At six o'clock in the evening,
Shinji Hyuga returned to his small apartment at No. 205 Konoha Tea Street with unease and an inexplicable sense of anticipation, knowing that the countdown to the "Byakugan Theft Incident" had begun.
Beside him, Hyuga Natsu had already thoughtfully prepared slippers for him and then closed the apartment door. Standing in front of the door with a gentle smile, she watched Shinji Hyuga, who was putting down the giant bow case and looking for a place to store it in the cramped space.
Shinji Hyuga: "I'm back."
Hyuga Natsu:"Welcome home!"
This exchange seemed to have happened countless times before. It didn't sound like a pair of twelve- or thirteen-year-old lovers or an engaged couple, but rather like an old married couple who had been together for many years.
But in reality,
Shinji Hyugadid not harbor the kind of feelings a lover or spouse would have for Hyuga Natsu.
Similarly,he could sense that Hyuga Natsu probably felt the same.
The two were not in love,nor had they developed feelings over time. They were simply playing different roles in the relationship, each seeking benefits from it, gracefully dancing within the boundaries set by social norms and morality.
At least,that's how they saw it.
However, this did not change the fact that they were seen as a model engaged couple in the eyes of outsiders.
This was all thanks to Hyuga Natsu.
Whether dealing with external or internal matters,she displayed a gentle demeanor reminiscent of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
Just like at this moment—
"Shinji-kun,did you and Hyuga Tetsu have a fight?"
"No."
"I saw everything."
Shinji Hyuga changed into his slippers and looked up curiously: "So?"
Hyuga Natsu suddenly laughed.
"I'm very happy."
"Why?"
"Because this is the second time I've realized my place in Shinji-kun's heart."
"What about the first time?"
"This morning."
Shinji Hyuga was taken aback by these words, then lowered his head and chuckled, asking:
"What's there to be happy about?"
Hyuga Natsu chuckled:"Because I also discovered that besides me, there are many other people who care about you, Shinji-kun."
Shinji Hyugawas startled and quickly waved his hand: "You mean Hyuga Tetsu? Hey... he's madly in love with you."
"No."
Hyuga Natsu chuckled smugly, standing behind Shinji Hyuga and pushing him, now in slippers, towards the dining table, before dropping a bombshell:
"As the saying goes,'the onlooker sees most of the game'!"
"And from my observation,that boy Tetsu's supposed liking for me is just..."
"Oh,that's just an excuse for him to get close to you, whom he admires."
Hyuga Natsu clenched her fist and declared, "Hmm... this is probably like when Sarutobi Asuma tried to get close to Yūhi Kurenai by first befriending her best friend."
"That's quite an outrageous and blunt statement!"Shinji Hyuga's lips twitched slightly; he decided to have a serious talk with his little fiancée.
He and Hyuga Tetsu,being mere extras, could never have the strange relationship like Naruto and Sasuke!
"Although Hyuga Tetsu was in the same class as us at the Ninja Academy,as you know, whether during our studies or after graduating and going to the battlefield, we had almost no close interactions and never exchanged more than ten sentences."
"Besides,how could someone as mediocre as me possibly inspire admiration?"
"Heh."
Hyuga Natsu smiled noncommittally.
"But,Shinji-kun, all those misunderstood things you did at the Ninja Academy were ultimately covered up by Hyuga Tetsu, a complete stranger, who stood up for you and suppressed those rumors and gossip."
Hearing this, Shinji Hyuga, realizing such a thing had indeed happened, immediately turned his head away and muttered in defense, "That was just his own idea, done to protect the reputation of the Hyuga clan."
"Hai~ Hai~."
Hyuga Natsu nodded with a smile and pushed Shinji Hyuga to sit down at the small round table in the cramped apartment.
And at this time,
There was no dinner on the table as one might expect.
Instead,there were only three scrolls with the words "Ninja Tools," "Sword," and "Rations" written on them.
Seeing this, Shinji Hyuga was taken aback, then raised his head and looked at Hyuga Natsu, who was kneeling on the opposite side of the round table with a smiling expression.
"This is...?"
"These are what I picked out for you at the ninja tool shop today:ninja tools, protective gear, a ninja sword, and some specially made soldier rations."
"You..."Looking at the three scrolls laid out on the table, Shinji Hyuga was somewhat at a loss. Just as he was about to question,
Hyuga Natsu raised her white hand, interrupting him.
"I've received the loan documents.Actually, Shinji-kun, I'm the first to be notified of any changes to your bank account."
"Although I don't understand why Shinji-kun would spend a million ryo in one afternoon;"
"I don't quite understand why you refused Elder Takahiro's letter of appointment;"
"I don't understand why Shinji-kun asked me to contact Young Master Genkou and try to join the main family's guard."
"But..."
Hyuga Natsu suddenly stopped smiling, remained silent for a long while, then pointed to the three scrolls on the table and said in a slightly hoarse voice:
"These...just to be safe, I've prepared these for you."
She spoke these words like a wife about to send her husband off to war.
But the reality was that she herself was the one about to go to the battlefield.
Looking at his fiancée with that expression,
Shinji Hyuga'sinitial confusion about the whole incident finally became clear.
He suddenly pursed his lips,a surge of inexplicable anger rising in his eyes. He sat up straight, his expression grave, and looked at the girl sitting on the other side of the round table.
"So..."
Shinji Hyuga gritted his teeth and questioned, "Did you ask Hyuga Genkou to refuse my request to join the guard?"
It was strange that Hyuga Genkou refused to let him join the guard.
Shinjihad learned from Hyuga Takahiro, an elder of the main family, that the young master's father, Hyuga Sōsuke, was searching within the clan for a member skilled in medical ninjutsu to protect the group on their upcoming journey.
Shinji Hyugawas one of the few ninjas in the clan who had mastered medical ninjutsu.
Even ifShinji Hyuga's strength was weak, Hyuga Genkou shouldn't have refused.
After all,medical ninjas only needed to keep up with the team and provide medical support; the second of the three rules for medical ninjas, as established by the Legendary Sannin Tsunade, clearly stated:
[Medical ninjas must never stand at the forefront of battle.]
So,
The biggest obstacle preventingShinji Hyuga from protecting his fiancée was, in fact, his fiancée Hyuga Natsu herself.
"Oh no... I've been found out."
Hyuga Natsu stuck out her tongue and gave a cute,silly smile.
Ignoring his fiancée's attempt to ease the tension with cuteness, Shinji Hyuga's face darkened, and he continued to ask:
"When?"
Hyuga Natsu let out a sigh and confessed in a muffled voice, "Before Shinji-kun met Elder Takahiro, I guessed that you would never sign that letter of appointment."
"But,"
She lowered her head,her tone gradually softening, becoming somewhat dejected, almost a whisper.
"If it were Shinji-kun,I think, even if..."
Even with everything arranged in advance,in the end, you would overcome all obstacles.
"So,"
Hyuga Natsu suddenly raised her head, a smile like a blooming magnolia appearing on her face, tinged with a hint of embarrassment and pleading.
She stretched out her fair and slender hands,placing her pair of white wrists in front of Shinji Hyuga, and chuckled憨憨地 (with a simple, honest, and slightly silly smile) as she narrowed her crescent-shaped eyes:
"Shinji-kun,I've come to surrender!"
"Please accept my apology gift!"