Natsu's Surrender

Six in the evening.

Hyuga Yu returned to his small apartment at 205 Konoha Famous Tea Street, carrying the unease of knowing the [Byakugan Leak Incident] had begun its countdown, along with an indescribable anticipation.

Beside him, Hyuga Natsu had already considerately prepared slippers for him. She casually closed the apartment door and stood by the entrance, a gentle smile gracing her face as she watched Hyuga Yu find a place to set down his large bow case in the cramped space.

Hyuga Yu: "I'm home. (Tadaima)"

Hyuga Natsu: "Welcome home! (Okaeri)"

This exchange felt like it had happened countless times. They didn't seem like a couple of twelve or thirteen-year-olds in love, or engaged fiancés, but rather like an old married couple who had been together for many years.

However, in reality, Hyuga Yu didn't harbor romantic feelings for Hyuga Natsu.

Similarly, he could sense that Hyuga Natsu felt the same way about him.

The two were not in love, nor was there any trope of love blossoming over time. They were merely playing their respective roles in this relationship, each reaping the benefits the relationship provided, while perfectly dancing within the boundaries set by societal norms and moral systems.

At least, that's how they saw it themselves.

But this didn't stop them from being perceived by outsiders as an exemplary engaged couple.

This was thanks to Hyuga Natsu.

Both externally and internally, she displayed the gentle demeanor of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

Just like at this moment--

"Shishi-kun, did you argue with Hyuga Tetsu?"

"No."

"I saw it all."

Hyuga Yu changed into his slippers and looked up curiously, "So?"

Hyuga Natsu suddenly smiled.

"I'm happy."

"Why?"

"Because, this is the second time I know my place in Shishi-kun's heart."

"And the first time?"

"This morning."

Hyuga Yu was momentarily taken aback by her words and couldn't help but chuckle as he lowered his head, asking, "What's so happy about that?"

Hyuga Natsu grinned cheekily, "Because I also discovered that besides me, many others care about you, Shishi-kun."

Hyuga Yu was startled again by her words and quickly waved his hands, "Are you talking about Hyuga Tetsu? Hey, hey... he's madly in love with you."

"Not at all."

Hyuga Natsu chuckled smugly as she stood behind Hyuga Yu, nudging him as he walked in his slippers towards the dining table. Then, with a statement designed to shock, she said, "As the saying goes, 'The bystander sees most clearly'!"

"And from my observation, liking Hyuga Natsu is just an excuse for that child Hyuga Tetsu to get closer to you, whom he admires."

Hyuga Natsu declared with a clap of her hand, "Hmm... this is probably like when Sarutobi Asuma wanted to get close to Kurenai in school, he first found a way to get close to Kurenai's best friend."

"That's quite a blunt assertion you've got there!" Hyuga Yu's mouth twitched slightly. He decided to have a proper discussion with his little fiancée. He and Hyuga Tetsu, as mere bystanders, could never have a strange relationship like Naruto and Sasuke!

"Hyuga Tetsu is in the same year as us at the Ninja Academy, but you know, whether we were at the academy or after graduating and heading to the battlefield, we've had almost no close interactions, not even ten sentences exchanged."

"Besides, how could a mediocre person like me be someone to look up to?"

"Hee."

Hyuga Natsu smiled noncommittally.

"But, Shishi-kun, the misunderstood actions you took in the Ninja Academy were always covered up by Hyuga Tetsu, who was a complete stranger, stepping in to quell the rumors."

Hearing this, Hyuga Yu, who remembered that indeed there was such an incident, turned his head away and mumbled in defense, "That was just him acting on his own, to protect the reputation of the Hyuga Clan."

"Hee~ hee~"

Hyuga Natsu nodded with a smile, pushing Hyuga Yu to sit down at the small round table in their cramped apartment.

And at this moment, There was no dinner on the table that should have held their evening meal.

Instead, there were three scrolls, inscribed with the characters "忍" (Nin - Ninja), "剑" (Ken - Sword), and "粮" (Ryo - Provisions).

Seeing this, Hyuga Yu froze for a moment, then looked up at Hyuga Natsu, who was kneeling opposite him at the round table, her expression full of smiles.

"What is this...?"

"These are the ninja tools I picked out for you at the Ninja Tool Shop today: protective gear, a ninja sword, and some specially made Military Rations Pills."

"You..." Looking at the three scrolls laid out on the table, Hyuga Yu felt a bit flustered. Just as he was about to question her, Hyuga Natsu raised her fair hand and interrupted him.

"I received the loan documents, and actually, I'm the first one to get bank statements for your account, Shishi-kun."

"Although I don't understand why Shishi-kun would spend a million ryo in one afternoon;"

"And I don't quite understand why you refused Elder Takahiro's letter of appointment;"

"What I understand even less is why Shishi-kun asked me to contact Young Master Genko, trying to join the Main Family's guard."

"But..."

Hyuga Natsu suddenly dropped the smile from her face. After a long silence, she pointed to the three scrolls on the table and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice:

"Just to be safe, I prepared these for you."

As she said these words, she looked like a wife about to send her husband off to war, but the reality was that she herself was the one about to go to the battlefield.

Looking at his little fiancée with that expression, the last lingering doubts in Hyuga Yu's mind about the entire incident finally became clear.

He suddenly pursed his lips, a surge of incomprehensible anger rising in his eyes. He sat up straight, his expression grave, and looked at the girl sitting on the other side of the round table.

"So..."

Hyuga Yu gritted his teeth and questioned, "Did you ask Hyuga Genko in advance to reject my request to join the guard?"

Hyuga Genko's rejection of his joining the guard was strange.

Hyuga Yu had learned from the main family elder, Hyuga Takahiro, that the father of this young master of the Main Family, Hyuga Sousuke, was searching within the clan for members who knew Medical Ninjutsu to escort an upcoming expedition.

And Hyuga Yu was one of the few ninjas in the clan who had mastered Medical Ninjutsu.

Even if Hyuga Yu's strength was low, Hyuga Genko shouldn't have refused.

After all, Medical Ninjas only needed to keep up with the team's movements and provide medical support. The second of the three major principles for Medical Ninjas, proposed by the Sannin Tsunade-hime, clearly stated:

[Medical Ninjas must absolutely not stand on the front lines of battle.]

Therefore, the biggest obstacle preventing Hyuga Yu from protecting his fiancée was, in fact, his fiancée, Hyuga Natsu, herself.

"Oh dear... I'm found out."

Hyuga Natsu stuck out her tongue and gave a cute, innocent smile.

Hyuga Yu ignored his fiancée's attempt to lighten the mood with her cuteness and, with a stern face, continued to ask, "When was that?"

Hyuga Natsu let out a sigh and mumbled her confession, "Before Shishi-kun met with Elder Takahiro, I guessed that you would absolutely not sign that letter of appointment."

"But,"

she lowered her head, her tone gradually becoming lower, tinged with a sense of loss, almost a whisper, "If it were Shishi-kun, I thought that even if everything was arranged in advance, in the end, you would overcome all obstacles one by one."

"So,"

Hyuga Natsu suddenly raised her head, a smile blooming on her face like a white magnolia, mixed with a hint of shyness and a plea for mercy.

She extended her fair, slender hands, placing her wrists in front of Hyuga Yu, narrowing her crescent-shaped eyes, and chuckled innocently, "Mr. Hyuga Yu, I've come to surrender!"

"Please be sure to accept my apology gift!"