Zhihui's Home

"I'm sorry for affecting your business by closing up today. I told Xia it wasn't necessary; I didn't really help with much anyway."

Hyuga Gen could tell that this household wasn't well-off, and missing a day of business likely had a significant impact on them. As a corporate slave in his past life, he understood that for an ordinary person, simply surviving was already a difficult task.

Moreover, they were a widow and her daughter, and they were even being extorted by the Uchiha for protection money. Thinking about it made him feel it was even harder; fate always seemed to enjoy making things difficult for the downtrodden.

"Young Master, please don't say that. You were a huge help. Ever since then, the village has been checking things strictly, and no one dares to collect protection money anymore. Come to think of it, this is all thanks to you, Young Master."

Yu Zhihui's mother thanked him sincerely.

"Besides, business hasn't been very good lately. Compared to not having to pay protection money, closing for one day doesn't have much of an impact," she explained once more.

"My doing?"

Hearing this, Hyuga Gen was somewhat puzzled.

"That's right. I heard it was an order directly from the Hokage. Perhaps someone from your family spoke to the Hokage about this matter."

Seeing Hyuga Gen's confused expression and realizing he might not know, Shuishu Ling shared what she knew.

In Shuishu Ling's mind, it was likely that the incident where Hyuga Gen was beaten had reached the Hokage's ears. The Hokage had paid attention to the matter, which led to the subsequent public announcement about strictly investigating and cracking down on protection money collection.

Thinking of his grandfather's expression when he vowed to seek justice for him, Hyuga Gen understood.

"Auntie, you can just call me Dongyi. I'm not any kind of young master."

"Dongyi? I am Zhihui's mother, Shuishu Ling. You can just call me Aunt Ling."

"Alright, Aunt Ling."

Hyuga Gen noticed that Shuishu Ling was actually quite pretty, though her clothes and hairstyle didn't quite suit her.

"Brother Dongyi, we're back."

At that moment, Hyuga Natsu and Yu Zhihui walked in and handed the items they had purchased to Shuishu Ling.

Just a moment ago, Shuishu Ling had realized she forgot to buy something and sent her daughter on an errand, while Hyuga Natsu had accompanied Yu Zhihui to do the shopping.

"Thank you, Xia," Shuishu Ling said with a grateful smile.

"Alright, you girls go play. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Shuishu Ling gently stroked Hyuga Natsu's head while speaking with a smile; she had to start preparing lunch.

"Mom, let me help you out here."

"No need. Today, you should properly keep Brother Dongyi and Xia company. I can handle it alone."

With that, Shuishu Ling walked toward the kitchen and began to busy herself.

Nice figure, though it feels a bit inferior to Xia's mother.

Hyuga Gen watched Shuishu Ling's graceful back as he compared them in his mind.

"Zhihui, your hair is really pretty. It would definitely look even better if you grew it out."

Hyuga Natsu looked at Yu Zhihui's beautiful purple hair with a hint of envy.

"Really?"

Hearing Hyuga Natsu say this, Yu Zhihui still lacked confidence.

"Yeah, yeah. If you don't believe me, ask Brother Dongyi!" Hyuga Natsu tossed the question to Hyuga Gen.

"Yeah, purple hair isn't common; it's quite beautiful. Xia is right, it might look even better if you grew it long."

Looking at Yu Zhihui's expectant eyes, Hyuga Gen said sincerely. Her mother also had purple hair, so he assumed it was hereditary.

Looking at Yu Zhihui, Hyuga Gen thought of Uzuki Yugao, a character who, like Uchiha Izumi, had very little screen time in Naruto Shippuden but left a deep impression.

He remembered her because of her striking purple hair and goddess-like beauty—and, of course, her ill-fated boyfriend, Gekko Hayate.

Yet, the short purple hair on the Yu Zhihui before him felt somewhat discordant. As expected, purple hair was better suited for long, flowing locks, or perhaps it just suited a gentle girl better.

As Hyuga Gen thought this, the Yu Zhihui before him was clearly not the gentle type. Er, looking at her now, she actually seemed to have—

"Ah! Xia, why are you pinching me?"

"Hmph."

Hyuga Natsu turned her head away and didn't speak.

Looking at Zhihui, whose face was slightly flushed, Hyuga Gen realized that he had been staring at her so intently that he had made her feel embarrassed.

"Come on, Zhihui, let's go to your room and see. Don't pay any attention to this rude guy."

With that, Hyuga Natsu pulled Yu Zhihui away. Hyuga Gen rubbed his nose; he still shamelessly followed after them.

Thud.

The door closed, and Hyuga Gen was blocked outside, left with a bruised ego.

"Forget it, I'll just walk around the neighborhood."

And so, Hyuga Gen began to wander around the area. Come to think of it, the location was a bit remote, though it was quite close to the Hyuga clan's compound.

Not far away, Hyuga Gen spotted a blacksmith shop and immediately became interested. When it came to weapons, one had to mention the king of the ninja world: the "kunai." It wasn't that it was particularly powerful, but rather that it was used by everyone—almost everyone carried one.

Hyuga Gen had one himself, and it was indeed quite handy. Although small, it was sturdy and durable, making it very practical for both close-quarters combat and long-range throwing.

Hyuga Gen walked closer and saw that the man was indeed forging a kunai, so he began to watch with rapt attention. The man did not mind Hyuga Gen's behavior in the slightest, ignoring him completely as he focused intently on his craft.

Before long, a brand-new kunai was completed. It was evident that the man's forging technique was quite impressive; every step was fluid and executed in one go.

"Uncle, you are truly amazing," Hyuga Gen exclaimed with genuine admiration.

"Haha, would you like to have one?"

The man said with a laugh, not forgetting to promote his products, and Hyuga Gen began to chat with him.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Yu Zhihui was whispering to Hyuga Natsu.

"Xia, your chest has developed so well."

Looking down at her own, Yu Zhihui said with a hint of dejection; she had nothing, while Hyuga Natsu's had already begun to take shape.

"It's fine, you're still young. You'll have them when you grow up," Hyuga Natsu said. She did not mention the effective dietary therapy Hyuga Gen had told her about, as she had her own little secrets.

Just like that, the two chatted, shared their secrets, and became bosom friends from that day on.

"Aunt Ling, stop working for a moment. There's already enough food, and don't busy yourself anymore. Come eat with us; we feel bad starting without you," Hyuga Gen called out toward the kitchen.

Looking at the dishes on the table, they were all nearly drooling. The food was colorful and fragrant, and all that was left was to taste it.

"You all go ahead and eat. I told you not to wait for me earlier; there's still one more dish."

Once everyone was seated, the group began to dig in.

"Mmm, Aunt Ling, the food you make is truly delicious," Hyuga Gen praised. The taste was indeed quite excellent.

"If it's good, then eat more."

"Mmm, alright."

Before long, the dishes on the table were swept clean. Everyone was sweating profusely, as it was summer and the weather was sweltering.

If only there were soda and popsicles, that would be even better. Don't have any? I could try making them myself, and I could even earn some pocket money by selling them.

The more Hyuga Gen thought about it, the more he felt this was a promising endeavor.

Since he had nothing to do this afternoon, he could give it a try.