The next day, a troop of Cloud ninjas arrived at the Konoha gates in perfect formation.
"Welcome, esteemed guests from the Hidden Cloud. I am Shikaku Nara, responsible for arranging your itinerary during this visit."
As Minato Namikaze's "political commissar," Shikaku Nara was the most suitable person to receive the Cloud delegation. After all, Shikaku was still young, and his son, Shikamaru, was only three years old.
The Cloud ninja at the front stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, "I am Ian, a Special Jonin of the Hidden Cloud Village, fully authorized to handle this entire negotiation process."
Shikaku Nara expressed surprise, "Oh? So, Mr. Ian's words can represent the Fourth Raikage?"
Ian's smile remained unchanged as he nodded, "Yes, and I am grateful for the Raikage's trust in me."
"Please!"
Shikaku Nara said no more. If what the man said was true, then he had to be treated with utmost caution.
Under the watchful eyes of the two gatekeepers, more than twenty Cloud ninjas entered Konoha village.
Kotetsu nudged Izumo Kamizuki beside him and whispered, "There are so many Cloud ninjas this time, do you think they'll cause trouble in Konoha?"
Izumo Kamizuki observed for a moment and mused, "It's unlikely. Didn't you hear what that ninja named Ian said earlier?"
"He can represent the Fourth Raikage, so these should be ninjas protecting him."
Kotetsu scoffed, "They need over twenty ninjas for protection? This guy really puts on airs, and he's a Special Jonin! Humph!"
"Shush!"
Izumo Kamizuki quickly covered Kotetsu's mouth, saying, "Keep your voice down, Tetsuko! If they hear you and report us to the Hokage, we'll lose our jobs!"
"I told you not to call me Tetsuko!"
Kotetsu slapped away Izumo's hand. "If we lose our jobs, wouldn't that be exactly what you and I want!"
Kotetsu said indignantly, "It's all because of that red-haired guy last time, making it so we couldn't even apply for a transfer. It's too much!"
"Ah, I think it's not bad. If we changed posts, we might have been separated!"
Hearing Izumo Kamizuki's sigh, Kotetsu couldn't help but shudder and stammer, "Hey Izumo, are you… not feeling right?"
Izumo Kamizuki looked puzzled, "What's wrong with me? We have such a good relationship, and we work well together. Wouldn't it be sad if we were separated?"
Seeing that Izumo Kamizuki's eyes were normal, Kotetsu breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't his fault for being suspicious. The last time he went fishing by the river, he saw a white-haired guy and a green-clad monster with bandaged hands "showing affection"! Kotetsu had immediately grabbed his bucket and fishing rod and fled, afraid of catching something. Fortunately, Izumo Kamizuki was normal!
...
"Are they here?"
Hiashi Hyuga, with a black eye and a grim expression, looked at the clansman who was reporting to him.
"Yes, Clan Head. The Cloud envoy has just arrived in Konoha and is now heading towards the Konoha Inn."
"Alright, I understand. You can go now."
After dismissing the clansman, Hiashi Hyuga rubbed the bruise on his face and said to Lin Yu, who was meditating beside him, "The Cloud has arrived. What are your thoughts?"
"What thoughts could I have? If they dare to come, kill them all!"
Lin Yu pouted. If it weren't for the possibility of them kidnapping Hinata, he wouldn't bother sitting here. Lying on his custom-made Wood Style bed at home, wouldn't it be better to tease Kushina? However, Kushina was getting weaker and weaker. Perhaps it was time to call Mikoto to share the burden.
Hiashi Hyuga was speechless, "You're making things difficult for my Hyuga clan! Besides, they might not necessarily have ill intentions. Perhaps the Cloud truly intends to engage in friendly diplomacy!"
"The chances of that are about the same as you having another boy!"
"You!"
Hiashi Hyuga pointed at Lin Yu, unable to speak. The impulsiveness of last night made him realize that impulse is the devil! He hadn't expected Lin Yu's taijutsu to be so strong; his Gentle Fist pressure points were completely ineffective against him. Not only was his speed incredible, but his strength was immense, completely overpowering both him and Hizashi. That's right, Hiashi Hyuga had dragged his brother onto the battlefield, and they had both been defeated. It was fine for Lin Yu to hit him, merely swelling his face, but his brother Hizashi had been beaten so badly he had to stay in bed for three days. It was truly tragic!
Hiashi Hyuga looked at Lin Yu with a resentful gaze. That was his own brother, couldn't he give Hiashi some face!
"Lin Yu, do you think Hinata will be uncomfortable? After all, it's her first time staying away from home."
Hiashi Hyuga had ultimately agreed to Lin Yu's idea. For some reason, he felt that something bad might happen to Hinata if she stayed with the Hyuga clan these past few days. But he had a condition: Hinata could stay at Lin Yu's place, but Lin Yu had to stay at the Hyuga clan!
"She won't be uncomfortable. Last night, Hinata was even helping Kushina with the vegetables!"
Hiashi Hyuga frowned, "How do you know such things? Weren't you with me the whole time?"
"Ahaha? I guessed it, I guessed it!"
Lin Yu broke out in a cold sweat. He almost exposed himself! Who would want to live in such a gloomy mansion? Want a Mangekyo Sharingan? Of course, it's more comfortable to sleep with the soft and fragrant Kushina at night. Of course, he had to be quiet, as Hinata was also sleeping next to Kushina.
Hiashi Hyuga looked at Lin Yu suspiciously but found no trace of transformation jutsu or shadow clones, so he didn't press further.
"Sigh, I hope the Cloud arrives soon!"
"Uzumaki Lin Yu, what do you mean by that?! You're hoping the Cloud comes to our Hyuga clan so much!"
"Just playing around!"
...
Konoha village, by a river.
Splash!
"Yo! Another big fish! Quite a haul today, how about you, Sakumo?"
Hatake Sakumo's stern face was filled with doubt. Why was Might Duy, that old man, better at fishing with his feet than he was? In just an hour or two, Duy had nearly filled his bucket, while his own bucket only contained clear water and two or three small fry. Shouldn't people be treated fairly? They were only a meter or two apart, yet the quality of fish caught was completely different!
Hatake Sakumo took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Fishing was a test of endurance; he didn't believe Might Duy could continue to be lucky forever!
Splash!
"Yo! Sakumo, look, this one weighs about ten pounds!"
"..."
Hatake Sakumo threw down his fishing rod and walked over to Might Duy's side, saying seriously, "Duy, I think we need to change our spot!"
"Ah? That's fine, wait a moment, I'll pack up my gear."
"No need! I'll carry you over!"
Hatake Sakumo couldn't wait a moment longer. He directly picked up Duy, chair and all.
This scene was just witnessed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was approaching from a distance. He stopped in his tracks, looked at the fishing rod in his hand, and sighed. He'd better come another day! Today didn't seem like a good day for fishing. No! Tomorrow, he'd call Danzo to come along! Hmph! Hatake Sakumo and Might Duy, you just wait for me!