Explanation, Dust Settled

Hyuga Natsu got to her feet and looked around.

She found herself in an unfamiliar living room, having somehow gone from Konoha's Back Mountain to here.

"A-Natsu, it's all right now. The human traffickers have already been driven off."

Hyuga Sho spoke casually.

Human traffickers, not Iwagakure ninja.

Clearly, this was meant to mislead her.

"Mm. Don't run around carelessly in the future. What mushrooms were you picking in the pitch dark?"

Morino Ibiki said cooperatively.

He shot Hyuga Sho a look that said, "You know, I know."

Hyuga Sho: "..."

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Hyuga Sho's classmate and partner. We might even become colleagues in the future. Um, my name is Morino Ibiki."

The big man stood up and forced out a smile.

Though no matter how one looked at him, he had the face of a villain.

"Sho-kun, does that mean... you were the one who saved me?"

Hyuga Natsu gazed at Hyuga Sho, and her cheeks quickly reddened.

"..."

Morino Ibiki looked up at the ceiling, indicating that he had seen absolutely nothing.

After leaving Morino Ibiki's house.

The two walked back along the street.

All the way there, Hyuga Natsu kept her head lowered as she followed behind Hyuga Sho.

Her face was full of joyful smiles.

But ahead of her, Hyuga Sho had his brows tightly furrowed, thinking about matters from an entirely different dimension than Hyuga Natsu's.

What the Iwagakure female ninja, Kōseki, had said about the Shinobi World War, and his status as Branch Family cannon fodder, gave Hyuga Sho a sense of crisis.

"I have to improve my strength as quickly as possible and find a way to defeat Kakashi..."

Hyuga Sho made his decision.

He needed to achieve his goal of graduating early as soon as possible.

The earlier he graduated and became a ninja, the more opportunities he would have to fight and temper himself.

Then he could become stronger.

And he could also...

"Plunder more Chakra Natures."

Hyuga Sho felt that if he had guessed correctly.

Defeating an enemy with a "Wind" attribute heart would let him obtain the Wind Attribute.

The same applied to fire, lightning, and water.

If one attribute could increase the Doka Degree by 1%, then four enemies would mean 4%.

As the Doka Degree rose further, he would definitely become stronger.

When his Doka Degree had reached 10% before, it had been the dividing line between an "Academy Student" and a "Genin."

"If it reaches 20%, will my strength reach the level of a 'Chunin'?"

They walked in silence.

Lost in his thoughts, Hyuga Sho returned with Hyuga Natsu, who quietly loved him, to the Branch Family compound...

"Hyuga Sho."

In the Hyuga Clan compound.

Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi stood there.

It was already 10:30 at night.

They should have been resting an hour and a half ago.

But tonight, because Hyuga Natsu had gone missing, people from the Main Family and Branch Family Members were gathered at the entrance.

The brightly lit residence cast light over Hyuga Hiashi's stern face.

"Patriarch."

Hyuga Sho stepped forward and answered.

Behind him stood Hyuga Natsu, completely unharmed.

Seeing the two return, Hyuga Hiashi let out a breath of relief.

If anything had truly happened to Hyuga Natsu, the Hyuga Clan's reputation would inevitably have suffered.

"Tell me what happened."

Hyuga Hiashi's tone returned to one filled with authority.

"A-Natsu went to Konoha's Back Mountain to pick mushrooms and didn't come back until very late."

Hyuga Sho began speaking without hesitation.

"I went after her and happened to run into a classmate on the street. I thought an extra person meant extra strength, so I asked him to help. Then we found A-Natsu on the back mountain and drove off the human traffickers."

Hyuga Sho gave a simple account of what had happened.

But in truth...

The real situation had been far more dangerous than Hyuga Sho described.

Morino Ibiki's heart had nearly leaped out of his chest!

And those had not been human traffickers at all.

They had been Iwagakure genin!

The "human traffickers" had not even been driven away. Instead, they had been directly captured and interrogated!

What Hyuga Sho and Morino Ibiki had done could only be described as outrageously bold!

But Hyuga Sho had already thought it through.

If the truth came out, he would dump the blame on Morino Ibiki...

With his "Honest and Simple" persona, he would definitely be able to shirk every bit of responsibility.

Unfortunately...

Hyuga Sho's only regret was that he had forgotten to shout, "Our Hyuga Clan is Konoha's number one great clan."

It seemed his disguise was still not perfect enough. He had to deepen it further.

"Patriarch, I'm sorry. I forgot to shout that line at the time..."

Hyuga Sho showed an ashamed expression.

He looked as though he wanted to find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.

Hyuga Hiashi: "..."

Everyone: "..."

"Ahem..."

A Main Family Elder coughed and stepped out from behind Hyuga Hiashi.

"Hyuga Sho, you did well. It's just..."

He looked toward Hyuga Natsu.

"Why did this child, Hyuga Natsu, go to Konoha's Back Mountain to pick mushrooms so late at night?"

When that question was raised, the Branch Family Members all looked up at the sky.

"Sho-kun..."

Hyuga Natsu's face reddened as well, and she looked somewhat embarrassed.

Within the crowd.

Hyuga Suetsuchi gritted his teeth so hard he nearly bit through his sleeve.

"Probably..."

Hyuga Sho had barely opened his mouth when his stomach growled loudly.

"Because there wasn't enough food at the Branch Family Cafeteria."

With an innocent expression, Hyuga Sho gave a perfectly natural answer.

Hyuga Hiashi: "..."

The Main Family Elder: "..."

A moment later.

Hyuga Hiashi gave an order.

He had Hyuga Mami inspect the Branch Family Cafeteria to see whether what Hyuga Sho said was true.

If it was.

The kitchen and the relevant personnel would be thoroughly investigated.

"Good heavens..."

Hyuga Suetsuchi could only exclaim in disbelief.

"There's so much food in our Branch Family Cafeteria... and it's still not enough for you? Hyuga Sho, are you some kind of bottomless pit~~~?!"

He was practically going insane~~!

Hyuga Sho was way too good at making things up on the spot.

But what made Suetsuchi happy was...

Hyuga Natsu's safe return.

"Hyuga Sho! Don't think I'll thank you for saving A-Natsu!"

Suetsuchi stood before Hyuga Sho, his nose nearly pressed against Hyuga Sho's face.

"If it weren't for you... A-Natsu wouldn't have needed to go to the back mountain to pick mushrooms..."

At the same time.

Suetsuchi was utterly devastated inside: Damn it... why can't I get A-Natsu's Heart Bento...?!

Several people followed behind Hyuga Mami.

Entrusted with this important task by Hyuga Hiashi, Hyuga Mami arrived at the kitchen and inspected it once.

Naturally, what the Branch Family Members ate could not compare to the Main Family's meals.

Then Hyuga Mami said, "From now on, the Branch Family's meal budget will be increased by ten percent."

After saying that.

She turned and left.

I managed to fool them...

Hyuga Sho watched Hyuga Mami's retreating figure.

Perhaps... he had not fooled them after all,

Because Hyuga Mami was a very perceptive girl.

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