"What are you talking about?" Naruto was a little speechless, looking at Tenten, "Can't I have a legitimate reason to be here? Does it always have to be something shady?"
"A legitimate reason? What reason?" Tenten tilted her head. "Are you looking for me?"
"Yeah, I need your help with something." He nodded, but before he could finish his sentence, Tenten let out a dramatic wail and collapsed into her chair.
"Wh-what?" Naruto was stunned, completely at a loss as to what had gotten into Tenten.
"You're treating me like a tool again!" Tenten slumped over the desk, crying dramatically, refusing to face him, "Last time, Tsunade-sama scolded me and said you were just tricking me!"
"What the heck?" Naruto thought to himself that, 'That old lady is always sticking her nose into everything.'
However, he didn't dare say that aloud.
Right now, though, he really did need Tenten's help. First, to avoid direct contact with Tsunade, and second, because things would get done a lot more smoothly. If he went directly to Tsunade, nine out of ten times, nothing would get done.
'Tsunade is still angry with me. But when her anger subsides, Tenten will probably be useless by then.'
'Uh… On second thought,' Naruto paused, reflecting for a moment, 'Perhaps I was being a bit excessive.'
"Hey, Tenten, you've got it all wrong." Naruto tapped her gently, trying to comfort her, "You also know that Tsunade-sama is dissatisfied with me now, and what she said is inevitably filled with personal bias."
"Don't take her words seriously. What 'tricking' are you even talking about?" He cleared his throat, preparing to continue his 'persuasion', "I've always meant well for you. Don't you enjoy the work you've been doing?"
The last sentence was the key point. Tenten immediately stopped crying and looked up at Naruto.
"I do enjoy it."
"That's great. So, all the more reason to work hard, right?" Naruto patted her shoulder gently, part encouragement, part veiled threat, "You know, opportunities like this don't come around often."
Tenten's mind buzzed, and she realized she was being held hostage by the job itself. Her thoughts became jumbled, and one phrase kept echoing in her head.
'You wouldn't want to lose this job, would you, Tenten? Muahahaha!'
"Tenten?"
"Tenten!!"
"Huh? What?" She snapped out of her daze, startled, and quickly asked, "What is it?"
"Why do you keep zoning out?" Naruto looked at her with puzzled expression. He felt that there's something seemed off about her.
"Maybe it's because I'm too tired. Hahaha." Tenten awkwardly brushed it off, then quickly changed the subject, "So, what did you need from me?"
"I just wanted to ask if you could look up any records related to the Hyuga Clan." Naruto said honestly.
"What of records?"
"About the Caged Bird."
"Why do you want to look into that?" Tenten was surprised. She knew Neji still had the Caged Bird on his forehead, and it had always been a shadow over him.
"I just want to understand it better. The Caged Bird is essentially a form of Sealing Technique." Naruto didn't hide the truth from her, as there was no point in trying to cover it up.
"Most Sealing Techniques are based on interfering with the opponent's Chakra. In simple terms, they disrupt the flow."
"Disrupt?"
"Think of it like a mechanism. Once it detects Chakra flowing under certain circumstances, the mechanism will be activated. The seal breaks open, and a special kind of Chakra is released."
Naruto explained it in great detail, giving a thorough and concise explanation of the basic principles of Sealing Techniques.
"Mm-hmm." Tenten nodded, listening intently, "And then?"
"Then, I need you to help me find any records about the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird. If you find anything, secretly write it down and let me know." Naruto continued x.
But once again, Tenten started to space out, as if she could hear Naruto saying, 'You wouldn't want Neji to suffer under the Caged Bird for the rest of his life, would you, Tenten? Muahahahaha!!!'
"Hey! Tenten! Tenten!" Naruto waved his hand in front of her face, "You keep zoning out today. Are you sure you're okay?"
"No, I'm fine! Really! Nothing's wrong!" Tenten swallowed nervously.
"Alright, if you say so. I'll get going now." Naruto still felt something was off with Tenten, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, so he quickly wrapped up the conversation and left.
Not long after Naruto left, Tsunade came back with a serious look on her face.
"Tsunade-sama, would you like some tea?" Tenten quickly stood up to greet her, but Tsunade waved her off.
"Bring me some sake." Tsunade said.
"Okay." Tenten hurried off to fetch it after hearing that.
Naruto didn't leave the Hokage Tower too far, and found a small shop to sit down. While sipping an iced drink, he mulled over how to resolve the issues he was facing.
The Yamanaka Clan's lifeline lies in their secret techniques, and their clan lacks elite Shinobi like Yamanaka Fu.
On its own, the Yamanaka Clan is just a small clan with unique abilities. However, when combined with the other two clans, their influence grows significantly.
When it comes to marriage, it's not just about the bride. If the entire Yamanaka Clan opposes Naruto's relationship with Ino or Hinata, the outcome would be predictable. Ino is not the kind of person who would abandon everything for love.
Having been together for so many years, Naruto knew her too well. When the time comes, if everything is laid bare, with her prideful nature, Ino would never compromise.
Unless he first changed the attitude of the Yamanaka Clan, getting them to mediate and push for reconciliation. But that wouldn't be easy. So Naruto placed his hopes on the communications project.
With the communications project, any clan could quickly rise from a small clan to become one of the most influential clans in the Land of Fire, even in the surrounding small countries.
The Ino-Shika-Cho alliance had only been strong for a few years, and who knew what the future held?
On the other hand, dealing with the traditional Hyuga Clan was simpler. The conflict between the main and branch families had been festering for a long time. All Naruto needed to do was stir the pot.
He planned to dismantle the main family's authority, break the Caged Bird, and make its secrets his own. He would then reorganize the Hyuga Clan, stirring the waters and changing the winds in his favor.
With a rough plan in mind, Naruto finished his drink and tossed the empty cup into the trash with a clang. There were important matters he needed to attend to that evening, so he decided to rest for a bit.
The afternoon passed in a blur, and when Naruto woke up, he was a little dazed. He remembered his appointment with Ino, so he hurried to the Intelligence Department to wait for her to get off work.
After waiting for a while, the crowd from the Intelligence Department began trickling out, and Ino was the last to leave. She lingered at the entrance for a moment before slowly walking over when she saw Naruto waiting.
She had agreed to meet him on a whim earlier, but as the afternoon wore on, Ino regretted it. She knew there was bound to be a heated confrontation tonight, so she felt both anxious and a bit excited.
She spent the afternoon indecisive, unable to come to a conclusion. But once words are spoken, they can't be taken back.
"Busy afternoon?" Naruto asked.
"Not really." Ino, lost in thought, pursed her lips and didn't say much.
"Let's grab some food first." Naruto said casually, taking her hand and leading her out without giving her a chance to refuse. Ino made a symbolic effort to resist but soon gave in.