Ryun did not expect to meet Hyūga Hanabi at such a time.
However, this was not exactly a coincidence.
Kazamatsuri Moegi and Hyūga Hanabi were around the same age. It was now after the ninja school dismissal time. They might already be friends, often playing together while heading home.
Normally, even if Ryun saw Hyūga Hanabi, he would not start a conversation, because there would definitely be people from the Hyūga clan following her from the shadows.
But now was different.
If someone from the Hyūga family absolutely had to question him about his relationship with Hinata first, then Ryun would rather that person be Hyūga Hanabi.
At least after Hyūga Hanabi got angry and charged over, she would not start with a set of Gentle Fist Art, Sixty-Four Palms of the Eight Trigrams, because she did not know it yet.
Just as Ryun expected, Hyūga Hanabi charged over.
Hanabi saw her dearest sister, her face flushed red, being led by the hand by a man, the two about to enter the hot spring house.
The string of reason in her mind snapped instantly. With her Byakugan activated, she assumed a Gentle Fist stance and charged, striking at Ryun's flank.
"Let go of my sister!" Hanabi shouted as she charged.
Ryun seemed to be scared stiff, not knowing how to dodge.
But in reality, Ryun had injected a trace of Yin Release chakra into Hinata, restoring the clarity of Hinata, who had been so immersed in the comfortable sensation of the Yang Release chakra massage that she could not extricate herself.
Seeing Hanabi charging towards her, Hinata, who had often sparred with her younger sister in the past, instinctively started fighting with Hanata.
After a few clashing blows, Hinata blocked Hanabi's first round of attacks, then asked in confusion, "Hanabi, what are you doing?"
"Sister!"
Hanabi felt both wronged and angry, asking, "I want to ask you, what are you doing!"
"Why are you with a boy... coming to this kind of place!"
After saying this, Hanabi pointed at Ryun.
By now, Moegi had quietly come to Ryun's side, tugging at him, wanting to escape.
Ryun was a major client of her family's shop, she couldn't just let him be beaten to death by Hanabi.
Ryun just found it amusing. He patted Moegi's topknot, which made Moegi, who had been frantically making faces at him, so angry her eyebrows shot up.
"Huh? Of course I came here to bathe in the hot spring..."
Hinata, at first not understanding what had happened, turned completely red the next second.
She hurriedly waved her hands, stammering an explanation, "Hanabi, it's not what you think. I'm not planning to bathe in the hot spring alone with Nojuro kun!"
"Nojuro kun lives here. He was just bringing me over!"
Moegi's eyes lit up, and she quickly added, "That's right, that's right! Big brother Nojuro is helping our shop attract business, right, Big. Brother. Nojuro!"
Moegi stepped on Ryun's foot, hoping he would go along with her attempt to muddle through.
However, Ryun wasn't actually afraid of Hanabi. He just wanted Hanabi to be a witness.
He had things he wanted to say.
"Hinata and I are friends. Today I invited her and a few other friends to bathe in the hot spring."
Ryun ignored Hanabi's murderous glare and said, "I was going to have Moegi take Hinata to change clothes, but then you charged over... So, who are you?"
Pointed at by Ryun, Hanabi clenched her fists again.
At this time, Hanabi's personality was practically the opposite of Hinata's.
Hinata was timid and hesitant, completely unlike the eldest daughter of a great clan. But Hanabi was impulsive and fiery, always speaking with her Gentle Fist.
This wasn't entirely due to Hanabi's innate personality and talent. It was more because of the displaced relationship between the two sisters.
The older sister, Hinata, in their sparring match, went soft to prevent her younger sister from becoming a branch family member, resulting in her own crushing defeat and loss of the right to inherit the Hyūga clan.
The younger sister, Hanabi, to inherit the Hyūga clan, had to devote all her time and energy to training, even if it meant distancing herself from her sister, all so she could protect her sister in her own way in the future.
So, naturally, Hanabi now wanted to stand up for her sister, even if Hinata didn't feel she was being bullied.
"You listen well. I am Hyūga Hanabi, daughter of the Hyūga main family, younger sister of Hyūga Hinata."
"And who are you? I have never seen you before, nor have I ever heard of someone like you."
Ryun smiled, neither humble nor pushy.
"Me... Nojuro Ryun, a writer who hasn't made a name for himself yet. Currently, just an ordinary friend of your sister."
Hanabi's mouth corners turned down, clearly very dissatisfied with this answer.
She looked at Hinata and said, "Sister, come home with me. Don't be friends with this kind of person with an unclear background."
"We can spar together, okay?"
Hanabi thought Hinata would agree, after all, it had been a long time since they had sparred.
Sparring was something the two sisters loved most when they were little.
But Hanabi was shocked to find dissatisfaction in Hinata's eyes. This dissatisfaction was even spoken aloud by Hinata.
"Hanabi, don't say such things. Nojuro kun truly is my friend. He treats me very well."
"I can go back with you, and I can spar with you, but don't deny my friendship with him..."
Before Hinata finished, Hanabi, as if struck, her eyes slightly red, turned and left.
At this moment, she only felt her sister was very unfamiliar, and felt she herself was superfluous here.
When did it start, that the two sisters became so distant?
"Hanabi..."
Hinata started to speak but then stopped. Ryun pinched Moegi's cheek.
"What?"
Moegi looked annoyed. Her friend had just been driven away!
"If you can get Hanabi to come bathe in the hot spring today too, I'll give you one thousand ryo as a reward."
Moegi transformed into a Konoha flash and rushed out, quickly pouncing on Hanabi, chatting and laughing with her.
Ryun patted Hinata's shoulder and said, "It's normal for sisters to argue. No need to worry about it."
"I can tell you are still the most important people to each other. You're just caught in a strange cycle of growing up."
Hinata showed a sad smile and said, "Nojuro kun really knows how to comfort people, no wonder Sakura and Ino like... Mmph, I didn't say anything!"
Hinata hurriedly covered her mouth. She almost revealed her friends' secret.
Ryun also pretended not to hear and said, "Let's go, inside first. We can sit down and chat. Actually, I know quite a bit about the Hyūga clan too."
Hinata looked at Ryun in surprise and nodded.
She didn't really hold much hope. How much could Ryun possibly know about Hyūga clan matters?
Ryun stroked his chin, realizing he seemed to have grasped an opportunity to become friends with Hanabi as well.
Simply put, it was to resolve the misunderstanding between the two sisters.
This matter was simple!
Just get the two of them to talk it out.
Usually, the two sisters didn't have many chances to communicate. But now, taking advantage of the situation to have them face each other honestly in the hot spring, plus with the assistance of Sakura, Ino, and Moegi, what words couldn't be said between the two sisters?
If that still didn't work, Ryun would have Ino use the Mind Body Switch Technique, and they could play a novel ninjutsu version of truth or dare.
Just emotional knots, could they be harder to solve than lacking talent?
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