Hyuga Ao and Hiashi walked side by side down Konoha's Commercial Street. Konoha was not yet as prosperous as it would become later in the story, but it had already begun to show its potential.
Hyuga Ao had expected this day long ago. After all, they had a marriage engagement, and they were supposed to develop feelings for each other. It was only that the Main Family had been hesitant before.
But Hyuga Ao had never imagined that this day would come so soon.
She was only ten!
Hyuga Ao glanced at Hiashi. Could this guy, who looked so thick-browed and big-eyed, actually be like Fugaku Uchiha and have a thing for younger girls?
"Ao'er, is something wrong?" Hiashi had been worrying about how awkward it was that they had barely spoken along the way. When he saw Ao'er secretly observing him, he could not help feeling pleased. It seems I still have some appeal.
Hearing him call her Ao'er made Hyuga Ao break out in goosebumps. Now that she was truly a woman, facing a man with whom she had such a definite relationship, Hyuga Ao only wanted to stay as far away as possible.
Even Hiashi's gaze made her feel sick.
Hyuga Ao was furious, but unfortunately, she could not hit him.
You have your Zhang Liang strategy, but I have my bridge-crossing ladder. Hyuga Ao calculated the time and wondered where Kushina would be right now.
Hmph. We can all die together!
"Nothing. Let's go get something to eat."
Hyuga Ao led Hiashi to the restaurant Kushina often visited. As luck would have it, Kushina and Kana were both there. She walked over and pretended it was a chance encounter.
"What a coincidence, Kushina, Kana. You're here too."
Hyuga Ao pulled Hiashi over and sat down beside them.
Kana still somewhat wanted to avoid Hyuga Ao. It was not that she disliked her; she was merely embarrassed in the way a young girl would be. But when she looked up and saw a man following behind Hyuga Ao, she could not help raising her head in confusion.
"Ao'er, who is this?" Kushina asked.
"Let me introduce you. This is Hiashi Hyuga, my fiancé and the Hyuga Young Clan Head. You can call him Big Brother Hiashi." Hyuga Ao introduced him openly.
"This is Kana, and this is Kushina."
"Hello, hello!" Hiashi greeted them.
Hiashi felt pretty good at that moment. Hyuga Ao had directly brought him to meet her close friends, which showed that her acceptance of him was fairly high.
But Hiashi would not think that for long.
People said that three women were equal to five hundred ducks.
Their calculation had definitely failed to account for the fact that two of them were Uzumaki.
Two Uzumaki and one chatterbox were worth at least a thousand ducks.
Hyuga Ao's introduction ignited Kushina and Kana's excitement. They immediately became animated, dragging Hiashi into a barrage of questions. Even the more introverted Kana had plenty to ask.
After they finished eating, Hyuga Ao gave them a little nudge and suggested that they go shopping. Hiashi volunteered to be the wallet.
Then Hiashi experienced what women were like and what it meant for society to be vicious.
Hiashi redefined the phrase "going shopping."
That evening.
Hyuga Ao and Hiashi walked back toward the Clan Territory, taking one sluggish step after another.
Neither of them said anything. Or rather, neither of them wanted to speak.
In Hiashi's mind, Kushina and Kana's incessant chatter was still echoing. With a free wallet at their disposal, the two girls had unleashed an unprecedented enthusiasm for shopping.
It was Hiashi's first time shopping with a girl, yet he had been hit with a super-doubled opening hand right from the start. He was completely dazed now, his mind a muddle. All he wanted was to lie down on his bed and sleep.
Hyuga Ao shot Hiashi a sideways glance and let out a cold laugh. Young people these days are so naïve!
Although Hyuga Ao's feet were trembling slightly as well, she, who could charge through Iwagakure forces on the battlefield, might not even have been as effective as a five-year-old girl in a street fight.
Hiashi had suffered badly today, but Hyuga Ao was not much better. She had been treated like a Barbie doll, with Kushina and Kana grabbing her and changing her clothes over and over. Unfortunately, she felt guilty toward Kana and did not dare resist.
Still, Hyuga Ao had experienced this before, so her tolerance was slightly higher than Hiashi's.
When they reached a corner and parted ways, they both saw a trace of mutual understanding in each other's eyes.
Hiashi forced himself to perk up and report the day's events to Hyuga Hayato. He had a vague feeling that he had been tricked, but he could not figure out how.
Today's date had been an important test of Hyuga Ao's attitude by the Main Family. It would affect the Main Family's future decisions.
"Ha ha ha ha." Hyuga Hayato burst into laughter. "You said she brought you to meet two Uzumaki?"
"Yes." Hiashi nodded. "One is called Kushina, and the other is called Kana."
"Good, good! It seems Hyuga Ao still has the Hyuga clan in her heart. She actually introduced the two of them to you directly. Excellent!" Hyuga Hayato stroked his beard and laughed.
"You should arrange gatherings like this more often. You should also get to know the people around Hyuga Ao and build good relationships with them. They will be of great use to you in the future!"
Hyuga Hayato patted Hiashi on the shoulder and laughed as he walked away.
That left Hiashi with a dark expression. That nearly killed me, and he wants me to go again?
It's easy to talk when you're not the one doing it. Hiashi gloomily returned to his room to rest.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Ao was frantically writing a letter to Orochimaru, telling him to transfer her away as soon as possible and send her to the battlefield.
Hyuga Ao took out a scroll and formed seals with both hands. "Release!"
A small bottle burst out of the scroll. It contained the blood Hyuga Ao had drawn at the hospital. She poured a little onto her hand.
"Summoning!"
Get a move on! Get a move on!
A communication snake emerged and swallowed the letter Hyuga Ao had written on the scroll.
"I hope Orochimaru sees it soon." The girl clasped her hands in prayer. "Please let me leave soon!"
Who knew whether Hyuga Ao's prayers had worked, or whether the battlefield really did need a Kage Level fighter to fill in.
Three days later, Hyuga Ao received orders to make her own way to the Land of Rain.
"Looks like even a useless Kage Level fighter is still a Kage." Hyuga Ao set off happily.
Compared to Hyuga Ao's mood at that moment, the situation in the Land of Rain had already reached a fever pitch.
When the Iwagakure forces returned to clean up the battlefield that day, they discovered that Roshi was still breathing.
Hyuga Ao's final attack had caused the Four-Tails to seize control of Roshi's body. It helped Roshi twist aside, avoiding a fatal blow, and then kept him alive with its Tailed Beast Chakra.
There was a hole in Roshi's chest. Relying on the Tailed Beast Chakra, he had entered a state of suspended death, but he could turn truly dead at any moment.
When the Iwagakure medical unit saw Roshi's condition, they unanimously suggested changing the Jinchuriki.
He can't be saved. There's nothing we can do. Goodbye.
A triple rejection was placed on Ōnoki's desk.
After all, if Roshi died halfway through treatment, or if the Tailed Beast broke free during the process, Iwagakure could not afford the loss.
But in the end, Ōnoki, who had never gotten along with Roshi, made the decision.
"Treat him!"
Only then did Roshi slowly pull away from the brink of death, though he still needed a long period of recuperation.
Just as the Iwagakure forces were suspicious and utterly baffled, wondering why Kirigakure had come to cause them trouble,
Konoha attacked.
The Iwagakure forces flew into a rage. What, did you come here to laugh at us?
Thus, the furious Iwagakure forces charged head-on, intending to reclaim the face they had lost.
The enraged Iwagakure forces fought far more fiercely than usual. Konoha was fighting three enemies at once, and although the Sand Ninja were slacking off, the battle was still incredibly difficult.
However, Konoha had already received a definite response from Kumogakure. Therefore, Konoha gritted its teeth and held on, maintaining the offensive.
And so, the situation in the Land of Rain reached a stalemate.
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