Hinata and Sasuke

It was late May.

The Jonin Expansion Conference was held a few days later. There weren't many participants: the Jonin Commander leaders and representatives, several captains and high-ranking members of Jonin Anbu, and other Jonin holding important positions, totaling about forty or fifty people. Sakura Haruno, a newly Jonin, also attended the conference, but she basically just went along without saying a word.

Most people in this circle have already heard that she recently fought Orochimaru again; and she fought two against Orochimaru and the Second Hokage, whom he Impure World Reincarnation using Edo Tensei. Her impressive record has been updated once again.

So while attending the meeting, Sakura occasionally noticed people secretly watching her, looking very curious, and some were even whispering among themselves. After all, such a formidable newcomer was someone you might only see a few times in your entire life; from the year before last until now, Sakura has maintained a record of facing a "Kage" level enemy every year, which is something that not everyone can do.

As the Team Kakashi that completed their initial contact with Kirigakure and their mission, all four members of Kakashi's team were invited to attend; Kakashi was even pulled onto the stage by Tsunade to explain the mission process and his experiences in Mist Ninja.

Sakura had already heard and seen this content at the high-level meeting. Kakashi rarely spoke in public and gave a serious report, but she ignored him completely and Earth Flow to have her own meeting with Hinata in the audience.

"Ahem, the specifics are what Jonin Kakashi recounted." Tsunade escorted Kakashi away, and glared at Sakura Haruno, who was chuckling to herself with Hinata. Sakura immediately straightened up, becoming serious and no longer daring to laugh.

"Based on the information I sent you before, you should all have a good understanding of the situation in Kirigakure," the Fifth Hokage said, seeing that the disciple who had been whispering to Hinata had calmed down, "Let's not waste any more time, let's vote!"

"Those who agree to establish diplomatic relations with Mist Ninja, please raise your hands," Tsunade said.

A forest of arms shot up from below the stage.

Tsunade's proposal was passed by a large majority.

After the vote, Tsunade decisively announced the end of the meeting. The ninjas either vanished from the meeting room Body Flicker Technique a flash or gathered in twos and threes, chatting as they left.

The Jonin were all very busy, so such meetings were a rare opportunity for acquaintances to get together. After the meeting, they went their separate ways. Even Sakura Haruno, who had been spending a lot of time with the children lately, rarely saw Sasuke and the others, so she dragged Hinata and Sasuke to do something.

"It's still a bit early for lunch." Stepping out of the meeting room, Sasuke glanced at the sun overhead; the sunlight outside was so bright it was almost blinding. He squinted as he spoke.

"Are we going to train?" Sakura Haruno laughed. "I've never seen Hinata and Sasuke before!"

It's strange that it happened.

Hinata and Sasuke are both her best friends and have a very close relationship with her, but they don't usually keep in touch and are just casual acquaintances; after leaving the Ninja Academy, the two have hardly sparred at all.

The girl with Byakugan and the boy with Red Eye exchanged a glance.

Their biggest impression of each other was that he/she had a close relationship with Sakura Haruno, and they didn't know much else about each other. It was probably due to the influence of their family traditions— the Byakugan and Sharingan had always been two families that were openly and secretly fighting each other, so the two of them always had a sense of never interacting with each other.

However, after this two-month-long mission, the two became much more familiar with each other.

Hinata smiled slightly and said, "I can't compare to Sasuke! You know that without even sparring. Sasuke has already been promoted to Special Jōnin."

"Hinata, you're very strong too," Sasuke kindly. "Your Taijutsu and Hokuto Shinken are both very powerful... If we were to spar, I wouldn't dare say I could easily beat you!"

Sakura Haruno watched with a smile as the two of them exchanged compliments, each trying to flatter the other.

"Don't be modest, you're practically Jonin already!" Hinata patted Sasuke on the shoulder and said with a smile, "When are you planning to take the exam? Neji is aiming for Jonin this year!"

Since acquiring the Hokuto Shinken, Neji and Hinata have experienced another period of strong growth in strength. Neji, in particular, can now use the fourth punch of the Hokuto Shinken. With his superb Taijutsu, his strength has surpassed the Jonin level. He is now slowly gaining experience and qualifications in preparation for the Jonin end of the year.

"Probably after the Chunin Ninja Exams," Sasuke casually, glancing at Hinata. "You'll be there soon too."

"It's still early. I only recently joined the Anbu," Hinata, nudging Sakura Haruno with her elbow. "I'm not like Sakura, who can be promoted twice a year!"

The pink-haired girl rolled her Hinata, realizing that she had been inexplicably dragged into this.

"You two can just flatter each other, don't drag me into this," she quickly said. "This is a rare opportunity, let's spar! You two weren't tired of practicing back in the Land of Water, were you?"

"No, we haven't even had any in-depth training," Sasuke explained. "How could we dare reveal our Ninjutsu in a place like that? We've just been holed up in the accommodations they provided, doing nothing. By the way, are you going to Kirigakure next?"

"We're taking all three kids with us, then we'll set off." Sakura Haruno shrugged. "So, is there anything we need to be careful about in the Mist Ninja area?"

"It still feels a bit chaotic," Sasuke shook his head. "It's not a security issue, it's just that many people seem to have doubts about the open policy, or even oppose it... You know I'm not very sensitive to these things, but I can tell that there are still some people in Mist Ninja who hold different opinions."

Hinata sighed, "There are people trying to contact us, both openly and secretly, hoping to cause trouble. It's driving Kakashi-sensei crazy. Luckily, we're honored guests, and our overall strength is great, so they don't dare to cause any trouble."

Hearing the two of them say this, Sakura Haruno suddenly felt a headache coming on.

It seems the situation in Kirigakure is not yet completely clear.

"Haven't they already reached a consensus?" Sakura asked, frowning.

"It's not that simple. The current Fifth Mizukage is certainly bold, but he's also facing a lot of opposition and pressure to implement these reforms, abandoning the traditions of Mist Ninja that have been passed down for so many years. Many people can't accept this change of heart and are very resistant." Hinata lowered her voice, whispering almost in Sakura's ear, "The Fifth Mizukage has just taken power and is already making big moves. Mist Ninja right now!"

This situation... is a bit complicated.

"It's definitely not an easy task..." Sakura Haruno sighed inwardly. No wonder Tsunade assigned this task to her.

"In short, let's put our hearts first!" Sasuke added. "Just be careful with your words and actions. But if it's you, there shouldn't be any problems."

Sakura Haruno's fighting power alone is probably equivalent to the strength of their entire group from before.

Hinata chuckled, "Alright, let's not talk about that! We have some time today, Sasuke, why don't we do what she asked and have a spar?"

Compared to the mild-mannered girl in the original work, she is much more ambitious; she wasn't familiar with Sasuke before, but now that they are, she wants to find an opportunity to spar with him a few times and see the power of the Sharingan. Sakura Haruno made this suggestion, she readily agreed.

Sakura Haruno glanced at Sasuke, who was still hesitant, and added, "Don't hesitate, Sasuke!"

"Let me see your three summoning Ninja Cat! Oni and Zhi are over a year old now, they should be able to fight, right? And there's that big orange cat, Yoru Uo," Sakura couldn't help but laugh when she mentioned the chubby cat, "Has it lost weight?"

"Don't even mention it! Last time I summoned Yoru Uo, it almost used the Ninja Cat Crushing Vendors Technique on me!" Sasuke still felt lingering fear whenever he thought of that. Since coming to Konoha, that big fat cat had had plenty of food and had gotten even fatter... He had been woken up by it several times at night, a nightmare he absolutely didn't want to relive!

"And then there's the Oni siblings, their Ninjutsu..." Sasuke hesitated, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Sakura Haruno rarely saw Sasuke so agitated, and asked curiously.

The black-haired boy waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to come out no matter how much Sakura Haruno asked and coaxed him.

However, this did not stump Sakura Haruno. The Oni siblings had not learned many Ninjutsu, and even fewer that could be used in Sasuke's battles.

There should only be one technique, and it was the technique that Sakura Haruno taught him.

"Is it that Combination Transformation Technique?" She only needed to think for a moment to guess the truth.

She remembered this technique from a manga she recalled from her past life. In the story, Naruto Gamabunta used this technique together, turning into a giant fox. Although Oni and Akatsuki had a lot of Chakra, they were essentially two cats. Sasuke had been struggling with how to use their power in battle, and then Sakura Haruno introduced this technique to him.

In theory, when Sasuke and the Ninja Cat use this technique together and merge into one, he will not only receive Chakra replenishment from the Ninja Cat, but also gain the abilities of a feline. His agility and balance will be greatly enhanced, making it a highly practical Ninjutsu.

Since Sasuke doesn't have a particularly large amount of Chakra and is a speed-type ninja, using this technique to fuse with the Ninja Cat should be considered a perfect match for Sasuke.

Is there a problem?

Sakura noticed something amiss from Sasuke's complicated expression. "Could it be...?"

Sasuke quickly covered her mouth, hurriedly saying, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore, Hinata, let's go spar!"

Hinata looked over curiously, Sasuke was immediately embarrassed. He wouldn't tell anyone that his appearance would undergo subtle changes when using this Ninjutsu...

Strength or image, that is the question!

(Second update! I'm revising the outline... please forgive the slow updates...)