Naruto: If I ask you to kill Sasuke, you will become a succubus?

"Okay, I really have to go."

When I finally held back my tears, Shikamaru sighed softly, "I didn't tell Kakashi-sensei and that Yamanaka Wind that I came here by myself. If I disappeared for too long, they might get suspicious."

Of course, I also knew that I couldn't keep acting like a spoiled child to him like this, so I calmed myself down and nodded silently.

I picked up Shino's bell and walked him out of the house.

In the corridor, I handed him the bell.

"This... you should take it back and give it back to Shino."

Shikamaru was slightly stunned: "Asaro?"

"This is a gift for a romantic partner, but... I think it's time to end this game of playing house."

Shikamaru took the bell subconsciously: "Have you thought about it?"

"..."

I looked at the bell in his hand and remembered his figure that I saw in the memory of Qugen.

He said so calmly that he believed me, and so calmly that he liked me.

He always hides in the dark silently and never exposes himself.

Just like it is always difficult for humans to see the activities of insects living in the soil or in the dark.

I still don't quite understand what it means to like someone, but Shino likes me, but I can't respond to him with the same feeling, which makes him painful.

"Ah."

Shikamaru nodded and put the bell away. I felt a little heavy in my heart, but he seemed very happy.

I stood on the corridor and watched him walk towards the courtyard wall, from being very close to me to getting farther and farther away.

"Shikamaru!"

He looked back at me, and subconsciously held the bell he had just put into his ninja tool bag. "What? Have you changed your mind?"

I ran over, hugged his neck, and felt my cheek against the warm skin of his neck.

I gave him one last tight hug, "I'm going to miss you."

"...Don't do this," Shikamaru whispered, "If I really can't leave, I'm doomed."

……

Shikamaru left and I had no intention of continuing reading, so I went to find Neji with the letter he asked me to pass on.

Bai is now Zabuza's personal bodyguard and has always followed him. He went out to work with the new Mizukage early this morning.

Before, Shukaku would lose control whenever Gaara fell asleep, so it was difficult for him to fall asleep. But since the last time he came out to fight the Three-Tails... no, it was after he met Uchiha Madara, even if Gaara fell asleep, Shukaku would stay quietly in the seal and no longer lose control.

Perhaps it's because he hasn't had a good rest for too long, Gaara has been very sleepy recently and is probably sleeping soundly in his room at this moment.

Zabuza asked a medical ninja to see him, but they couldn't find anything wrong with him. The medical ninja said that he was in a growing period and would grow taller if he got enough sleep.

Zabuza privately complained that with Gaara's sleeping pattern from daytime to midnight, he would probably grow to more than two meters tall in the future.

At this time, Neji should be practicing physical skills in the training ground on the other side.

As soon as I walked over, I saw him standing there looking at me, as if he had known I would come and had been waiting for me.

I couldn't help but pause. Seeing this, Neji took the initiative to say, "Shikamaru asked you to pass something to me, right?"

He really saw it.

I walked over slowly and handed him the letter: "You saw it, why didn't you come to stop it?"

"It's Shikamaru who came, not Kakashi. I don't think Shikamaru will do anything bad to you." Neji took the letter and said, "You haven't been in a good mood these days. I think you might be happier if you see him."

I rubbed my nose a little embarrassedly, "Hey, thank you. Shikamaru said that this is a letter from Hinata Hiashi to you."

He didn't tell anyone about my crying, which made me feel relieved.

Ningji opened the letter and looked down at it. I observed his expression and saw that he had no expression on his face most of the time, except for a few times when his brows were slightly furrowed.

It looks like...

The things given to him by Neji's old friend did not make him feel better.

I asked, "What did Hyuga Hiashi say?"

"He announced to the public that I was going on a secret mission and told me not to worry about being regarded as a traitor by Konoha and that there would be no execution order. He said he would protect me because I am his father's son." Neji put the letter down coldly. His fingers subconsciously bent slightly, as if he wanted to crumple the letter, but he stopped just before doing so.

He lowered his eyes and hesitated for a moment, then folded the letter again and put it in his pocket.

"It sounds like he's treating you well."

"Really? I think it's a condescending charity." Neji said coldly, "Obviously he himself can't bear the consequences of the news that someone in the branch family can break free from the cage, but he insisted on saying that he was protecting me. It's like my father clearly had no choice, but he said that my father chose to die freely. He wants to deceive others, but he deceived himself. His hypocrisy is disgusting."

I always feel that "family" is important and worth cherishing, but for Neji, his existing family only hurts him.

I thought about it and said, "Since Hyuga Hiashi said you are not a traitor, you still have a chance to return to Konoha in the future."

Ningji frowned and looked at me: "Are you going to drive me away?"

"No, I mean, Neji is no longer a caged bird, so is it possible for him to become the new head of the Hyuga clan?"

Ning Ci was taken aback.

Although he escaped the fate of splitting up the family, he seemed to just want to stay as far away from it as possible and never thought of becoming the "main family" himself.

"It's impossible... In a family as old and traditional as the Hyuga clan, sometimes even the clan leader has to listen to the elders' opinions. The elders will never agree to my succession."

I was unconvinced and said, "The previous Mizukage didn't agree with Zabuza's succession either."

Hearing this, Neji laughed and said, "But Asaka... Although I hate the rules of the Hyuga clan, they are my people after all. I can fight the Mizukage, but..."

I understand. If possible, Neji doesn't want to go to war with the Hyuga clan.

I nodded: "Then I'll think of another way!"

Neji smiled sincerely this time, "You should take care of yourself first. How long has Shikamaru been here, and has he restored your hope for Konoha?"

"I told Shikamaru that I would not return to Konoha. I had no hope for Konoha's restoration. I was just happy to know that Shikamaru did not blame me or misunderstand me."

"But what does Kakashi think, and what does another Konoha ninja named Yamanaka Wind think?" Neji said, "Shikamaru came to you. Was it his personal behavior, or did the other two know about it? Will he hide your existence, or will he tell Konoha everything you said?"

"Shikamaru said he didn't tell them."

"So they don't notice it?"

indeed……

Shikamaru is very smart, but Kakashi is also very sharp, and as for that Yamanaka Wind...

"I suspect that Yamanaka Fuu was the Anbu who controlled Gaara and attacked us during the Chunin Exam."

The ninjutsu used by that person at that time was very similar to the secret technique of the Yamanaka clan. Perhaps this person belonged to Danzo and came to take roots from Aburame.

"So... Kakashi is on the same side as Shikamaru, or is he on the same side as the ANBU?"

Considering that Kakashi will become Hokage in the future, I don't think he and Danzo will be on the same side.

but……

Kakashi, will you allow Shikamaru to come to me?

Will he agree with Shikamaru?

Shikamaru told me that it was okay not to return to Konoha, but Kakashi once even wanted to kill me in order to protect Konoha.

Now that I have confirmed his suspicion that I was a spy from the Hidden Mist Village, will he let me go?

"But what can he do?" I couldn't figure it out. "Is he planning to kill me again in the Hidden Mist Village?"