The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

Then.

She then left with Karin, who had remained almost entirely silent throughout the entire event.

Shikaku looked in the direction the two had left, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Shikaku?"

Haiyi, who was on one side, came closer, wanting to ask something.

"Let's go inside first and talk about it then."

But Shikaku waved his hand, interrupting him.

That's all.

Shikaku himself took the lead and walked at the very front.

The group of people behind them followed suit and filed in.

These houses, specially built and later renovated to accommodate foreign guests, are fully equipped with all necessary facilities and have excellent staff. They are also remarkably 'thoughtful' by not having any ninjas stationed inside; only ordinary people are present.

However, these are all standard configurations.

When we reached the area behind our accommodation.

"Hinata-san, although I know you care about Naruto-kun's situation, this is, after all, Hidden Light Village, and we are newcomers. I hope you can control yourself. This is the best choice not only for you but also for Naruto-kun, and for all of you. This is not Konoha. Remember your place. Shikamaru, as a Chunin, you should understand your position and abilities even more. Do you understand?"

Shikaku stopped and addressed the children, especially Shikamaru and Hinata, who were about to leave to rest in their respective rooms.

The former is his own son. Shikaku would rather see his son mature and rational than act impulsively. This is not Konoha, and the present is not the past. There is no comparison between them.

They represent Konoha!

He was a true ninja.

And Hinata goes without saying.

Everyone knows why she appeared in the delegation. This is also why Shikaku came to Hidden Light Village in person. It is precisely for this reason that Shikaku does not want to see Hinata and the other children make any rash judgments or take any actions.

That would not only harm them, but also affect Naruto (if Naruto and Shikaku are still alive, just as they themselves have predicted).

The most important thing will be the impact on the noodles.

Although Shikaku is not as naive as Jiraiya and is known for his rationality, if he could truly do as Jiraiya said, it would indeed be the best outcome for Konoha.

Of course, Shikaku himself felt it was almost impossible.

But you always have to struggle a little, don't you?

"Yes, Uncle Shikaku, please don't worry, I won't do anything reckless."

Hinata took a deep breath and replied sweetly.

Hinata understands the principle that concern can cloud judgment to some extent. After all, she comes from a truly noble family. The Hyuga clan is undoubtedly an ancient clan that has been passed down for nearly a thousand years. In terms of status, it is definitely one of the top clans in the ninja world. Although their methods of raising their descendants are very traditional, even stubborn, in many ways.

But they will still have the necessary qualities.

Hinata knew very well that the more she cared about Naruto, the less she could act recklessly.

This is the enemy camp!

"Don't worry, Dad, I know what I should do."

Shikamaru, sitting to one side, nodded emphatically in response.

I'm way past the age of joking around.

Once they are qualified ninjas, they should hold themselves to the standards of ninjas, and obeying orders from superiors is one of them.

As the main person in charge of the mission, Shikaku's orders were to be obeyed by everyone in the mission.

The rest of the delegation dispersed.

They all returned to their respective rooms to rest, while Shikaku led Kakashi, Inoichi, and Might Guy to a room at the very front.

"Ah Xing, I'm leaving it to you."

Before the four people entered the room.

Shikaku also spoke to a young ninja wearing a Konoha vest standing outside.

"Yes, don't worry, Shikaku-san!"

This young ninja was one of the few Jonin-level sensory ninjas from Konoha Village that Tsunade had specially arranged for him to be in the delegation.

While his combat skills might be slightly weaker, in terms of perception, this Jonin named A-Xing is already considered an outstanding figure in the ninja world. Under normal circumstances, as long as he doesn't make any mistakes or carelessness and fully unleashes his perception techniques, even ordinary Five Kage-level beings wouldn't be able to escape A-Xing's detection.

Once you get close to the appropriate range, Ah Xing will react!

It is precisely because of Ah Xing's existence.

Only after a long time can Lu be at ease.

After nodding, the four of them stepped into the house, and the door was immediately closed.

"So, what should we do next, Shikaku? Although it's just the information we've gathered so far, it's clear that Takigakure is heavily guarded now, completely different from before. Most importantly, there's that barrier. There might be a similar barrier somewhere. If we act rashly, our tracks will be easily exposed, right?"

I had just sat down.

Yamanaka Inoichi couldn't help but ask.

Their trip to Konoha had two clear purposes: one was to ascertain Naruto's fate, which was crucial for Konoha's next decision.

At least that's what they genuinely believe.

The second is to further confirm the current situation of Hidden Light Village, including but not limited to the configuration of the high-level officials, the approximate combat strength of the entire ninja village, and whether the merger of the former Hidden Takigakure Village and Hidden Grass Village is really as smooth and seamless as it appears to outsiders.

Can we find a way to break this deadlock?

This is of utmost importance!

It should be said that other ninja villages in various countries share the same attitude on this point.

They didn't want to see this newly established ninja village truly invincible; what they wanted to see was find its weaknesses and attack them.

"No, these actions must be prohibited, Inoichi. I didn't quite agree with this approach before, but I hadn't seen the situation in Hidden Light Village with my own eyes, so I didn't make a direct judgment. Judging from our recent contact, any dangerous action we take carries a high risk of exposure, and we cannot take the risk!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 376 Choices and Celebrations

Intelligence gathering.

It requires a multi-pronged approach. The most direct approach is to infiltrate enemy ninja villages and conduct reconnaissance in secret locations and important places. Whether it's textual information or personnel intelligence, in short, it requires a multi-pronged approach.

Risk is inevitable.

The risks of any intelligence gathering operation targeting a major ninja village are no less than those of a battle on the front lines. In fact, this is the kind of combat that ninjas are best at, and it is the style of the ninjas.

However, from Shikaku's perspective, the current Hidden Light Village cannot be viewed through the lens of the previous Hidden Takigakure Village. They are not only ridiculously strong in high-end combat power, but have also made significant improvements and advancements in all aspects.

If they really mess around...

They themselves will be the first to suffer.

We really need to treat Hidden Light Village as a ninja village of the same level now, and we can't underestimate it in any way.

Although the people are still the same group of people.

But the changes are real.

On this point, Shikaku was able to make a very keen judgment.

"Huh? Not taking any action? But if that's the case, things will be very difficult for us..."

Upon hearing Shikaku's decisive rejection, Inoichi's expression faltered, revealing a hint of confusion.

"It's not that we're doing nothing, but we can't act recklessly behind the scenes. The other side is clearly the most wary of us. If our covert reconnaissance is exposed, that will be the most passive situation. What we need to do is to act openly and honestly."

Lu Jiu gently shook his head, then spoke slowly and deliberately, word by word.

"A perfectly legitimate action? This..."

"Shikaku, do you mean to choose direct negotiation?"

Kakashi, who was on the side, also pondered for a moment before asking a question.

Before they arrived, and even on the way there, they had discussed what to do after arriving in Hidden Light Village.

A two-way operation, both overt and covert.

There needs to be a general outline.

The core of this is Nara Shikaku.

Before setting off, Tsunade specifically instructed that all actions must be carried out under Shikaku's command.

The reason for assigning so many Jonin is...

It's also for the convenience of doing things.

For example, if there were any clandestine operations, it would be possible to distinguish the individuals involved. For instance, Inoichi would be openly cooperating with Shikaku, while Kakashi and Might Guy would be operating covertly. Both of them are recognized as among the best Jonin of Konoha.

Especially the latter.

Although no one, including Might Guy himself, realizes the terrifying extent of the Eight Gates opening.

However, the fact that it possesses strength surpassing Kage level after activation is undeniable, given Might Guy's impressive track record.

Even if the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have some flaws, they are still genuine Jonin to elite Jonin level. Might Guy was able to forcefully defeat the seven of them working together, easily killing four of them, and the remaining three were only able to escape in a very sorry state, which is enough to prove the terror of the Eight Gates!

If any dangerous action is to be taken.

Kakashi and Might Guy are the most suitable candidates.

However, this has always been a less important option. After all, if we were to make a firm decision from the beginning and take on similar risky actions, we wouldn't have sent those kids. They're all only at the Chunin level, so what would be the point of sending them?

He's definitely a burden.

To reiterate, both Tsunade and Jiraiya still hope to resolve these issues through 'legitimate channels'.

However, such an arrangement and idea is really too naive and contradictory.

Otherwise, according to Shikaku's original plan, it would have been just himself, along with Kakashi and a few others, making it a delegation of less than ten people at most.

If we really have to take any risky actions, the losses can be kept to a minimum. This is the most rational and correct approach.