In the Future, You Must Know Your Place

"How do you plan to put it?"

"I can only tell the truth. My talent is mediocre; I'm not worthy of Miss Rika," Shusen said.

Hyuga Rika's expression softened somewhat. She huffed. "At least you have some self-awareness. It's good that you know you're not worthy of me."

Shusen wore a bitter smile on the surface, but inwardly he was overjoyed. With her cooperation, it would be hard not to call off this political marriage.

"Then fight me now. Let me see what you're capable of."

Shusen hesitated. "There's no need for that, is there? I'll explain everything to my father..."

"Cut the crap. Didn't you just say you wanted to fight me?"

"Don't go too far! My brother has already agreed not to marry you!"

Mito was furious. After spending this time with Hyuga Rika, she fundamentally disapproved of this prospective sister-in-law. She felt that if Shusen got together with her, he would definitely be bullied mercilessly.

"A real man keeps his word. Or is your brother not a man?" Hyuga Rika shot her a sidelong glance.

Mito could no longer hold back. "If you want to fight, I'll fight you!"

"Sis, don't interfere. This is between her and me. Let the two of us settle it." Shusen grabbed her arm.

He was helpless. To keep things from becoming even more complicated, taking a beating was worth it.

"Miss Rika, make your move." He stood before Hyuga Rika and took up a sparring stance.

Hyuga Rika's expression was complicated. "Aren't you afraid? I could kill you with one palm strike."

Mito flew into another rage at those words. If not for Shusen's pride, she would have stepped in and taught the other girl a lesson.

She knew perfectly well that Hyuga Rika would not dare strike too hard. If Rika truly dared to injure or cripple Shusen, none of these Hyuga Clan members would make it out of Uzushio Village.

"I'm afraid, but some things have to be faced."

"You've got some backbone, at least. I'm attacking now, so don't say I didn't give you a chance."

As soon as she spoke, Hyuga Rika's figure flickered, and she charged straight at Shusen.

Clone Technique.

Shusen formed hand seals and created three clones, meeting her attack with the strength of a special jonin.

Hyuga Rika did not even need to activate her Byakugan. With a single glance, she saw through the clones, then blew all three apart with three consecutive bangs before driving her palm toward Shusen's face.

Mito cried out, "Watch out!"

Whoosh.

A powerful gust swept past his face, scattering Shusen's neatly combed red hair.

Looking at the palm only centimeters from him, he sighed. "I lost."

"You're too weak." Hyuga Rika withdrew her hand, her delicate face set in a cold, stern expression.

"I won't marry someone as weak as you."

Shusen fell silent. Being mocked by a little girl was rather humiliating. He considered putting on Black Zetsu's persona someday and pinning her to the ground for a beating.

"Don't think so highly of yourself. My brother doesn't want to marry you either!" Mito turned into an overprotective sister and ran over to defend Shusen.

Hyuga Rika glanced at her before continuing, "Uzumaki Shusen, you know it yourself. I dislike you very much, and even you think you're not worthy of me."

Shusen clenched his teeth inwardly. This was starting to feel like one of those trashy broken-engagement stories.

The key was, if she wanted to break off the engagement, then break it off. Why did she have to keep showing off?

If she provoked his sister in a moment, Mito might hang her at the village entrance with Adamantine Sealing Chains and beat her. No one here could save her.

"But—"

Hyuga Rika suddenly changed her tone.

"Marriage has always been decided by one's parents and arranged by matchmakers. Since my father betrothed me to you, there's nothing I can do no matter how unwilling I am... So, in the future, you must know your place."

Shusen froze. "Huh?"

The future? What future?

Seeing Hyuga Rika's slightly reddened cheeks, he was completely baffled.

He was not the only one. Mito and Ryū were equally confused.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Hyuga Rika glared at him in embarrassment and anger. "My father already agreed to the marriage. What else can I do?!"

"No." Shusen became anxious. "Didn't you come here to call off the engagement?"

"My father arranged this marriage. How am I supposed to call it off?" Hyuga Rika was angry now and wanted to beat him up. This man truly did not know what was good for him; she had made herself this clear already.

Shusen was clever, and he finally understood. It turned out she did not reject this marriage at all. She had come charging in to establish her authority and secure her position after their future marriage.

Wasn't this complete nonsense?

"Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll call it off!" Shusen promised grandly.

"How will you call it off?"

"I'm not worthy of you!"

"Exactly. That's why you must know your place in the future." Hyuga Rika repeatedly emphasized the point.

Know your place, my ass!

Shusen refused to put up with it any longer and turned to go find his father.

Just then, Ryū and Hyuga Tenfu returned.

Looking at the young people in the courtyard, Ryū gave Shusen a rare smile. "Have you already spoken with Rika?"

Mito hesitated to speak. She had already decided that her brother was not fortunate enough to handle this prospective sister-in-law. Even if the other girl was willing to marry him, he could not marry her, or she and Rika would eventually come to blows.

Shusen gathered his courage and forced himself to say, "Father, please cancel my engagement to Miss Rika!"

The smile on Ryū's face stiffened.

Hyuga Rika stared at him without blinking, unconsciously biting her lip.

She did not believe Ryū would agree. Ryū was such a shrewd, calculating old fox. Her marriage to his son was clearly his son marrying up. He himself had proposed the engagement, and an alliance with the Hyuga Clan would greatly benefit the Uzumaki Clan.

No matter how one looked at it, Ryū had no reason to break the engagement.

"Your reason." Ryū's face was expressionless.

He made up his mind that if his son used excuses like, "She's a genius and I'm not worthy of her," he would immediately hang him up with Adamantine Sealing Chains and beat him.

"I... I already have a girl I like. I like her very much, and I won't marry anyone but her!"

This was the method Shusen had thought up the previous night. A dead pig was not afraid of boiling water anyway. He had taken plenty of beatings from his father before; at worst, he would rebel once and take another beating.

The moment he said this, the entire place fell silent.

Hyuga Rika's fists clenched with cracking sounds. She deeply regretted not sending Uzumaki Shusen's skull flying with that palm strike earlier.

Hyuga Tenfu's face darkened.

"Leave."

After a long time, Ryū finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Continue your patrol with the guard unit."

Shusen was deeply surprised. He had not expected his father's reaction to be so calm.

You're not going to hang me up with Adamantine Sealing Chains and beat me?

You're not beating me? That feels a little unsettling.

"Why are you still standing there?"

"Oh, right! I'm going on patrol now!"

Although he had no idea what his father was thinking, not getting hit was a good thing. Shusen hurriedly slipped away.

Hyuga Rika's gaze was filled with both resentment and fury.

"Chief Ryū, what do you mean by this?" Hyuga Tenfu immediately demanded.

The other side had proposed the engagement, and now they were the ones breaking it off. Did they really think the Hyuga Clan had no pride?

"I'm sorry. I didn't know my son already had someone he loved. It was my oversight."

Ryū apologized without hesitation.

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