"You agree with me, don't you, Hyūga Natsu?"
Kiyoshi turned to Hyūga Natsu with a smile.
Natsu stiffened for a moment, then forced a smile and said: "Y-yes… that's right, Kiyoshi-kun."
Hearing the two speaking so harmoniously, Hyūga Silver finally relaxed a little.
It seemed that Uchiha Kiyoshi might actually be willing to forgive her past "offense."
After some casual conversation, Hyūga Silver finally brought up her real purpose: hoping Kiyoshi would forgive the previous unpleasant incident.
But Kiyoshi said calmly: "However, the time we agreed on was after the Chūnin Exams, right? Even if it still counts, don't you think it's a bit too late?"
He held his teacup in one hand, feeling the texture of the porcelain.
"Natsu came to find you, but you were out on a mission at the time."
Hyūga Silver froze slightly.
She didn't expect him to nitpick this.
"But I didn't immediately go on a mission. I just thought Lady Silver didn't care about it and had already informed others."
"!"
Hyūga Silver's heart jumped in shock, her beautiful face showing a hint of panic.
Hyūga Natsu beside her also widened her eyes.
She had just gained a new understanding of how ruthless Kiyoshi could be.
Wasn't he the one who said he would be forgiving last time?
Now everything was being turned upside down.
This kind of person… she had never encountered before.
She quietly used her Byakugan to glance at the equally shocked Silver, then quickly lowered her head, thinking: Not my problem.
After a few breaths, Silver regained her composure, already preparing for the worst.
She asked: "Does that mean the Uchiha clan already knows about this?"
"No. Fugaku-sama doesn't know yet."
Kiyoshi's answer made her slightly relieved.
At least it hadn't reached an irreversible point.
"Then… did you tell your teammates?"
Silver asked carefully.
"Not teammates. A clan member. An older female senior, I suppose."
Kiyoshi lightly blew on his tea and took a sip.
It was a lie.
He had never told anyone.
But Silver had no way to prove otherwise.
If she tried to ask other Uchiha, she would only expose herself.
"May I ask who that Uchiha is? What does she think about this?"
Silver tried to probe further.
"These are private matters. What if you get angry and try to harm me or her? I need some insurance, don't I?"
"You…"
Her beautiful eyes flashed with frustration.
What kind of woman does he think she is?
"Then… what should I do?"
She finally asked directly.
"This is something you should understand yourself, not be told."
Kiyoshi shook his head.
Watching the once arrogant woman carefully trying to interpret his intentions made him feel a faint sense of pleasure.
People love to rely on stereotypes, don't they?
"Uchiha are naturally evil?"
Then he might as well act like one.
Otherwise, wouldn't he be disappointing them?
Silver found herself completely unable to grasp his intentions.
She had always been the one others tried to read carefully.
Now she was the one forced to read someone else.
That reversal of status was difficult to accept.
She almost tried to argue, but swallowed her words.
Right now, only Kiyoshi and another unknown Uchiha knew about this matter.
She stood up after a moment of thought.
Before leaving, she told Hyūga Natsu to stay behind, and patted her on the back—clearly signaling her to persuade him.
"See them out."
After Silver left, only Kiyoshi and Natsu remained.
"Lady Silver's sincerity this time seems quite good."
Kiyoshi said with a faint smile.
"Yes… she truly meant no harm. She has already realized her mistake."
Natsu said earnestly, looking at him.
She lifted a piece of sweet pastry, as if trying to show how sincere Silver had been.
But at that moment, Kiyoshi suddenly grabbed her hand along with the pastry.
Natsu's eyes widened.
"Lady Silver's sincerity is acceptable, but next time I expect more."
He gently squeezed the back of her hand.
Soft. Smooth.
Not like the hands of someone who trained in Gentle Fist.
Or rather—Gentle Fist preserves the body more than Hard Fist.
One targets internal damage and chakra points, the other trains external strength and durability.
Kiyoshi wanted both.
He wondered if, after obtaining Gentle Fist, he could gain a related "ninja trait."
If so, it might enhance chakra control abilities.
Gentle Fist mastered to its peak could reach the divine technique "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four / One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms," and even something like "Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm," which could destroy a full Susanoo.
And Hard Fist… like Might Guy and Might Duy's "Eight Gates Formation"—no need to explain.
With his physical talent, he should try both.
But for now, Gentle Fist was easier to obtain.
"K-Kiyoshi-kun… please stop this…"
Natsu's body shivered.
"Then Hyūga Natsu, would you lend me your clan's taijutsu techniques? Of course, I can't learn them without the Byakugan anyway."
He said calmly.
"No. That's our clan's secret. Absolutely forbidden to share."
"Then I suppose your sincerity isn't enough."
Kiyoshi released her hand.
He tapped the table and gestured toward the exit.
"Please leave, Hyūga Natsu. Come back when you have more sincerity next time."
He smiled faintly.
"Otherwise, I can't guarantee that my clan members won't leak things… not every Uchiha is as 'polite' as I am."
(End of Chapter 130)