Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 304 Hinata Kumokawa: Were you waiting for me too?
There are indeed quite a few people who support Hyuga Kumokawa, especially among ordinary people and young ninjas.

However, there are also quite a few centrists and opponents, after all, becoming Hokage is not just about being strong.

He was too young and inexperienced, and had never held any important positions. His experience and resume in political affairs were almost entirely blank.

Conversely, Tsunade has quite a few supporters, after all, her summoning beast, the slug, has played a huge role in treating the wounded and has saved many lives.

In addition, her special status as the granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the legendary Sannin, along with her past reputation, have earned her a lot of public favor and trust, and her foundation remains solid.

Jiraiya's reputation, built up during the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, was truly solid, and he also made tremendous efforts in the initial resistance and evacuation of civilians during this attack.

However, his decision to "attack the core of the planet Earthburst, even if it might sacrifice some of the trapped people" was fiercely criticized and attacked by his opponents, who accused him of being too ruthless.

In contrast, Hyuga Kumokawa's heroic act and posture of sacrificing himself to rush towards Chibaku Tensei appear particularly "noble" and "eye-catching".

Therefore, in the current informal ranking of support among the common people in the Land of Fire and Konoha, the order is: Hyuga Kumokawa, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hatake Kakashi...

"Ok?"

Hinata Kumokawa's gaze swept to the end of the article, and when he saw the two names that were almost mentioned in passing, a mocking smile appeared in his eyes.

Sarutobi Asuma and Shimura Danzo.

It's understandable that Sarutobi Asuma was mentioned, after all, he was one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and had a certain network and reputation among the nobles of the Land of Fire.

But Shimura Danzo...

"That old bastard hasn't given up yet. He's still cautiously testing the waters, trying to see if he has a chance to climb out of the gutter and into the limelight." Hinata Yunchuan smiled to himself.

He was well aware that the public's evaluation of Hiruzen Sarutobi was so sharp that Danzo and the "Root" organization he controlled had obviously been spreading unfavorable comments about Hiruzen Sarutobi in the shadows.

Even Hyuga Kumokawa, who has only emerged in recent years, was able to become known to the people of the Land of Fire so quickly after this attack, thanks in no small part to Danzo's influence.

Of course, he also spared no effort in smearing Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Danzo must have already obtained the Caged Bird Seal, and all of this was done to support Hyuga Kumokawa, the puppet in his eyes, to become Hokage.

Even so, Danzo still clung to a sliver of overconfident hope.

If he could, he would certainly want to be Hokage himself, standing openly in front of everyone and basking in the sunlight, instead of hiding behind a "puppet" and being unable to see anyone.

but……

Looking at the newspaper, at the public's bewilderment and mockery of the unfamiliar name Shimura Danzo, Hyuga Kumokawa couldn't help but smile again.

That old guy must be furious by now, right?
No matter what, Hiruzen Sarutobi can forget about becoming Hokage.

If nothing unexpected happens, Hiruzen Sarutobi will soon convene a Jonin meeting to announce his "stepping down" and propose candidates for the Fifth Hokage...

Just as Hinata Kumokawa was pondering.

A spoon filled with congee was suddenly and silently handed to Hinata Kumokawa, interrupting his thoughts.

Hinata Kumokawa turned his head and saw that Hinata Aoi had sat down on the edge of the bed at some point, holding a bowl in her hand. Her face was expressionless, and she was sitting there seriously, but her eyes revealed nervousness.

"I'll do it myself."

Hinata Kumokawa gently closed the newspaper, handed it back to Hinata Aoi, took the spoon from her, and then took the bowl of steaming porridge from her hands.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sounds of chewing and the occasional soft clatter of a spoon against the bowl.

Hinata Aoi sat quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on his profile.

Sunlight streamed in from Hinata Kumokawa's side, outlining his clear features, yet making his face appear somewhat blurred in the halo of light.

It's like a beautifully bound book, but with obscure and difficult-to-understand content.

I can't see through it, I can't understand it.

After a moment of silence, Hinata Aoi pursed her dry lips and finally spoke, "Yunkawa."

"Hmm?" Hinata Kumokawa responded without stopping his porridge-drinking.

“The day before you woke up, three generations of adults came to see me in private,” she said.

Upon hearing this, Hinata Kumokawa paused almost imperceptibly in his porridge-drinking motion.

But the pause was so brief it was almost an illusion. He put the porridge in his mouth, swallowed it, and then said in his usual calm tone, "You asked the Hyuga clan about what happened that night, right?"

"And what about my and Hyuga Neji's eyes?"

Hyuga Aoi nodded, hesitated, and continued, "I told him everything that Hyuga Neji had said that night about the Tenseigan, as well as the whole story."

After saying that, she raised her head and looked at Hinata Yunchuan, saying, "Did I say something wrong?" "Why do you think that?" Hinata Yunchuan's tone remained calm, without any emotional fluctuation, as if they were just discussing an ordinary little thing.

Hinata Aoi was silent for a moment, then gently shook her head: "I don't know."

"I just feel like something's not right, like I said something I shouldn't have."

Upon hearing this, Hinata Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly.

He already knew that Hyuga Aoi would be questioned by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and he also knew that she could only tell the truth to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The reason I saved her from Neji Hyuga was to have another "credible" witness.

It was used to mislead Hiruzen Sarutobi and others, making them believe that the Tenseigan was similar to the Mangekyou Sharingan, both being awakened through extreme emotional stimulation.

This move was already part of the plan.

In fact, in Hyuga Kumokawa's original plan, Hinata Hyuga alone would have been enough as a witness.

So that night, when "Shadow" manipulated Hyuga Hizashi into the underground chamber, it jammed the door, preventing the chamber from closing.

Then, have the black cat wake Hinata Hyuga and guide her to "coincidentally" witness that scene. The appearance of Aoi Hyuga is merely an accident, and even Hyuga Kumokawa cannot be completely foolproof.

But then he thought that the testimony of an older member of the main family might be more convincing than that of the young Hinata, so he decided to rescue Hinata Aoi as well.

However, I never expected Hinata Aoi to say something like that.

Hinata Kumokawa was certain that he had not revealed any flaws in any detail.

But sometimes, "coincidence" itself is a flaw that isn't really a flaw.

This has nothing to do with whether the plan itself is perfect or not.

This is because it is simply a doubt rooted in human nature. Just like if someone finds money for five consecutive days, they will wonder if they will have bad luck tomorrow.

This is an unfounded suspicion, and it is also unavoidable.

It can be considered a minor oversight.

Well, it's better to fill it in in advance.

"What is the current situation within the clan?"

Hinata Kumokawa did not answer Hinata Aoi's question. While slowly drinking his porridge, he asked the question as if it were just a casual remark.

Looking at Hinata Kumokawa's calm and composed face, Hinata Aoi felt a strange doubt in her heart, like an undercurrent in the water, difficult to grasp yet undeniably real.

"The situation within the clan is somewhat complicated, and everyone's emotions are fluctuating greatly, but order has been barely stabilized."

She suppressed her doubts for the time being, lowered her eyelids slightly, and replied, "All the members of the main family who held real power and could take charge of the overall situation were killed by Hyuga Neji that night..."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "They all tragically perished."

"The remaining survivors are mostly women and children. Although they did not suffer too many physical injuries, they have suffered severe psychological trauma and will need a long time to recover..."

"The branch family has also suffered heavy casualties. Currently, Hyuga Iroha and I are temporarily responsible for comforting and managing the survivors of the main family and the branch family, respectively..."

"However, Iroha and the others have been waiting for you to return."

She briefly explained the situation within the clan, and the ward fell into a brief silence again, with only faint sounds coming from outside the window.

"And you?" Hinata Kumokawa suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Hinata Aoi paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked up, only to be met with a pair of deep, light blue eyes that were quietly gazing at her. Their eyes met.

"Were you waiting for me too?" Hinata Kumokawa continued to ask.

Kaka...

Hinata Aoi instinctively crumpled the newspaper in her hand into a ball.

If Hinata Kumokawa's indifference and rejection used to brush against Hinata Aoi's heart like a feather, making her feel inexplicably tight in her chest.

At that moment, it felt like her heart had been squeezed hard.

Fresh blood was pumped out and rushed to all parts of my body. I even felt that the blood supply was too much, and I felt dizzy and short of breath.

What do you mean?
What did he mean by saying that?
(I was on my way home for National Day, and it was a bit late. I've already reached my monthly ticket goal, so I'll try to save up some chapters these next few days to make up for the extra five chapters, which is 10,000 words.)
(Here's a character design for "Hyuga Aoi". Although she won't be the female lead, she's still an original character with a significant role. Lastly, I'm asking for your monthly votes QAQ)

(End of this chapter)