coughed a couple of times, trying to get their attention, looking away, uncomfortable.
"Can we get on with the mission… or are you going to keep playing out this romantic soap opera?"
Naruto rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his indifference.
"You mean your mission," he said casually, glancing sideways at Neji. "I'm here in the Land of Demons for another purpose."
Neji furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing.
"Karin told me you're looking for Shūen Uzumaki, Naoto's father and the father of the other Uzumaki children," said Reika.
Naruto nodded seriously. "Yes. I can't let him stay missing. He also seems to know where other Uzumaki are…"
Hinata looked at him worriedly. "Do you think he's in danger?"
Naruto shook his head slightly. "I have no idea."
Just then, Shion, still in Neji's arms, joined the conversation.
"Shūen-sama headed for the Land of Swamps a few days ago," she reported calmly.
Naruto looked at her in surprise. "And what do you know about Shūen?"
Shion gave a mischievous smile. "Why should I tell you?"
Naruto responded with an amused grin, glancing at the group as if he were about to invite them all to a picnic.
"Yeah… I think I really will have to give this spoiled brat a good smack…"
"Priestess Shion, if you know anything about Shūen, please tell us; his children are worried about him," Hinata requested kindly, a warm smile lighting up her face.
Shion sighed in resignation. "Shūen-sama came to the Land of Demons searching for other members of the Uzumaki Clan. Not finding them, he came to me directly for help. My men discovered that they had left for the Land of Swamps a few years ago. As soon as Shūen-sama was informed, he departed there immediately."
Naruto glanced sideways at Hinata.
Was she the real master of the talk no jutsu, not him?
"It's so uncomfortable riding on your back!" complained Shion, frowning as she looked at Sakura with disdain. "Your body isn't feminine or soft at all… it's like being carried by a musclebound gorilla!"
"What did you say!?" shouted Sakura, raising her fist in fury, ready to strike… but stopped at the last second, remembering that Shion was under her protection.
Nearby, Neji remained silent, alert.
He had been the one to suggest Sakura carry Shion, and although he hadn't said it outright, everyone —especially Naruto— understood the reason. Of the group, Sakura was the weakest, so they didn't need her directly in combat.
Being the only Medical Ninja in the group, it was best that Sakura carried Shion during the journey.
Naruto, walking a few steps ahead, let out a small chuckle.
"There's something you're wrong about, Shion. Sakura doesn't look like a gorilla…" he said, seemingly defending her.
Sakura looked sideways at him, surprised but also a little grateful… until Naruto finished the sentence.
"Narutooo!!!" roared Sakura, raising her fist again.
But Naruto simply kept walking, hands behind his head, completely unfazed.
"Can't he carry me on his back? At least he seems more fun…" Shion muttered, pointing at Naruto with her finger.
Naruto turned slowly while still walking, giving her an amused look.
"Not a chance. There are only four women in the whole world I'd carry in my arms if they asked me… and you're not on that list."
Shion huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.
"Hmph. Womanizer…" she muttered under her breath.
But Naruto had already turned his gaze forward… only to meet two pairs of eyes drilling into him intensely.
Reika and Hinata were walking ahead, but now they glanced at him sideways, a mix of suspicion and threat in their eyes.
"Four women…?" Reika repeated aloud, her tone icy. "As far as I know, there's Hinata, Karin, and me… But who's the fourth?"
Naruto smiled playfully.
"Relax. I meant my mother. If she asked me, I'd carry her without hesitation."
He paused briefly, lowering his tone a little.
"Not out of affection… It's just that if I refused, she'd probably hit me…"
Hinata and Reika looked at each other for a second… and then nodded, as if the explanation made sense.
"Yeah, that sounds like Kushina-sama…" Hinata murmured with a giggle.
"That woman's temper…" muttered Reika, frowning slightly, as if recalling a traumatic experience. "She's scary."
Hinata nodded with a slightly awkward smile. "Kushina-sama is very… intense."
"Intense?" repeated Sakura from behind, still upset about Naruto's earlier comment. "That woman threw a frying pan at me the first time I greeted her! Something about treating Naruto badly!"
Naruto burst out laughing. "That was your fault. My mom found out that, during the team introductions when we met Kakashi, you said you disliked me. Since then, she hasn't looked at you very kindly…"
Sakura put a hand to her face, blushing and regretful.
"By the way, when did you all meet my mother…?" Naruto asked, glancing at Sakura, but focusing more on Hinata and Reika.
Had his mother been bothering the two of them in his absence?
"It was when Karin returned to the village, accompanied by Naoto and his siblings. Reika and I went to see her to talk about… girl stuff," answered Hinata, with a small smile. "On the way, Sakura joined us, and when we arrived, Kushina-sama was cooking for Naoto and the kids, but when she saw Sakura…"
"She didn't even hesitate, she threw a frying pan at me…!" exclaimed Sakura.
As they chatted casually, Naruto caught sight of a massive fire dragon approaching from his left flank.
"Protect Priestess Shion!" ordered Neji instantly, having noticed it too.
Reika stepped forward without hesitation, positioning herself in front of the attack. Suddenly, purple Chakra began to emanate intensely from her body. Her eyes transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the Chakra began to take shape.
First, translucent Chakra bones emerged, quickly intertwining to form a gigantic skeletal structure that enveloped her body like armor. The deep, resonant crunching of the bones filled the air as her skeletal Susanoo came to life, towering imposingly between them and the fire dragon.
When the fire dragon struck the Susanoo, it absorbed the impact without a single crack or sign of damage. The crash echoed in the air, but the Susanoo stood firm.
With a resolute gesture, Reika made her Susanoo disappear, the Chakra bones vanishing into the air like ethereal dust, leaving only her figure standing.
But seeing Reika's action, Naruto didn't stay put and ran toward her, watching worriedly to see if she was hurt.
As he expected, he saw a trickle of blood slipping from her eyes down her cheeks.
"How long have you been using your Mangekyō Sharingan since you awakened it?" Naruto asked, frowning.
Reika looked away, the pain in her eyes evident.
"I've been training every day," she replied tensely.
"Idiot! You're going to go blind at this rate!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders.
Had Fugaku not warned her about prolonged use of the Mangekyō Sharingan?
And if he hadn't… why hadn't Izuna or Shisui told her?
[Madara Uchiha: I can't believe this. Is this girl actively trying to go blind and depend on others for the rest of her life? As someone who suffered from excessive Mangekyō Sharingan use, I don't recommend it.]
[Tobirama Senju: You should've stayed blind forever, then.]
[Madara Uchiha: Stop bothering me, Tobirama!]
[Tobirama Senju: How many fingers am I holding up right now…?]
[Madara Uchiha: That's not funny. I'm not blind anymore! Though I'm sure you're showing me a single finger right now…]
[Tobirama Senju: Yep, and it's the middle one…]
[Indra Ōtsutsuki: Since when does the Mangekyō Sharingan cause vision loss? That never happened to me…]
[Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: We're built differently, daughter. We're Ōtsutsuki.]
[Indra Ōtsutsuki: Especially you, old man. You're made of pure bone and wrinkles.]
[Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki: …]