"Thank you very much, Lord Menma…"
Hyuga Hizashi bowed deeply, his voice solemn, a sense of indescribable relief in his heart. Finally, it was over. Not only had he survived, but he would also be able to see Neji again.
However, Naruto just waved his hand. "Alright, I know," he interrupted lazily. "Since things are finally settled, let's skip the pleasantries."
Hizashi was stunned, then a bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The person before him possessed the power to overturn the Ninja World, yet he was completely indifferent to others' gratitude.
"Understood," he nodded. "If you have any commands, Hyuga Hizashi will not hesitate to give his life."
Naruto glanced at him. It seemed that even if he created an organization, he could still be a hands-off boss. However, what made him even happier was the system notification sound in his mind.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 7) (Maxed) with the original character 'Hyuga Hizashi'!"
"Points obtained: 150 points!"
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host: You have established a bond (Level 7) (Maxed) with the original character 'Hyuga Neji'!"
"Points obtained: 700 points!"
"Friendly reminder: Normal favorability Level 7 is the maximum level. To further increase bond levels, the relationship needs to undergo a qualitative change."
Maxed out already? It seems the gratitude of this father and son towards him has reached the level of "undying devotion." A qualitative change? Could it be that it could go even further?
For example… making Neji his disciple in the future? Or simply having him join the "Cinder" organization?
Naruto now had 1650 points, enough for another ten-pull. But… did Level 7 really mean favorability was maxed out?
He hadn't expected that after just a "talk-no-jutsu" session with Neji, the boy's favorability would instantly max out, even to the point of being willing to give his heart and soul for him?
…Absurd.
But thinking about it, there really seemed to be similar examples in the Ninja World.
Like Kimimaro.
Orochimaru merely gave him a pep talk, and Kimimaro completely fell for him, even willing to become Orochimaru's new vessel and fight to his last breath.
So, Neji's loyalty to him now was probably of that level?
Are the people of the Ninja World too easily swayed…?
However, more than Neji, he was more concerned about another person's bond level.
Satsuki.
Currently, her bond level was 5, two levels short of the max Level 7.
What did Level 5… mean?
As soon as this question arose in his mind, the system immediately responded.
"Satsuki Bond Level 5: The other party regards you as a close friend. Your existence has become an indispensable part of her life."
"Current relationship: Deep trust, emotional dependence."
"Development trend: With just the accumulation of time, this bond will naturally elevate to a higher level—soulmate, or… love."
"…"
Naruto stared at the last two words, falling into a brief silence.
Love?
He could understand the first option; the original Naruto and Sasuke had that kind of friendship that transcended life and death. But the latter option...
Love? Satsuki… becoming a girlfriend?
His thoughts began to drift uncontrollably. In fairness, Satsuki's appearance was indeed impeccable; even after the gender swap, she maintained her status as the pinnacle of beauty.
And the current Satsuki hadn't experienced the clan massacre, so her personality wasn't as gloomy as in the original, just a touch of cute tsundere…
Having a girlfriend like that actually seemed pretty good…
…Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! When did he start having such dangerous thoughts? He clearly remembered that the first time he saw Satsuki, his inner thought was "It would be nice if I had such a cute daughter in the future"!
Something's wrong… This is definitely not right… Is Indra's Chakra influencing me?
"Lord Menma?"
Hizashi's confused voice pulled Naruto back from his wild thoughts. He realized his state was a bit strange and quickly coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.
"…Ahem, nothing," Naruto quickly switched back to serious mode. "You understand my goal, right?"
"Yes," Hizashi bowed respectfully. "To deter nations with military might and prevent wars. Since Lord Menma wants to establish an organization, how complete is this organization?"
The air suddenly fell silent for a few seconds.
"…If you count yourself," Naruto's tone became a bit subtle, "the Cinder now has two members."
He said this embarrassing truth with a hint of awkwardness. However, Hizashi's expression didn't change at all; he just nodded steadily.
"I see. So, Lord Menma, do you intend to establish a base first, or prioritize recruiting talented individuals?"
His tone was calm. Hizashi had already decided to offer his loyalty to Menma unreservedly—without asking why, and without counting the cost. This resolve had long been established.
Although Menma was a terrifying existence in the Ninja World, Hizashi had witnessed Menma arranging for him to reunite with his son, and he understood very clearly that a true fire of justice burned deep within this leader.
As the younger brother of the Hyuga Clan Head, Hizashi had considerable experience in management. For years, the Hyuga Clan's affairs, big and small, had been handled jointly by him and his elder brother; it was no exaggeration to say he was the Clan Head's right-hand man.
Recalling the past, due to the restrictions of the Caged Bird Curse Mark, he did harbor resentment towards the Main Family, but that resentment never truly took root against his elder brother, who was the Clan Head.
Until Neji's birth changed everything.
When this exceptionally talented son displayed astonishing abilities, yet still had to be branded with the Caged Bird Curse Mark, and when the Clan Head's daughter, with ordinary talent, was exempt from this humiliation due to her Main Family status, at that moment, the resentment suppressed for years finally broke through.
He had accepted his fate as a Branch Family member, as his talent at best was only that of an ordinary Jonin. But when he saw Neji also having to repeat the same fate, the long-suppressed bitterness finally erupted.
"I'll be responsible for recruiting members; the base construction is up to you. The Land of Hot Springs, as a neutral nation, has relaxed intelligence control and no Shinobi Village of its own, so the Five Great Nations won't heavily monitor it. Plus, with developed tourism and frequent personnel movement, it's suitable as a base."
Naruto explained his requirements one by one. "First, it needs a legitimate public identity, preferably with a legitimate business to cover its activities. Second, the main base must be hidden and easy to defend. Can you do it?"
Hizashi nodded slightly. "I understand. I will do my best to complete Lord Menma's mission."
The requirements seemed complex, but in reality, they weren't difficult. Without exposing the Cinder organization's identity, Hizashi only needed to start a business in the Land of Hot Springs as an ordinary merchant.
The real problem was funding. Naruto couldn't personally build houses, but he also couldn't let Hizashi start from scratch. So, how much savings did Naruto have?
500,000 Ryo. Most of this money came from system draws, barely enough for a down payment on a house in Konoha, but as startup capital for an organization, it was severely lacking.
Thinking of this, Naruto had some regrets. After severely injuring the Raikage, he could have taken the opportunity to extort Kumogakure. But at that time, he had just issued his declaration that shook the Ninja World, and asking for money immediately afterward would be too undignified. Moreover, the trial card's duration was almost up…
However, besides his savings, Naruto had other things that could be converted into money.
Suddenly, with a soft "bang," a piece of metal with a special luster appeared out of thin air on the table.
"This is…"
"Old spoils of war," Naruto said casually, tapping his fingertip on the metal surface. "It should be able to get some startup funds. What's the market price now?"
Hizashi leaned closer to examine it and couldn't hide his surprise. "This is… Chakra Metal?" As a core member of the Hyuga Branch Family, he had only seen this rare material once at a major family celebration. The congratulatory gift then was no bigger than a thumb, but this piece was half a palm in size.
Hizashi carefully picked up the metal and weighed it. "Currently, the black market price…" He paused. "About 100,000 Ryo per gram."
"100,000 Ryo per gram… Huh?"
Wait, how much?!
Naruto's expression under his mask suddenly froze, and his heart was in turmoil. 100,000 per gram? Then the 1500 grams he had stockpiled in his system space would be… 150 million Ryo? That amount could even put bounties on four Asumas in the black market!
Is using Asuma as a unit of measurement a bit much?