Plans!

On the way back to the Kurama Clan, Ming Jing remained silent the entire time. Tsukishiro Yuexi and Qing Yan did not dare speak either, assuming the Young Master was dissatisfied with the earlier battle. Asuma looked utterly baffled. The three kids had performed perfectly! What else could Ming Jing possibly be unhappy about?

Meanwhile, one question kept running through Ming Jing's mind. If the assumption from the previous chapter was true, should he stop it? Based on what Uchiha Itachi had said, Ming Jing really did feel the urge to go out and take Naruto down. That brat had actually lured away his cutest little sister. Absolutely unforgivable!

But all of that was based solely on his own guesswork, putting it nicely. Less nicely, he had imagined an entire unsatisfying plotline and then gone off to beat up the lead actor... In reality, that kind of behavior would get him locked up in a mental hospital!

"Whether it's true or not, taking Yakumo away can't be wrong!" Ming Jing made up his mind. He would accept the SSSS-rank mission issued by the daimyo. He refused to believe that Naruto, all the way in Konoha, could still lure Yakumo away after she had been taken to the Royal Capital!

Since he had decided to accept the mission, he had to complete it perfectly! There probably was not a mission this difficult anywhere in the entire Naruto anime, right? He just hoped the Hokage would not withhold the mission reward when the time came!

With that in mind, Ming Jing instructed Tsukishiro Yuexi, "Yuexi, gather information on the flooding along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. I need firsthand information. Once we get home, pack our luggage. We leave in two days and head straight to the border for an on-site inspection. Also, notify the Clan Head to prepare food and clothing. We may need them."

"Yes, Young Master!" Tsukishiro Yuexi nodded and committed Ming Jing's instructions to memory.

Seeing that Ming Jing no longer seemed opposed to the mission, Asuma could not help but ask with a smile, "Why do you suddenly have the resolve of a ninja?"

"Nothing much. I just want to take on a challenge." Ming Jing smiled. Of course, he would not tell Asuma that he had made this decision because he had imagined an entire plotline and then had his little-sister obsession flare up!

"Haha, whatever the reason, it's good that you agreed. I'll report to the Hokage! The daimyo is still waiting for an answer!" Asuma laughed heartily, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

"Young Master, you didn't make this decision because the daimyo pressured you, did you?" After watching Asuma's back disappear, Qing Yan unusually took the initiative to ask.

"No." Ming Jing shook his head. In any case, he now felt that leaving Konoha was the right choice!

Having received his answer, Qing Yan asked no more. He trusted Ming Jing absolutely. Yuexi, on the other hand, thought a little further ahead, but sadly, her train of thought could not keep up with Ming Jing's pace. She pondered for a long time without reaching any conclusion.

After returning to the clan, Ming Jing was surprised to find that Hyuga Hiashi had come. After dismissing the maids, Ming Jing and Hyuga Hiashi sat facing each other, while Tsukishiro Yuexi knelt nearby to serve them. A tea tray rested between them, holding a pot of green tea and a plate of snacks. The fragrance of tea drifted through the room.

"May I ask what brings Mr. Hiashi here to see me?" Ming Jing asked calmly as he refilled Hyuga Hiashi's tea.

"I heard that you accepted an SSSS-rank mission—to govern the Land of Fire?" Hyuga Hiashi looked at Ming Jing and asked in return.

Ming Jing gave a bitter smile and nodded. "That's right. The daimyo was too earnest to refuse, so I had no choice but to be pushed into it."

"As a ninja, going off to govern a country is rather neglecting your proper duties, isn't it?!" Hyuga Hiashi could not help raising his tone. The Kurama Clan doing business at least earned money to support themselves, so as their ally, Hyuga Hiashi had endured it while holding his nose. But was this not going too far?! What did ninja have to do with politicians?! Anything at all?!

"Mr. Hiashi is right. For a ninja, it really is somewhat neglecting my proper duties." Ming Jing nodded. He himself felt that after transmigrating into the Naruto World, running off to become an official instead of training and fighting monsters simply did not fit the style!

"Since you understand that, why accept this mission?" Hyuga Hiashi frowned. At first, he had assumed Ming Jing was young and had been drawn in by the empty allure of "governing a country," leading him to make an irrational choice. Now, it seemed things were not quite so simple!

Tsukishiro Yuexi spoke up from the side to explain, "Because it is a designated mission. The daimyo specifically requested my Young Master by name."

"Nonsense!" Hyuga Hiashi snorted coldly. He felt no fear toward the daimyo. After all, the Hokage bore the pressure from the daimyo, so it could not fall upon him.

"Actually, it is not entirely without merit." Ming Jing added at just the right moment, "The Land of Fire is Konoha's backing and financial supporter, with vast lands and a huge population. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. We cannot put all our eggs in one basket."

"Ming Jing, are you... planning to betray Konoha?" Calm light reflected in Hyuga Hiashi's pale eyes. He did not have much sense of belonging toward the Land of Fire, but he valued Konoha greatly. If Ming Jing truly intended to betray Konoha, the Hyuga Clan would have nothing to do with him, even if Hizashi died before his eyes.

"Mr. Hiashi," Ming Jing's expression also turned solemn as he met Hyuga Hiashi's gaze. "If I were alone, perhaps I would do that. But I have a clan, family, and friends. Those are called bonds, and they cannot be cast aside."

Hyuga Hiashi stared at Ming Jing. Tsukishiro Yuexi hardly dared breathe; she could sense that Hyuga Hiashi had already prepared himself to attack. After several breaths, Hyuga Hiashi finally said, "Good. I believe you."

"Phew..." Tsukishiro Yuexi looked at Hyuga Hiashi with lingering fear. Only at that moment did she truly understand just how pitifully inadequate her own strength was.

"It is also my fault for not explaining things clearly and causing Mr. Hiashi to misunderstand. Could it be that Mr. Hiashi does not wish to resolve the Hyuga Clan's Main Family and Branch Family system?" Ming Jing showed no adverse reaction at all and continued conversing with ease. Yuexi sighed inwardly. This was the difference between them!

"How would you resolve it?" Hyuga Hiashi asked.

"Mr. Hizashi only needs to act with me!" Ming Jing said with a smile. "Mr. Hizashi is currently presumed dead, and his identity cannot be made public. He might as well travel with me. First, it would help him avoid the scrutiny of those with ulterior motives. Second, he could investigate the areas around Konoha and find a suitable place for the Branch Family to settle in the future."

"More importantly, Hizashi can protect you too, correct?" Hyuga Hiashi lifted his teacup, took a sip, and spoke leisurely.

"If Mr. Hizashi is willing." Ming Jing refilled Hiashi's tea as he spoke.

Hyuga Hiashi closed his eyes and thought for a while. "Your proposed solution is to completely separate the Branch Family from the Main Family. It is not a particularly brilliant method, so your second reason does not hold."

Ming Jing froze slightly. His attempt to fool him had actually failed?! It seemed he still needed more practice!

"However," Hyuga Hiashi continued, "your first reason has persuaded me. I will arrange for Hizashi to accompany you."

"Thank you, Mr. Hiashi!" Ming Jing clasped his hands in salute. With Hyuga Hizashi, a Byakugan user and taijutsu expert, at his side, Ming Jing's safety would gain another layer of protection. More importantly, the Byakugan Kekkei Genkai was simply too useful.

"I know you are intelligent, and that your outlook differs from ours. But I hope you understand that as a ninja, you must possess a ninja's resolve. I see frightening talent in you, yet at the same time, you reject the ninja world. Ming Jing, tell me, what exactly is your goal?" Hyuga Hiashi sighed. If not for Hinata, he would not have said these things. No one knew how far someone who dared challenge the order of the ninja world might go.

Ming Jing also looked at Hyuga Hiashi with some surprise. He had not expected this man to notice something so subtle. Faced with the sudden question, Ming Jing did not panic. He straightened his back and said, "I have seen the cruelty of war, so I hope for peace. But ninja clearly cannot achieve that. The daimyo's request made me realize that perhaps I can fulfill my dream by taking another path?"

This was what was called a universal value!

And people in the Naruto World happened to be especially receptive to that. From the Sage of Six Paths, founder of Ninshu, to the First Hokage, then the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Nagato, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and finally Naruto, every one of them had struggled for the grand and righteous ideal of world peace.

But had any of them considered this issue from the perspective of nations or ordinary people? No. Their so-called peace placed all its hopes on harmonious coexistence between ninja villages. Even the Five Kage Summit completely set the daimyo aside, as though the ninja world had nothing to do with ordinary people.

But was that actually possible?

Huh?? It seemed he had gone off-topic!

Still, thinking about it this way, Ming Jing suddenly felt so great! It was as if some great sage of liberated thought had possessed him!

Damn it, he had only wanted to take his little sister far away from Naruto!...