Hinata: The Only Man I Can Acknowledge Is You—and Only You!!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction was quite interesting. He had clearly already severed all ties with Orochimaru, ending their master-disciple relationship.

He had even personally destroyed the human experimentation laboratory and declared him a Konoha Rogue Ninja!

Yet when Hinata implied that everything had been Orochimaru's doing, his expression still changed. He even agreed with Shikaku's suggestion to discuss everything after returning to the Hokage Office.

Was he afraid that Orochimaru's theft of his master's corpse would be exposed, causing too much damage to his reputation?

And lead to his removal from office?

Just as the two of them were laughing their hearts out inwardly, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to everyone with a stern expression. "Then let's head back now. We'll discuss everything after we return to the Hokage Office."

"Wait, Third Hokage-sama."

Hinata, held in Roman's arms, called out.

!!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat.

Shimura Danzō frowned deeply. Both of them feared that Hinata might be the type to blurt things out and reveal the true identity of the person who had kidnapped her before everyone's eyes. They feared even more that her kidnapper truly was, as they suspected, Orochimaru and the resurrected Tobirama Senju...

At that moment, Hyuga Hiashi stepped forward and said to Hinata with a displeased look, "Hokage-sama has already said that any information regarding the mastermind behind your kidnapping should be reported after we return to the Hokage Office."

Hinata shook her little head at Hyuga Hiashi. "What I want to say isn't information about the mastermind behind my kidnapping. It's about Roman... Roman rescued me from the mastermind and rendered great merit... I hope Hokage-sama will reward him properly."

Upon hearing that, Hyuga Hiashi's mouth twitched even harder.

You really think Roman saved you? Your lovesick brain is really acting up, my daughter.

But the wise and mighty Hokage-sama will surely see through the truth.

He'll know that there's no way you could have been saved by a blond civilian with no Chakra, so he definitely won't agree to reward that blond civilian.

In the next moment, the Third Hokage smiled, nodded, and spoke.

"Indeed, Roman saved you and rendered great merit. Once we return, I will reward him properly."

???

Hyuga Hiashi's body shook. He turned back toward the Third Hokage in disbelief.

My daughter's lovesick brain has gone haywire. She was fooled by Roman's sweet talk and thinks he saved her!

Why do even you, Third Hokage-sama, believe it now... You even want to reward that blond Roman!

He's just an ordinary civilian without even a trace of Chakra!!

Hyuga Hiashi roared inwardly.

The Third Hokage noticed Hyuga Hiashi's strange expression but paid it no mind. The reason was simple: the first thing he saw when he arrived was Roman holding the teary-eyed Hinata, who had just been kidnapped, and comforting her...

That alone showed that Roman was a man of courage. Besides, the most important matter right now was not whether to reward him, but to temporarily cover everything up and wait until they reached the Hokage Office.

At that moment, Hinata gave Roman a look.

You're safe now.

The Third Hokage has called you a person of merit. You have official recognition now, so even the Yamanaka Clan won't dare use the Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique on you to read your memories!

Even Danzō—even if he has designs on you... he won't make a move openly.

666.

Roman gave Hinata an emphatic thumbs-up inwardly. At the same time, he sensed that Hinata still had something else on her mind. It was...

In the next moment, Hinata voiced her thoughts to the Third Hokage. "Third Hokage-sama, since you've said that Roman is a person of merit, then don't wait until we get back to reward him. Reward him now!

"—Reward him by granting him an engagement to me. When we come of age, we'll become husband and wife, united forever, and stay together forever."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows furrowed deeply upon hearing the first half of Hinata's words. Yet when he heard the latter half, deep astonishment appeared on his stern face.

The Konoha ninja around them also showed stunned expressions. None of them had expected Hinata, at such a young age, to be so bold as to ask the Third Hokage to grant the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter in marriage as a reward for Roman...

She was young, but she sure had guts!

The ninja all sighed inwardly.

Hyuga Hiashi's face, meanwhile, had completely darkened.

Marriage!

Hinata is so young that she probably doesn't even understand what marriage means. It must have been Roman!

Roman fed Hinata some bewitching nonsense!

Damn that blond Roman!!!

After fiercely cursing Roman in his heart, Hyuga Hiashi hurriedly said to the Third Hokage, "Third Hokage-sama, my daughter is still young and speaking nonsense. Please do not take offense."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put away the astonishment on his face and chuckled. "It's fine. Hinata's marriage should have been decided by her parents in the first place, not by an outsider like me."

Hyuga Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. He had truly been a little afraid that the Third Hokage would agree outright. If that had happened, he would have gone completely numb.

At that moment, Hinata, still in Roman's arms, spoke in an innocent voice. "How is Third Hokage-sama an outsider? Third Hokage-sama is the Hokage, the head of the Konoha family—the most suitable person to grant a marriage and serve as the wedding witness."

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."

Hyuga Hiashi finally lost his temper and shouted, "Hinata, stop changing the subject. Come back with us now!"

Seeing this, Hinata knew that things could only end this way today. She could only pout and say:

"Fine, fine. We'll leave it at that for now. But Father, what I need to say is that Roman is truly very important to me. In the future, he will definitely be the person closest to me!!"

The many Konoha ninja present could all hear the sincerity in Hinata's words. They understood that Hinata truly cared deeply about Roman—so deeply that it had reached an extreme.

But how had this situation come about?

Could it have been the influence of some genjutsu or ninja technique?

Many of the ninja grew curious and began carefully studying Roman's face. Before long, they understood.

Handsome!

Exceptionally handsome!

It had to be because Roman possessed an unparalleled handsome face that he had attracted Hinata, someone who judged people by their looks!

And just as everyone came to that conclusion, Hinata and Roman met each other's eyes again and began communicating through their minds:

Well? After that amazing display of claiming credit, the village's higher-ups have all been stunned. Everyone now knows that I, Hinata, like you so much I can barely stand it.

That way, they won't be able to use the Ninja Art: Mind Reading Technique against you.

Roman: That's true, but it also earned me that old man Hinata's furious glare. The way he's looking at me now, he wants to eat me alive! And after saying all that in front of everyone, you won't be able to marry anyone but me in the future!

Hinata Hyuga: If you hadn't reincarnated into the Naruto World, I would have been prepared to remain alone and croak away for the rest of my life! So the person I choose in the future is destined to be you—only you!

—I won't acknowledge any other man!