Girls' Gathering

"Hello, Ms. Kurenai," Kaguya said, letting go of Hinata and smiling.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Kurenai said with a slight smile.

"Not at all," Kaguya gestured with her arm, smiling as she blinked. "Please come in."

The three of them moved to the living room, where Konan had already prepared tea and placed the cups in front of them.

"Thank you," Kurenai said, accepting the cup from Konan. "May I ask who you are?"

"This is my sister from afar, Konan," Kaguya said with a smile.

She had already decided that Konan's true identity must remain hidden. The mere fact of her being a former member of the Akatsuki would attract unnecessary trouble, so it was better to give her a new identity.

"I see," Kurenai gave Konan a careful look but didn't say anything further. It was unclear whether she had seen through Konan's true identity.

"Sister," Hinata said softly, tugging at Kaguya's hand, "when will you come home?"

"Huh?" Kaguya was taken aback. After a moment, she realized what Hinata meant by 'home' and patted her head, smiling. "I'll go back after I'm done with some things in the next few days."

"Will you stay with us?" Hinata asked, looking up at Kaguya with hopeful eyes.

"Um," Kaguya hesitated, "not for now. It's not very convenient at home."

"I see," Hinata's face showed a hint of disappointment.

"But it's okay. You can come and stay with me," Kaguya said, smiling. "Even if you don't stay, we can still see each other often."

"Really?" Hinata's eyes lit up, and she looked much happier.

"Yes," Kaguya smiled with narrowed eyes, thinking it would be wonderful to share a space with such a sweet girl.

"About my brother, Asuma," Kurenai said softly, "thank you."

"Brother?" Kaguya was puzzled. "Asuma is your brother?"

"Yes, he's my older brother. Is there a problem?" Kurenai blinked her red eyes, looking confused.

"No, no problem," Kaguya forced a smile and waved her hand, her face not betraying her inner turmoil.

It seemed like the butterfly effect had been quite strong.

Despite Kaguya's attempts to keep them, Kurenai insisted on leaving to take care of Asuma, who hadn't fully recovered yet. Hinata also had to leave to report to her father, her tearful departure tugging at Kaguya's heart.

Now, only Kaguya and Konan were left in the room.

"That's nice," Konan said softly, holding a rag.

"What?" Kaguya, who was clearing the table, turned around and asked.

"Nothing," Konan said, turning to the table to help Kaguya clean up. "It seems like you have a lot of friends and good relationships."

"Not really," Kaguya said, "maybe I'm just lucky."

"Is that so?"

Konan seemed lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing. Suddenly, she felt her hand being held. Turning, she saw it was Kaguya.

"Don't worry," Kaguya smiled slightly, "I'll always be by your side."

"Yes," Konan nodded gently.

Suddenly, Kaguya's chopsticks shot towards the corner, emitting a strange hissing sound. Kaguya walked over and found a venomous snake with the chopsticks embedded in its body, blood trickling down.

"It seems someone is still not giving up," Kaguya's lips curled into a cold smile.

It wasn't just Orochimaru who liked using snakes; another person, a former subordinate of Orochimaru who also liked playing with snakes, was Kabuto. This snake was clearly being controlled, as Kaguya could sense faint chakra emanating from it, which ordinary snakes wouldn't possess.

"What happened?" Konan walked over and asked.

"Nothing much," Kaguya turned and smiled. "Maybe the house has been vacant for too long, so some small animals have moved in."

In a place shrouded in darkness, the lights flickered. Under the dim light, two figures could be vaguely seen.

"Hmph, discovered already?" A man with round glasses and a robe whispered.

"I told you not to act rashly," said another man with an orange spiral mask in a deep voice. "That girl is very alert and not easy to deal with."

These two were Kabuto and Uchiha Obito.

"No matter how strong she is, she's just a little girl," Kabuto smirked. "Once my technique is ready..."

"How much longer do you need?" Obito said in a deep voice. "We don't have much time left."

"Don't worry, it won't be long," Kabuto's eyes flashed with a cold smile.

For several days, Konoha remained peaceful, with no signs of the expected attack. The snake from that night seemed like a mere interlude. The enemies in the shadows seemed to have vanished without a trace, and there was no unusual information from other countries.

Though everything seemed calm, Kaguya did not let her guard down. She had a sense that a storm was brewing. The current silence might be the prelude to a more intense explosion.

In addition to her daily training, Kaguya remained vigilant, constantly observing her surroundings and looking for clues. Unfortunately, she found nothing of value.

Just then, a fresh, lovely girl with double buns approached Kaguya, interrupting her thoughts.

"Tenten," Kaguya looked at the girl in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"We're having a get-together for girls our age at noon to relax a bit," Tenten said with a smile. "You should join us at the barbecue restaurant."

Kaguya thought for a moment, then nodded and smiled. "Alright, I'll be there."

She had been tense and on edge lately, so some relaxation would do her good. Balance is key to maintaining strength.

"Great," Tenten said excitedly.

"What is it?" Kaguya blinked, puzzled.

"You're quite the celebrity. We're thrilled to have you join us," Tenten giggled. "Plus, the owner said we get a 50% discount if you come."

Kaguya's face darkened slightly.

So that's the real reason for inviting me...