Naruto glanced back, and the atmosphere immediately tensed.
Under the sunlight, the group was scattered, busy digging. Ino stood on a hillside, shovel in hand, casting a glance in Naruto's direction before silently resuming her digging.
Hinata, using her Byakugan, anxiously observed the three people below. Gaara was unconscious, while Temari and Kankuro's breathing seemed to be getting increasingly labored.
Hearing Kiba call her, Hinata jerked her head up, only to hear Ino's name as well. Her face instantly turned red as she lowered her head again. She wasn't sure how to face this situation, so she decided to pretend she hadn't heard anything.
She was naturally timid, and after confronting Ino in the bathhouse to express her stance, her courage was almost completely drained. She had reached her limit.
'No one responded.' Shikamaru and Kiba exchanged a stunned look, realizing something was off. Their minds raced, trying to come up with an excuse to ease the awkward tension.
Ino, Hinata, and even Naruto didn't feel particularly awkward. After all, their relationship with Naruto was shrouded in a vague ambiguity, and turning that into a clear romantic relationship wouldn't be easy.
Both girls understood the situation well. One was the eldest princess of the Hyuga Clan, and the other was the only daughter of the Yamanaka Clan's Clan Head. They could fall in love with almost anyone in the village and make it work… except for Naruto.
When Tsunade had pushed Naruto into the limelight and openly showed her favoritism, everyone understood the Godaime Hokage's intentions: she wanted Naruto to become Hokage.
Sasuke's defection had made the higher-ups hold back a bit. Konoha couldn't afford to lose another of its new generation of Shinobi, nor could it lose its Jinchuriki.
The influential adults of Konoha observed the unfolding chess game from above, ready to make sacrifices and exchanges aligned with their interests when necessary.
After all, Hokage may come and go, but the noble clans remain constant. They didn't care who became Hokage, as long as it benefited them.
The situation was too complicated, so both Ino and Hinata tacitly avoided the thorny issues. After all, they were still young, with plenty of time ahead of them.
However, the boys' thoughts weren't as nuanced. Shikamaru and Kiba naturally assumed that ambiguity meant they should be together. They envisioned dramatic, storybook scenario, an earth-shaking romance where 'you belong only to me and no one else can have you'.
In their minds, liking the same person automatically made them rivals, and they expected some intense showdown. Or perhaps tearful confrontations forcing Naruto to choose between the two, the more melodramatic, the better… a battle over private possession.
In reality, the two girls weren't as childish as Shikamaru and Kiba imagined. If anything, it was Shikamaru and Kiba who didn't understand these things.
Shikamaru, a genius who could navigate high EQ purely through his IQ, and Kiba, a hot-headed fool whose goal was to become Hokage so he could turn Konoha into a village of dogs.
These two, an odd combination that didn't mesh well at all, ended up creating a strangely comedic scene. While the people directly involved weren't embarrassed, Shikamaru and Kiba were awkward to the point of stiffness.
"Ino, maybe you should contact the people down there now." Shikamaru suggested, trying to smooth things over.
"Hinata, are they still alive? We're almost through. Try to pinpoint their location again so we don't dig in the wrong spot." Kiba added nervously, his entire demeanor jittery.
Hearing this, Naruto withdrew his gaze and ignored them. He leapt up to the top of a large rock and grabbed Kurama by the scruff, lifting him up.
In the sunlight, Kurama's limbs flailed, his fiery red fur gleaming as if it were about to catch fire.
Tenten, glancing up as she took a break from digging, caught sight of the scene and couldn't help but stare, momentarily stunned.
"Got it." Ino muttered, tossing her shovel aside. She quickly formed a series of hand seals, attempting to communicate with the Sunagakure's siblings buried below.
Hinata, hearing Kiba's words, hurriedly responded with a 'Got it'. However, worried she might mess up, she glanced towards Neji. Just as she was about to ask for guidance, Neji gave her a sidelong glance and said, "Just do it."
"Okay." Hinata nodded nervously, her mind a bit muddled.
She formed a simple hand seal and she swiftly activated her Byakugan. Veins bulged around her eyes, giving her a fierce appearance, but the result was unexpectedly good. She quickly reported the precise location.
"They're about five steps to your left and about eight meters down."
"Alright! Akamaru, let's go!" Kiba exclaimed, feeling a rush of accomplishment as if he had finally found his purpose in digging. He enthusiastically performed his Fang Passing Fang technique with Akamaru.
Soon, a large pit appeared before the group. Covered in dirt, Kiba shook himself off, grabbed a shovel, and jumped into the pit. He drove the shovel into the ground, and with a dull thud, it struck wood.
"We did it!" Kiba cheered happily.
Lee and Neji jumped in, working together with shovels in hands to unearth a white coffin. Kiba fiddled with the coffin for a long time but found that it was impossible to open it. He looked up at the people standing outside the deep pit.
"Tell that guy to undo his Ninjutsu! Damn it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kiba squinted and saw a figure slowly approach the edge of the pit, holding a dog in his hand. He felt a bit annoyed, thinking this was hardly the time for such antics.
'Kurosuki Raiga's Funeral, Release.'
With a thought, Naruto caused the white coffin to vanish, and Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara tumbled out. Gaara was covered in blood, while Temari and Kankuro were already unconscious.
The distance made it hard for Naruto to see if they were still breathing, but judging by Neji's calm demeanor, it seemed likely that the Sand siblings were alive, and thye simply passed out.
Lee, Neji, and Kiba quickly carried the trio out of the pit. Sakura was about to move forward to heal them, but Shikamaru stopped her.
"They're not in critical condition. Let's get out of here first and head back to the Land of Fire before we do anything."
Sakura nodded, having no objections. As a Medical-nin, her primary role was to follow orders. After a quick glance to confirm that the three were as Shikamaru described, she slowly stepped back.
This was a mission, not a picnic, so no one objected. With Shikamaru's thorough planning and his role as team leader, the group followed his orders without question and retreated with the unconscious Sunagakure's siblings into the forests of the Land of Fire.