"Hey, hey! Kids these days are this rich? That's Violet Goldwood, right? It has to be!" Muzi, in the inner room, stared blankly at the wood carving revealed inside the fully opened cardboard box. The sudden fragrance in the air was enough to invigorate her, and her pretty face was filled with disbelief.
"That brat!"
Yamanaka Ichi, dressed in ninja attire, paid no attention to the carving's material. But when he saw the sculpture in the front room—identical to his daughter in every way except for its color—the corner of his eye twitched fiercely.
"Tsk, tsk!" Having recovered her senses, Muzi gave the Yamanaka couple a thorough look-over. "I never would've guessed! Looks like your little Ino won't have to worry about getting married. Look at this! She's so young, yet someone is already giving her such an expensive gift. You really couldn't tell before!"
Already feeling sour inside, Yamanaka Ichi's eye twitched again at Muzi's fuel-on-the-fire remark. He gave a resentful snort.
"Sigh!" As if she had not noticed Ichi's anger at all, Muzi sighed wistfully. Looking at the life-sized statue of Ino carved from Violet Goldwood in the front room, she lamented, "Poor me, I don't have that kind of luck. Just look at how happy little Ino is. Seems you'll have to acknowledge this son-in-law whether you want to or not!"
Yamanaka Clan estate, main hall.
Standing beside the carving, Samu Kokaze looked at the vacant-eyed Ino with a smile and said confidently, "Pretty, right? I guarantee on the reputation of a master woodcarver from the Land of Fire that this sculpture is exactly the same as your body. There won't be the slightest difference."
Seeing everyone beside him stunned speechless, Samu Kokaze felt something indescribable rise within him. Only this feeling made him feel that he was truly alive in this world.
"Smack..."
Samu Kokaze had been closing his eyes and enjoying everyone's admiring, astonished gazes when he suddenly felt a trace of moisture on his cheek.
Opening his eyes, he saw Ino pressed tightly against him, her face crimson as she kissed him in extreme excitement. Before he could properly savor the sensation, an incomparably violent killing intent suddenly surged from the inner room, stiffening his entire body.
He glanced toward the inner room from the corner of his eye, then slowly raised a hand in an attempt to push Ino away, letting out a few awkward laughs.
"That damned brat! I'm definitely going to slaughter him!!!"
After hearing Samu Kokaze say that the sculpture's figure was exactly the same as Ino's, Yamanaka Ichi had already flown into a rage in the inner room and wanted to go out and thoroughly teach that little punk a lesson.
But after being stopped by his wife and the ever-provocative Muzi, he had barely managed to suppress the fury in his chest for the time being.
But when he saw his daughter—his precious little girl—run over and kiss another man on the cheek, he became like a powder keg with a blazing fire thrown beneath it, ready to explode at any moment.
Even if the one she kissed was only a six- or seven-year-old child.
With a dark expression, Yamanaka Ichi broke free of the hands tugging at his clothes, pushed open the door, and headed toward the front room.
Muzi, who had only symbolically tugged at him twice, watched Ichi leave with a flash of excitement in her eyes. She cleared her throat twice and grabbed Ino's worried mother, who wanted to go out, saying, "Sister, don't worry. Ichi will at most scare that boy a little. Nothing will happen."
Ino's mother looked at Muzi holding her back and was so angry at her serious expression that she laughed. "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You're already grown up, yet you still act like a child. What will you do when you get married?"
"We can talk about marriage later. Look, it's starting!" At the mention of marriage, Muzi impatiently changed the subject. Watching the dark-faced Ichi head out, she shouted excitedly.
"You..." Ino's mother sighed helplessly, but she also looked toward the front room.
It seemed that even if she did not say it, she was still quite curious!
"Ahem!"
Walking out of the inner room, Yamanaka Ichi saw the two still hugging and gave two heavy coughs with a dark face.
Whoosh...
Hearing the sound, Ino immediately pushed Samu Kokaze away, her little face flushing scarlet in an instant.
Seeing Samu Kokaze's awkward smile as he struggled to find something to say, Shikamaru and the other two staring wide-eyed beside him, and Sakura secretly giving her a thumbs-up.
Finally, she stiffly turned around and saw her father's dark face. Ino let out an adorable cry like a kitten, ran to Ichi's side, and hugged him. She buried her face deeply against his leg, too afraid to look at anyone.
Yamanaka Ichi looked at Ino clinging to his leg with a dark expression. His furious emotions miraculously subsided quite a bit, but he still looked toward Samu Kokaze with obvious displeasure.
Samu Kokaze was very awkward right now.
There was no helping it. After taking advantage of someone's daughter, anyone standing here would feel guilty.
Looking at Yamanaka Ichi's oppressive presence and stern, serious face, he could only cast pleading looks to both sides.
Naruto's carefree nerves clearly had not noticed the current atmosphere. He was still shocked by the fact that Ino had suddenly kissed Samu Kokaze. Shikamaru had noticed, but judging from the way he tilted his head and whistled, he clearly had no intention of helping.
Seeing all this, Samu Kokaze's expression instantly froze, and he shot Shikamaru a fierce glare.
But settling things with Shikamaru could wait until later. First, he had to deal with the huge problem in front of him.
Facing Yamanaka Ichi, whose dark face radiated an incomparably terrifying aura, Samu Kokaze roared wildly in his heart, Just because you're Ino's father, do you think I'm afraid of you?!
I'm the protagonist with a golden finger! Crushing the heavens, crushing the earth, crushing the air—that's what I, Samu Aotian, should be doing! Just Ino's father? Hmph!
"Ahem! Um, Uncle! I suddenly remembered that I have something to do! So, I'll be leaving first!"
An awkward voice sounded quietly.
He chickened out. He really chickened out. There was no choice—if he did not back down now, the dangerous look in that man's eyes made it seem like he would find some place to secretly kill him. It was just too terrifying!
"You're leaving? Stay and play with my daughter for a while longer." Yamanaka Ichi spoke those words of invitation expressionlessly, but there was not the slightest hint of invitation in his tone. Instead, it radiated danger.
"Feng! You're leaving already? But we haven't even eaten the cake yet!" Naruto, beside him, clearly had not noticed the atmosphere in the room and suddenly spoke up upon hearing Samu Kokaze's words.
You idiot, shut up!!!
Feeling the dangerous aura ahead suddenly rise another level, Samu Kokaze shot Naruto a resentful look. Yet he said awkwardly, "No, next time! Next time! Naruto and I will be going now! Naruto, say goodbye to Uncle and Ino!" As he finished speaking, he looked toward Naruto.
"Oh!" Naruto finally caught on after seeing Samu Kokaze repeatedly wink at him. He looked at Samu Kokaze and Ino in sudden realization, then reluctantly glanced at the cake on the table before walking toward Samu Kokaze.
Before you continue