When old friends meet, it should be a joyous occasion, filled with embraces and laughter.
But looking at the friends before them, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino didn't know what kind of attitude they should adopt to greet him.
In terms of strength, the other party was a powerhouse renowned throughout the ninja world; in terms of status, he was the leader of the Dragon Heritage organization, possessing a prestige in the ninja world that even qualified him to sit as an equal with the Five Kage.
And they themselves were still just obscure Konoha genin.
The visible chasm between them instinctively gave rise to a sense of inferiority.
This was also why, unlike Hinata, they hadn't greeted him immediately.
"Long time no see, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino," Naruto Clone One greeted the three of them.
He had left in a bit of a hurry back then and hadn't memorized their chakra signatures, which was why he hadn't recognized the three of them at first glance.
Kurenai watched this scene, her expression shifting slightly. She had heard some rumors back then.
It was said that after the Konoha Crush, the reason the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had defected from Konoha was entirely due to the brainless actions of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, who had directly restricted Uzumaki Naruto's personal freedom.
This had caused him to lose faith in Konoha, ultimately choosing to become a missing-nin.
Because the situation in Konoha at the time was somewhat strange, and the topic involved the two Great Advisors, she hadn't paid much mind to these rumors.
She had simply assumed the Jinchuriki had wanted to defect on his own.
But from the current situation, those rumors seemed not to be baseless after all…
Yet, a Jinchuriki who had defected from Konoha had become a powerful ninja renowned throughout the ninja world.
Two aged faces couldn't help but surface in Kurenai's mind.
Those two old fools must have regretted it to their very core by now…
"Long time no see, long time no see," Kiba said, scratching his head with a smile.
"L-long time no see, Naruto. Th-thank you for still remembering my name…" Hinata stammered.
"Naruto-kun, long time no see," Aburame Shino said. He glanced at the nervous Hinata, pushed up his sunglasses, and said nothing more.
"Does your Dragon Heritage have the confidence to heal Gaara?" Temari couldn't help but ask.
Granny Chiyo's doting on her grandson was quite a well-known anecdote back then.
The reason Sunagakure's puppet corps was so successful in the previous Great Ninja Wars was primarily due to Chiyo's poisons.
According to the older ninja in their group, Granny Chiyo's tutelage of her grandson, Sasori of the Red Sand—Sunagakure's star of the future at the time—was completely unreserved.
Meaning, the poison Gaara was currently afflicted with might have been concocted by a poison expert of Granny Chiyo's caliber.
Although the Dragon Heritage organization was very strong, it was ultimately a newly established organization, lacking deep foundations.
To entrust her younger brother's treatment to an organization that hadn't even established a medical system… truthfully, she was very uneasy.
"There's a lot going on. Let's talk more when we have time." Naruto Clone One took out a Flying Thunder God kunai and handed it to Hinata. "If you encounter danger, you can infuse chakra into this."
This thing was an optimized version of the 'keepsake' he had created on a whim in the Dragon Vein timeline.
"This is…" Hinata took it, looking at the uniquely styled kunai in her hand, somewhat puzzled.
"Hinata, keep it," Kurenai couldn't help but say.
Unlike Hinata's ignorance, she clearly understood the significance of this Flying Thunder God kunai.
This was the promise of a powerhouse capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with a Kage…
Having this was equivalent to having an extra life.
Furthermore, with Uzumaki Naruto's protection, Hinata's situation within the Hyuga clan would likely improve significantly.
Presumably, after seeing this Flying Thunder God kunai, those Hyuga clan elders would also show more respect to Hinata, the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter.
Naruto Clone One turned his head to look at Temari. "You can rest assured on this point."
"The Dragon Heritage's regard for Gaara far surpasses Sunagakure's."
Hearing this, the surrounding Suna ninja looked at each other, wanting to refute but not knowing how to begin.
"You…" Temari glared at him angrily, but Kankuro grabbed her arm.
Kankuro shook his head slightly at her, then looked towards the 'Public Enemy of the Ninja World.' "We'll leave Gaara in your care."
"It's my duty."
Seeing that the message had been delivered, Naruto Clone One held up two fingers like a sword and looked towards the jounin instructor of Hinata's team.
"Miss Kurenai, a friendly reminder: your comrade is about to be in trouble."
Within the perception of his Mind's Eye of Kagura, the chakra sources of two Akatsuki members had already clashed with Asuma's chakra source.
He and Konoha had long since parted ways; a single reminder was the most he could offer.
Watching Uzumaki Naruto vanish from the spot, Kurenai's expression changed.
"Hinata, can you find Asuma?"
"Byakugan!" Veins bulged around Hinata's eyes.
"Need any help?" Temari asked, walking over.