In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

When Naruto returned home, he collapsed onto the couch. He figured that Yugito should have made up her mind by now, so he allowed his consciousness sank into the seal space.

The next second, before even opening his eyes, Naruto asked, "So, have you thought it through?"

Yugito turned her head to glance at him, paused for a second, and then resumed changing her clothes.

"Uh, your clothes are really big." Naruto complimented awkwardly for a moment before returning to his usual self, "Anyway, you've had enough time to think things through, right?"

"Well, I've thought it through." Yugito replied calmly, giving him a brief look, "I agree to your terms. Besides, I don't really have any other choice."

"Huh? What do you mean, no choice?" Naruto said, feigning confusion as he pointed to the endless expanse at the back of the seal space.

"I told you, you can leave. You could try walking out of her… it's a pretty big place."

"Heh." Yugito let out a cold sneer.

Naruto didn't mind. If she had no complaints at all, he would've felt uneasy. To him, someone with grievances was easier to deal with.

Yugito might feel a connection to Kumogakure since it was her home, but in Naruto's eyes, it was just a gang-ridden neighborhood. Loyalty to that kind of place was laughable.

In a place where might made right, manipulating the situation was easier than in a village like Konoha, where light and shadows coexisted.

"I'll say it again: destruction leads to rebirth." Naruto said, meeting her gaze, "Kumogakure has offended me, and I remember it clearly. Now that I need something from them, Kumogakure has to establish a new order."

"You get what I'm saying? I've been holding back from being harsh with you because I didn't want to make things unpleasant before we were fully aligned."

"What difference does it make? I was going to agree to your terms anyway since I have no other options." Yugito understood what Naruto meant and stopped putting on airs.

She was not a hypocritical person. This was a decision she made after careful consideration. No one could be both a whore and expect to keep their dignity. Since she was going to betray Kumogakure, she might as well see it through.

"It does make a difference. Now you're officially my subordinate, and there are some things that need to be made clear from the start." Naruto said expressionlessly, "I'm someone who sticks to principles. If I set my mind to something, I'll do it, no matter how roundabout it gets."

"I can threaten you, I can threaten others. If you don't want to do it, there are plenty of people are willing to. One way or another, Kumogakure will be mine."

"Do you understand?"

Yugito was slightly startled, her heart skipping a beat for the first time in a long time. On one hand, she was shocked at how deeply Kumogakure had offended Naruto. On the other hand, she felt lucky to be on the side of the 'villain'.

In her opinion, Naruto was the embodiment of evil. He cloaked his actions in righteousness, but behind the scenes, he used every tactic at his disposal. Compared to him, the muscle-bound brutes in Kumogakure were nothing more than simpletons.

The most unsettling part was that the other party, like her, was a Jinchuriki. With no parents and no moral boundaries, he had no real weaknesses… unless, of course, he ever fell hopelessly in love with someone.

"I understand." She said, nodding, fully aware of her fate. She figured she'd be sent somewhere for grueling training, something akin to a personal hell.

"I'm glad you understand. Then, I'll let you out." Naruto said.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? You've gotten attached to this place?" Naruto looked at her with some confusion.

"No, it's just... wasn't I supposed to be sent somewhere to train?" she asked.

"Oh, that. Nah, you don't need it." Naruto waved his hand and said, "The others are too weak, they're no good to me, that's why I let them on some training."

"As for you, you're already strong enough. It'd be hard for me to even find a suitable opponent for you. So don't bother wrecking my training grounds, and just go out and get some real work done."

Hearing this, Yugito's eyelids twitched slightly, 'What do you mean 'get some real work done'? You are clearly asking me to go stir up trouble in Kumogakure.'

However, she clearly overestimated how low her boss's standards were. Naruto glanced at her, assuming she understood what he meant. Without bothering to hide his intentions, he gave her a direct order.

"Do me a favor, and don't make it public."

In the kitchen.

Yugito stood by the stove, her face flushed from the heat of the flames, gritting her teeth as she endured the endless humiliation. But she couldn't make a fuss about it.

'That damned Kyubi's Jinchuriki actually asked me to cook?! His excuse? There weren't enough people around, and he wanted a hot meal when he got home.'

'Damn it!'

'Even an assassination or a top-secret mission would've been better. Yet, the first thing I had to do after regaining my freedom was to serve as his cook. It was infuriating!'

Naruto lay on the couch, listening to the sounds from the kitchen, his face showing obvious contentment.

Sakura had gone home. He had given her time to think things over, making the whole situation seem more legitimate. In reality, she had no real choice. After all, she couldn't go to work or interact with others at the moment.

The only ones she could contact were her parents, who Dark Sakura rarely contacted, and Naruto, who knew the inside story. If she didn't accept the reconciliation, she'd lose the memories of those six years.

Naruto had given the little girl some time to accept her memories and grow into a mature adult. The memories shouldn't alter her personality, but through muscle memory, she'd quickly pick up various skills.

In the big, empty house, only Naruto and Yugito lived there now. Naruto hadn't left the village,, so he naturally wouldn't just let Yugito walk out freely.

Sakura had been replaced by Yugito, and the vibe felt different. Yugito carried a depth to her life that Sakura lacked. Just looking at her was somehow more pleasing.

But whether it was Pink Sakura, Ajisai, Yakumo, or Yugito, Naruto hadn't overstepped his boundaries with any of them. While he enjoyed indulging in certain pleasures, he wasn't so blinded by desire that he'd forget his principles. He could still distinguish right from wrong.

He could threaten his subordinates into working for him, but he wouldn't exploit them inappropriately. A tool could work without rest or reward, but it mustn't lose its dignity.

For him, Naruto, there were two kinds of tools: those that worked tirelessly and those that gave more than they took. Ideally, the relationship would be mutually beneficial, focused on fulfilling one's purpose in life.

"Is the food ready yet?" Naruto called out as he reached for his copy of Icha Icha Paradise to continue reading.

"Almost, almost done." Yugito replied, wiping the sweat off her forehead. She never expected that her first act of betrayal would take place in the kitchen.

"That guy really deserves to die!" She muttered under her breath.

"What did you just say?"

"I said, next time you do the cooking. I'm not doing this anymore." Yugito retorted as she brought the food to the table and removed her apron.

"What's wrong with that? I don't even know how to cook. Aren't you worried you'll get sick if I make something?" Naruto responded, feeling slightly embarrassed, "It's all part of the training. Just bear with it a little longer."

'Bear with it?' Yugito's emotions were in turmoil, and she didn't know how to refuse anymore. In the end, she lowered her proud head and simply nodded, "Um."

Since Yugito started cooking, Naruto no longer has to go out to eat, 'Having someone make breakfast for me felt great, even if the taste was a bit odd.'

The matter of Hyuga Clan has matured, and more and more branch family's members had been freed from the Caged Bird. With more people involved, shared secrets became fragile, and it was only a matter of time before the whole thing collapsed.

But Naruto wasn't nervous. He had been waiting for that day… the day it would all explode and deliver a major shock to the Hyuga Clan's main family.

The Caged Bird was an ancient curse mark. They should've updated it to keep up with the times, maybe fix a bug or two. But now, here they were, facing the consequences.

The Hyuga Clan probably relied on the downfall of the Uzumaki Clan, assuming there weren't many left who understood Sealing Techniques?

Three days after Naruto removed the Caged Bird from the 48th branch family's member, an accident occurred. A young girl from the branch family fell from a rooftop while doing chores for the main family.

Although the girl wasn't seriously injured, merely knocked unconscious, the bandage on her forehead came loose, and an old man from branch family noticed that the Caged Bird imprint on her forehead had disappeared.

This discovery caused an uproar, sending shockwaves throughout the entire Hyuga Clan. The main family immediately convened an emergency meeting, and when the girl regained consciousness, she was faced with her day of judgment.