What's wrong with having a large harem if you're the emperor of the ninja world?

"Um……"

"we know……"

The two women responded in hushed tones.

"Are we just going to abandon Shikamaru and the others?" Rock Lee's mushroom-shaped haircut gleamed. "No, we have to go save them."

Upon hearing this, the air on the training field seemed to freeze.

When the rescue proposal was put forward.

All eyes were on Ino and Hinata.

Sakura keenly sensed the hesitation of her two friends.

She frowned: "Ino, Hinata, what's wrong with you two?"

"I've sensed you've been distracted since earlier. Do you know something?"

Every day, she cast a questioning glance at me:

"Yes, you don't seem too surprised by what happened on the Emperor's side?"

Ino subconsciously avoided everyone's gaze, her fingers unconsciously twirling the ends of her golden hair.

Hinata habitually lowered her head, tapping her fingertips together.

A barely perceptible blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

Her voice was barely audible: "We...we just felt that going directly to rescue them was too risky..."

"Those men in black are really strong..."

Neji's Byakugan is activated instinctively.

He observed the flow of chakra within the two individuals.

He keenly sensed that their emotions were not purely fear or worry.

Instead, it was mixed with a strange, indescribable disorder and... submission?

This discovery sank his heart.

“Ino, Hinata,” Neji’s tone turned serious, “you two recently met with that emperor, didn’t you? Did he do something to you?”

Xiao Li clenched his fist tightly:

"What? Did he threaten you?"

"No...no!"

Ino quickly looked up and retorted.

But seeing the concerned yet doubtful looks in his companions' eyes, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

How should she explain this?

How do you explain that man's existence, as scorching as the sun?

Explain his almost bewitching charm.

Explain how their proud willpower crumbled in his presence, and even... aroused their longing?

I could never bring myself to say such a thing.

Hinata's face turned even redder, and her voice trembled slightly:

"Emperor Yan... His Majesty the Emperor... did not use force against us."

"He was just... just..."

She couldn't find the right words to describe the feeling.

That kind of thrill where body and mind no longer belong to oneself, and one is willing to succumb to it.

Seeing the two women's unusual embarrassment and silence.

An absurd yet seemingly explainable possibility surfaced in Sakura's mind.

She recalled the dazed look that Ino would occasionally give her.

I recall Hinata's unusual shyness when she mentioned the emperor.

Sakura's pupils contracted slightly, her tone filled with disbelief:

"You...you wouldn't be..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her speculation was already shocking enough.

Tian Tian covered her mouth in surprise.

Xiao Li looked bewildered and hadn't yet reacted.

Neji's brows furrowed even more.

If that's the case, things are far more complicated and tricky than imagined.

Ino, seeing the shocked and inquisitive looks in her companions' eyes, was struggling to the extreme.

On one side are childhood friends and the steadfast Konoha.

On the other side was the man who made her soul tremble.

Ultimately, concern for his companion temporarily overcame his obsession.

She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, and broke the suffocating silence:

"Alright! Stop guessing!"

"The most important thing now is to rescue Shikamaru and Kiba!"

"Yes...yes!" Hinata also raised her head, trying to make her gaze firm:

"We cannot stand by and watch our comrades get trapped."

Neji gave them a deep look, temporarily suppressing his doubts.

He knew now was not the time to delve into the matter.

"Alright. Since we've decided to take action, we must have a plan."

"The enemy's strength is unfathomable, and their defenses must be very tight. We cannot force our way in."

Tian Tian immediately chimed in: "We need intelligence 4.7! The exact location of the detainees, the guard shift change times, whether there's a protective barrier..."

Sakura forced herself to pull herself away from that startling guess and concentrate:

"Furthermore, we must find out the truth behind Asuma-sensei's 'assassination attempt'."

"This may be the key to the whole incident."

"That's right!" Xiao Li exclaimed with high spirits, "This is the passionate mission of youth!"

"If Teacher Kai knew, he would definitely support us!"

“However,” Neji calmly poured cold water on the idea, “we probably won’t have enough strength on our own.”

"We need more information and support."

He looked at Ino and Hinata, "Could you... find a way to find out some inside information?"

"Regarding the detention location, or... the specific arrangements for the meeting two days from now?"

Ino and Hinata both stiffened slightly at the same time.

Gathering intelligence means actively approaching the man and his fearsome black-clad henchmen.

This is tantamount to dancing on the edge of a knife.

It was not only dangerous, but also a test of their crumbling loyalty.

The two women looked at each other again, their eyes filled with struggle.

After a moment, Ino seemed to have used up all her strength and nodded:

"I... I'll give it a try."

Hinata replied softly, "I...I'll keep an eye out too."

"it is good."

Neji said in a deep voice, "Then, the preliminary plan is: Ino and Hinata will be responsible for gathering intelligence, especially on the location of the detention and the guard situation."

"The rest of us split up to prepare the necessary ninja tools and medicines, and to investigate the possible abilities of the men in black."

"Remember, never act rashly without concrete intelligence!"

The six people put their hands together and briefly encouraged each other.

However, an invisible barrier and doubt have already arisen.

Especially between Ino and Hinata and the other four.

.......

58. Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata, and Ino's Determination; Cheongsam Show

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the courtyard in a warm orange-red hue.

But Ino and Hinata felt no warmth at all; instead, they were dumbfounded.

Hinata Hanabi was seen striking a standard Gentle Fist starting stance.

Her little face was tense, full of stubbornness.

And the one they were planning to "extract information" from was His Majesty Emperor Yan of the Land of Fire.

He stood behind Hanabi with a serious expression.

One hand gently supported her shoulder, while the other adjusted the angle of her arm.

"Shoulders lowered, qi sinking to the dantian... No..."

"It's not the rigid approach of your Hyuga clan, which only focuses on acupoints and chakra flow."

Di Yan's voice carried an unquestionable sense of authority: "The form should be relaxed, but the mind should be focused. Between movement and stillness, yin and yang will naturally arise."

Hanabi couldn't help but retort, "The Gentle Fist taught by Father and Sister is the authentic one!"

"Your movements are so weak, they have no power at all!"

Upon hearing this, Di Yan scoffed, his contempt undisguised:

"Orthodoxy? It's nothing but copying others' ideas, taking a few superficial steps and then thinking it's 'orthodoxy'."

"In my eyes, the Gentle Fist of your Hyuga clan is nothing more than rigid calisthenics."

"you!"

Fireworks was furious, her little face turning bright red.

Uchiha Hikaru, who was standing nearby, had just finished a stance. Hearing this, he grinned and made a face at Hanabi:

"You idiot, Hanabi! Your brother already said it's Tai Chi!"

"My brother said it himself, this is the ancestor of all soft-style boxing!"

Tai Chi?

Ino and Hinata looked at each other in bewilderment.

They had never heard of this kind of martial art.

Hinata is the daughter of the Hyuga main family.

They were even more shocked and instinctively resentful of the claim that he was the "ancestor of soft boxing".

at this time.

Di Yan seemed to only then notice the two people standing at the courtyard gate.

He released his hand from the firework and turned around.