In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

It was at four in the afternoon that the three called it a day and went their separate ways. Naruto didn't drink much, so he still walked steadily.

After a while of refreshing himself in the breeze outside, he turned around and went home.

Once he got home, Naruto didn't rest. He packed everything he could, preparing for his departure. As the evening darkened, he met up with Hinata outside the Hyuga Clan's compound as planned.

There was nothing special planned for the night, just making cream puffs in the kitchen, though they skipped the baking step.

The next morning.

Naruto shut the door behind him and strode out.

Although Kumogakure is too far away from Konoha, Naruto had still chosen it as the first stop on his travels, mainly because of Yugito, who was now under his command.

He had no interest in becoming Hokage. The position had long lost its appeal for him, especially with how much it disgusted him recently. Besides, all his friends and teachers were in Konoha, making it difficult for him to operate freely.

But Kumogakure was different. It was a faction-driven village with a clear power structure, making it easier for Naruto to maneuver.

In Kumogakure, the one with the most muscle ruled. In this case, the Raikage was the top dog.

Naruto was intrigued by the idea. If Yugito became the Raikage, her loyalty wouldn't be an issue, and that would essentially make Naruto the Raikage as well.

In a sense, both of them were traitors. Naruto felt no attachment to Konoha anymore and was focused on Kumogakure, while Yugito had already betrayed her village, with her first task being to become Raikage.

Within Kumogakure, the Raikage's power was limitless.

It was precisely because of this that Naruto was so eager to go to Kumogakure. Since he had already offended them, he figured he might as well go all out.

'Anyway, Kumogakure has never been a good person. Instead of waiting for them to start another Shinobi World War, why not oust the Yondaime Raikage and take control? Take the initiative instead of waiting passively.'

His plan was simple. The last time he had visited Kumogakure, he had disguised himself as Sasuke and slapped the village in the face. No one in Kumogakure recognized him, and the news hadn't reached Konoha.

Since he could make Yugito surrender, he could do the same to anyone else.

Naruto knew his true objective: he was heading to Kumogakure to establish himself as a figure of ultimate authority, not to strengthen the village. In Kumogakure, the power of the Raikage was unlimited, and he could do whatever he wanted.

Of course, this was all still in the planning stages, and nothing was set in stone yet.

But Naruto wasn't in a hurry. He was not afraid of the enemy's strength, but he was afraid of the enemy's patience. Before he even left Konoha, his sights were already set on Kumogakure, and he was waiting for the right moment to bring it down.

At night.

Naruto had released Yugito shortly after leaving the village. The two of them were now sitting by a campfire, eating grilled meat. Behind them, the forest loomed, with the flickering firelight casting shadows on the trees.

In the wilderness, the mosquitoes were rampant, and the howls of wild animals echoed around them.

"Who would've thought we'd be eating grilled meat out here in the middle of nowhere?" Yugito commented, her typically cold expression softening into one of mild amusement.

"What's so surprising?" Naruto replied, unbothered, as he munched on his food. "As long as you've got money, anything's possible. I've got plenty stocked up."

"By the way, speaking of money, you're still a Jonin from Kumogakure, right? You must have quite a bit saved up?"

Under the flickering firelight, Yugito's cold, icy demeanor shifted slightly, and alarm bells rang in her mind. She looked at Naruto with an almost incredulous expression and asked, "What?"

"Do you really have some?" Naruto smiled as he leisurely ate his grilled meat, tossing the skewer into the fire. "We're a bit short on funds right now, so if you've got money, that would be helpful."

"You..." Yugito was speechless, thinking to herself, 'Just how shameless this guy could be…'

"I am not your slave, that's my money. What does it have to do with you?"

"Huh? You're not?" Naruto stood up, looking down at her with a puzzled expression, "You'd better recognize your position, traitor of Kumogakure."

"That's because you forced me to do that!" Yugito snapped, her temper rising.

Seeing her angry expression, Naruto remained unfazed. In fact, if she had been submissive, it would have worried him more.

"Yeah, I did force you. So what?" Naruto admitted straightforwardly, "You agreed to it yourself, you don't want anything to happen to your friends and relatives, right?"

"You know better than I do how things are in Kumogakure and what kind of person the Yondaime Raikage is."

"You're insane!!" Yugito gritted her teeth, but she couldn't argue against Naruto, as Kumogakure really was like that.

Yugito's verbal attack was too weak to faze someone like Naruto, who was skilled at deflecting words. It was like a light drizzle against someone who excelled at persuasion.

After a few more casual remarks to suppress her frustration, Naruto didn't push further. The atmosphere cooled again, and they continued eating their grilled meat.

Yugito fell silent, her mood subdued. But she wasn't the type to be reckless. After calming down, she realized that she had no way back.

Could she kill Naruto and return to Kumogakure with his head as proof of loyalty? Not only was the likelihood of her succeeding uncertain, but even if she did, she knew she wouldn't receive a hero's welcome after returning to Kumogakure.

Kumogakure, with its gang-like mentality, had no tolerance for traitors. For a Shinobi captured by the enemy, death was the only way to retain dignity.

But now, Yugito didn't dare to die so easily. It wasn't just about preserving her life, but she knew that if she tried, Naruto would undoubtedly pull something. If she died, she might be left with a bad reputation, and her friends and family would suffer.

More importantly, Yugito didn't know what Naruto had done, but she sensed something strange between her and Naruto, it was as if there was an invisible thread subtly tying them together.

Her earlier outburst at Naruto had been a test to see if there would be any negative consequences. If there had been, it would've been akin to a master-servant bond.

But nothing happened in the end, so she assumed that verbal attacks were probably safe. However, if it came to actual physical action, she suspected things might not go as smoothly.

She hadn't seriously thought about killing Naruto. If she had wanted to kill him, she should've done it much earlier.

Naruto wasn't aware of Yugito's inner turmoil, nor was he concerned about her rebelling. Now that she was a Jashin's Follower, escaping was nearly impossible. The cult was deeply sinister, subtly brainwashing its members.

Naruto's confidence wasn't baseless speculation. He had observed the changes in Ajisai and Yakumo. Both of them seemed to be... well, not exactly docile, but something close. Ajisai, in private, still muttered complaints about Naruto being a heartless taskmaster who worked her to the bone.

She was nearly exhausted to death, and on top of that, she had to face the brutal training at the Jashin's Altar.

But despite all the complaints, Naruto could feel the loyalty growing in the eyes of Ajisai and Yakumo, a change that was almost visible to the naked eye. From being unruly at the beginning to being completely devoted now.

Even if Naruto were to someday drag them into a room and throw them on a bed, they wouldn't resist. Though he wasn't that desperate, it was strange how Jashin's influence worked. There was definitely something to it.

As the campfire crackled, Yugito kept her head down, eating her grilled meat. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, but it quickly disappeared.