Misunderstanding

On the way, Hyuga Shinichi chatted as he walked with the man, and they gradually grew more familiar with each other.

It turned out the man was named Uzumaki Gangwu. He was Uzumaki Michiko's father, and he worked as a doctor.

The reason he had gone out with the patrol team was simple: he knew medicine and could treat injured clan members promptly, effectively reducing their casualties.

As they chatted along the way, the two soon arrived at the clinic.

Uzumaki Gangwu happily pushed open the door and called out at the top of his lungs.

"Michiko, Daddy's home!"

He stood straight in the doorway, arms spread wide and a blissful smile on his face, like a loving father eagerly waiting for his child to run into his arms and cuddle.

At that moment, he imagined his daughter rushing toward him excitedly, as she always did, giving him a warm, enthusiastic hug before saying,

"Daddy, I was so worried about you!"

But as the seconds ticked by, no one came out of the room. Hyuga Shinichi had no idea what was going through Gangwu's mind, but he still gave him a strange look, as if he were watching an oddball.

Uzumaki Gangwu felt a little awkward and embarrassed under that gaze. He quickly lowered his arms, then shook his head helplessly and explained,

"That girl must be so busy looking after your friend that she didn't hear me calling."

Hyuga Shinichi merely nodded and said nothing. He silently followed Uzumaki Gangwu into the clinic.

Meanwhile, Nawaki had already gotten back on his feet and was helping Uzumaki Michiko with her work.

The two of them busied themselves while chatting now and then, their laughter filling the room. The whole place felt especially warm and cozy.

Uzumaki Michiko was on a ladder, searching for something on top of a cabinet. As she rummaged around, she suddenly found some treasures she had lost long ago, and her heart filled with delight.

She couldn't wait to turn around and share her unexpected discovery with Nawaki.

But perhaps she was too excited. Michiko lost her balance, swayed sharply, and fell off the ladder.

In the blink of an eye, Nawaki reached out at astonishing speed and caught Uzumaki Michiko.

Unfortunately, he hadn't fully recovered and was still weak. In the end, he couldn't keep his balance, and the two toppled backward together, with his body serving as a human cushion.

As she fell, Uzumaki Michiko was terrified and squeezed her eyes shut.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms catch her, though they didn't quite stop her fall. Then came a thud, and the sensation of falling vanished. A concerned voice asked from beneath her,

"Urgh... Michiko, are you all right?"

At that moment, Uzumaki Michiko, her head pressed against Nawaki's chest, slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the concern in his gaze.

In an instant, she understood what had happened. Nawaki had saved her, and warmth flooded her heart.

But then she remembered that Nawaki was still injured, and Michiko tried to get up.

Just then, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, forcing her to lie back down. She braced one hand against the floor to ease the pain.

As a result, the scene looked as if Uzumaki Michiko had knocked Nawaki to the ground and then pinned him beneath her in a "wall slam."

The two gazed into each other's eyes, and an ambiguous atmosphere spread between them.

But just then, Uzumaki Gangwu suddenly pushed open the door and happened to witness the astonishing scene. He froze on the spot, mouth hanging open, his face filled with disbelief.

Hyuga Shinichi, right behind him, noticed that Uzumaki Gangwu had stopped again and couldn't help wondering why. He followed the man's gaze and was just as dumbstruck.

Uzumaki Michiko and Nawaki were in an extremely intimate position, their faces so close that the slightest movement seemed as though it would make them kiss.

Hyuga Shinichi thought that even if children in the world of shinobi matured early, this was taking things a bit too far! What shocked him even more was that Nawaki had actually been pushed down by a girl!

Sigh, maybe fools really were lucky. I'll have to tell Grandma about this when I get back. In a few years, Nawaki will turn sixteen and come of age, and Uzumaki Michiko is a year older than him.

If Nawaki gets married early, Grandma might even get to hold a great-grandchild.

The two on the floor also noticed the pair standing in the doorway. Realizing how awkward the situation looked, they quickly separated and sat up.

Uzumaki Michiko's face was as red as a ripe apple. She lowered her head and fiddled with the hem of her clothes, while Nawaki awkwardly scratched his head, trying to explain something to the two people in the doorway.

"I... I was just trying to catch her, I didn't—"

"No need to explain, Nawaki. I understand. I'll tell Grandma when I get back and ask her to help you two tie the knot as soon as possible."

Uzumaki Michiko hadn't heard what the two of them had said. She took a deep breath, quickly composed herself, and began explaining in detail what had happened.

As she spoke, the awkwardness gradually faded, and the misunderstanding between them was cleared up.

Uzumaki Gangwu, having finally snapped out of his shock, stepped forward to treat the two of them.

But when he faced Nawaki, even though the misunderstanding had been cleared up, he still looked at him like a father-in-law scrutinizing his son-in-law, as if he wanted to see right through the boy.

That gaze put Nawaki under a lot of pressure, and a thin sheen of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

Meanwhile, after her ankle sprain had been treated and was no longer a problem, Uzumaki Michiko walked straight up to Hyuga Shinichi and held out her hand without hesitation.

Hyuga Shinichi immediately understood what she meant. He quickly untied the bag he was carrying; the herbs she wanted were inside. Uzumaki Michiko took the bag and darted into the room behind them.

Before long, the strong aroma of medicine wafted out from the back room. A moment later, Uzumaki Michiko emerged with a steaming bowl of medicinal broth.

She carefully set it on the table and said to Nawaki, who had finished being treated,

"You've regained quite a bit of strength after eating, but you should still drink this medicine. It'll be good for you."

Her words were full of concern, making Uzumaki Gangwu like Nawaki less and less.

Nawaki shyly took the bowl and gulped down the medicine. Afterward, he felt warm all over and much more comfortable.

"Thank you, Michiko."

"Hmph, who said you could thank me?"

That was what Michiko said, but the corners of her lips curled upward, giving away how she really felt.