Such a Little Combo, Konohagakure's Most Devoted Man

Neji now understood that this guy was a bastard who would rather die than see his fellow Daoist die.

Logically and emotionally, Naruto had been kind to him, and both he and Hinata were willing participants. It's said that even a wise judge can't settle family disputes, and Neji, as the cousin, wouldn't interfere in the affairs of a young couple.

Besides, Naruto doesn't want anything in return, he only cares about Hinata, so there's no reason for him not to help. It's for his own sake, and also for Hinata's.

"Alright, wait here while I think of something," Neji said thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Naruto wasn't in a hurry. He simply pulled up a stool and sat down. He would occasionally glance leisurely at Neji's clan head's office, then cross his legs and close his eyes to rest.

A moment later, Neji seemed to have made up his mind and walked straight out the door.

There was no other way; having encountered this troublesome fellow, he had to consider personally taking action. He discovered that after the chaotic scene unfolded, that guy was the most relaxed.

Where the hell can I go to reason with this?

Naruto watched Neji leave without reacting, a slight smile playing on his lips. Every gift from fate comes with a hidden price, Neji, too, was forced onto this pirate ship.

Hyuga Hiashi's residence.

Neji successfully met his uncle, but instead of immediately revealing his purpose, he engaged in a roundabout conversation, asking for advice on some family matters.

On the other side, Hinata was also a little stunned when she heard that Neji had arrived.

Just then, Hanabi Hyuga was talking to her older sister, curiously examining the scarf that was only partially knitted. The previous one had already been taken by Obito Uchiha and given to Naruto.

She was smiling and asking Hinata why she was knitting a scarf since winter hadn't arrived yet, when suddenly someone said Neji had come. Hanabi glanced at Hinata thoughtfully and said something.

"Oh, he's here."

Hinata naturally knew what Hanabi meant by "he"—it wasn't Neji, and she also knew that Neji's purpose in coming was probably to deliver a message for her.

Hinata hesitated, still thinking about her father's stern warning. She glanced down at the scarf she had only started knitting, her expression complicated.

"Sister?" Hanabi waved her hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She shook her head.

"Are you going later?" Hanabi asked tentatively. The gears of fate had already begun to turn many years ago, and had begun to show a bias.

On the other side, Naruto was sleeping on two chairs joined together, having already let go of all the pressure in his heart. This guy was best at getting people on his side as much as possible; perhaps what seemed like an unintentional act many years ago was already foreshadowing for the future.

The battleground had been brewing for years, but it had remained lukewarm. Although it sometimes exceeded his expectations, it had generally been developing in a positive direction.

Six years ago, one summer, when he made the decision to pursue both goals, he had already been doing a lot of things, both overtly and covertly, step by step.

Breaking the Caged Bird Hyuga Clan also part of his plan, directly binding Neji, his brother-in-law, to his own cause, creating an unbreakable community of shared interests.

Moreover, the gifts he purchases every year in the Sealing Space are not bought for nothing. During holidays and festivals, whenever there is any event or activity, he will definitely give a gift if he can.

Aside from a few troublemakers like Kiba Inuzuka Choji, whom he didn't waste too much energy on, almost everyone around Hinata had received financial support from Naruto.

Even without prior notice, the "tools" automatically appear online.

"Sister, Neji wants you to go to the clan head's mansion. There's something he can't handle there," Hanabi Hyuga innocently called out, leaning out of the doorway.

"My father has agreed and wants you to go there."

"Now?" Hinata swallowed hard, trying to appear calm as she asked.

"Yes, Neji is waiting outside." Hanabi blinked, looking completely innocent, and urged, "Sister, are you going?"

Hinata knew that Neji asked her to go over because Naruto was waiting for Neji there.

"Mmm." She nodded gently, and the struggle in her heart vanished.

"Okay, I'll go tell Neji." Hanabi's eyes curved into crescents as she ran off with a smile, and you could still faintly hear Hyuga Hiashi scolding her.

Outside the courtyard gate, Neji stood quietly, utterly speechless.

"Neji- nii!!" Hanabi ran over, panting, and waved at him. "My sister has already agreed and will be here soon."

"Okay." Neji nodded, then glanced at Hanabi, his brows furrowing slightly.

He thought to himself, "Naruto has quite a few spies. Goodness, he even managed to turn Hanabi against him? This guy's background is really hard to describe."

Hanabi knew Neji was also just a tool, and her eyes immediately lit up. She was happy to see Naruto and Hinata together; as for Ino...

She had met Ino before and couldn't bring herself to dislike her. After all, the one who deserved to die was someone else; Ino was innocent.

Hanabi was on Hinata's side, and she couldn't possibly push her own sister into a fire. She simply considered all the possibilities one by one and finally compromised.

Not long after waking up, Hinata came in alone; this time, Neji didn't even show up. He probably realized how frustrating it was to be a mere tool, and simply disappeared.

Naruto was leaning back in his chair, listlessly looking at some documents, his eyelids drooping as if he was about to fall asleep. The windows in the hall were all open, letting in bright, clear light.

Hinata stood in the doorway, wearing a light-colored cotton dress and white stockings. There were slight marks on her calves from the tight fabric, making her calves appear almost transparent in the Nikko.

"Ahem." She coughed lightly.

"Hinata, what brings you here?" He stood up, feigning surprise, his acting skills completely natural. "Don't stand there, come in and sit down. I'll make you some tea."

Seeing this, Hinata couldn't help but laugh, and suddenly she couldn't stay angry anymore.

"No need, I can do it myself," she said softly, as if everything she said was gentle and mild, her soft eyes hiding boundless tenderness.

Naruto naturally wouldn't let Hinata do it; Obito Uchiha were indeed outrageous. Although it was unexpected, this sudden chaotic situation was ultimately his fault.

Rather than a meeting between the two families' leaders, he subtly sensed something was amiss from the cause and effect. He would rather Ino Hinata a dramatic confrontation than face this situation.

The current situation is that both families' elders have realized Naruto's intentions, and their impressions of him have plummeted. Hinata and Ino also belatedly realized this, and then the two women fell silent.

This is far more brutal than a Shura field; it's a double Shura field, both large and small, overlapping.

The Nikko outside the window was intense, and perhaps because autumn was approaching, the once lush green trees were no longer so dense.

Behind Hinata stood an antique, dark wooden door, its shadow cast obliquely on the doorway. Her long, smoothly coiled hair exuded gentle grace; simply standing there, she was like a vibrant oil painting.

"Did you have breakfast this morning? Or did you sleep until the morning and come over without eating?" she asked, her tone slightly reproachful.

"I ate it, really." Naruto smiled and handed over the tea.

The more Hinata this way, the more guilty he felt. At the same time, he knew that Hinata was just like that; she might have cried, but she would always put him first.

"Mm." She nodded and took the teacup.

Naruto had anticipated this. He had considered everything, from Hinata's gentleness to her current silence, and even devised corresponding solutions.

Perhaps he unintentionally unleashed his talent for being a scumbag. Normally, his IQ is on par with Choji 'Choji, but when faced with this kind of situation, his brain works just as well as Shikamaru's.

Even in broad daylight, he didn't immediately come up and explain. Instead, he sat opposite Hinata, holding a cup of tea, and looked at her with a smile, just like before.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hinata's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head away.

The effect was immediate, which gave him confidence. Naruto didn't pour himself any tea, but glanced at Hinata, wondering how much she knew about him and Ino.

"Because I'm sorry, but not seeing you these past few days has made me a little anxious. I thought you would never see me again," he said carefully.

Upon hearing this, Hinata lowered her head and remained silent. This indicated her dissatisfaction with him, either because she didn't believe his nonsense, or because she was dissatisfied or felt it wasn't enough.

The teacup in her hand emitted wisps of steam, and her hand, which held the teacup, was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

"I'm thirsty," he suddenly said.

Hinata got up to pour him some water, but froze when she stood up. She looked around and realized there were no cups on the table; the only cup in the room was probably the one she was holding.

Naruto stared intently at the cup of tea in Hinata's hand, licking his lips, his meaning clear. Hinata pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over.

Even if I know the other person is doing it on purpose, I still don't want to see him thirsty.

"Drink mine," Hinata whispered.

"Okay." Naruto laughed, taking the opportunity to move closer and asking with a grin, "Would you like to lean over a little?"

Hinata then leaned forward a little more, Naruto seized the opportunity to hug Hinata tightly, showing no intention of drinking tea.

Hinata didn't realize what was happening before she was being hugged. She struggled slightly, but found she couldn't break free.

"Please... not here, this is... the office."

Upon hearing this, Naruto was stunned for a long while. Although he knew Hinata didn't mean it that way, it just sounded so much like...

He was taken aback. Was his image in Hinata's mind really that vulgar? Of course he knew this was an office, and someone else's office at that, and he had no intention of doing anything inappropriate.

"Um, Hinata, you've misunderstood, cough cough."

Hinata remained silent, leaning on Naruto's shoulder without saying a word, her eyes filled with unspoken thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Hinata." Naruto apologized first, without thinking twice.

"I know I've let you down. Actually, Ino and I have maintained a very good relationship over the years. As you know, Ino helped me a lot when I was most helpless."

"As you know, we didn't actually spend much time together before for certain reasons. But I would go to see you whenever I had the chance, and I wanted us to be together without any reservations."

"When you're sick, I worry and try my best to see you. When you come back from your mission, I wish I could fly to your side immediately."

"But often we have no choice; the gates of the Hyuga Clan are not so easy to enter."

"Fortunately, Hinata's condition is getting better and better, and we will have more time to spend together in the future."

"Hinata, it was my fault before, I'm sorry. My actions hurt you. I promise I'll treat you well from now on, okay? We'll get married, have one or two children, and find a quiet place to live in seclusion."

In short, apologize first, then make up some details about your interactions with Ino. Of course, the other person will know that your relationship with Ino is not ordinary. So at this point, you should first explain your difficulties to gain their sympathy.

Skipping over the details, he finally emphasized his long-standing relationship with Hinata, playing the emotional card.

Finally, he promised to spend more time with her, but didn't say he wouldn't spend time with Ino. He envisioned a bright future, and while he did want to live in seclusion, he didn't say he would only live in seclusion with Hinata.

Moral bottom lines can be flexible and varied, and one shouldn't make overly definitive statements, leaving room for remedies later.

"Really... really?"

Hinata was held in his arms, and as she listened to his words, she couldn't help but think of the past, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

The Hinata is a noble ninja family, a prestigious and powerful clan, making it indeed difficult for Naruto to join. The Hyuga Clan members generally... have very few close friends outside of their own clan.

She used to envy Ino, whose family wouldn't object to her doing what she loved and bravely liking someone she liked.

However, being born into the Hyuga Clan, even having limited options for whom one can like someone.

"Really, I promise." Naruto hugged Hinata and patted her back gently.

He vaguely felt that his clothes were a little wet on his shoulder, and the person in his arms was trembling. He couldn't help but separate them a little, and looked down to kiss her.

Everything fell into place naturally, and the two only separated when Hinata's face turned bright red. Hinata gazed at him intently, smiled, and then suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong?" Naruto noticed Hinata's unusual behavior and asked softly.

"My father knows about what happened between us, and he also knows about Ino, so... Father has some misunderstandings about you." Hinata said hesitantly, biting her lower lip.

"Should I... explain things to him?" she asked.

"No, no!" Naruto shook his head repeatedly. What a joke! Hyuga Hiashi time. There was no reason for him to go and get beaten up.

"Why?"

"Because the matter is too complicated, and only Hinata, as the person directly involved, knows the inside story and would believe me," Naruto explained.

"But your father won't believe these words, and neither will anyone else. Saying them out loud will only deepen the misunderstanding. What if your father objects to you marrying me in the future? Wouldn't I be left to grow old alone?"

"No, that won't happen." Hinata smiled. "But Naruto, what you said makes sense. Let's talk about it later then?"

"Yes, even if the whole world doesn't believe me, as long as you believe in me, Hinata, that's enough. I don't care what others think," Naruto said affectionately.