Hearing this, Hinata Hyuga's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her tone turned teasing. "Then the only problem now is that Konoha may soon intensify its manhunt for Orochimaru."
Roman smiled and nodded as well. "I imagine Orochimaru won't mind, nor will he die... After all, he's maxed out his immortality and escape techniques. Other than his weakness against genjutsu, he has no other flaws."
Hinata Hyuga could not help but laugh. Then, seeming to think of something, she spoke with a serious expression. "Right, if they insist on using the Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique to read your memories.
"Then I'll formally announce, as the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family, that I'm protecting you and taking you in as a son-in-law of the Hyuga Clan.
"As long as you officially become part of the Hyuga Clan, they won't be able to use the Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique on you!
"The Hyuga Clan still has that much influence."
"If you really did that in front of all those ninjas, Old Man Hiashi would probably fly into a rage."
Hinata Hyuga gazed earnestly into Roman's eyes and voiced all the thoughts in her heart. "You have the same soul as me, and when we're together, we can use Soul Resonance to rapidly increase our strength!
"I simply can't live without you. I've already been shaped by you.
"—So there's no need to worry about my father."
Through Hinata's eyes and the emotional resonance of their souls, Roman understood her true feelings and could not help laughing. "Then, when there's no other choice, I'll cling tightly to Lady Hinata's thigh.
"—And become your child groom."
Hinata Hyuga nodded her little head seriously and said:
"Mhm. Actually, you can hold me right now."
"Okay."
With his Byakugan activated, Roman noticed the Chakra clusters in the distance rapidly approaching. He immediately wrapped his arms around Hinata's soft little legs, lifted her entire soft body up, and held her in his arms.
Whoosh, whoosh...
A gust of wind swept through.
The Third Hokage, clad in battle armor, arrived in the heart of the Forest of Death with a group of Konoha's Jonin. He saw the ground, now utterly devastated, as well as Roman standing in place with Hinata in his arms, his legs trembling slightly as he wore a frightened expression.
The one who had attacked was gone.
Just as Hiashi, the Hyuga Clan head, had said, had he already escaped using Reverse Summoning Jutsu or some kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu?
As the Third Hokage thought this, his gaze settled on Hinata Hyuga's eyes. When he saw that her Byakugan remained intact, he let out a long breath of relief.
Fortunately, at least Hinata Hyuga of the Hyuga Main Family still had her Byakugan. It had not been taken by that unknown ninja.
That way, the other ninja villages would not think Konoha had exhausted its war potential and was strong only on the outside... They would instead believe that Konoha was still at its peak!
And this commoner, Roman, had done quite well. Holding Hinata in his arms and properly soothing her fear made him a qualified citizen of Konoha.
It was just a pity that he had no talent for Chakra and could not become a ninja... Otherwise, he would have been very suitable for entering the Ninja Academy and becoming a ninja who devoted himself to Konoha!
At that thought, regret flickered in the Third Hokage's eyes as he looked at Roman.
Behind the Third Hokage, Danzo carefully surveyed the scene with his single eye. Only after confirming that neither Orochimaru nor his teacher Tobirama Senju in an Impure World Reincarnation state was present did he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Good. Orochimaru still knew his limits!
He understood that researching the forbidden art of Impure World Reincarnation could not be exposed before others.
Otherwise, things would truly become troublesome.
Unlike Danzo, whose tense mood had finally eased, Hyuga Hiashi first felt delighted upon seeing that his daughter was still alive and had not even lost her Byakugan. A smile could not help appearing on his lips.
But in the next instant, he noticed Hinata in Roman's arms and was startled.
Roman wasn't dead?
But my Byakugan clearly only saw two people, two traces of Chakra!
That was it. The Byakugan's long-range observation ability could only see Chakra... It could only see that mysterious Water Release ninja and Hinata's Chakra.
—Roman was merely an ordinary person, so naturally he could not be observed by Hiashi's Byakugan.
Just as Hyuga Hiashi reached that thought, his exceptionally perceptive Byakugan noticed that Hinata, held in Roman's arms, not only had a misty layer in her eyes, but her face was wet as well... Yet those marks were clearly not tears.
More importantly, Roman's face bore matching wet marks. All of this gave Hyuga Hiashi an idea.
When Hinata had been discovered by that powerful Water Release ninja and was about to have her Byakugan taken... That powerless blond pretty boy, Roman, had likely sweet-talked her, claiming that he would protect her.
Which had prompted his love-struck daughter, Hinata Hyuga, to offer him a fragrant kiss... And perhaps that blond pretty boy had even kissed Hinata back.
At that thought, the fury in Hyuga Hiashi's heart instantly surged to its limit.
His fists clenched tightly together, the veins on his forehead bulging ever more prominently as they throbbed without stop.
An extremely furious roar erupted in his heart.
Damn it, how old is Hinata?!
And you already made a move on her.
Why didn't that foreign Water Release ninja deal with you, ahhhhh?!
Driven by his extreme rage, Hyuga Hiashi's face began changing as dramatically as a Sichuan opera mask.
His expression shifted from the flower-like smile of joy he had worn upon seeing Hinata safe and sound into a dark scowl. He barked at Roman, "Why are you standing so close to my daughter? Put my daughter down, now!"
"Someone very powerful just came and tried to hurt Hinata. He even wanted to take her eyes... Hinata was terrified and curled up in my arms. I was comforting her, Uncle Hiashi."
Hyuga Hiashi's face darkened as he snapped, "Who are you calling uncle?"
Hyuga Hiashi had not forgotten that when this brat first saw him, the brat had called him fa... Without a doubt, that brat had already been eyeing his daughter back then.
Hinata Hyuga reached out and defended him. "Father, don't be mean to Brother Roman~
"He was protecting me. And I was the one who leaned into his arms and asked him to hold me!
"Besides, he really did protect me from that powerful ninja!
"Right now, in his arms, I can feel an indescribable sense of safety and happiness!!"
Hearing this, Hyuga Hiashi's face darkened even further.
My daughter Hinata, do you even hear what you're saying?
That blond Roman protected you?
You have to understand, that blond Roman cannot even refine Chakra. He cannot even become a ninja, so how could he protect you?!
With his mouth? With his hands?
His mouth only knows how to kiss.
And his hands only know how to grope you!!
My daughter, oh, my daughter, you've been fooled by his sweet talk!
You've been fooled far too badly!!
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