So let us see why Hinata slapped Nail.
Summary Time: Chapter 77. Time Drawing Near...they are really pushing that the time skip is happening soon. How badly are they breathing down Ikemoto's neck?
Cover page is Nail looking like a douche with his karma seal activated.
From where we last left off. Nail is demanding femmy to show himself. Since, he quickly figured out that he was still active in Bolt with just a hint or two. The ruckus draws Salad's and the Clone's attention. His rough handling of Bolt has the clone remembers him admitting to killing Bolt. Shikamaru his still in mental contact with them and tells him to stop. Guilting him with Naruto's reaction to Bolt's death. This gets Nail to back off, walks out of the room, and leaves in such a hissy fit he does that cloaking his chakra signature so they can't keep track of him again. Normally, when you have a character you can't track by your usual means, you try to find another way to track him. Like scent or placing something on him like a bug he won't notice. Of course because they are Kishimoto's characters they are all too stupid to think of anything like that, and even if they did. It would instantly fail as all Ikemoto's characters are smarter than the world smartest man as a base line of intelligence. Apparently, he so wanted to be on his own he also shrinked himself with his shinjutsu powers. So they spent time trying to figure out how they can find him...while the art gets worse and worse. Hime gets bored and decides to wander off since Nail isn't around. Bolt point out she is not suppose to do that, she says he can't stop her, and Shikamaru says to let her do what she wants. He has the clone and salad stay with her while the others look for Nail.
Its the old guy that Punk brought with him drinking because he is bored watching Punk's nudist force. Punk says there are a 1000 of these things. He considers launching an attack on the village with them but can't due to Hime.
Oh and Shikamaru is informed by Hime... my guess to give him something so she could go shopping. Oh he named them "Claw Grime." God the try hard edginess. The conversation is interrupted by the joke that the lady running the clothes store is gushing over her. The Clone and Salad despite being immune to her charm powers says, she is beautiful in anything she wears... again she is Ikemoto's type. Bolt and Moe tag along for some reason...Oh God No. Moe see Hinata's daughter and instantly falls in love with her. I'm pretty sure many people were making that prediction. This story is incredibly by the number and easier to predict the story than even Naruto; when its not throwing curve balls to keep itself interesting.
Now at Naruto's house. Naruto is helping Hinata set the plates for Dinner...to set up the Hinata moment. No wonder Ikemoto tries to avoid drawing her, she looks awful in every panel. Hinata is sad that Nail and Bolt won't be able to join them due to their mission. Naruto says they will be busy for a while dealing with problem children, right as Nail appears right behind him. Naruto asks why he is here instead at the villa where his mission is. Nail wants to talk with Naruto. He starts with saying how grateful he is to Naruto taking him in to the point he is willing to die if that's what is needed to repay him. The way he decides to repay Naruto is to kill all the Otsutsuki. He is informing Naruto this to follow proper procedure. Hinata is confused at what is going on. Then Nail admits that his first thought after Bolt was brought back wasn't, "thank god he is alive," but "damn, I likely failed to kill femmy." He feels bad for messing up, but the next time he will get it right. This causes Hinata to slap him. She says, "no decent human being would think that way"...aren't all you ninja taught from birth to be weapons? This should be standard line of thought in their society. Oh no, I failed in my mission, I feel great shame and want to try again to redeem myself. Even if that mission is killing someone I care about. He admits he is not right in the head. Who would, when they plan on killing someone they consider like a brother...you know, he hasn't informed them that Femmy is still active in Bolt. At best, he implied it. Probably more important and make him sound less insane. Than him admitting he is planning on killing Bolt again. Naruto says he won't let him kill Bolt, again. So, he uses his power to seal Naruto and Hinata away so he can kill Bolt. Of course he does this without any difficulty.
As someone that has had to read this story for over 6 years. This feels rushed. It feels like Ikemoto was given a serious warning. Something like, "if you don't hit the time skip by the end of the year we are canceling your manga." Of course he is not used to actually writing a chapter where events of the story happen. So it is a rush mess. This feels like what would take 2 years, at least, for the story to reach this point at its usual pace, crammed in a single chapter. While its good for the story to finally be moving along. Its now rushing too fast and the scenes have no impact...granted before it was so slow nothing had any impact because you stopped caring by the time the story finally got on with it.
Edited by Bail o' Lies, 27 January 2023 - 07:27 PM.