Shadows Under the Moonlight 2 (Bonus Chapter for Reaching 1,000 Favorites!)

"Hey, hey! Are kids these days all 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 invigorated her, while her pretty face was frozen in 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, his eye twitched violently.

"Tsk, tsk!" Having snapped out of her daze, Muzi gave the Yamanaka couple a thorough once-over. "Who would've thought? Looks like little Ino won't have to worry about getting married. Look at this! She's so young, and someone's already giving her such an expensive gift. I really never saw it coming!"

Already feeling sour inside, Yamanaka Ichi's eye twitched again at Muzi's provocative words. He gave a resentful snort.

"Sigh!" As if she had completely failed to notice Ichi's anger beside her, Muzi sighed mournfully. Looking at the life-sized sculpture 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. It seems you'll have to accept this son-in-law whether you want to or not!"

Yamanaka residence, main hall.

Standing beside the carving, Samu Kokaze looked at the vacant-eyed Ino with a smile and declared confidently, "Beautiful, isn't it? I guarantee it on the reputation of a master woodcarver from the Land of Fire—this carving is exactly the same as your body. There won't be the slightest difference."

Seeing everyone around him stunned speechless, Samu Kokaze felt something indescribable rise in his heart. Only that feeling made him feel that he was truly alive in this world.

Smack...

Samu Kokaze, who had been closing his eyes to savor everyone's admiring, astonished gazes, suddenly felt a touch of moisture on his cheek.

He opened his eyes to see Ino pressed tightly against him, her cheeks bright red. She had kissed him in a burst of overwhelming excitement. Before he could savor the feeling, an incomparably violent killing intent suddenly surged from the inner room, freezing his entire body stiff.

He glanced toward the inner room from the corner of his eye, then slowly raised a hand and tried to push Ino away, letting out a few awkward laughs.

"That damn brat! I'm definitely going to kill him!!!"

The moment Samu Kokaze said that the carving's figure was exactly the same as Ino's, Yamanaka Ichi had flown into a rage in the inner room and wanted to go out to give that little punk a vicious lesson.

However, his wife and Muzi, who had been stirring things up all along, stopped him, barely managing to suppress the fury in his chest for the moment.

But after seeing his daughter—his precious little girl—run over and kiss another man on the cheek, he became like a barrel of explosives with a blazing fire thrown beneath it, ready to erupt at any moment.

Even if the one she had kissed was only a six- or seven-year-old child.

With a dark expression, Yamanaka Ichi shook off the hands tugging at his clothes, pushed open the door, and headed for the front room.

Muzi, who had only symbolically tugged at him twice, watched Ichi walk out, a flash of excitement passing through her eyes. She coughed twice and pulled back Ino's worried mother, who wanted to go out. "Sis, don't worry. Ichi will at most scare that boy a little. Nothing will happen."

Ino's mother looked at Muzi, who was holding her back, and laughed in exasperation at her solemn expression. "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You're already so grown up, yet you still act like a child. What will you do when it's time for you to get married?"

"We'll talk about marriage later. Look, it's starting!" Muzi impatiently changed the subject at the mention of marriage, excitedly calling out as she watched Ichi head out with a dark face.

"You really are..." Ino's mother sighed helplessly, but she too looked toward the front room.

It seemed that even if she did not say it aloud, she was still curious after all!

Ahem!

Yamanaka Ichi emerged from the inner room and saw the two still hugging. His face darkened as he gave a heavy cough.

Whoosh...

Hearing the sound, Ino immediately shoved Samu Kokaze away, her face turning red in an instant.

She looked at Samu Kokaze, who smiled awkwardly and did not know what to say; at Shikamaru and the other two, whose eyes had gone wide and round; and at Sakura, who secretly gave her a thumbs-up.

Finally, Ino stiffly turned around to face her dark-faced father. With an adorable cry like a kitten, she ran to Ichi, hugged him, and buried her blazing face deep against his leg, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

Yamanaka Ichi looked down at Ino clinging to his leg. His furious emotions mysteriously subsided quite a bit, but he still glared displeasedly at Samu Kokaze.

Samu Kokaze was extremely awkward at that moment.

There was no helping it. After taking advantage of someone else's daughter, anyone standing there would feel guilty.

Facing Yamanaka Ichi's stern, oppressive expression, Samu Kokaze could only cast pleading looks to either side.

Naruto's carefree nerves had clearly failed to notice the atmosphere. He was still shocked by Ino suddenly kissing 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 stiffened as he shot Shikamaru a vicious glare.

But dealing with Shikamaru could wait until later. For now, he needed to settle the huge problem in front of him first.

Facing the dark-faced Yamanaka Ichi, who radiated an incomparably terrifying aura, Samu Kokaze roared inwardly, Just because you're Ino's father, do you think I'm afraid of you?!

I'm the protagonist with a cheat system! Blasting the heavens, blasting the earth, blasting the air—that's what I, Samu Aotian, am supposed to do! Just Ino's father? Hmph!

"Ahem! Um, sir! I just remembered that I have something to do! So I'll be leaving first!"

His awkward voice sounded quietly.

He had chickened out. Completely chickened out. There was no helping it—if he did not back down now, the way that man looked made it seem like he would find some secluded place to secretly kill him. That dangerous gaze was simply too terrifying!

"You're leaving? Stay and play with my daughter for a while longer." Yamanaka Ichi said those words of invitation with a dark face and no expression, but there was not the slightest hint of hospitality in his tone. Instead, it radiated danger.

"Feng! You're leaving already? But we haven't eaten the cake yet!" Naruto, clearly oblivious to the mood in the room, suddenly said from the side.

You idiot, shut up!!!

Feeling the dangerous aura ahead suddenly rise another level, Samu Kokaze shot Naruto a resentful glare. Yet he said awkwardly, "No, maybe next time! Next time! Naruto and I will be leaving first! Naruto, say goodbye to Uncle and Ino!" At the end, he looked toward Naruto.

"Oh!" Naruto finally caught on after seeing Samu Kokaze repeatedly signaling him with his eyes. He looked at Samu Kokaze and Ino in sudden realization, gave the cake on the table a reluctant glance, and walked over to Samu Kokaze.