Shikamaru didn't even need to look to know it was Ino's doing, and he wisely didn't ask any questions.
Ino likewise didn't hide much; she held up a finger to Santayu, signaling one million, meaning he shouldn't forget it.
The old man quickly nodded. That poison, which prevented Chakra extraction, was truly expensive and had many restrictions. To ensure Dotou Kazehana drank it, he used two inside men, in addition to Kazehana Koyuki's superb acting.
The process was a bit convoluted, but the result was excellent. No Ninja had to act, and Kazehana Koyuki successfully reclaimed her country, becoming the new ruler of the Land of Snow.
Slaying her enemy and reclaiming her country in this manner aligned with the values of the era; no one could find fault with it.
With the Land of Snow managed by its veteran ministers, Kazehana Koyuki was merely a figurehead. She had no intention of abandoning her acting career. After filming tale of the gutsy ninja, she planned to shoot a second part, which meant continuing her role as the female lead in icha icha paradise.
Everyone also went to see the so-called secret treasure of the Land of Snow. It was a large geothermal device that had accumulated energy for over a decade since Dotou Kazehana's usurpation. After activation, it could maintain a warm climate in the Land of Snow for about a year, after which things would return to normal. The immense power of nature truly couldn't be resisted by the current level of scientific technology.
Although the warm climate wouldn't last too long, the changes brought by Kazehana Koyuki still earned her the enthusiastic support of the populace. The search of Dotou Kazehana's treasury also found enough to pay Ino's reward, making everyone happy.
The train in the Land of Snow greatly interested Ino. This was useless for Ninja, but certainly useful for commoners and nobles.
One must remember that nobles currently traveled in palanquins and ox-carts. A train, in this day and age, was absolutely a groundbreaking invention.
She still needed to seriously consider when and where to build this thing, but the technology had to be in her hands.
Ino discounted the price by two million, acquiring a series of technical documents related to the train. Aside from the "Back Support," these technical documents were her greatest gain in the Land of Snow.
"Ino, come, open your mouth and have a piece of sushi." Hinata thought long and hard, still feeling uneasy. She was worried about waking up one day and finding Ino blind or dead, which gave her nightmares all night, sometimes even making her cry out in her sleep.
On the way back, Hinata had been observing Ino from the shadows.
Afterward, she started cooking for her.
Shikamaru and Choji were sparring on the water, and since no one was cooking, Ino didn't refuse.
When she was free, she would go to the film set to watch the excitement, or continue researching her Ninjutsu, or studying train blueprints. Hinata, after finishing her scenes, would come to feed her at every mealtime, then use the close proximity to carefully observe her eyes.
"Today's pork rolls are quite tasty. Hmm, these pork rolls remind me of Tonton. I wonder if Tonton is happy lately..." Everything was fine with Tsunade, except that not being able to eat pork was a bit difficult. Hinata had been making her various meat dishes these past two days, with meat at every meal, making Ino's mouth water.
It must be said that while Hinata's Ninja abilities were average, she was truly excellent at cooking and housework. Feeding Ino, tidying her room, washing her clothes—she managed all these trivial matters in an orderly fashion. In terms of housework, she had definitely reached Kage-level.
"Hey, hey, stop looking. My eyes are really fine, and I won't suddenly drop dead." Seeing Hinata finish clearing the dishes, she had already left the room, but still poked her head back, cautiously peering at her. Ino really didn't know how to explain it anymore.
"Are you really okay? But I... I'll still help you wash your clothes, okay? Where are your dirty clothes?"
"Don't change the subject! I'm really fine! Look how bright my eyes are?" Ino stared at Hinata without blinking.
Hinata, with caution, waved her hand twice in front of her.
Ino: "..."
I'm not blind, why are you waving?
No matter how much Ino explained, Hinata wouldn't believe her. The records of her family had truly terrified her, and she now believed Ino was just comforting her, serving her with even more effort.
Ino suddenly remembered something and asked, "Oh, right, if the Hyuga Clan asks about your Dojutsu Power skyrocketing, how do you plan to answer?"
Hinata stammered, clearly not having thought about the question.
Ino instructed her: "Just say you had a breakthrough in battle. If the Hyuga Clan asks for details, be vague and say you don't know, you're not sure. Remember? Your expression should show a little confusion, and your words should sound a bit uncertain."
Hinata nodded like a pecking chick: "Oh... But your eyes, are your eyes really okay?"
"...Alright, are we still having pork rolls tonight? I think the ones at lunch were a bit salty."
"Mm-hmm, I'll definitely improve them."
Kazehana Koyuki and Santayu were going back to Konoha Village to film. Seeing Hinata's meticulous care for someone, they immediately believed Ino's previous statement about the "great consumption." Good heavens, she wouldn't die on the way, would she? Santayu came over very sincerely to apologize, believing that he had previously judged a gentleman by his own petty standards.
Ino couldn't possibly explain the relationship between sage eye, Sage Body, and Dojutsu Power to them. Think whatever you want!
Back in Konoha Village.
The film crew continued shooting the remaining scenes. Aside from Ino and a few others, no one knew that if the female lead didn't perform well in her acting, she would go home and become a Daimyo.
Kazehana Koyuki continued to use the stage name Fuji Kazehana Yukie, and Santayu continued to be her agent. The events in the Land of Snow only appeared in Ino and Shikamaru's reports and were subsequently filed in Konoha Village's archives.
There was half a month left until the Chunin Exams, which was New Year's Day in Konoha Year 64. A not-so-small piece of news broke out among the Ninja clans.
Hinata, whose Dojutsu Power had greatly advanced, had not only mastered the Hyuga Clan's Hakke. Kaiten but had also found a weakness in battle, defeating Hyuga Neji by one move. This victory was mainly due to Neji underestimating her, but Hinata's sudden increase in strength was also evident.
Hinata, who was originally at the bottom of the Konoha 12, suddenly surged to a mid-level standing, which made Sakura feel immense pressure.
Able to use Water Release Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Medical Ninjutsu, Sakura's strength was considered strong compared to other Female Ninja of her age, outside of the Konoha 12. Many Ninja from civilian backgrounds simply didn't have the opportunity to learn these things, and she originally didn't have very high demands for her personal strength; good enough was fine.
But Ino had long since sprinted to the forefront, Tenten, a year above them, had always been strong, and now even Hinata, who had always been at the bottom with her, had gotten stronger. She felt a bit lost, wondering if she was about to fall behind.
Sasuke was diligently training his sword skills in the training ground, and Naruto was attending remedial classes. Feeling down, she could only wander alone in the back mountains.
As she walked, she suddenly saw a long-haired girl at the halfway point of the mountain, engrossed in painting.
Who was this? She didn't seem to have seen this girl before, and she subconsciously walked over.
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