Restaurant

The Kumogakure ninja who had been captured alive was sent to the Hokage Building as a witness.

The next day, Konoha's upper ranks convened an emergency meeting over the matter.

For the time being, though, it had nothing to do with Ryosuke. He was not qualified to attend such a meeting, so he could only wait for Hyuga Hiashi to return and hear the outcome of the matter from him.

"Lady Hinata, Ryosuke-sama, this restaurant's tempura is quite famous in the village. We often come here to gather after missions."

Food Street was an exceptionally bustling area of Konoha, day or night.

There were all kinds of snacks, from dango and takoyaki to sushi and kushikatsu. Besides the street stalls, there were dessert shops and many immensely popular restaurants.

For example, the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant, and Ichiraku Ramen.

At that moment, Hyuga Ryosuke held Hinata's hand and stopped in front of a restaurant with a steady stream of customers.

Behind them stood two Hyuga Elite serving as guards.

On the surface, Hyuga Hiashi had sent them to protect Hinata. In truth, however, they had been assigned to Ryosuke as his right- and left-hand men, ready to act at his command.

"This place will do."

After looking over the restaurant, which was full of lively warmth, Hyuga Ryosuke nodded and looked gently at Hinata beside him. "I promised to take you out for fun a few days ago. I'm keeping that promise."

The restaurant was quite large, more like a huge cafeteria.

Looking in from the entrance, both the main hall and the counter seats were packed. It had a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere, and the food was likely quite good.

"Mm!"

Little Hinata looked delighted. She stared eagerly inside, her nose twitching now and then as she took deep breaths of the delicious scents drifting out.

The words can't wait were practically written across her face, yet she still obediently stayed by Ryosuke's side.

"Come on. Let's go in and have a nice meal, then take a look around."

Seeing how adorable she was, Hyuga Ryosuke chuckled softly and led Hinata toward the entrance by the hand.

However, when he took a step forward, he felt resistance in his palm. The person beside him had remained where she was.

Turning back in confusion, Ryosuke found Hinata staring blankly ahead. Following her gaze, he saw a father and son walking laughingly down the aisle toward the exit.

They seemed to have finished their meal and were preparing to leave.

Perhaps noticing the two of them watching, the father and son looked over.

The father's eyes were full of confusion, but when he saw the Byakugan on their faces and the guards behind them, he quickly looked away and pulled his child along at a faster pace.

The child, however, brightened when he saw Hinata. He made a face at her before leaving.

Only after the father and son had gone far away did the tension on Hinata's face fade.

Ryosuke studied her expression thoughtfully but said nothing. He gave her hand a gentle tug, and this time, she obediently followed him into the restaurant.

The restaurant was far more crowded than it had appeared from outside. There were ninja, civilians, merchants, and people from all kinds of professions.

Gathered here, they drank, enjoyed the food, and chatted freely about the trivialities of daily life.

After Hyuga Ryosuke and the others entered, the atmosphere in the restaurant gradually quieted somewhat. Many people secretly sized them up.

This restaurant was fairly large, and for that reason, it offered private rooms.

The two guards behind them handled the arrangements with the owner. Once they had ordered the food and reserved a private room, a young and beautiful girl emerged from behind the counter, apparently the owner's daughter.

She warmly took the lead and guided them inside.

Thus, under the gazes of everyone in the restaurant, Hyuga Ryosuke led Hinata toward the private room.

After they left, discussions about their identities occasionally rose from the restaurant.

"That... is the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter, right?"

"I heard she's rather weak-willed. Looks like the rumors were true."

"Who's that child beside her?"

Though the voices were quiet, they still reached Hyuga Ryosuke's ears, as well as those of the two Hyuga clansmen behind him.

Other than Hinata, who was still too young to have learned Sensory Ninjutsu, they all heard those words.

"Go make them shut up."

Hyuga Ryosuke stopped walking and gave the order without looking back. "Souji, pass a message to them on Hinata's behalf. Tell them that gossiping behind someone's back is one thing, but saying such things about me right in front of me is far too presumptuous!"

After a pause, he repeated the important part. "Remember, you're delivering the message on Hinata's behalf."

"Yes."

Behind Ryosuke, Souji Hyuga answered and turned toward the main hall.

"Ryosuke-kun..."

Hinata tightened her grip on Hyuga Ryosuke's hand. Already upset because of the father and son from earlier, she looked at a loss, still unaware of what had happened.

"Come on, let's head inside first." Ryosuke smiled gently and reached out to stroke her hair.

Tempura was an exceedingly simple dish. All it required was coating the ingredients in batter and deep-frying them.

Yet the simpler a dish's preparation, the greater the skill needed to give diners a unique flavor and texture, to fully bring out the ingredients' taste.

"The secret lies in controlling the heat and frying time. Those two factors determine the final dish's flavor."

As he listened to the owner's daughter explain, Ryosuke picked up a golden shrimp still sizzling from the fryer and took a small bite.

A crisp crunch sounded in his mouth, followed by the sweet flavor of fresh shrimp bursting across his tongue.

Though deep-fried, it was not greasy.

The chef's control over the heat had been excellent. The shrimp's golden batter was fully cooked, and its surface had turned red, while part of the shrimp meat inside remained raw.

That was precisely why the ingredient's natural sweetness could be tasted beneath the crisp coating.

Once all the ordered dishes had been served, everyone else left the room and did not disturb the two of them as they ate.

The room was very quiet. Other than the faint sounds of chewing, nothing else could be heard.

Eating had always been a lonely thing for Ryosuke, a habit that had continued from his previous life to this one.

He had never had many friends growing up, and so he had developed the habit of not talking while eating.

Since he did not speak, Hinata did not take the initiative to find something to talk about either.

The food at this restaurant truly was excellent. After eating until he was about eighty percent full, Ryosuke set down his chopsticks.

"I'm full."

Across from him, Hinata spoke in a tiny voice as she also put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth.

"...You ate so little today? Only four portions. That's not like your usual appetite."

Ryosuke looked at the plates in front of her in confusion. There were only four portions.

They had not ordered any staple foods, and while the dishes they had chosen were all fried and easy to get sick of, he knew that at home, this little girl usually ate at least five bowls of rice per meal.

"Is it because... you're in a bad mood?" he continued.

Hinata had been listless ever since earlier, even though she had been perfectly fine when they left home.

"N-No."

As if he had hit the mark, Hinata hurriedly shook her head.

"Was it because of that father and son from earlier?" Hyuga Ryosuke continued, watching her seriously.

The even more flustered look on her face was practically an admission.

"Then let me guess again... Was it that child? Has he bullied you before?"

The gentle smile remained on Ryosuke's face, and his voice was calm and unhurried, trying to minimize the pressure on Hinata.

He was certain that the diners' earlier discussions outside had not reached Hinata's ears.

That meant the only reason for her bad mood was the father and son they had encountered at the entrance.

And clearly, that middle-aged man had some sense. He knew what the Byakugan meant in Konoha, so it could only have been that seemingly innocent child who knew nothing.