Akishinomiya Yuri!

At the entrance to the shrine.

As they looked at the red-and-white figure in shrine maiden attire inside the shrine's outer hall, Hyuga Setsuna and Kakashi were both stunned.

Was this Her Highness the princess?

Hyuga Setsuna stared at the figure in the outer hall, a strange look appearing in his eyes. The red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, coupled with her obviously youthful figure, gave him a very peculiar sense of déjà vu!

Inside the shrine's outer hall, Akishinomiya Yuri had noticed the moment Hyuga Setsuna and Kakashi pushed open the door and entered.

When she saw what they were wearing, a glimmer seemed to flash through her eyes. But after noticing their height and build, disappointment flashed through them again.

The maid kneeling beside Akishinomiya Yuri and attending to her brightened in surprise upon seeing them and said,

"Your Highness, the two ninja sent by the Hidden Leaf Village have arrived."

Akishinomiya Yuri rose from the outer hall, lightly straightened her red-and-white shrine maiden garments, then came before them and spoke apologetically.

"I am Akishinomiya Yuri. I truly apologize for making the two of you come all this way from the Hidden Leaf Village because of my personal wishes."

Hearing the princess before him apologize, Kakashi had originally intended to let Hyuga Setsuna, the captain of this mission, answer.

But when Kakashi looked toward Hyuga Setsuna, he discovered that this guy was actually distracted at a time like this? Or rather, was he spacing out?

Left with no choice, Kakashi could only reply,

"Please do not apologize for us. Accepting a mission and completing it is the duty of us ninja!"

At that moment, Hyuga Setsuna also came back to his senses and looked at Kakashi, who was currently speaking with Akishinomiya Yuri.

He did not say anything, merely quietly observing Akishinomiya Yuri before him.

She looked about seven or eight years old, with a somewhat youthful appearance. Her skin was fair and smooth, her eyes bright and moist, and her long black, silky hair fell naturally down her back. Combined with her exquisite features, Hyuga Setsuna saw a girl with a promising future ahead of her!

Just then, Akishinomiya Yuri, who had been speaking with Kakashi, seemed to sense something. She quietly turned around, and her clear, moist eyes immediately met Hyuga Setsuna's gaze.

Seeing that Akishinomiya Yuri had noticed his stare, Hyuga Setsuna pretended nothing had happened and nodded at her.

Akishinomiya Yuri was also briefly stunned by his nod, then gave him a sweet smile.

Watching Akishinomiya Yuri turn away, Hyuga Setsuna's brows beneath the Rabbit Mask furrowed slightly.

This princess clearly possessed no Chakra under his observation, so why had she noticed his gaze just now?

With his current strength, if he quietly observed an ordinary person without Chakra, there was no way she should have noticed.

Yet Akishinomiya Yuri's turn just now was as though someone had suddenly reminded her beside her ear.

While Hyuga Setsuna was deep in thought, Kakashi and Akishinomiya Yuri finished their conversation.

Kakashi came to Hyuga Setsuna's side and said,

"Captain Yagokoro, Her Highness Yuri told us to go rest first."

Hearing Kakashi's words, Hyuga Setsuna nodded, then said to Akishinomiya Yuri,

"Then, Your Highness, we shall take our leave for now."

With that, Hyuga Setsuna and Kakashi headed outside the shrine.

Outside the shrine gates, Hyuga Setsuna quietly glanced back as he left.

He always felt that this shrine was strange. Not only was there no name of a deity being worshipped, there was not even a statue that an ordinary shrine should have enshrined.

There was also Princess Akishinomiya Yuri's strange turn just now.

This mission...

Inside the shrine.

The maid watched Hyuga Setsuna and Kakashi leave, then spoke to Akishinomiya Yuri in a puzzled tone.

"Your Highness, why didn't you ask those two ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village to show you the power of ninja?"

"And before they arrived, didn't you have so many questions you wanted to ask those ninja? Yet you did not ask any of them today!"

Standing beneath the cherry blossom tree in the shrine's outer hall, Akishinomiya Yuri listened to the maid's words, a troubled expression appearing on her delicate little face.

"But my questions were meant for adult ninja who had already grown up. I never expected Father and the Hidden Leaf Village to send ninja around my age, or even... even younger than me."

As she spoke, Akishinomiya Yuri's delicate face puffed up in anger, making her look exceptionally adorable.

Seeing Princess Akishinomiya Yuri throwing this little tantrum, the maid could not help but smile wryly.

Your Highness, you are still a child yourself. Why do you always want to ask those adult ninja questions?

Just then, Akishinomiya Yuri's previously puffed-up expression suddenly turned delighted, and she said to the maid beside her,

"You may leave first. I want to stay here alone!"

Her tone left no room for doubt.

After hearing Akishinomiya Yuri's words, the maid hesitated for a moment but ultimately obeyed and withdrew from the shrine.

Forget it. Her Highness has always been like this these past few years. I should just listen to her.

Meanwhile, the sky outside was gradually covered by a layer of "twilight."

The Daimyo's residence.

Inside Hyuga Setsuna's room.

Kakashi looked at Hyuga Setsuna, who sat cross-legged on the bed, and said softly,

"Captain Yagokoro, there is a major problem with this mission."

Hyuga Setsuna, seated cross-legged on the bed, replied after hearing Kakashi's words,

"There is something off about that princess in this mission!"

"What is wrong with Her Highness? She is merely an ordinary person without Chakra!"

Beneath his dog-face mask, Kakashi wore a puzzled expression.

After all, under his observation, there had been no Chakra reaction from the princess whatsoever.

She was completely an ordinary person!

She was not a ninja at all!

Hyuga Setsuna removed the Rabbit Mask from his face, looked at Kakashi, and said in a suspicious tone,

"It is precisely because she is an ordinary person without Chakra that it is strange. When you were talking with her just now, I secretly observed her, yet she actually noticed my gaze!"

"That is very abnormal!"

"As someone who does not even possess Chakra, do you not find it strange that she could detect my gaze?"

Kakashi fell silent upon hearing those words. The situation before them indeed proved the strange nature of this mission.

After a while, Hyuga Setsuna said softly,

"You should go back and rest first. For now, we do not need to do anything. Let us see when that princess comes looking for us next!"

Kakashi nodded at those words without objecting. After all, Hyuga Setsuna was the captain of this mission.

Kakashi stood and headed outside. As he left,

Hyuga Setsuna calmed his mind and asked Otsutsuki Kaguya within the Sealing Space,

"Grandmother, did you notice anything strange in that shrine just now?"

Within the Sealing Space, Otsutsuki Kaguya pondered for a moment before explaining in a strange tone,

"There was a soul body following that human girl!"

First update!