Naruto Birdcage

Orochimaru's intentions were of no concern to Makoto.

So when he first heard Orochimaru's crazy idea, he had no intention of stopping him.

Makoto only needed to speak when it was necessary.

Before the war with Iwagakure ended, he didn't need to concern himself with any disputes in the village.

Ayari had brought him many books, but her attitude had become extremely poor, and her gaze toward him carried an impulse to punch him.

Makoto guessed it was likely due to the last meal he had with Hyuga Natsu.

Makoto didn't feel the need to explain much, so he went to the streets and picked out some small gifts for her as a token of apology.

Ayari also seemed to have acquired the books from an unknown source.

One book, which explained the seven attributes of chakra, was far more profound than any similar books Makoto had seen in his original life.

In addition, there were medical books on human anatomy, which Makoto briefly flipped through and found quite professional, meant for specialized medical ninjas.

Even just the book on chakra was enough for Makoto to study for some time.

His life became peaceful.

After his last visit to the hospital for a check-up, he also tried training at the Hyuga family's training ground, but it was too monotonous, and the results were minimal.

Growth in strength requires time and continuous effort.

In this world, people generally follow certain rules, but Makoto was somewhat resistant to them.

He preferred effortless gains, but such things were merely fantasies.

He began to create a training plan for himself, focusing only on physical training.

Without the path of the Byakugan Gentle Fist, he couldn't continue down that route.

His physical technique had to lean toward Konoha's "Strong Fist" style, but the Hyuga family didn't practice Strong Fist, nor did they have any related books.

Fortunately, the foundation from his original body still existed.

As a Chunin-level Hyuga clan member, his physical fitness was still excellent.

Recently, Hyuga Ayano had visited him again, bringing many things, including daily necessities and food she had made.

However, even though a woman in her twenties might be scheming, to Makoto, her skills were still too shallow.

Both of them were acting, each with their own agenda.

Ayano thought that a little child would be easy to manipulate, and Makoto played along, showing her affection and gratitude.

Anko had also come to visit Makoto a few times, but it was driven by her own feelings.

She thought Makoto was a good person, after all, how could someone who liked dango have bad intentions?

Also, it seemed that Lord Orochimaru liked him quite a bit.

A week passed, and suddenly, news came from the front lines that Konoha had suffered a heavy defeat with significant losses.

It seemed that during a military march, they were ambushed, and countless comrades had sacrificed their lives.

Once this news reached the village, it instantly made the atmosphere in Konoha heavy and oppressive.

Even Ayano became deeply worried.

While they were not needed to risk their lives on the front lines, the war was still closely tied to everyone.

On his way back from the training ground, Makoto encountered a group of people.

He recognized them all, and at the center of the group was Hyuga Natsu.

"Makoto-kun?" Hyuga Natsu greeted him in surprise.

The people around her were also from the younger generation of the Hyuga clan.

The one about the same age as Makoto was Hyuga Iroha, a Chunin who should have been on the front lines.

The two younger ones, Makoto remembered, were Hyuga Tetsu and Hyuga Tokimasa, both newly graduated Genin, about the same age as Anko.

"It's Makoto," Iroha also greeted him, with a more casual and familiar tone.

Hyuga Tetsu and Hyuga Tokimasa both called him "Big Brother Makoto" and sneaked glances at Makoto's eyes.

As peers from the same clan, they naturally knew each other.

"Hello," Makoto responded.

"Iroha just returned from the front lines. We're planning to go out for a meal together. Would you like to join us, Makoto-kun?" Hyuga Natsu smiled.

Makoto noticed that underneath Iroha's ninja combat attire, a section of white bandages was subtly visible.

He must have been injured and returned to the village for treatment.

However, given how unaffected his movements were, the injury wasn't severe.

Normally, there would be no need to return to the village for something like this.

This was the preferential treatment that the Hyuga clan, as one of the ancient noble families of Konoha, received.

"It's been a while since you've returned to the village. Come join us," Iroha said with a smile.

Earlier, Hyuga Hiashi returned to the village due to Makoto's matter, but Iroha didn't come back with him.

Makoto thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

After joining their group, they made their way toward the main entrance of the clan grounds.

Makoto asked Iroha, "How's your health?"

Iroha gave a bitter smile and then lifted the lining of his combat attire, revealing his entire abdomen wrapped in bandages.

"I was hit by a Iwa-nin's ninjutsu, and several stones went into my abdomen.

Although they were taken out, it really hurt, and I also need to be careful with my diet. There are a lot of things I can't eat," Iroha explained.

However, Makoto misjudged the situation.

This wasn't a minor injury at all—his abdomen had been pierced.

It was easy to imagine how serious it was.

Despite this, Iroha spoke lightly, almost as if he were making light of it.

After lowering his shirt, he added with a smile.

"Compared to what happened to you back then, this is just a minor injury.

Lord Hiashi was considerate and let me return from the frontlines to rest for a while."

Seeing the smile on his face, Makoto couldn't help but feel a bit moved.

He was just a 12- or 13-year-old kid, but the world was so harsh.

"Wasn't Makoto-kun's injury also serious at that time?" Hyuga Natsu asked from the side.

"It was more than serious," Iroha clicked his tongue.

"When Makoto returned to the camp, he was covered in blood, with a massive wound on his chest. The medical team said that it was a miracle he survived."

"Makoto, you could lift your shirt and let Natsu see," Iroha suggested.

Makoto didn't follow the suggestion and simply replied, "What's there to see?"

Natsu shook her head, saying, "Never mind."

She couldn't help but sigh, "The battlefield is truly a dangerous place."

Iroha wholeheartedly agreed, "Yeah, but with Lord Hiashi and Lord Minato, we'll win soon!"

"Natsu, let me tell you about Lord Minato..."

Iroha went on and on, enthusiastically telling Natsu about Namikaze Minato's legendary stories.

It was clear that he was a big fan of Minato, using words like "extremely," "incredibly," and "very" to emphasize his admiration, speaking with great excitement.

Though Natsu listened intently, she remained calm and only smiled.

On the other hand, Hyuga Tetsu and Hyuga Tokimasa were both impressed, repeatedly asking, "What happened next?"

Makoto could tell that Iroha had feelings for Natsu, but Natsu didn't seem to feel the same way.

She was simply being polite as a friend.

The group walked out of the Hyuga clan area and arrived at a barbecue restaurant, the same one Makoto and Anko had visited before— one of the better-rated restaurants in the village.

The five of them sat down, with Iroha shamelessly sitting next to Natsu, while Makoto sat with Tokimasa and Tetsu.

The owner handed out menus, and Iroha continued enthusiastically talking about Minato's achievements.

The other two younger men were also engrossed in his words, while the menu was passed to Natsu, who politely declined.

Makoto, however, wasn't shy and took the menu, immediately starting to place an order.

By the time Iroha had finished his story, he looked up to find the table already covered with various meats and dishes.

He was a bit stunned. "How much did you order?"

Makoto had already started grilling the meat.

Hearing Iroha, he said, "I saw you all so engrossed, so I didn't disturb you and just went ahead and ordered some dishes."

Iroha twitched his mouth, feeling a bit of pain in his heart.

The most crucial issue was that, due to his injuries, he couldn't eat grilled meat.

He had brought everyone to this place because of Natsu, wanting to treat her to a nice meal.

Natsu smiled and said, "It looks like Makoto often eats barbecue. He ordered all the signature dishes and even specifically asked the owner for some seasoning."

Iroha immediately responded, "If Natsu likes it, that's good. It's just a meal of barbecue. If it's not enough, we can always order more."

Tetsu and Tokimasa immediately chimed in, praising Iroha for being so generous.

Makoto handed him a bowl of porridge, "You probably can't eat grilled meat, so I ordered this for you."

Iroha took the bowl, glaring at Makoto with resentment, thinking to himself that one day he would get back at this guy.

The meat on the grill was sizzling, emitting white smoke.

Makoto held the rack in one hand, flipping the meat, while casually resting his cheek in the other hand and asking, "I heard that the front lines suffered a defeat?"

Iroha froze upon hearing this, and his expression grew heavy.

After a moment of silence, he replied, "Yeah."

"Our march route was supposed to be highly secretive, but somehow the Iwa ninjas found out. They set up an ambush along the way..."

The atmosphere at the table grew tense, and the two younger boys stopped talking.

Natsu quietly sipped her tea, listening intently.

"How many were able to retreat?"

"A thousand-man unit, only three hundred and seventeen managed to get out."

The shocking number made Natsu tighten her grip on her teacup.

Makoto continued to watch the meat on the grill, which was starting to burn.

He didn't say anything more, knowing that this was just the beginning.

Orochimaru would not stop.

End of chapter

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