The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

"Of course, it's not certain, because Menma didn't really refuse, so there's still a sliver of hope. Besides, we've made some progress these past few days, haven't we? We can expand on that further. Judging from the information we've gathered so far, Menma shouldn't be restricting Naruto's movements. If we're lucky, we might just run into Naruto somewhere in this village."

Hinata looked so disappointed.

Shikamaru still instinctively offered words of comfort.

But even Shikamaru himself didn't believe this, because he couldn't just let Naruto and the others meet casually when they were in a different place, as that could easily lead to too many problems.

In addition, Shikamaru actually had another thought hidden deep in his heart: Is Naruto really alive?

Even with the current information, we are almost 99% certain that this is true.

But in the battle at the Valley of the End.

Menma left a very deep impression on Shikamaru; his sudden change in demeanor made Shikamaru genuinely find Menma terrifying.

A person who could pretend for a full twelve years.

It is entirely possible that they could kill Naruto directly.

brother?

Is there really any affection between them? Shikamaru didn't quite believe it; putting himself in their shoes, it's easy to make similar judgments.

However, all of this is like Schrödinger's cat, without seeing it with one's own eyes or touching it with one's own hands.

Any judgment result can only be considered a 'guess'.

It might work.

It could also be invalid.

Therefore, just as Shikaku didn't actually tell Kakashi, Inoichi, and the others all his guesses, Shikamaru also kept these thoughts deeply buried in his heart.

When to say what.

Shikamaru could see things very clearly.

"Yes, Hinata, don't be anxious, anything is still possible."

Neji, who was kneeling to Hinata's left, also offered words of comfort.

Even though he still harbored considerable resentment towards the main family, Neji managed to adjust his mindset well when Hiashi produced the handwritten letter from Hizashi before his death, just like in the original story.

His willingness to serve as Hinata's bodyguard is one of the best proofs of this.

"Yes, I know, Neji-nii-san, and thank you too, Shikamaru-kun."

Hinata gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her face full of seriousness. She nodded emphatically and replied softly.

'Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun...'

This young girl is unwilling to give up easily.

This girl, who also didn't want to see her companions affected.

While suppressing the impulse in my heart.

They also planned to take advantage of this last bit of time to thoroughly search the ninja village. Since they had found some clues before, there was a good chance they would run into them.

At least that's what Hinata thinks.

This was also intended to appease the girl.

Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, Ino, and others will naturally accompany them as well.

In any case, Hidden Light Village did not restrict their freedom, as long as they did not go to areas that were forbidden by the village.

Even if such a method is a bit too 'simplistic'.

But it's still a solution, isn't it?

Seeing that Hinata's emotions were clearly quite stable, Shikamaru secretly breathed a sigh of relief, just as Shikaku had been very worried about Hinata.

Shikamaru was also a little worried that Hinata would risk everything for Naruto.

It's not about anything else.

Such adventures would not only be useless, but would also harm both oneself and others. Before arriving at Hidden Light Village, Shikamaru had received the clearest instructions from his father: everyone else was fine, but the one thing he had to do was keep an eye on Hinata.

Often, women who appear gentle and weak are actually more likely to do very impulsive and risky things.

'Next, I hope there's some progress on Dad's end, so it doesn't really end like this...'

Shikamaru sighed inwardly and pondered silently.

The definition made in one's heart.

Over the next two days.

Shikamaru, Hinata, and the others continued their search through the streets and alleys of Hidden Light Village.

Shikaku then proceeded to engage in more detailed discussions with Shibuki and A-jun, such as the crucial issue of border defense.

Even if it's not a full-scale alliance, but just a temporary ceasefire agreement, it's essential to determine each other's needs in every aspect.

Border security is one of the key issues.

In Konoha, when Tsunade received Inoichi's letter, she felt a certain degree of disbelief and joy, just like Jiraiya. She quickly gave her approval, entrusting all decision-making power to Shikaku.

Tsunade and Jiraiya have great faith in Shikaku's abilities and believe they will handle the relevant issues well.

as predicted.

After Shikaku, Inoichi, and the others received a definite reply from Tsunade.

Soon after, a series of follow-up agreements were signed with Sheki, Ajun, and others. Shikaku even made concessions in many areas, and these concessions were done very naturally, without appearing abrupt, and were all within acceptable limits.

If one is not very clear about the relationship between their own Tenkage and Konoha Village.

Both Shibuki and A-Jun wanted to truly reach an alliance agreement with Konoha.

Based on the current history of the ninja world, Konoha has never betrayed its allies (While Uzushiogakure and Konoha simply failed to help those in distress, they didn't betray each other, so they might be considered to have won in a contest of who was worse).

Considering the current situation in the ninja world.

Shibuki and A-Jun genuinely felt that it was possible to have a talk with Konoha.

From this perspective alone, it is enough to prove how much Shikaku's approach resonated with people's hearts and how clever it was.

This also led to Shibuki's situation after he finished negotiating with Shikaku.

In his report to Menma, Shibuki didn't say much, but his expression betrayed his true feelings. This can't be blamed on Shibuki, since he didn't know Menma's real plan. As mentioned before, if everything were to remain the same as before, maintaining the status of a major ninja village would be the best course of action.

Forming an alliance with Konoha is indeed the only correct solution.

But because he couldn't understand Menma's heart, and because everything in Hidden Light Village was built on Menma's shoulders, Shibuki naturally couldn't say much.

"No wonder Shibuki-san was swayed. This agreement, tsk tsk, if I didn't have other plans, I would have thought that Konoha was very sincere."

After Yu Shemu left.

Menma looked at the draft agreement laid out in front of him and gently shook his head.

"Could this be Konoha's delaying tactic, Menma?"

Karin, standing to the side, was clearly much more direct. She had absolutely no goodwill towards Konoha, which had forced Menma to defect. She was born to view everything and everyone in Konoha from the perspective of 'evil'.

Therefore, even if Konoha truly showed sincerity and goodwill,

From Karin's perspective, it's definitely a conspiracy.

This is the essential difference between Karin and Shibuki, among others.

"No, Karin, I know Konoha better than anyone else. This village has always been like this. The only normal period was probably during the reign of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. In the decades that followed, things got more and more outrageous. It might be a delaying tactic, but do you know about this agreement? It is absolutely Konoha's most sincere expression."

Mianma chuckled and shook his head.

Only by becoming an enemy of Konoha can one know how wonderful Konoha truly is.

This is a great power that can be easily provoked, and if you win, you can take whatever you want; if you lose, they won't hold you accountable, and you don't have to pay any extra price.

In some cases, even if you don't actually start a war, just making a slight threat is quite likely to bring unexpected gains to the so-called top of the five major powers.

This is by no means an exaggeration.

Many things that have happened in the past are enough to prove this point.

The most classic example is the kidnapping of Hinata many years ago, which later led to Hizashi Hyuga's suicide.

This shows just how weak the so-called ultimate Konoha sect really is.

Tsunade is definitely a bit stronger than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But some things are ingrained in their very being.

It won't change so easily.

"Even if that's the case, I think we still need to be more cautious. These guys are completely untrustworthy."

After hesitating for a moment, Karin still spoke with great determination.

Let alone people from outside Konoha and Iwagakure.

Even in the Hidden Light Village, Karin didn't trust everyone, especially the father and son, Mui and Mugou. Karin always felt that they harbored malicious intentions. Of course, the main reason was that Mui and Mugou had the strength and influence to do so.

These days, it's still the same old story: it's not about whether you have the will, it's about whether you have the ability.

At the time, Wuwei was the temporary leader of Kusagakure, and Wugou was the incarnation of Wu. Together, the father and son were a powerful force.

Karin is someone you have to be wary of.

Even now, Karin still leaves some room for observation regarding the other people in the village.

In Karin's words, she is Menma's last line of defense, and it is essential to filter out every possible enemy.

Of course, it's impossible for it to be revealed on the surface.

Otherwise, it will affect the internal harmony of the village.

The current Karin is no longer the naive girl she was two years ago; her true feelings are only revealed when she's with Menma.

"Yes, I understand. I'll leave the details to you. I trust your judgment, Karin."

Menma looked at Karin with a gentle expression and said.

Her outstretched right hand gently grasped Karin's soft hand.

Just as Karin gives unreserved devotion to Menma, the person Menma can trust 100% without reservation is Karin.