[host, do you think this counts as a Golden Finger for Naruto? It's like having an old man in the ring, and it's even a husband-and-wife team.]
Hinata pondered for a moment at the System's Soul-searching question.
It really is. I understand now.
The style suddenly shifted from a hot-blooded manga to a Chinese web novel power fantasy, and it wasn't jarring at all.
Hinata's pure white eyes swept over the happy family of three, then glanced at the Nine-Tailed in the distant cage, whose aura was withered and eyes complex, yet was as quiet as a mouse.
"Naruto, it's time to go out."
Naruto snapped back to reality. Although he was extremely reluctant to leave this rare moment of family reunion, he knew he couldn't stay for long, as Konoha was currently fraught with danger.
He nodded and looked at his parents, "Dad, Mom, we should go out. Oh, right! I can show you what Konoha is like now!"
Kushina's eyes were immediately filled with anticipation and nostalgia.
"Okay! Mommy really wants to see what the Village has become! It must have developed quite well, right?"
Minato also nodded with a smile, his eyes gentle yet hiding a hint of the sharpness belonging to a Hokage.
"Yes, it's been fifteen years. I imagine there have been many changes." What he was thinking about might not just be the appearance of the Village.
Hinata was speechless. You guys might be disappointed. From the time you died until now, the appearance basically hasn't changed, and other parts might even be worse than when you were in power.
If there's any change, it's the struggles among the upper echelons and the emergence of a new generation of powerhouses.
As their thoughts shifted, Naruto and Hinata's consciousnesses slowly withdrew from the Seal Space.
The real world.
Naruto's eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes. In the instant those azure eyes opened, a warm and deep golden light flashed and vanished, quickly returning to clarity.
He could feel that he could use the power seized from the Nine-Tailed at any time.
He had successfully stabilized the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and now possessed an eternal, warm pillar of support in his heart.
Hinata leaned against a tree, very calm, as if the earth-shattering operation in the Consciousness Space just now was merely a dream.
"Phew..." Naruto let out a long breath and stretched his somewhat stiff limbs. The sense of power filling his body invigorated him.
He couldn't wait to focus his mind.
"Dad, Mom, can you hear me? Can you see the outside?"
(Very clearly, Naruto!) Kushina's cheerful voice immediately rang in his mind, filled with novelty.
(Is this where you usually Cultivate? It looks about the same as the Village used to.)
(Yes, I can see. The perception is very clear.) Minato's voice followed, (Through your senses, we can roughly perceive the surroundings. It's a wonderful feeling.)
Having received confirmation, a wide smile broke out on Naruto's face. He turned to Hinata and said excitedly.
"Hinata! Dad and Mom can really see! This is great!"
Hinata nodded slightly, not surprised by this. She looked up at the sky.
"Let's go."
"Okay!" Naruto was full of energy as he pointed toward Konoha Village. "I'm going to take Dad and Mom back to the Village to see! I'll show them what Konoha is like now!"
With that, Naruto's speed suddenly increased as he leaped toward the Village, his movements smooth and swift, far surpassing his previous self.
Hinata tapped her feet lightly and followed unhurriedly, her figure weaving through the forest as if weightless, always maintaining a steady distance from the excited Naruto.
Soon, the two arrived at the wall on the edge of the Village.
Standing on high ground, Naruto looked down at his home bathed in the morning light, his heart full of pride. He couldn't wait to share it in his mind.
"Look! This is what Konoha looks like now!"
(Hmm... it seems a bit larger than I remember, with more houses.) Kushina's voice was filled with emotion.
(That Hokage Rock... doesn't seem to have changed.)
Minato's consciousness was clearly observing carefully. His voice echoed in Naruto's heart, still gentle, but with an undetectable hint of solemnity.
(Naruto, is the current Hokage... still Sarutobi-sensei?)
"Eh?" Naruto blinked, then scratched his head. "Ah, yes, Dad. Grandpa Third is still the Hokage."
Minato sighed inwardly. Through Naruto's eyes, he keenly captured details that ordinary villagers wouldn't notice.
The number and frequency of patrolling Ninjas far exceeded peacetime standards, and the positions where the squads coordinated their watch were clearly aimed at threats from outside the Village. In some strategic locations, such as the Ninja Tool Warehouse and the Communication Tower, the presence of Anbu could be vaguely sensed.
Although the streets were gradually becoming lively, the lingering fear and unease in the eyes of some villagers as they talked had not completely dissipated. Even in the air, one could see a tense, "calm before the storm" atmosphere permeating everything.
(Has the situation become this tense already...) Minato's voice lowered, carrying a father's concern for his child and a former Hokage's anxiety over his responsibility for the Village.
(What's going on? Has something big happened to the Village?) Kushina was confused, not knowing what had occurred.
Minato explained it to Kushina, and only then did she realize what the Village was facing now.
(I didn't expect the internal state of Konoha to have decayed to this extent...) Kushina sighed deeply. She had originally thought that after the Nine-Tails Attack was resolved, the Village would flourish, but now it was like this.
Hinata, who had been quietly observing, turned her gaze toward the depths of Konoha, in the direction of the Hokage Office Building.
She could feel some uninvited guests appearing around Konoha, seemingly gathering intelligence. However, now that Konoha had recalled all its high-end combat power, as long as Pain didn't come personally, Konoha wouldn't be destroyed.
She withdrew her gaze and turned around, a movement noticed by Naruto.
"Hinata, are you leaving?"
Hinata nodded slightly.
"Yes. Adapt to your new power as quickly as possible. It won't be long before you see Sasuke."
Without any further farewell, she turned. Her steps seemed ordinary, yet within a few strides, she had merged into the shadows of a street corner and vanished as if she had never been there.
Naruto gazed in the direction she vanished, stunned for a moment. Then, he took a deep breath of the cool morning air, a bright and determined smile reappearing on his face.
"Dad, Mom, let's go home! And then... start the special training!"
(Oh! You're full of energy, Naruto. Where do you live now? Have you been cleaning properly? Do you know how to cook?)
Facing Kushina's concern, Naruto suddenly felt a bit ashamed; no one had ever cared about these things before.
Naruto thought of his room, which looked like a bird's nest, and the instant ramen cups filling the place.
This is bad. I have to take Mom and Dad around a bit more while I use a Clone to go back and clean the room, or Mom will scold me... Seeing Naruto's slightly flustered expression, Minato smiled but said nothing.
At this moment, the scene seemed frozen in time. A warm current welled up in his heart, making him feel an unprecedented sense of warmth and tranquility.
This scene was so familiar and made him feel incredibly happy. They were like members of an ordinary family, spending a plain yet warm day together.
It was as if they had never been apart.
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