Chapter 30: Many Wives, Much Fortune! Hinata's Crisis!Orochimaru licked his lips with his tongue: "Minato, both you and I know that the crisis the Ninja Worldis about to face goes far beyond internal strife like the Uchiha. When the true threat arrives, what we need is not just power, but... 'possibilities' that transcend the conventional.""And Uzumaki Naruto, as well as this 'Ivy' team that your wife has built... perhaps that is that 'possibility'."Minato remained silent for a long time.Finally, he extended his hand: "The cooperation can begin. But all terms must be executed according to the revisions made by Kushina. Furthermore, I need your guarantee! No matter what happens in the future, Guren and Tayuya are first and foremost members of Ivy, and only secondarily your subjects of observation."Orochimaru shook his hand, a profound smile on his face: "Deal.""However, Minato, a friendly reminder! Danzo has already noticed our contact. You had better... be prepared."The meeting concluded.Orochimaru departed, and Minato stood alone in the room, looking out at the night view of Konohafrom the window.It was brightly lit, peaceful, and serene.But beneath this peace, how many undercurrents were truly hidden?He did not know.But he knew that from this day on, the path of Uzumaki Naruto, the path of Ivy, the path of Konoha... would all head in a direction no one could predict because of the handshake tonight.Late that same night, at Ivy Garden.Naruto lay in bed, unable to sleep.Of course, it was absolutely not because of Izumi's sleeping face! It was just too cute!He thought of the bit of crystal control technique Guren had finally taught him during the day, the first smile Tayuya had ever shown him, the increasingly confident gaze of Hinata, the Sharingan of Izumi which, though still tinged with sorrow, had begun to shine, and the way Sakuraand Ino were noisy yet had perfect tacit understanding...Then he thought of his father's weary eyes, the silhouette of his mother still studying scrolls late at night, the firelight from that night with the Uchiha, and Shisui, Itachi, and everyone else fighting in the shadows.He sat up and walked to the window.Under the moonlight, the training ground was empty. But he could almost see that in the future, there would be more companions there, more intense training, laughter, and tears as well.And he would become the pillar for everyone."I will become stronger," he whispered to himself, "Strong enough to protect everyone, strong enough to ensure that nights like this... are forever peaceful."Outside the window, a white snake slithered across the eaves, its golden eyes flashing in the darkness before disappearing.And in the deeper shadows, a masked member of "Root" was recording everything that had happened tonight.The aftermath of the Uchiha incident had not yet fully subsided in Konoha, but training at Ivy Gardenhad already entered a new phase.Autumn sunlight filtered through the leaves onto the training ground, refracting the crystals Guren had created into rainbow-like spots of light.Tayuya's flute music was no longer a piercing, demonic sound, but had become much more melodic, at least when she deliberately controlled it."Stop!" Kushina clapped her hands to halt the sparring, "Guren, your crystal control has improved, but your Chakra consumption is still too high. Tayuya, the range of your flute Genjutsu has expanded, but your precision has dropped. Remember, control is more important than power."The two new members nodded, panting. They had joined Ivy for a month now; although they were still quiet, the strained hostility in their eyes had dissipated, replaced by the fatigue from training and frustration with their own shortcomings.Naruto handed over water bottles with a grin: "You're already very impressive! Guren's crystal wall blocked Big Sister Izumi's Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu yesterday!""That was because I controlled the power," Izumi walked over, her Sharingan already deactivated, "However, Guren, your current defensive capability is indeed qualified to serve as the team's front line."Guren took the water bottle, her lips curling up involuntarily before she immediately suppressed it: "...Still far from enough."On the other side, Tayuya was asking Hinata for advice: "You said that in my flute music, the Chakraflow has a'stagnation' at the third note?"Hinata nodded, blushing, and said softly: "The Byakugan saw it... there seems to be a 'knot' there, every time it reaches that point, the Chakra slows down a little bit...""Can you draw it?""I, I'll try..."Watching the new and old members gradually finding their rhythm, a flash of relief crossed Kushina's eyes. But the worry in her heart had not lessened.The first phase of the "Nine-Tailed ChakraGuidance Plan" provided by Orochimaru was about to begin testing, and reports from the Azure Dragon Team indicated that Danzo's "Root" had been frequently active recently.What concerned her even more was another piece of intelligence: the diplomatic delegation from the Hidden Cloud Village would arrive in Konoha next week, nominally to conduct "consultations on the reform of the Chunin Exams system," but the secret letter intercepted by "Aoi" revealed that one of their true goals was to assess the defensive gaps in Konoha following the Uchiha incident.And... to obtain the Byakugan bloodline of the Hyuga Clan.Late at night three days later, at the Hyuga Clangrounds.When Hinata returned home after finishing her Ivytraining, she found the atmosphere unusually heavy.Her father, Hiashi, sat upright in the main hall, his twin brother Hizashi standing beside him, and several Jonin from the branch family, including her cousin Neji, were kneeling before them."...Three scout experts at the Jonin level have infiltrated the Hidden Cloud delegation," a branch family elder said in a deep voice, "Their goal is very clear. The main family must strengthen its guard."Hiashi's gaze swept over everyone present and finally landed on Hinata: "Hinata, starting tomorrow, you will move to the main family's inner courtyard to live, and training will temporarily be conducted at home.""Fa, Father?" Hinata was stunned, "But the training at Ivy...""I have already spoken with Uzumaki Kushina," Hiashi's voice was unquestionable, "In these special times, the safety of the Byakugan bloodline is above all else."Hizashi could not help but speak up: "Elder Brother, if needed, the branch family can arrange 24-hour guard shifts.""No need," Hiashi waved his hand, "Anbu has already dispatched additional personnel. You all just do your own jobs."
