Chapter 34: The Information War of the Goddess Alliance
On the electronic screen in the tower, the cursor flickered and scrolled rapidly again, jumping between the remaining candidates' names.
Hinata's counterattack just now had turned the originally tense atmosphere into something a bit strange.
The intermission was a bit longer than expected.
During this short break, in a corner of the stands, several figures drew the gaze of all the men present.
They hadn't made an appointment beforehand; Kurenai Yuhi seemingly casually walked toward Hinata, who had just finished her match. Sakura Haruno from Team 7 and Ino Yamanaka from Team 10 also gathered there with unspoken understanding.
Four beautiful female Ninjas gathered together, each with her own unique beauty. Kurenai Yuhiwas mature and glamorous, Hinata was delicate and shy, Ino was blonde and hot, and Sakura was youthful and energetic.
On the distant railing, Uzumaki Naruto watched this scene, letting out a whistle only he could hear, his blue eyes filled with a smug smile.
[Hehe, it seems this great one's charm is truly unstoppable.]
[Look, they've gathered together! This must be a goddesses' tea party. At a time like this, besides the contestants who performed brilliantly on the field, the topic of conversation must be a handsome guy like me, right?]
[Aya, being discussed by so many beauties at once is such a troublesome happiness. Is this the innate protagonist aura? It seems it'll be hard for me to keep a low profile in the future.]
[But this is fine too, everyone should get to know each other first. After all, in the future, they'll all enter my... ahem, they're all partners who will fight together for the peace of Konoha. Establishing a good harem... bah, team relationship is very important.]
Just as these shameless thoughts in Naruto's mind subsided, the system notification sounded crisply.
[Ding!]
[Detected four key female characters with high favorability engaged in close information exchange, and their focus is entirely on you.]
[Your vanity has been greatly satisfied; the system deems this a highlight moment of Charm Radiation.]
[Reward: Charm +2 (Stranger favorability acquisition efficiency increased by 15%).]
"Hmph, I knew it." The smug curve of Naruto's mouth couldn't be suppressed, yet he insisted on looking out the window with a profound expression, as if contemplating some major event.
But he didn't know that the small talk over there was actually a very serious information warfare meeting.
In the corner, to avoid being noticed, the four of them wore relaxed smiles, but the words they spoke in hushed tones were enough to startle any Anbu.
"Confirmed?" Kurenai Yuhi crossed her arms, her posture unchanged, her gaze seemingly on Hinata's injuries, but her peripheral vision swept over the Blonde Youth. "What he was thinking just now."
"Confirmed, Teacher Kurenai."
Sakura turned her back to Naruto, using the action of adjusting her forehead protector to hide her twitching lips. Her voice was very low and tense: "In the heavenly curtain's live broadcast just now, besides those disgusting things in Naruto's mind, he indeed thought about the upcoming match arrangements."
She paused and took a deep breath: "The next group is me and... Ino Pig."
Beside her, Ino originally wanted to retort with "Broad Forehead," but she was in no mood for it now. She brushed the blonde hair from her temples, her expression solemn as she nodded.
"Not only that," Ino's voice was even softer, "he also thought that this exam is basically a trap. Even though that perverted Orochimaru was repelled once, the Otogakure he brought are still here. And... Naruto just complained that we need to save our real trump cards for the end. This exam is nothing more than a ritual to screen sacrifices."
"Trump cards..." Hinata's fingers twisted together. Her cheeks, which had been flushed from Naruto's gaze, now showed a hint of clarity. She had just defeated Neji, relying on the information Narutoprovided and that blush-inducing encouragement.
Kurenai Yuhi nodded slightly, a flash of decisiveness in her red eyes.
"It seems our course of action needs to change."
As the only Jonin present and the initiator of the Heavenly Curtain Alliance, Kurenai quickly made tactical deployments. "Since that idiot... ahem, since Naruto's information is terrifyingly accurate every time, we'll act according to his script."
Although Kurenai's voice was soft, it carried an unquestionable authority: "Sakura, Ino. If the next match is indeed between you two, I don't require you to determine a winner. You must not only fight, but fight convincingly—I mean, like ordinary Genin."
"Hide our strength?" Sakura reacted quickly.
"Yes." Kurenai lowered her voice, her tone serious. "Hide all those messy but ridiculously powerful abilities the heavenly curtain gave you. Those are surprises reserved for Orochimaru and those bastards who want to destroy Konoha."
Ino and Sakura exchanged a look, both seeing the resolve to act their hearts out in the other's eyes.
"Don't worry, Teacher Kurenai." A sly smile curled on Ino's lips. "When it comes to acting, Broad Forehead and I are professionals. We definitely won't let that drooling idiot see through us."
"Exactly." Sakura clenched her fists, her eyes involuntarily glancing at the self-absorbed back. "Since he wants to see us fighting like rookies so badly... then we'll just put on a show for him. As long as we can reach the end... that future where we can protect everyone."
The four girls' gazes met, reaching a silent understanding.
They were doing this after seeing through the cruelty of the world, in order to survive the upcoming chaos and protect the treasure boy at the center. For this reason, they had formed an alliance.
"Disperse." Kurenai ordered softly. "Act naturally, don't let him see anything's off. Even though he's just an idiot with no heart except for his lecherous mind."
"Yes."
"Understood, Teacher Kurenai."
The four dispersed naturally, returning to their positions. On the surface, it was just a brief chat; nothing had happened.
But to Naruto, looking down from above, it only confirmed his suspicions.
[Heh, they're dispersing. Looking at those satisfied smiles on their faces, they must have a high opinion of me.]
[Especially Teacher Kurenai's last look. Although it was a bit cold, it definitely meant 'I appreciate you, but we must exercise restraint in public'! This tension from a mature woman is just incredible!]
Naruto leaned on the railing, still giggling foolishly. He had no idea that in this information network, he had long since changed from a transmigrator in control of the situation to a precious darling held in everyone's palms, being coaxed with full-blown acting.
At that very moment, the large screen in the tower finally stopped scrolling.
Two names, just as Sakura had heard in the heavenly curtain, were frozen before everyone's eyes.
Sakura Haruno VS Ino Yamanaka
"Here it comes!" Naruto's spirits lifted, and his attention was instantly drawn.
"This match is a classic scene! Best friends turning against each other for a man, a love-hate relationship! Although according to the original work, their current level is just rookies pecking at each other... but, girls fighting, pulling hair, tearing clothes and all that..."
The smile on Naruto's face gradually became lewd, while the two "Best Actress" candidates who had just stepped onto the field almost simultaneously ground their teeth imperceptibly.