Aunt Yukina...
Anywhere else would be fine, really, but... when it came to Teacher Chiba...
Neji Hyuga and Hyuga Hinata's outstretched hands were tightly held, warmth and a tugging force flowing from them. Their bodies leaned forward as they were continuously pulled along, and they watched the girl ahead of them, striding so quickly she was nearly running. At the same time, an indescribable thought arose in both their hearts.
At this moment, they felt rather helpless, so much so that more than half of their fear toward this unfamiliar space had faded.
By now, they had figured it out. The Aunt Yukina before them was absolutely the Aunt Yukina they knew—powerful, someone they could not help but respect and admire—but that image only held true as long as Teacher Chiba was not involved.
Once Teacher Chiba was involved, even in the smallest matter, their incredible Aunt Yukina would regress into the state of a teenage girl and become irritable and impulsive.
Just now, when she had reached out her hand, the two of them had hesitated for only a moment before she impatiently dragged them away.
And now, they practically had to jog the whole way just to keep up with that pulling force.
But...
It was so warm.
After thinking that with helplessness, their thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To the hand they were holding at this moment—to the soft, warm sensation in their own hands.
Yes, although the girl before them was in a soul-body state, they could still feel the warmth and softness of her hand.
It was as if the girl's soul itself was soft and warm.
And it dispelled their fear of this unknown world.
"Do you have anything else you want to ask?"
Just as their thoughts were about to wander further, the girl ahead