Chapter 269
After all, humans are one race after all, and human civil wars are different from threats from alien species.
"Since Orochimaru has chosen to betray, it seems that we have to choose a new contract partner."
"And Hinata Hinata...what is her origin?"
…
Of course, Hinata, who was far away in Konoha, had no idea about the affairs of Ryūchi Cave.
Hinata was in a very good mood recently. After confirming her cooperation with Orochimaru, Hinata went into space that night and took back Urashiki's eyes.
It's just that Orochimaru still needs further experiments, so Hinata has not made a deal with Orochimaru for the time being.
Nara family.
Hinata and Shikamaru sat opposite each other on both sides of the table. There was a shogi board on the table, and the pieces of both sides were indistinguishable.
Although Shikamaru is a genius with an IQ of over 200, and his level of shogi playing is top-notch, he can't stand Hinata's cheating and regretting, and he has lost to Hinata three games in a row.
Seeing that another chess piece was about to be eaten by Shikamaru, Hinata immediately stopped.
"Hey! I just took the wrong step, so it doesn't count!"
After regretting a move, Hinata scratched her head and thought hard for a long time before changing her move again.
Shikamaru had a look of helplessness on his face. He rubbed his red and swollen face and his aching stomach, gritting his teeth and recognizing Hinata, the swindler.
There was no choice, either get beaten or accept it. Hinata didn't give Shikamaru a third option at all.
"By the way, you called me here today just to play shogi, right?"
After killing Shikamaru so badly once again, Hinata no longer wanted to win...it was too easy to win, it was boring!
Shikamaru made a bitter look on his face and sighed: "Hokage-sama asked me to be responsible for this joint chuunin exam. After all, I have to contact Sunagakure Village, and I don't know much about it."
Hinata understood.
Hinata has been to Sunagakure Village twice and has had contact with the top management of Sunagakure Village. Shikamaru is here to get information.
"Gaara is quite easy to talk to, but after all, he is still young, and there are many high-level officials in Sunagakure Village... Moreover, this joint chunin exam is mainly because Sunagakure Village wants to promote its reputation, and we in Konoha are not good either. Stealing their thunder.”
Shikamaru felt even more uncomfortable when he heard this.
"That's why I don't know what to do!"
Shikamaru said weakly: "We can't steal the limelight of Sunagakure Village, and we can't let Konoha lose face. The risks involved are too great, and they are beyond our control."
"If one thing is not handled well, I, the person in charge, will bear the responsibility!"
At the end of the sentence, Shikamaru looked at the blue sky outside with a depressed face. He really wanted to be as free as the clouds!
Chapter 414: Growing up is really not a good feeling
Hinata recalled her two visits to Sunagakure Village and briefly introduced the situation there.
"By the way, you can definitely ask Uncle Shikaku for advice on this kind of thing!"
Shikamaru said helplessly: "If dad is willing to take care of me, I won't have to worry."
Hinata looked at Shikamaru for a few times. Although this guy looked a little salty, he was a person with shoulders and willing to take responsibility.
Shikamaru always tried his best to do the tasks assigned to him by the village.
Shikamaru himself is a very responsible person. Tsunade and Nara Shikaku also seem to be interested in training Shikamaru, so they will leave the matter of the joint chuunin exam to Shikamaru.
Speaking of which, the balance of the ninja world has now been broken, and Konoha does not care about the ranking in the joint chuunin examination.
As long as Hinata is still in Konoha, the other four major ninja villages cannot and dare not interfere in Konoha's interests.
Everything Hinata could think of, Shikamaru could naturally think of.
After all, Shikamaru is still a bit young and energetic, and he doesn't want to see stains on his ninja resume. At the same time, it is also his sense of responsibility that drives Shikamaru to do his duty.
Hinata looked away and said in a faint tone: "You have really matured a lot in the past two years!"
Shikamaru's face was full of sorrow: "I would rather be a child forever. Growing up doesn't feel good!"
Hinata rolled her eyes, she was only fourteen, and Shikamaru was lamenting his lost youth like an old man.
"If you and Xiao Li can complement each other, I think it would be great!"
Shikamaru lay on the floor with his hands behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling, and asked seemingly unintentionally: "What about you, what have you been busy with recently?"
Although Hinata spends most of her time at home studying ninjutsu in the past few months, she occasionally gets together with her classmates.
Although the friendship between the two Xiaoqiang did not break up, perhaps Hinata was too big-hearted. With Shikamaru's sensitivity, he could naturally detect some small differences.
"me……"
Hinata also put her hands behind her head and lay on the other side of the table.
"I just want to study ninjutsu and learn how to handle family affairs with my father."
Shikamaru couldn't deny this.
As early as two years ago, when Hinata and Shikamaru first cooperated to pursue Sasuke, Shikamaru noticed that Hinata seemed to want to let Sasuke go.
Judging from the time, it was not a good choice to capture Sasuke back to the village, and Shikamaru quickly let go of that matter.
Until some time ago, Sasuke sneaked back to Konoha and assassinated the village elder. Hinata was very suspicious at the time. After Shikamaru learned the news, he immediately went to Hinata's house to inform Hinata, and wanted to see Hinata's reaction.
Even though it was later confirmed that the person who took care of Sasuke was not Hinata, but a mysterious person who had mastered the ninjutsu of time and space, Shikamaru still felt that Hinata had something to do with the matter.
After all, they were childhood friends. During the ninja school, Hinata played best with Shikamaru and Choji, and Sasuke and Naruto had to stand aside!
Although everyone grows up, growth also has different directions.
Shikamaru was really worried that his childhood friends would go astray and eventually fight each other.
"Is that so!"
Shikamaru sighed lightly and said with a somewhat yearning tone: "Now you are a strong man who is famous in the ninja world. Even the major ninja villages dare not easily provoke you. When you were in ninja school, I thought you would become famous in the ninja world by "eating"!"
"At that time, you ate and played all day long. I miss it a little when I think about it now!"
"I remember Choji asked you for the secret of not getting fat. You seemed to have misunderstood that Choji was interested in you..."
Hinata: "..."
Let's not talk about the dark history. We are still good friends.
"Alas! We have all grown up!"
Hinata let out a long sigh. The feeling of growing up is really not very good, especially when she is drifting away from her friends at the time. Sometimes Hinata will also feel lonely.
Hinata looked at Shikamaru with complicated eyes and shook her head slightly.
If there is anyone who can go on with Hinata among her former friends, it is probably only Sasuke!
It is not just about potential, but also about personal character.
Although Hinata often meets Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, Kiba, and Shino, they can feel that there is a huge gap between them.
On the contrary, with Sasuke, although they are far apart, they can talk about their true thoughts without hesitation.
Even if Sasuke now has other thoughts and plans of his own, Hinata can still feel that Sasuke is her true companion.
This is the feeling that Hinata fears the most. The reason why Hinata is reluctant to leave Konoha is because there are good friends like Shikamaru here.
Hinata really wants to ask Shikamaru, if one day I do something to hurt Konoha, will you still regard me as a friend?
It's just that this question is really hard to ask.
Hinata and Shikamaru stopped talking and thought about their own thoughts.
After all, it is a friendship of many years. Silence will not make each other feel awkward, but it is difficult to find the feeling of "understanding" at the beginning.
"Ah——"
Hinata stretched and rubbed the flesh on her face to relax her expression.
"Shikamaru, I should go back."
Shikamaru struggled to get up and said weakly: "I'll take you!"
At the door of Nara's house, Shikamaru looked at Hinata's back as she walked away, and his heart was extremely complicated.
"Hinata... What are you thinking about?"
Although Hinata has not done anything to hurt Konoha so far, Shikamaru can feel that Hinata's heart is no longer in Konoha.
If it was the previous Hinata, Shikamaru did not think Hinata would have any plans.
After all, Hinata even gave up the position of Hokage. Ino has said more than once that Hinata is more lazy than Shikamaru.
At least Shikamaru is still a little motivated, but Hinata is not even motivated. She stays at home every day to enjoy the life of a lady and does almost nothing.
But Shikamaru knows that Hinata is not doing nothing, but has been working hard.
Hinata's direction of effort is to study ninjutsu.
No one desires power for no reason. Shikamaru also desires power, but the reason why Shikamaru desires power is to protect, while Hinata is not.
Hinata used to find various reasons to be lazy, but now she will practice hard without others' urging.
Obviously, Hinata has an ideal that she must fulfill, and this ideal has nothing to do with Konoha.
Hinata's figure slowly disappeared at the end of the field of vision. Nara Shikaku appeared beside Shikamaru at some point, and his eyes followed the direction Shikamaru was looking at and looked into the distance.
Patting Shikamaru on the shoulder, Nara Shikaku said calmly: "Everyone has his own choice. It's right to worry about your partner, but it's more important to trust your partner!"
Shikamaru looked up at Nara Shikaku, his tone a little lost: "I know..."
"But...but I always feel that Hinata seems to be getting farther and farther away from us!"
Nara Shikaku was a little surprised, and said in an inexplicable tone: "Is that so?"
Chapter 415 Hinata is playing a big game of chess
Looking at Shikamaru with a complicated face, Nara Shikaku was thoughtful.
Now Konoha seems calm on the surface, and it is indeed very calm. Since the death of Danzo and the two Hokage advisors, there have been almost no conflicts within Konoha.
Tsunade is a very generous Hokage with a high prestige in the village. The Hyuga clan is also very well-behaved, unlike the Uchiha clan that used to jump around all day.
In this situation, Nara Shikaku naturally ignored the hidden dangers within Konoha.
Perhaps due to the limited vision, in Nara Shikaku's view, since Hinata voluntarily gave up the position of Hokage, the Hyuga clan naturally poses no threat to Konoha.
To be fair, if Hinata is allowed to succeed as the sixth generation Hokage of Konoha, Nara Shikaku is willing to support it.
Nara Shikaku is also an elder who has watched Hinata grow up. Hinata and Shikamaru are good friends, and he understands Hinata's character.
But Shikamaru's worries are not groundless. Nara Shikaku knows his son very well, and he is not the kind of person who shoots without purpose.
"Have you found anything?"
Nara Shikaku said lightly: "Now I and Hiashi are both Hokage consultants. If there is no solid evidence... I am very embarrassed!"
Shikamaru shook his head slightly. He could understand Nara Shikaku's difficulties.
Nara Shikaku and Hyuga Hiashi were both Hokage advisors. If Nara Shikaku acted rashly, it would be easy for others to understand that he was fighting for power. Even if he sent ninjas from the family to keep an eye on Hinata, if they were discovered, it would cause a split within the village.
"It's just a feeling... Hinata and Sasuke should be connected."
Shikamaru said slowly: "After Sasuke assassinated Elder Danzo, I went to the Hyuga residence to find Hinata. Hinata's reaction at the time... how should I put it, although a little surprised, it was not the kind of surprise I imagined."
"Hinata is a person who hates to practice. She often slacked off during her time at the ninja school, but in recent years she has worked very hard, which is abnormal in itself."
Nara Shikaku frowned and said: "Her strength..."
Hinata's current strength has stood at the top of the ninja world, and even the five major ninja villages dare not easily provoke Hinata. Even the leader of the Akatsuki organization who is said to have the Samsara Eye is only on par with Hinata.
According to Hinata's previous personality, Hinata should not work hard to practice.
Those who pursue power must be ambitious, and Hinata voluntarily gave up the position of Hokage...
It is obvious that Hinata's ambition is not to be Hokage, but to pursue a higher level.
"As long as Hinata does not do anything to harm Konoha, it has nothing to do with us."