Chapter 354 - 355: Keep Your Voices Down!

Chapter 355: Keep Your Voices Down!

A figure wearing a Tengu mask appeared at a street corner.

A couple walked past him.

It was Kakashi and Hanare.

"Kakashi..."

Two red glows burst from the eye slits.

Obito silently submerged deeper into the shadows.

Seeing Kakashi and his girlfriend so affectionate made him feel much more at ease.

Finally...

He had heard that if the war hadn’t broken out, Kakashi would have already held his wedding.

Obito had paid a heavy price to clear the traps Naruto left in the Kamui Dimension, but it didn’t mean much.

Naruto, who possessed the other Kamui Mangekyo, could easily put several Wood Clones inside again. That guy was as strong as a monster, so Obito had to use his abilities with extreme caution.

Wait, that’s not right.

Obito’s footsteps halted.

Shouldn’t Kakashi be at Hidden Stone Village by now? Why was he in Hidden Leaf Village?

Far from the hustle and bustle of the main road, in a relatively quiet, dimly lit grove on the outskirts of the festival area, a scene completely different from the warmth or excitement below was playing out on the thick branches of an ancient tree.

Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Shino Aburame, Uchiha Sasuke, Rock Lee, Hyuga Neji, and Tenten were all squatting on a thick branch in an unrefined yet strangely harmonious posture. Their heads were huddled together as they stared at a slightly brighter corner not far below the tree.

There, Inuzuka Kiba stood beside his Ninja Dog, Akamaru. Standing before him was a young girl wearing a light green yukata with a clean ponytail and a gentle smile—Tamaki.

From the perspective of the group in the tree, Kiba’s usual boisterous and straightforward manner was completely gone, replaced by a rare sense of helplessness and bashfulness.

He scratched his spiky hair one moment and averted his gaze awkwardly the next. His voice was lower than usual when talking to Tamaki, and he would occasionally steal glances at her expression.

Akamaru seemed to sense his master’s tension; he tilted his head and let out two confused whines.

Tamaki, on the other hand, was perfectly poised, smiling as she spoke to Kiba, which only made him more flustered.

"Pfft—look, that guy Kiba’s face is totally red, and he’s even stuttering."

Tenten was the first who couldn’t hold it in. She covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she laughed in a hushed voice.

"Tsk tsk, I never thought Kiba would have a day like this."

Akimichi Choji commented indistinctly with his mouth full of potato chips, though his eyes never blinked.

"Usually, he’s so full of energy when arguing with others, but now..."

"Hmph, Kiba is still lacking confidence."

Uchiha Sasuke leaned against the tree trunk with his arms crossed. His words were still biting, but his black eyes held a hint of amusement at the spectacle.

After all, watching a simple-minded guy like Kiba struggle in the "battles of love" was indeed more dramatic than watching certain people’s relationships progress naturally.

Rock Lee’s eyes sparkled as he clenched his fists.

"Is this the other kind of youth Guy-sensei talked about? Though it’s a bit clumsy, it’s something to aspire to!"

Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses; he enjoyed watching this.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Neji listened to the commotion while activating his Byakugan to look toward Naruto’s group.

Just as he found Naruto and the others, Naruto suddenly looked up in Neji’s direction.

Byakugan?

Neji, or Hiashi?

Seeing that Naruto had instantly sensed his location, Neji hurriedly deactivated his Byakugan.

As for Nara Shikamaru, he had an expression that said, "This is such a drag, but I can’t help wanting to watch." He let out a sigh.

He had originally wanted to see Naruto’s side... after all, the ’battle’ over there was quite intense right now.

However...

He glanced at Kiba’s pathetic state under the tree, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Things that happen naturally aren’t nearly as fun as watching a cat-and-dog romance...

Wait, no, it was much more interesting to watch an idiot like Kiba act all bashful.

While watching Naruto’s side was also fun, that kind of steady progression where "everyone knows they’ll end up together eventually" definitely lacked the "unexpected surprise" and "contrasting amusement" of the present situation.

These seven were originally stationed elsewhere, but before this Summer Festival, they had all received a seemingly willful command from the Sixth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto:

"Leave your Clones at your posts or bases, then return your Main Body to Hidden Leaf Village to attend the festival."

The execution method was simple, crude, and extremely extravagant.

Naruto sent out his Multiple Shadow Clones and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to precisely locate each of them and bring them directly back to Hidden Leaf Village!

Even for someone with a Chakra reserve as massive as Naruto’s, the burden of simultaneously locating and long-distance teleporting multiple Ninjas was staggering.

Even Naruto had to weigh the cost carefully before using this move, making ample preparations and even consuming some Food Pills.

It was a risky move.

Because it meant that during the festival, the troops and intelligence outposts Hidden Leaf Village had stationed in the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and other vital strategic nodes were essentially "empty shells."

While those Clones were enough to handle daily patrols, basic communications, and general affairs, they could easily be exposed if they encountered a real, premeditated attack or a large-scale offensive, leading to serious consequences.

However, Naruto did it anyway.

Because he knew that morale and cohesion were sometimes even more important than simple military deployment during long periods of war and high-pressure transitions.

Allowing these Ninjas, who risked their lives for Hidden Leaf Village, to temporarily set aside the heavy burdens on their shoulders, return to the Village, reunite with family and friends, and personally experience the peace and prosperity they fought for while enjoying the holiday cheer...

This had an irreplaceable effect on boosting morale, consolidating loyalty, and relieving long-strained nerves.

And from the looks of it, the effect was indeed quite good.

The group squatting in the tree, though teasing Kiba, had lost much of the gloom that had gathered on their brows from long-term war and heavy responsibilities.

It was replaced by a long-lost sense of lighthearted playfulness and pure joy.

Everyone had come back this time.

Temporarily setting aside the smoke of the front lines and the responsibilities on their shoulders, they just gathered together, gossiping about their comrades’ embarrassments, sharing snacks, and enjoying this hard-won night full of laughter.

This brief moment of relaxation and gathering was perhaps the greatest significance of Naruto consuming a massive amount of Chakra and taking risks to "smuggle" them back.

"Hey, do you think Kiba will suddenly grab Tamaki’s hand?"

Tenten started a new round of "predictions."

"I bet he won’t dare,"

Shikamaru said lazily.

Sasuke bet on the other side: "Then I’ll bet he does."

"Youth is about having the courage to confess! Kiba, go for it!"

Lee began to cheer him on in a low voice from a distance.

On the branch, low chuckles and discussions rose again.

Below the tree, Kiba’s "difficult" date continued.

Kiba clenched his fists, his teeth gritted, and his face was already flushed with embarrassment.

Opposite him, Tamaki was stifling a laugh.

Seriously, these guys should really keep their voices down!

The lights and laughter of the festival gently enveloped everything, as if war and separation had never happened.

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