Undercurrents Surge

"How troublesome!" Hearing Choji beside him, Shikamaru rolled his eyes and looked at the somewhat nervous Naruto in the room.

Basically, as the future head of the Nara Clan, Shikamaru knew a little more than ordinary people. Even Choji and Ino did not know as much as he did.

After all, the Nara Clan was highly intelligent. Simply put, they matured far earlier than other children their age, and Shikamaru's father had taught him far more than ordinary children were taught.

At the very least, Shikamaru knew that Naruto was being watched by all of Konoha's upper echelons. His family had also instructed him not to deliberately mock Naruto, but not to get too close to him either.

Though he did not know the reason behind his family's instructions, Ino had become friends with Naruto because of Samu Kokaze. As her childhood friend, he naturally could not embarrass her on her birthday.

With a soft sigh, he walked toward the somewhat nervous Naruto.

"Hello, I'm Shikamaru, Ino's friend, and this guy's too!"

Standing before Naruto, Shikamaru looked at the purple hair clip in Naruto's hand, his voice becoming considerably more sincere.

"I'm Choji, same as Shikamaru!" Seeing Shikamaru walk over to Naruto, Choji grabbed a handful of chips, stuffed them into his mouth, then walked over and spoke as well.

In Choji's eyes, following Shikamaru could never go wrong. Since Shikamaru was showing Naruto goodwill, he naturally had to follow along.

"I... I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he looked at the two greeting him.

Shikamaru nodded, then turned back. "Kokaze, time is tight. Let's go prepare Ino's present first. Choji and I will come back later." After speaking, he paused, gritted his teeth, and added, "Write down a list of what you want. I'll get it for you tomorrow!"

"Heh! Then I'll have to trouble you, Shikamaru!" Samu Kokaze said somewhat sheepishly from behind him.

"You bastard!"

With a cold snort, Shikamaru walked out of the shop, the door slamming shut with a bang behind him.

"Are they here to celebrate Ino's birthday too?" Naruto asked, excitement still lingering in his eyes.

"Yeah! They've known Ino even longer than I have. You could say they're friends who grew up together!"

Samu Kokaze responded to Naruto's question.

"I see." Naruto seemed to think of something and became slightly dejected, but upon looking at Samu Kokaze before him, he quickly regained his energy.

"Naruto, find somewhere to sit first. Let's play some shogi. I play with Shikamaru sometimes too. Once Choji and Shikamaru come back, we'll head to Ino's place."

Seeing Naruto standing around indoors with no idea what to do, Samu Kokaze took a board from the back room, placed it on the counter, and called out to him.

"Shogi?" Naruto hesitated, but soon shouted excitedly again, "Kokaze, watch me crush you!"

"Check! Hahaha, Kokaze, you're done for!"

"Hey! That move is wrong! You can't put me in check like that!"

"Oh, oh! Then like this! Still check!"

"That move's wrong too! Naruto, do you even know how to play?"

"You'll learn if you practice enough! Come on, another round!"

"Playing one game with you is more exhausting than playing ten games with Shikamaru!"

"Hahaha..."

Capital of the Land of Fire.

Although technology in the Naruto World was not especially advanced, the extraordinarily malleable energy known as chakra made constructing cities extremely simple.

As the face of the Land of Fire, the capital had been built with immense splendor. Bluestone paved its ground, tall buildings lined its streets, and ten-zhang-high walls carrying the scent of wind and rain enclosed the entire city.

At the very center of the capital stood the Land of Fire Daimyo's residence. Within a cluster of magnificent buildings near the Daimyo's estate, a group of people dressed in noble attire were currently arguing endlessly in a lavishly decorated hall.

"Sato Liandu, what are you trying to do by sending people to Konoha to kill without consulting us? Are you trying to drag the Sato Clan into hell!? Do you have any respect at all for us old men!"

An oval table stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs. An elderly man seated at the head of the table was slamming his palm down and roaring at a man below him who was much younger than everyone else present.

The old man's flushed cheeks and beard practically standing on end made it clear just how furious he was.

The man called Sato Liandu sat cross-legged in the council hall representing the Sato Clan, looking frivolous. Listening to the shouts echoing through the room, he lightly tapped the table.

After the room fell silent.

Sato Liandu said frivolously, "Oh my! My dear clan head, so what if Konoha finds out? We are nobles with a legacy spanning centuries. We were already nobles of the Land of Fire before Konoha was even established." He stressed the final sentence.

"And aside from those few clans in Konoha willing to debase themselves by mingling with commoners, who is worthy of the Sato Clan's regard?"

"Besides, killing a six- or seven-year-old child and disguising it as an accidental death would be far too easy, even in Konoha. After all, the person I sent was a Chunin."

Sato Liandu picked at his ear as he spoke, then glanced sideways at the elderly figure standing with a face full of rage. "Or are you afraid, Clan Head? Afraid of Konoha, or afraid that if I succeed, my prestige within the clan will soar and leave the already meager power in your hands even more diminished?"

"Sato Liandu! Is that how you speak to the clan head!"

A middle-aged man seated beside the Sato Clan head rose to his feet in fury and pointed at Sato Liandu as he shouted.

Sato Liandu looked at the man who had risen, a vicious smile curling across his lips. He lowered his crossed leg, stood, and bent forward slightly. "Isn't this our esteemed Second Elder? Your grandson Yuanji has been transporting supplies to the Land of Sand recently, hasn't he?"

"The world is so unstable these days, with bandits everywhere. Tell me, what if Yuanji were to die on his way back?"

"Making a white-haired man send off a black-haired man... tsk, tsk, tsk... Just thinking about that scene makes my heart ache!"

"You bastard! Are you threatening me!" The man called the Second Elder stood up, his face red with rage. He gritted his teeth and stared at the vicious face before him, his fists clenched tightly.

"Tsk! I never said that. But if you insist on standing in my way..."

Sato Liandu stood and walked to the Sato Clan's Second Elder, whispering into his ear, "Your only descendant, Yuanji—I guarantee he will never return from the Land of Wind!"

"And don't count on the three Chunin in the escort team. They... have long since become my men!"

"You...!"

The Sato Clan's Second Elder's pupils suddenly contracted. He stared fixedly at the face before him, then finally let out a desolate sigh and sat back down with his head lowered, not daring to look at his old companions beside him.

He was nearly sixty years old. In the Naruto World, where people often died due to years of war, that was already an impressive age. If only his own life were at stake, it would not matter; he had lived long enough. But he truly could not bear to watch his only grandson die in the clan's internal struggle.