In Konoha, This Naruto Has Decided To Take It Easy

The sudden appearance of Nibi completely overturned the battlefield, leaving everyone present in shock. Nibi, engulfed in blue flames, exuded a fierce and menacing aura.

With another furious roar, the fully transformed Yugito launched a Bijudama straight at Sasuke.

Sasuke was utterly dumbfounded, not expecting Kumogakure to actually deploy two Biju simultaneously.

What he didn't know was that, in the eyes of Kumogakure's people, he was the one who had abducted Yugito.

The ever-straightforward Sasuke only found the situation troublesome. He had merely led his team into this village for a quick mission, so was it necessary to mobilize two Biju against him?

Back in the day, Konoha had been infiltrated like a sieve, and Sandaime Hokage died in battle, but they still didn't react like this. He wondered what the hell is up with Kumogakure, maybe they have lost their minds.

Amidst the chaos, Suigetsu sprang forward and yanked Sasuke away.

"Retreat quickly! These people are insane!"

"Jugo, let's go!" Karin had already taken Sasuke from Suigetsu, pressing her arm against Sasuke's mouth so he could bite down hard.

Sasuke recovered a little and stopped the violent Jugo.

"Let's go for now."

Since they were already at the outskirts of Kumogakure, Yondaime Raikage simply watched them leave. He frowned but did not order a pursuit.

When everything had settled, Kumogakure had now gained back Yugito.

…

Nightfall.

Naruto returned to his Kumogakure apartment alone and lay down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, thinking about how things would develop.

Yugito had been brought back, and with Samui and Mabui watching over her, there was no way she'd be in danger. Now, all that was left was to wait… for the iron traitor triangle of Kumogakure to take form.

Meanwhile, at Raikage Building, the lights burned brightly, illuminating the large conference hall where nearly every available Jonin had gathered, seated around a long rectangular table.

A massive fluorescent lamp hung from the ceiling, making the entire room as bright as daylight. Yondaime Raikage sat at the head, with his right-hand man C and the ever-lazy Darui seated beside him.

Samui and Mabui sat down next to each other, followed by the various Jonin and a group of high-ranking officials.

Kumogakure had always operated like a gang, with Yondaime Raikage leading through sheer personal charisma. Being strong is a prerequisite, and he is indeed the fastest man in the village.

And since Kumogakure is a village with a strong gang atmosphere, to survive in it, they naturally have to rely on two words: loyalty and brotherhood.

Now, as the big boss, Yondaime Raikage had to decide how to deal with the former delinquent Yugito, freshly freed from captivity.

Since Yondaime Raikage had no idea, he simply called all his subordinates to come and give him some advice.

Yondaime Raikage was conflicted, as he felt both sympathy and wariness toward Yugito. He pitied the hardships she had endured over the past two years, but he also feared that she might have turned traitor and would betray her boss.

In other words, in Yondaime Raikage's mind, Yugito's existence is like a wife who was kidnapped by a blond-haired man for two and a half years. When he suddenly found her back, he was both worried about what she had gone through and terrified that she might come back carrying that blond-haired man's child.

The big boss, Yondaime Raikage, was in a dilemma, fearing that if he didn't handle this matter properly, it could shake the faith of his subordinates.

On top of that, Yugito wasn't just any ordinary Jonin. She was the Jinchuriki of Nibi. It takes a lot of time and money for the village to train a Jinchuriki, and she couldn't simply be discarded.

This was tricky. It meant the discussion would have to remain within a very limited range of options.

"…That's basically the situation. Cough. What do you all think?" Yondaime Raikage swept his gaze over the sea of people before him and threw out the question.

At this moment, Yondaime Raikage seemed to lack his usual imposing presence. If there were a dramatic background score and a narrator, the scene would flow much more smoothly.

'Ten years ago, my brothers and I in Kumogakure were filled with ambition. A fortune teller once told me that to become great, I would have to sacrifice countless lives. I refused to accept that. The path we walk is our own, and our lives should be our own to decide.'

The Jonin seated around the table reacted in various ways… some looked surprised, some sneered, while others furrowed their brows in deep thought.

As for Yondaime Raikage's right-hand men, Darui and C, they remained completely composed, as they had no need to voice their opinions.

"She's been gone for so long, who knows if she has betrayed the village?" One Jonin was the first to speak, giving voice to the unspoken doubts of many.

"Exactly! It's too much of a coincidence… nothing happened all this time, but now, just as an intruder appears in the village, Yugito gets released? What if she was sent back on purpose?"

"She's way too suspicious… could she really be a traitor?"

"Do you have proof? If not, stop talking nonsense. Yugito is a Jinchuriki, and her fate is tied to the village's future. Why do you all act like you can't stand to see her return? Could it be you who are the traitors?"

"What traitor! How ridiculous! There has never been a traitor in our Kumogakure!" An old man couldn't take it anymore and slammed the table, standing up furiously.

"Who's a traitor? Who's living it up on sunshine and beaches?"

The old man's words carried weight, but no one noticed that the two highest peaks of Kumogakure, who were sitting at the upper seats, inwardly cringing, 'Damn, that was harsh… even 'sunshine and beaches' got brought up…'

Hearing this, Yondaime Raikage looked serious but said nothing.

"There is no traitor in Kumogakure!" More and more people supported this statement, and some high-level officials became so agitated that they almost jumped onto the table while arguing.

Arguments erupted one after another, but in the end, it was all just loud noise with little substance. No truly decisive voices emerged, and everyone was waiting.

After a long while, the heated debate finally died down. Seeing that the moment was right, Samui, the traitor, stood up and said something fair (in a completely impartial manner, of course), "Yugito was abducted by Uchiha Sasuke while she was in Kumogakure. Even if we take the worst-case scenario, if a comrade was lost and finally made it back, should they really be treated as a traitor?"

"Does that make any sense?"

Mabui didn't know whether made sense or not… she just felt emotionally drained. The only thing she was certain of was that her life had been completely ruined, and now, she was trapped with no way out.

"The village has yet to train the next Nibi's Jinchuriki. No matter what, Yugito cannot be considered a traitor." She took a deep breath and spoke decisively.

With that, she shut down those who had been adamantly declaring Yugito a traitor. After all, there was nothing left to argue.

Seeing that the discussion was nearing its conclusion, Yondaime Raikage made up his mind. He glanced at his two most trusted subordinates, only to find them remaining silent.

With that, his resolve solidified and he started talking, "Yugito is not a traitor, she is a hero of Kumogakure! In this world, the most important thing is..."

"…betraying the Raikage, biting the hand that feeds you, and seducing a blond-haired guy." Samui walked up to Yugito's side with cold and ruthless steps and continued.

"I never thought you would be the first one."

At this time, Yugito had changed her clothes into a snug-fitting outfit. Hearing this, she turned her heads and glance at the towering Samui. Her gaze naturally dropped below the neck.

"And what difference does it make? So I was first… then what? Should I also be surprised that someone as cold as you would betray Raikage-sama?"

"No need." Samui's tone remained frosty, "The three of us share a connected fate. I didn't come to cause trouble, and I'm just here to tell you that Raikage-sama has decided to put you back into service."

"Who told you that?" Yugito asked.

"Mabui." Samui answered.

Hearing this, Yugito fell silent. Mabui was Raikage's most trusted aide. But this so-called 'reinstatement' was nothing more than an empty promise, a pie in the sky.

Although Yondaime Raikage was a rough man, he was by no means a fool. Even if he couldn't be bothered to think it through, there would be Darui, C, and Mabui to handle the strategizing.

Her fate was clear. On paper, she would be reinstated, but in reality, she would be benched, left to cool off. And once the situation settled, she would be completely sidelined.

This was effectively partial exile. Even though she had long been mentally prepared for such an outcome, but now that it was happening, an indescribable feeling still settled in her chest.

She couldn't help but wonder, 'If I had somehow managed to escape from that man back then, if I had fought my way back to Kumogakure despite all odds, would the result have been the same? Or worse?'

She knew very well that the treatment she had now was the result of Mabui and Samui speaking up for her at the same time.

As her mind was spinning, she ignored Samui.

After a long time, she suddenly came to her senses and found that Samui had left.