Chapter 52: Subterfuge

Even though he had told all of those things, Naruto was still confused. He did not know where to start. Chiasa had admitted that she was the one who kidnapped Talim's son. What was his proof then that Chiasa was playing straight with them?

"Naruto, I got something to tell you," Chiasa said, as they walked along the path far from the tents. Naruto had deliberately chosen to walk far from people.

Naruto stopped walking. He closed his eyes as if to catch a surge of pain. "Chiasa…"

Chiasa's voice softened. "No…please don't hate me."

"They did their duty and you did yours. You were just stronger than them."

A sob escaped Chiasa's throat. "I don't know what to do anymore, Naruto. Help me."

Naruto, unable to think of anything to say, pulled Chiasa's head to his chest. "I'll help you. I'll do everything I can."

Chiasa put her arms around his waist and unabashedly cried on his chest.

"He's in," Setsuko told Neji. "The idiot is playing hero again."

They were inside Neji's tent with Katsuo and Tenten. Lee, Aika, and Kushina were outside, exploring the village.

Neji's usually cool face crunched up into a grimace. "Naruto…" he said in a harsh whisper. " What about what you overheard at the Chief's tent yesterday?"

"Chiasa admitted to it."

"Details?"

Setsuko told him a summarized version of Naruto and Talim's conversation.

Tenten stopped spinning her kunai around her finger and thrust it into the face of the crate she was sitting on. "Something is amiss. When did this happen? I mean when did she kidnap the child?"

"It must have been before we were sent here," Neji said. "Except for last night, I haven't let Chiasa out my sight."

"They already knew that we would be taking this route? What are they, psychics?"

"This setup was meant for Hashirama-sensei and the others. It seems that Chiasa brought us here on purpose. The Left Wing must have gotten information about Naruto and decided that he would be a large obstacle in their path. Naruto was their target."

"Do you think that she went to see them last night?"

Neji wrung his hands. "There is a high possibility."

"I don't know how it happened," Katsuo said. "I suddenly lost her scent. She seemed to have disappeared altogether."

"What I'm more afraid of is the fact that she is an Uchiha. It will be hard to notice if we are already under her Genjutsu or not. Among Genjutsu users, the Uchiha are the most powerful. Even a Yuuga like me will have a hard time detecting it."

"What do you plan on doing if that's what happened?" Tenten asked.

Neji looked up, determined. "We will do what we are here for to do, even if it means killing Chiasa."

Their arrival caused a large commotion in the Sumiragi estate. Lady Yoshie and Lord Hiroshi had been so happy to see Princess Kaguya. When the two learned that they were friends with Naruto, they welcomed them as royal guests. A banquet was immediately served and they stuffed themselves so as not to be rude. The whole day of their arrival became a festive one.

Shikamaru went out to smoke under the trees in the backyard of their lodgings. The chirping of crickets filled the air. It was a wonder how the people of the Sumiragi Estate could stop celebrating at the appointed time. Not even the usually loud voices of drunks could be heard at the moment. As if to appreciate the comforting silence, Shikamaru inhaled a lungful of smoke and eased up on a protruding root of a tree.

"It's a good thing you decided to go with Kaguya-hime," Shino said, coming out from the shadow.

"Shino. Could you do something about that habit of yours of just suddenly appearing from nowhere?"

"Forgive me. Am I bugging you?"

Shikamaru gave him a look. The Aburame clan, who used bugs as their main weapon, was a tad sensitive compared to ordinary people. "Is that question filled?"

Shino did not answer his question. Instead, he said, "So you noticed her odd behavior, too?"

"I've seen something like this before. Sakura is showing signs of obsession. The best move is to keep her away from Naruto, especially now that girls are always around him."

"I agree. It's a big help that Ino is with us."

"Momoko seems to notice the situation, too. Ever since our parting with Princess Yori, she hasn't mentioned Naruto's name in front of Sakura."

"Yes." Shino paused a moment. "What do you think would happen if Sasuke suddenly showed up?"

"I don't know. I've already considered that possibility, but the workings of a human heart is not like Shogi. You cannot push a piece to experiment for an outcome."

"Sometimes I think that having a girlfriend is not that bad."

Shikamaru laughed. "Let's forget about them for now. The Sumiragi Clan is planning on searching for the Alliance. It seems that they are thinking of formally severing their ties with Kogiwara."

"After all that happened to Kaguya-hime and her family, what else is there to base their loyalty from?"

Shikamaru puffed some smoke. "It is as you say."

Neji had instructed Setsuko and Katsuo to be vigilant for Naruto and Chiasa—especially for Chiasa. Setsuko, being a Wolf Sage, could hide her presence and spy on them from a distance, while Katsuo could track their smells.

"I will tell the others about what we've decided upon," Neji added, standing up.

Tenten grabbed Neji's arm before he could go out of the tent. "Don't tell Kushina-san and Aika. They might do something risky. Let's do this by ourselves."

"What of Lee?"

"I'll tell him. For now, you three focus on keeping the two on tight leash. And another thing, Neji. This is a good opportunity to ask about the Narrow Path. The Chief, I'm certain, is knowledgeable about it."

"Okay." Neji turned to them. "Don't let Naruto or Chiasa find out that we are spying on them."

"I'll go into the forest," Setsuko said. "With Sage Mode, I can use the chakra of the trees to sense moving targets."

"How long will you be able to maintain Sage Mode?" Neji asked.

"I can pretty much maintain it for two days, immobile."

Neji had to stop himself from showing his amazement. When had the girl grown this strong? "That's good news. Katsuo, what is their current position?"

Katsuo sniffed the air. "They are by the river, three hundred meters from here. They are not moving."

"Let's go. We don't want them wandering further."

"Roger," the others said in unison.

Chief Agila was checking on Talim the moment Neji arrived at his tent, but a comely elder woman ushered him inside and told him to feel at home. The kindling in the center of the tent still burned and the smoke coming from it was pleasant-smelling. It made Neji wonder what kind of wood was used as kindling. He took the opportunity to look around. Agila's tent was made of buffalo hide. The craftsmanship was flawless, but Neji noticed that it was recently constructed as well, like all the other tents. Were they a nomadic tribe?

"Oh, Hyuuga-san, good morning," Agila said as he entered. "I'm sorry. Did I take too long?"

Neji stood up. "No, sir. I just arrived."

"Sit down, sit down. Havana, could you bring in some tea?" A girl's voice responded politely from outside. Agila walked across Neji and sat.

Neji sat down. "I apologize for the early intrusion."

"You are more than welcome to my quarters. Do not apologize. What can I do for you?"

"I'm just here to ask you some questions."

"Would you mind?" Agila said, showing his pipe.

"No."

Agila lit his pipe and smoked. "What do you want to know?"

"Mostly about the Narrow Path, but, if it's not so much trouble, can I ask if you are a nomadic tribe?"

Agila tapped his pipe on his knee and looked at Neji. "We are not."

"What? What do you mean? Did someone…"

"Hyuuga-san, I think you don't need to know the details. This is a tribal issue. I'm sorry I cannot speak anymore about it. Now, about the Narrow Path…"

"Those bastards," Neji muttered.

"You don't need to worry about us, Hyuuga-san," Agila said, offering Neji a reassuring smile.

"But you have small ones in here!"

Agila's voice hardened. "We get by, don't worry."

"Of course. I'm sorry if I'm nosing in too much."

"We don't want to involve you in our problem. As you said so yourself, your group is just passing by."

"Yes. I'm sorry," Neji said in a small voice.

"Agila-sama, I brought you your tea," Havana said from outside. Agila let her in, and after she had served the tea, she excused herself.

Smiling, Agila puffed some smoke. "Where do you want me to start?"

Neji sipped some tea from his cup. "I want to know why this Narrow Path seems so special. That's my original objective, anyway."

"Honestly, I haven't seen this Narrow Path before, so I won't be able to describe it for you. However, I know some of its history."

Neji leaned back a little, straightening his back, to make himself alert.

"The Narrow Path was originally a monk's valley. Until the last Kingdom Wars, twenty-six years ago, it was the area where the largest monastery of Sanmyaku was located. However, an unfortunate event happened. The desperate King of the Kingdom of Nue sent in his warriors through the Narrow Path. The move was successful and Nue was able to conquer two cities in Kogiwara. The monks eventually decided that the current situation of using the Narrow Path as the conduit for Nue's forces would put them in danger. But they were too late. Before they could notify the King, Kogiwara launched an all-out attack on the Narrow Path. After that day, the Narrow Path mysteriously disappeared from Sanmyaku."

Neji frowned. "Literally disappeared?"

"Yes. For ten years, all the kingdoms in Sanmyaku tried to search for the lost valley, until a merchant discovered an underwater tunnel at the bottom of Armada—the largest and the most dangerous river here in Sanmyaku. The kingdoms approved expeditions with the goal of finding out what was beyond that tunnel." Agila stopped and took in a lungful of smoke, seemingly troubled.

"And?"

"As far as I know, not one has returned yet from those expeditions, even bones."

"What if they were wrong? What if the tunnel doesn't lead to the Narrow Path?"

"Geographically, the location of the tunnel is only a few latitudes away from the Narrow Path. It is a perfect passage. Explorers, surveyors, and map makers agree on this."

"But it's not enough. Do they realize that they have been wasting lives for a baseless assumption?"

"Actually, Hyuuga-san, it hasn't been baseless. Even though there wasn't a single person to have ever come back, a soldier of Nue was able to send a letter across. The content of the letter was never exposed to the public, but rumors say that it contained a short description of what they had found beyond the tunnel. Some say that the place was filled with ghosts; some say that it was hell itself. However, these are mere speculations. Only the bearer of the letter and the soldier himself know of the truth."

"And the Queen is organizing another expedition to open the Narrow Path despite all of these?"

"We are in war, and she is not forcing anyone. She is giving an unbelievable amount of reward, so I think a lot has already come to try for it."

"We will be at risk if we continue."

"Hyuuga-san, if you may allow me, I think Uzumaki-san might succeed."

"You don't have anything to back that up."

"His level of chakra is incredible…and that inscription tattoo on his side—Tell me, Hyuuga-san, do you know where he got that?"

"Do you mean the summoning mark for the Queen of Serpents?"

Agila let out a shuddering breath and smiled. An excited glint appeared on his eyes. "Then my suspicions are true. He is the Second Savior of Sanmyaku."

"Somewhat, but he doesn't approve of that title."

Agila looked into Neji's eyes. "He can do it, Hyuuga-san. Please, let him try."

"Wait. There is something in your tone. You haven't told me everything, yet, have you?"

Agila refilled his pipe and sucked in smoke. "No. Hyuuga-san, how did you enter Sanmyaku?"

"Through a wormhole."

"Do you know why?"

"I don't know the details, but it seems Sanmyaku is a closed country."

"It has been for twenty-six years ever since the disappearance of the Narrow Path."

Neji was wide-eyed. "What?"

"The Narrow Path was not only a passage that connected Nue and Kogiwara. It also served as the only passage out of the cordillera, out of the country. The Gate of Sanmyaku, which was temporarily closed due to the war, was permanently destroyed when Kogiwara attacked. If Uzumaki-san managed to open the Narrow Path, we might finally be freed from this…this unlikely prison."

Neji gritted his teeth. If Naruto caught wind of this, even the whole Hyuuga Clan would never be able to stop him. Neji did not speak for a long time. The kindling crackled and glowing embers shot out from the fire like red fireflies. The voices of children seeped in through the tanned hide—all smiles, all laughter, and all fun— oblivious of the chaos brought about by the predicament that Neji, unfortunately, had to face. After an almost ten minutes of silence, Neji finally spoke.

"We need all the information we can gather about the Narrow Path, then."

"Neji-san…"

Neji smiled. "Naruto will never stay put when he hears of this. All I can do is support him as best as I can."

"Very well. I'll tell you one thing that I've been keeping all this time. The monks were worshippers of the Sage of Six Paths. It is highly possible that the disappearance of the Narrow Path, the impossible torrent of the Armada, and the mysterious barrier that keeps intruders from escaping are due to forbidden techniques that the Sage of Six Paths handed down to them. It is thus my conclusion that the only people who might be able to open the Narrow Path are those who are special."

"Like Naruto…"

"The Queen of Serpents has the ability to neutralize ninjutsu or sorcery and is tough enough to defend against direct attacks. She is virtually invincible. To be able to subdue such an indomitable creature and make it a servant under you is something close to impossible, Hyuuga-san. Doesn't it tell you anything?"

"I know where you are coming from, and as a friend and colleague, I've seen his greatness many times before. However, you cannot deny that this Narrow Path, considering the last information you've shared with me, is a hard one. We are here to ensure his safety and I need to consider and reconsider conditions before we move on a step."

"I know, Hyuuga-san, but please…please give him a chance. Give the future generation of Sanmyaku a door to the outside world." Agila bowed down in front of Neji. "For a long time I've been praying for someone like him to come. I don't want to wait any longer, Hyuuga-san, for it will take another life time."

Neji sighed, and then smiled. "I already said yes, sir. In behalf of Uzumaki Naruto, I accept the responsibility."

Neji walked out of the tent a little over an hour later. He had made sure to get answers to all his questions. Agila gave them as best as he could, including information that he would never share easily to just anyone. The only thing Agila had withheld was the reason they were itinerant for the mean time.

As he walked back to his tent, he saw Naruto and Chiasa approaching from the distance. He stopped and waited for them.

"Neji," Naruto greeted. "Come with me. I have something to tell Chief Agila. It's very important. Your presence is needed."

As if on cue, Agila ducked out from his tent. He looked at Naruto, read his face, understood, and then looked at Chiasa. "Have you decided, my child?"

"Yes," Chiasa said, diffidently. Her eyes welled up. "It's the least thing I could do."

"Come. The whole village must hear of this." He turned to his servant Havana. "Tell the heads that I'm calling for an assembly at the center of the village."

"Yes, Master."

Kushina was sitting under a tree, her red hair shining under the dappled light coming through the leaves. She watched the people in the distance, going about doing their chores. By the look on her face, it was easily conclusive that she was depressed. And it was about her son.

A couple ducked out from a tent, and the wife lovingly kissed her husband on the lips. Kushina blushed. She tried to remember Minato, but the face she saw was that of Naruto's. She shook her head violently, telling herself that it was improper. However, instead of going away, her daydream worsened, and now she saw herself kissing her own son on the lips. Kushina shrieked, causing the couple to turn to her, brows rising in inquiry. Kushina sheepishly smiled and mouthed an apology. The couples bowed, but the confusion did not leave their countenance. Kushina could only sigh. She wished Tenten had not pointed it out to her, so that she had not pondered it over. Only a day had passed since her conversation with Tenten, but it was enough time for her to admit that Tenten was telling the truth. She was indeed in love with Naruto.

Now what should she do? She could never tell this to Naruto whatever happened. Naruto knew her as her mother. He would surely think that she was insane. She still remembered how he denied her as her girlfriend in front of Setsuko. It did not take a genius to imagine how he would react if she suddenly confessed her feelings to him. She covered her face with her hands, let out a frustrated cry, and kicked the grass like a child in tantrum.

"Kushina-oba-chan, Naruto-onii-chan is calling for us," a cute voice said. Kushina parted her fingers to see who it was. Aika smiled at her. "What are you doing here? And where is Lee-senpai?"

Kushina sighed, standing up. "Help me up, sweetheart," she said, raising her arms. Aika pulled her up. "Lee left me a moment ago. He said he wanted to train in the woods."

"Is that so? Anyway, come on. It seems important 'cause the whole village has been called by the Chief."

They started to walk. Aika noticed that Kushina was keeping to herself.

"What's the matter, oba-chan?"

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Is something troubling you?"

Kushina smiled. "I just miss my husband."

Aika giggled. "Why don't you find someone to love, then? You're very pretty, you know. You can have any man of your choosing. I think Yondaime-sama will understand."

"To tell you the truth, I've already found someone."

"Really? Who is it?"

Kushina went in front of Aika and messed her short white hair. "Sweetheart, there are things that you cannot tell somebody no matter what because it might not be accepted as appropriate."

Aika made a frown. Every time she did that, she became cuter, and Kushina could not help but admire the little fairy. If she became the mother of Naruto's children, my grandchildren would be adorable. She smiled. "But because you made me smile, I'm giving you some points for that. You've earned a step closer to my approval."

"Really?" Aika shrieked in joy.

"But, of course, it will not matter if Naruto disapproves. You should work harder to get his attention."

Aika's shoulders sagged. "I've always been doing that."

Kushina touched Aika's chin by her forefinger. "Don't lose hope, sweetheart. You are a fine lady. I'm sure the day will come that my son will see you as one. As Naruto says, never give up."

Aika inhaled a lungful and beamed. "Thank you, oba-chan. That means a lot to me."

"Man, I'm hungry!" Lee blurted out, stretching his arms. "That took away a lot of the cobwebs. Hey, what are you two smiling for?"

"Your great timing?" Kushina and Aika said. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Have I been away too long that it's already lunchtime?"

Kushina and Aika laughed harder.

The whole village was now gathered around Agila. The heads sat cross-legged in front of their respective groups. Naruto, Chiasa, Neji, Katsuo, Setsuko, Kushina, Aika, Tenten, Lee, and Talim—assisted by his wife Maya—also sat in front. Under intent gazes of the people around him, Agila began to speak.

"Our village is in danger," Talim began, getting immediately to the point. He heard a collective gasp coming from his people. "And we need to move fast before the enemy arrives. I want you to prepare and pack up. We will begin evacuating at dusk. Agimat, your group will stay behind a few hours to intercept any ambush. Bagwis and his warriors will set the traps around this forest to buy us some time. Talim and I will ensure the safety of the women and children as we move on to Tanimori."

"Wait, Chief, where did you get this information? And how about little Maliksi? Are you abandoning him?" Agimat said, his thick brows furrowing deeply.

"I don't have a choice, Agimat," Agila said. "We are what is left of our tribe."

"He is an heir to the Chiefhood. We cannot just leave him alone!"

"So you would rather put your family at risk for a single child?" Agila said. Agimat cringed. "We don't know if Maliksi is still alive. We cannot just blindly assume that they will give him back to us if we keep our side of the deal. Those people are rotten to the core. As your Chief, I cannot let anything happen to the children who are still with me. Losing my grandson is the last thing I want to endure."

"Then tell us where you got the information, Agila-sama," Bagwis asked, the more rational of the group. "Should we really trust it?"

"I gave it to him," Chiasa said, standing up. "Chief Agila, I want to tell them, personally."

"You?" Agimat cried. "What gave you the authority, outsider?"

Fortunately, only Agila, Talim, and Maya knew of her true identity. Talim had kept it because at the moment of his son's abduction, he understood Chiasa's true situation. Same as he was, Maya, despite her anger, knew that Chiasa was not at fault. They had an agreement with Agila to put the blame on the mastermind of the kidnapping, not on Chiasa. That was the reason no one among the villagers had attacked her during Talim and Naruto's fight, and no one was condemning her at the moment.

"I worked for them in the past. They also have my younger sister."

"You worked for them?" Agimat said. "Chief, are you saying that you trust this woman despite this fact?"

"Yes," Agila said.

"We cannot believe her! What if she is still working for them?"

"Don't speak ill of our guests, Agimat!" Talim reprimanded. "Do you know how difficult it is for Uchiha-san to do this despite of her situation? With this, she is already accepting that her sister is dead. Can you do that if you are in her shoes?"

Agimat bowed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, War Leader."

"I know how you feel and I'm grateful of your concern for my son. But we are talking about the survival of our tribe here. We cannot let emotions cloud our judgment." Talim paused for emphasis. "Go on, Uchiha-san."

Chiasa squared her shoulders and raised her face. "I was a spy for the Left Wing before Uzumaki-san took me under his wing. The reason you were forced to eliminate us is because they feel that Uzumaki-san is a threat to them. The Kalulan is a tribe of exceptionally strong warriors and they thought that by using you, they would be able to assess Uzumaki-san and his group."

"Are you saying that they expected us to lose?" Bagwis asked, her gaze calculating.

"Yes."

"What do you mean by assess? Are they watching us right now?" Agimat interjected. Now his voice was calm.

"This plan was conceived before I decided to join Uzumaki-san. Originally, I was supposed to be the watcher, but since things are not what they supposed to be, they will surely think that I was killed…"

"Or you betrayed them," Agimat finished for her. "And your sister…" He gritted his teeth. "Those demons deserve to die."

"You need to evacuate before the Left Wing arrives. They are powerful beings, each having the rank of Sennin. If you don't know what it is, it signifies that each of them have the capability of changing this world with their power. It will only take one of them to annihilate your whole tribe."

"It is improbable, Uchiha-san," Bagwis said.

"Believe me. I've seen it with my own eyes."

"The whole group is another story, but you are saying that one of them is already enough to subdue all of us? The Kalulan tribe?"

"Uzumaki-san was holding back a lot when he was fighting me," Talim said. "He admitted himself that he did not want to kill me. If he was serious that time, I would have been killed." He looked at Naruto, telling him that it was his turn to convince the village people.

Naruto stood up. "The Tsubasakage of Hanegakure, the Hidden Village of Feathers, has recently given me the rank of Sennin. It is not official, yet, since I'm not of her village, but right now, I'm considered on the level of Sennins. With this promotion, she gave me this mark." He took off his jacket and showed them two crisscrossing serpentine marks running across the side of his torso.

Upon seeing it, some of the people in the crowd stood up and backed away, some gasped, and some touched the ground with their foreheads in reverence.

"Mahabaging Bathala," Agimat blurted out, meaning, merciful God. "That is the mark of the Queen of Destruction."

"Yes. I'm now her friend and she fights alongside me," Naruto said. "She chose me because I'm strong. I'm not telling you this to brag or threaten, but you would never have stood a chance against me if I called upon her for assistance. This alone shows how strong Sennins are, and there are many Sennins in this world who are stronger than I am."

There was silence. Talim studied the faces of the heads. They seemed to be weighing their Kalulan pride against the tribe's survival. Even for him, it was not an easy choice for they were a proud race of warriors. Only his fear of losing yet another love one had compelled him to choose the latter.

"Let's listen to this young man," an unfamiliar voice said from the crowd, shattering the silence. It belonged to a tall, lanky man of about twenty. "I know of him. You are Asahi, right, the mercenary under Lotus-sama?"

"Lotus-sama? You mean the Lotus of the Old World?" someone from the crowd said.

"Yes. I'm Asahi, a mercenary under the only Lotus you know of, the man who brought peace to this country twenty-six ago," Naruto said.

The statement struck the crowd with awe, and now only the heads and the high ranking tribesmen were sitting upright. The others had put their foreheads on the ground.

As the lanky man pushed his way through, he said, "I'm Daloy, one of this tribe's best scouts. I just came from Ajit, and Ajit is talking about you. Some of the soldiers say that the Queen has already caught wind of your name." He turned to the villagers. "We can trust him. I heard that he has been adopted as a prince of the Kingdom of Taka by King Haruo."

A murmur spread among the crowd.

Daloy knelt in front of Agila. "I'm here to report everything I've learned from my travel."

"It can wait for now, Daloy," Agila said. "We are convening here to formulate a plan of escape. But I'm grateful of your interruption. I think your words have convinced everyone that what our guest speaks of is true. Naruto-kun…" Agila nodded at Naruto, telling him to go on.

"I and my friends will stay behind to confront the Left Wing."

"But you just said—"

Lee cut Agimat off. "I was waiting for you to say that, Naruto!" He cracked his fist. "My blood is overbrimming with excitement now!"

"Sooner or later, we will fight against them, anyway," Neji said. "This is a good opportunity for us to test how strong we've grown."

Naruto nodded at Lee and Neji. "Agimat's group will stay behind, but not that far. I'm discouraging you to make any contact with the enemy. That will be our role."

"I understand," Agila said. "We will go with the plan. Agimat, Bagwis, prepare your warriors. Everyone, prepare for evacuation."

Dressed in Kalulan capes that they had stolen from two unsuspecting Kalulan warriors, Naruto and Chiasa leaped off from tree to tree. They had smeared themselves with mud and wore the capes to escape Katsuo's nose.

"How long will it take for your clones to stay intact?" Chiasa asked.

"Forever," Naruto said.

"Don't joke around! I'm not in the mood."

"Want a kiss?"

"Stop it, Naruto, I'm warning you."

"Those clones are imperishable clones. As long as they are not fatally wounded, they will not disappear."

"You have a technique like that?"

"I'm an expert of Shadow Clone Technique. That was a great Genjutsu, too, by the way."

"It's basic for us Uchihas, imparting a part of a user's memory like that to a clone."

"Basic for geniuses, maybe. That's the first time I've see such a technique."

"Speak for yourself."

Naruto turned to her and smiled. Chiasa smiled back, and Naruto felt a soft pinch in his heart. Chiasa is really pretty when she smiles. "You know what, you're really pretty."

"Playing mister playboy now?"

"I seldom joke, you know."

"Then you are naturally funny. Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm serious. You should act more like how you are right now—relaxed and open."

Chiasa pulled Naruto into a stop and kissed his mouth. "There's your kiss. Stop telling me embarrassing things, okay?" She leaped off ahead of him.

Naruto let out a quick sigh. "I shall remember to close my mouth next time."

"Naruto! Come on!"

"Coming!"

Because he knew that his friends would never let him go, he had decided to trick them into believing that he and Chiasa did not leave by using his imperishable clones. The Naruto and Chiasa who had spoken in front of the tribe earlier were the products of his imperishable clones and Chiasa's masterful Genjutsu.