Hinata, Stop Pretending

This had caught them completely off guard. By the time they reacted, there was nothing they could do.

They were unwilling and in pain, yet they could only swallow their bitterness in silence, keeping it buried in their hearts.

They could only keep resisting, forcing themselves to delay the other side's advance for even one more second.

But today was different. Why? Because they had finally, though belatedly, noticed the changing situation in the ninja world.

From this, they naturally concluded that while the situation was clearly aimed at the Artisan Ninja Village, more precisely, it was aimed at the Four Heavenly Phenomena faction.

Perhaps relying on outside help to gain victory was somewhat disgraceful, but they could no longer afford to care about that.

After all, so many years had passed. They were old—old enough to let go of many things. To them, as long as the legacy of their conservative branch of the Artisan Ninja Village could continue,

they would truly have no regrets.

Besides, because of the Artisan Ninja Village's special status, no one truly wished to wipe out the village directly, even if its strength was lacking.

Yet it was indispensable, supplying the major nations of the ninja world with everything from Kunai and Shuriken to blades capable of efficiently conducting Chakra, as well as all kinds of large, immensely powerful weapons.

It was the classic ninja-world arms dealer: able to move between the major ninja villages, not especially powerful itself, yet capable of deciding the outcome of a war.

A Lively Inn

Their special status gave them a special position, and that position, shaped by their special status, had become something unshakable.

Thus, they were not worried in the slightest. Or rather, their inner wishful thinking had already convinced them that no matter how chaotic