Qingwu was crouching beneath the veranda, feeding the caged sparrow, when he heard the third wave of footsteps outside the courtyard gate.
The millet grains at his fingertips nearly spilled through the gaps in the wooden cage.
A flicker of helplessness crossed his face.
"Great, here comes another batch."
Grandpa, all you had to do was shout. Sure, you had your fun.
But look.
Look how much trouble you've caused me.
I'm Hyuga Seigo, you know~
The youngest Clan Head the Hyuga Clan has had in centuries.
The new god of the Ninja World.
And now my relatives and clansmen are gossiping about me.
Even coming to gawk.
Is this any way to behave?
"Clan Head! The Great Elder is here with the aunties from the Second Branch!" the boy guarding the gate called through the moon gate,
his voice brimming with barely contained curiosity—
he had just glimpsed a corner of brocade peeking from the Great Elder's sleeve pouch. It looked like a greeting gift prepared for a young girl.
"Grandpa, what are you up to now?!"
As Qingwu straightened up, he suddenly remembered the Young Widow the old man had mentioned while chatting with his uncles Hizashi and Hiashi. His second aunt had been widowed for years, hadn't she?
It struck him like lightning streaking across the sky.
No way~
If that's really what's going on...
"Nobody plays the game like Grandpa. What a legend."
The wind chime beneath the eaves gave a timely tinkle, and the curtained doorway to the inner room gently opened.
Guang, dressed in a ruqun, poked her head out, a little moisture still clinging to the ends of her hair. "It's so noisy outside. Do we have guests?"
She had developed a mild fever after getting caught in the rain yesterday, and Qingwu