A Tearful Natsu

"Hmph, why are you holding on to me? Shouldn't you be spending time with your female desk mate?" Hyuga Natsu said as she shook her arm, but she couldn't break free of Hyuga Gen's tight grip.

"Natsu, I didn't explain myself properly before. I've been looking for Izumi these past few days mainly to ask her about Fire Release Ninjutsu. Nothing else," Hyuga Gen quickly said.

"So you were hoping to do something else with her? Then tell me, what exactly was this 'something else'?" Hyuga Natsu asked, even angrier.

Hearing her say that, Hyuga Gen was left dumbfounded. As expected, you couldn't argue with a girl. You couldn't win, and even if you did, you'd still be the one in the wrong.

Hyuga Gen fell silent. He didn't want to say anything more, afraid that the more he said, the more he'd mess things up.

Seeing him fall silent, Hyuga Natsu grew even angrier. She wrenched her arm free and stormed off again.

Hyuga Gen watched her march away in a huff but didn't chase after her. She was still upset, so he thought he'd wait until she had calmed down before talking to her.

"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and go after her! You don't have to say anything—just stay by her side. I'll leave Natsu to you. I need to head back," Yu Zhihui urged, seeing Hyuga Gen still standing there in a daze.

Hearing that, Hyuga Gen thought it over and realized she was right. Women really did understand women better.

"Thanks, Zhihui." With that, Hyuga Gen hurried after her.

Actually, Hyuga Natsu had already started regretting what she'd said. She felt that she really had been unreasonable.

She didn't know why, but the thought of Hyuga Natsu and Uchiha Izumi together made her feel afraid—afraid that Hyuga Gen would choose Uchiha Izumi and leave her behind.

She still remembered the first day at the Ninja Academy, when Hyuga Gen had stared at that little girl, lost in thought. She regretted pointing her out to him.

Then, as if by some cruel coincidence, that girl had become Hyuga Gen's desk mate. For some reason, it had bothered her, but she'd still smiled and greeted her.

After that, Hyuga Gen walked to and from school with her every day, and she'd decided her worries were needless. But later, when Hyuga Gen invited people to dinner, she wasn't the guest of honor, yet Hyuga Natsu's heart had started pounding again.

After that, though, things had been peaceful for a while, and Hyuga Natsu decided she was overthinking it. They were just ordinary desk mates.

But when she saw Hyuga Gen teaching Uchiha Izumi the Rasengan, guiding her hand through the movements, she could no longer stay calm. She'd thought he would only teach her, that she alone was special to him. But the truth was...

Still, she knew she was being unreasonable. The ninjutsu was his; he could teach it to anyone he wanted. Who was she to interfere?

Besides, wasn't it perfectly normal for classmates to learn ninjutsu together? What was wrong with her? For some reason, her chest felt unbearably tight, and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face.

Hyuga Gen seemed to sense that something was wrong with Hyuga Natsu up ahead, and quickly ran over.

"Natsu, what's wrong? Don't scare me!" Seeing her in tears, Hyuga Gen was shocked, and pain stabbed through his heart.

"Big Brother Gen, sob... I'm sorry. I promised you I wouldn't cry, but... I don't know why. I can't stop, sob..." Hyuga Natsu said between wiping her tears and catching her breath.

Even now, she was still thinking about the promise she'd made back then. Hyuga Gen didn't know what to say.

He could only pull her into his arms and gently stroke her back, over and over, in silence.

The sun sank in the west, and the sunset glow fell over them. It seemed to stretch out its hands, quietly wiping the tears from Hyuga Natsu's face.

Before long, Hyuga Natsu gradually calmed down and stopped sobbing. The two of them held each other quietly beneath the rosy sky, seeming to forget the passage of time.

Night fell. Hyuga Gen lay quietly in bed, thinking back over everything that had happened.

He hadn't expected Hyuga Natsu to cry. As he remembered it, she hadn't cried at all since the promise they'd made that day.

But this time she'd cried her eyes out, and seeing it had hurt him deeply. He still couldn't quite understand why she'd cried.

As childhood friends, Hyuga Gen knew Hyuga Natsu very well. Though she seemed gentle, delicate, and sweet, he knew she was a very strong girl.

She wasn't afraid of hardship or exhaustion. She was determined and persistent. She might not have been especially talented, but she worked incredibly hard.

There were very few things that could make her cry. The last time she'd cried...

Hyuga Gen suddenly understood. He felt incredibly dense. Of course—most of the times she'd cried before, it had been because he'd gotten hurt. They had all been because of him.

Then this time had to be because of him, too. Remembering what Hyuga Natsu had said earlier, it seemed she might have been jealous of Uchiha.

She'd cried because she was jealous, but Hyuga Gen felt there had to be more to it than that. Something more important.

Hyuga Gen remembered what Hyuga Natsu had said after she stopped crying:

"Big Brother Gen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry or cried. I won't do it again," Hyuga Natsu had said firmly.

Hearing her apologize, Hyuga Gen felt a faint ache in his heart for some reason. She was just too considerate.

Afterward, Hyuga Gen walked Hyuga Natsu home and naturally ran into her mother, Hyuga Mikoto, who seemed to notice something was wrong with her.

"Natsu, why are you crying? Did Gen bully you?" Hyuga Mikoto asked, eyeing Hyuga Gen with suspicion.

"N-no, it wasn't Big Brother Gen. He didn't bully me," Hyuga Natsu quickly said.

"Hmph, who else could make you cry? I'll teach this brat a lesson today," Hyuga Mikoto said as she activated her Byakugan. She seemed genuinely angry.

And no wonder. Hyuga Natsu was her precious darling. Of course she'd be furious.

Hyuga Gen could only stand to the side with an awkward smile. After all, he was definitely involved in what had happened.

"Hyuga Natsu instantly stepped between the two, spreading her arms to shield Hyuga Gen behind her." She activated her Byakugan, her gaze fixed firmly on Hyuga Mikoto.

"Hmph, if I ever see Natsu crying again, I'll beat you up—and have your grandfather join in, too! Let's see if you dare bully her then." Seeing the determination in Natsu's eyes, Hyuga Mikoto could only shake her head helplessly before issuing the threat.

Was this really the Hyuga Mikoto he knew? They really did grow stronger as mothers. He'd better watch himself from now on. Hyuga Gen could only put on a meek, aggrieved look, too timid to say a word.

Under Hyuga Mikoto's watchful gaze, Hyuga Gen had no choice but to say goodbye to Hyuga Natsu and head home.

Staring up at the ceiling beam, Hyuga Gen suddenly thought of all the moments he'd shared with Hyuga Natsu. It seemed he finally understood.

Hyuga Natsu's feelings for him might be far stronger than he'd thought. She'd cried partly because she was jealous, but more likely because she feared he might leave her for Uchiha Izumi.

At that thought, his heart seemed to grow heavy.