"How long are you going to keep sneaking looks? Are you coming out or not?"
Just as Mito Kiko and Hirohiko took their seats, Chiba, unable to suppress his curiosity, poked half his head out again—only to be met by Mito Kiko's sharp gaze and those half-indignant words.
Uh...
Has she become more feminine?
Why did it feel like even the way Mito Kiko spoke had changed somewhat?
At that, Chiba tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing out an awkward, rather ugly smile.
"Cough!"
Then, Chiba could only sheepishly wipe his already-clean hands and walk out of the kitchen.
No! What femininity!
Mito Kiko has simply become more and more domineering!
He immediately dismissed his earlier thought.
"You really haven't changed at all, aside from growing quite a bit taller."
Once Chiba sat down, Mito Kiko—now graceful and slender, already possessing the bearing of a beauty—narrowed her bright eyes and carefully examined him from top to bottom. Then, frowning, she spoke.
Even the complimentary remark about him having grown taller sounded somewhat derogatory beneath that frown.
Hey, hey, hey! Do you have to dislike me this much? Even Hyuga Yukyō doesn't dislike me this much, okay?
Compared to you, of course I haven't changed much. You've changed way too much!
Hearing this, Chiba's mouth twitched again, and he could not help grumbling inwardly.
Honestly, Mito Kiko's changes were truly enormous. The contrast between before and after was far too obvious. If cosmetic surgery were not unpopular in the Naruto World, and if Konoha had no such surgical procedures, he would have almost thought that Mito Kiko had gone under the knife.
"Still, Hirohiko has been in your care all this time. Thank you."
Before he could say anything, Mito Kiko suddenly straightened her sitting posture, bowed slightly toward