Chapter 24: Who Moved My Cash Cow?
The night before entering the Forest of Death.
In a corner of Konoha Village, a high-end teahouse called "Ye Lan" hung up a wooden sign that read "Reserved for Today."
The private room at the very back was quiet. The four women sitting there formed a somewhat strange combination.
Kurenai Yuhi was sipping her tea elegantly, her red eyes observing everyone's reactions.
Opposite her, Anko Mitarashi sat with her legs crossed, devouring glutinous rice dumplings as if venting the frustration she had felt in the forest earlier.
In the corner, Hinata lowered her head, her index fingers twining together anxiously, her face very red.
Ino Yamanaka, who had just entered not long ago, looked at the others with a suspicious expression.
"Teacher Kurenai, calling us here so late and even using an encrypted code that only the Sensory Unitunderstands..." Ino finally couldn't help but speak up. "It couldn't just be so we can watch each other drink tea, right?"
She felt that the atmosphere in the room was off. This didn't seem like a typical gathering of Joninand Genin; it felt more like a secret meeting.
"Alright! Stop beating around the bush! Aren't you tired?" Anko was straightforward. With a wave of her hand, a translucent pale blue light screen flickered before them for a moment—a phenomenon that occurred when Sky Screen Holders resonated with each other.
"I'll just say it! That pervy brat called Uzumaki Naruto! All those messy voices in his head... you can all hear them, right?"
These words made Ino's eyes widen in shock, her mouth forming an "O" shape, before she suddenly looked at Hinata. "Does that mean Hinata also...?"
Hinata buried her head even lower, her voice as small as a mosquito's. "Y-yes."
"As I thought." Anko snorted coldly and leaned back, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "It seems I'm not the only one who has this ninja world sky screen."
Having confirmed each other's identities, the previously tense atmosphere actually relaxed. Since everyone had this strange ability, there was no need to hide it anymore.
"Since everyone here is a listener, the theme of today's tea party is clear," Kurenai Yuhi said, smoothing her hair and regaining her calm composure. "It's about how to utilize this resource and... information sharing."
"That bastard brat!" At the mention of Naruto, Inogritted her teeth, her cheeks flushing. "Do you know what he's thinking in that head of his? During the exam today, he actually... actually wanted to see me and Broad Forehead tearing each other's clothes off!"
"That's nothing," Anko curled her lip disdainfully. "That kid even wanted me to be in the interrogation room, dressed in rags for him... Tsk." Halfway through, she seemed to realize it was inappropriate and stopped awkwardly.
"Ahem." Yuhi
Kurenai coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment; after all, she had also been the subject of Naruto's fantasies about strange ways to die. She immediately brought the topic back on track. "Let's not talk about the explicitness for now. The point is, have you noticed the pattern?"
Everyone's gaze focused on Kurenai.
"As long as we cause him to have fantasies, especially those with strong desires or impulses to change fate, we can become stronger," Kurenai pointed out directly. "Like Anko, that ability of yours to suppress the Cursed Seal—that's how you got it, right?"
Anko touched the back of her neck and nodded silently. That power was real; her Chakra flow was smoother than ever before.
"And... the more... the more shameless the thoughts, the better the rewards."
At that moment, Hinata, who had been quiet all along, suddenly interjected weakly. As the first person to discover the secret, she had more experience in this regard than anyone.
"Um... as long as we cooperate with him a little, like knocking over red bean soup, or acting a bit... frail in battle... the heavenly curtain will judge his 'desire to protect' and 'possessiveness' as off the charts." Although Hinata was so ashamed she felt like fainting, she still mustered the courage to share her insights for Naruto's sake.
"Hiss—" Ino gasped, her gaze toward Hinatachanging. Was this really that young lady who only knew how to twiddle her fingers? She was practically an expert!
Kurenai and Anko looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
This little girl had already figured out the trick.
"Therefore, our interests are aligned," Kurenai Yuhisaid. "Naruto is a treasure trove, but his current situation is very dangerous. Orochimaru has targeted him, and there will be more enemies in the future."
"If we act individually, not only will it be easy to expose the existence of the heavenly curtain, but we'll also waste resources. For example, in today's fight against Orochimaru, if we could have acted in coordination with Naruto's inner voice, the results would have been much better."
"I propose we form a temporary alliance."
"I've already thought of a name," Anko slapped the table excitedly. "Let's call it the 'Nobody Touches My Cash Cow' Alliance!"
"That's... too vulgar," Ino's lip twitched. "How about the 'Naruto Fan Club'?"
"Um... would 'Konoha Protection Squad' be okay?" Hinata suggested softly.
Finally, they looked at each other and reached a tacit understanding. Regardless of the name, there was only one core purpose:
Sharing Naruto's information, squeezing every bit of value out of the system, and—absolutely not letting this Blond Kid die at the hands of others.
At the moment their four palms were stacked together, symbolizing the establishment of this secret organization, the heavenly curtains in their minds simultaneously emitted a crisp notification sound.
[Ding!]
[Detected four high-potential Sky Screen Holdersreaching a mental alliance.]
[Function Unlocked: Heavenly Curtain Private Group Chat Channel (Beta Version).]
[Note: Within a certain range, you can conduct thought dialogues regardless of distance, making it more convenient to formulate tactics for the protagonist.]
The four of them looked at the chat box icon that suddenly appeared in their minds, their expressions varied. This ability, the service was just too thoughtful.
At the same time.
On the other side of Konoha Village, Naruto, who was humming a little tune and carrying a special order of char siu for Uncle Ichiraku, suddenly shuddered.
But he didn't feel cold; instead, he felt a surge of heat rushing from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.
It was a very strange feeling.
[Huh? What's going on?]
Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled.
[Is something wrong with the system? Or is that fox Nine-Tailed making trouble again? Why does it feel like the surroundings are filled with a very strange aura?]
[Hiss... could it be that my handsomeness has already triggered celestial changes? Or maybe my future harem is collectively missing me in some corner? Hehehe, if that's the case, it would be worth it even if I lost ten years of my life!]
[But this energy... it's so hot! It feels like something is about to awaken from within my body. Could it be the chains of the Uzumaki Clan?]
Before he could think further, the system's always-late notification sound finally arrived.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host is not only alive, but his charm is off the charts. Detected multiple high-intensity, high-bond female Chakras secretly weaving a web for you.]
[System Judgment: Your current situation is both safe and extremely dangerous.]
[Special Reward Pre-load: Uzumaki Clan Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Attacking Chains(Unactivated).]
[Activation Condition: Subjected to higher intensity stimulation (both physical and mental).]
"Huh?" Naruto looked at the air in front of him, confused. "Adamantine Attacking Chains? That's my mom's ultimate move, right? What do you mean 'unactivated'? Looking down on me?"
"Tsk, whatever. Anyway, the great me is already strong enough now."
Naruto tossed his head confidently, his eyes flashing with a confident and hot-blooded light