In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

Neji glanced at Naruto, took a sip of tea, and set down his cup before speaking, "Things have come to this point, so I don't seem to have any other choice. Still, I have to thank you, Naruto. Without your help, the reform wouldn't have happened so quickly."

"No need to thank me. The main family will figure out the truth sooner or later." Naruto said, waving his hand as he watched the wisps of steam rising from the teacup.

"Only if you become the Clan Head can things settle down. That's the best choice, both for us and for the future of the Hyuga Clan."

"Yeah." Neji nodded, "But becoming the Clan Head won't be easy. The people of the main family will oppose me with all their strength. After all, the branch family… is still weak."

"I won't meddle in the internal matters of the Hyuga Clan." Naruto said with a smile, "After all, the Hyuga Clan has nothing to do with me, so it's not appropriate for me to get too involved."

"But when the time is right, you could seek external help. The waters within the Hyuga Clan aren't that deep, it's really just a few people in the main family."

"External help?" Neji looked at him.

"The Hyuga Clan has always remained neutral, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way." Naruto hinted, "You could ask Kakashi for advice; he might have some solutions."

Speaking of Kakashi, the influence of Sandaime Hokage remained strong, even though he had been gone for years. Despite the passage of time, Konoha was still dominated by loyalists of Sandaime. As for the old fox Danzo, he had already retired.

Although Danzo hadn't yet caused a major scandal, his dirty deeds were well-known. Unable to become Hokage and stripped of leadership of the Root, his fate was already sealed.

It was just a long, drawn-out wait… waiting for the day when his accumulated misdeeds would finally catch up with him. Decades of effort, all wasted, but he could only remain silent.

While the Hyuga Clan's quiet reforms were underway, a major event took place in the village.

A new communication device emerged, and was quickly embraced by Konoha's younger generation. This little gadget was convenient and fast, allowing calls within a radius covering Konoha.

Not only within the range of Konoha, but even outside of Konoha, calls can still be made. Of course, since Konoha is a Military Shinobi Village, communications would be subjected to a certain degree of monitoring.

But that didn't stop the device from becoming wildly popular, especially since it was affordably priced. The Intelligence Department had deep pockets and wasn't looking to profit from it just yet.

The real earnings would come later, once the communications network was fully established across the Land of Fire.

In order to support Ino's business, aside from the special custom couple's communication device she had gifted him, Naruto secretly bought four or five more devices.

He tossed them all into a designated spot within his seal space, not for anything else, just for convenience. As for whether they'd be used or not, he didn't really care.

He didn't use the device often anyway. After all, words are bound to fail, and if he uses it too much, he risked of making mistakes.

Yugito couldn't stand being treated as a housemaid anymore and directly asked to return to the seal space. Naruto gladly agreed, as Ino was visiting in two days.

He opened the windows to air out the room, making sure to erase any traces of scent.

In truth, the house was already quite clean. His relationship with his female subordinates was strictly professional, and he just occasionally made them work a bit harder. Nothing beyond that.

He didn't have a habit of using secretaries, preferring to handle most non-tedious tasks personally.

But regardless of that, actions speak louder than words, and it's always better to cover one's tracks. He thoroughly cleaned the place several times, ensuring no trace remained before feeling at ease.

Lying on the couch, Naruto stared at the ceiling, thinking about the battle in two days. A strange sense of emptiness welled up in him. No matter how many times he crossed worlds, he couldn't erase the warrior's blood that ran in his veins.

At first, all he wanted was to break free from his original fate and live peacefully in the village. Then, he thought it would be enough to keep a low profile and flirt with girls occasionally.

But desire is like a boulder rolling down a mountain, and fate has never let him rest. Every time, he had to do something to avoid falling into a passive position.

He had accumulated enough frustration with this idiotic world and decided to deal with anyone who tried to stop his descent into chaos. He would repay them all in the most brutal way, making sure to get revenge on every foe.

Whether it was Obito, Madara, or Black Zetsu, even Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, or the Otsutsuki, he'd drag them all down and torment them thoroughly.

After all the battles and tribulations, he remained the same, a young man with a taste for vengeance.

Naruto also had his own plans for leaving the village this time. Tsunade felt that she had completed her mission, so she did not want to stay in the village and put too much pressure on Konoha.

Two tigers can't share one mountain. As long as the Godaime Hokage remained in the village, Kakashi's growth would be stunted.

As for Naruto, he stayed in the village only to assist Tsunade in eliminating the Root. Now that the mission was complete, it was time for him to leave, also to avoid causing any major issues.

With both Ino and Hinata in the village, he couldn't stay forever juggling things. Figuring out a way to separate and take them out of the village seemed like the best solution.

The Hyuga Clan had already undergone reform, and his father-in-law likely wouldn't have time to keep an eye on him anymore. This was a great opportunity to act in the chaos, as Hinata was far simpler than the others.

The communications network expansion would also require the Intelligence Department to leave the village, and Ino would naturally follow them out.

In the end, Konoha's brightest were all preparing to leave, leaving Kakashi with a village in ruins, so that Konoha would have time to rest and recover its strength.

As for Naruto, he planned to go cause some trouble in other villages. A shit stirrer never changes, only redirecting the damage they've endured onto others.

Naruto glanced at Task Line II and III, raised an eyebrow, and realized it was about time to head to the other Great Shinobi Villages and collect some interest.

'Danzo was nothing more than an old dog now, not worth my effort.'

'As for Uchiha Itachi, he would eventually die by Sasuke's hand, so there was no point in seeking revenge on him either. It seemed that I needed to find a new target for my hatred so I could go about my wicked deeds with a clear conscience.'

"Bah! What wicked deeds!" Naruto suddenly sat up from the couch, wiping his face, "This is a blessing for the Shinobi World. Who else would take on such a task but me?"

"I'm just about to get a promotion, the boss is getting a new wife and a new car, and suddenly I end up in this world. What a mess, both the place and my status."

Only when the thoughts are clear can one win. Naruto knows all this too well. He knew all too well that people suffer because their beliefs aren't pure enough. His, however, were very pure.

Since he was pursuing excitement, he'd see it through to the end. Half-hearted efforts were not the way of a true man.