It was hard not to make the connection upon seeing that appearance.
"...She looks so much like Naruto," Tsunade murmured.
"No, that hair color... that appearance... it should be... Kushina," Utatane Koharu muttered.
"She looks exactly the same as she did back then..." Mitokado Homura found it equally unbelievable.
They had suspected her identity before, but upon seeing her appearance, most of those doubts had actually faded away.
No.
Rather, after seeing her appearance, they became even more certain that she truly was from the Uzumaki Clan.
"Where is this girl now?" Tsunade stood up at once.
"She's performing a ritual dance for a festival hosted by the merchant guild."
—That part was true.
Though she did not officially hold the title, Naruko really could be considered a genuine shrine maiden, and she was capable of taking part in such performances.
Sparkle generally did not use crude methods like hypnosis to directly control others.
Sparkle preferred guiding people into taking action of their own accord.
First, she used suggestion, then guided the merchant caravan into actively seeking out a shrine maiden for a festival event.
With the Chunin Exam approaching, not only would ninja come, but many spectators would arrive as well. And the world of the Hokage was fundamentally modern rather than ancient, so commercial activity was equally abundant.
As long as she gave things a slight push, she could make the event happen. Then, with a little embellishment, she could create the illusion that Naruko had come to Konoha alongside the merchant caravan.
Well... as long as Naruko did not let anything slip.
If time had not been so short, Sparkle could have done even better.
—Come on, I'm the real Fictional Historian!
"I plan to go take a look," Tsunade said.
"Let's go together," the two advisors