Hyuga Hiashi's Investigation

Sakura Haruno felt a surge of resentment.

Naruto and Hinata were flaunting their affection right in front of her.

It filled her with envy, jealousy, and hatred...

Not to mention, she was practically on the verge of a mental breakdown!

No! I have to go up there and see what they're doing!

Even if it did feel a bit like catching an unfaithful lover in the act!

But Naruto-kun was originally hers. (A delusion of Sakura Haruno's own making.)

She just wanted to take back what belonged to her!

She, Sakura Haruno, was definitely not the homewrecker~

Hinata was the homewrecker!

Carrying these chaotic thoughts, Sakura Haruno snuck after them like a thief.

She thought she was well-hidden.

However, her clumsy little movements were still keenly captured by Naruto.

Hinata's footsteps suddenly faltered, and she tilted her head in confusion, looking at Naruto who had come to a sudden stop.

"Huh? What's wrong, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto grinned and shook his head.

"It's nothing, I just realized you look exactly like someone."

Hinata's face went blank, and she blurted out instinctively in a daze.

"Who?"

Naruto said with a straight face.

"My woman!"

Wasn't that a simple question?

Did it even need asking?

It wasn't just "like," she simply was!

This was a marriage ordained by heaven; it couldn't be escaped.

And it wouldn't be allowed to escape!

Naruto was merely stating a simple, factual situation.

Moreover, he had used the cheesy, rustic pickup lines from his past life.

Things like this were second nature to him in his previous life.

The girls there had heard them so often that they eventually became desensitized.

But where was this?

This was the simple, honest little Konoha!

People in this era only focused on studying ninjutsu to improve themselves!

And how to best utilize the chakra within their bodies.

Where would they find the time to study such things?

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was deeply affected!

Snap!

That was fast!

Hinata's entire pretty face was instantly dyed with a blush.

This flush spread at a speed visible to the naked eye, rapidly climbing up her fair neck!

How could the little princess have ever been exposed to cheesy pickup lines?

She was a completely pure white lotus, untainted in every way.

She wasn't like Naruto, an experienced veteran from the modern world with ideals, ambitions, and a sense of social responsibility.

Hinata stammered.

"Honestly, Naruto-kun, what are you saying..."

"It's... it's so... so..."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

"What is so what?"

Little Hinata blushed, turning her small head to the side.

She dared not look Naruto in the eyes.

She pouted coquettishly.

"It's so embarrassing..."

A gust of wind blew by...

It scattered the thoughts of Sakura Haruno.

It stirred up her troubled mind.

Sakura Haruno stood there, completely dumbfounded.

Just like the petrification effect often seen in anime.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Such philosophical questions about the ninja life suddenly popped into her mind.

Just look at what she had witnessed!!

Although she didn't know exactly what Naruto had said to Hinata.

After all, the distance was too great.

She couldn't hear it.

But seeing Hinata acting so shy and bashful.

Her woman's sixth sense told her.

It must have been sweet words belonging to lovers.

"Ah!!!! Naruto was supposed to be mine!"

"Pah, you little vixen, how dare you? How could you?! I hate this so much."

Sakura Haruno let out the mournful cry of a lonely single soul.

She looked like a disgruntled, aggrieved young woman.

Her eyes were filled with extreme resentment.

She wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear the two of them apart.

And loudly tell Hinata.

'Naruto and I are the real couple; he used to pursue me and like me. We are true love, and you are just an accident.'

Did she dare?

Sakura Haruno shook her head with a bitter smile.

She didn't dare...

In the past, she had been indifferent to Naruto.

Treating him like an expendable little sycophant.

A little tag-along.

She had even been annoyed by Naruto acting that way.

Sakura Haruno herself never imagined.

That one day, Naruto would become someone she could no longer reach.

Truly, yesterday you ignored him, today you cannot afford to climb high.

It was as if the heavens had played a massive joke on her.

In the end.

The original roles of the two had been swapped.

She wanted to become Naruto's little sycophant.

But Naruto wouldn't even spare her a glance.

He wouldn't even give her the chance to be a sycophant.

Thinking of this.

Sakura Haruno smiled at herself in self-mockery.

"Sigh... if only I had agreed to Naruto's requests earlier and been with him... facing those setbacks together..."

"Perhaps, I would be the object of envy for every girl in the class, or even the whole school, right now."

Within the Hyuga Clan territory...

Inside an antique, Japanese-style mansion.

"Clan Head, the matter is absolutely true; Naruto is indeed the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

A trusted confidant of Hyuga Hiashi kept his head bowed.

He reported the findings of his investigation over the past few days to Hyuga Hiashi in full detail.

Before him sat a handsome middle-aged man.

An aura of natural authority radiated from the man's face.

He gave off a sharp and stern impression.

He bore a slight resemblance to Hinata.

That's right.

He was Hinata's father.

The current head of the Hyuga clan.

Hyuga Hiashi!

Upon hearing the report, Hyuga Hiashi seemed to be deep in thought.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up.

"What other information did you uncover besides this?"

Hearing this, the confidant Hyuga Ichiro wore an unnatural expression, hesitating to speak.

Hyuga Hiashi furrowed his brows, displeased.

"How long have you been with me? Just say whatever is on your mind!"

"Yes!"

Hyuga Ichiro bowed.

"Our people also discovered that Naruto seems to have learned and mastered the Fourth Hokage's self-created ninjutsu, the Rasengan!"

"He has been performing exceptionally well at the Ninja Academy."

"He is a genius ninja in every sense of the word."