How Is This Date Bringing Her Dad Along?

"C-Could you meet Kanami another day...?"

"No."

"..."

In the end, Hinata simply could not argue with Hyuga Hiashi. Not wanting to break her promise to Kanami either, she had no choice but to bring her father along.

She could already imagine how awkward it would be when they met...

Inside her room, Hinata tied her short hair into two little buns and looked at herself in the mirror.

Then she suddenly felt that looked strange too, so she tied braids at the sides instead.

Hinata stared at herself in the mirror, her little lips muttering to themselves.

"Why does this feel even stranger...?"

She went back and forth like that until the agreed time was nearly upon her. Left with no choice, she came out with her hair all fluffed up.

"When will my hair grow longer?"

How could Hiashi not understand his daughter's little thoughts when he saw her puffed-up hair?

Hyuga Hiashi clenched his back teeth tightly.

That damn brat actually charmed my daughter this badly... Sob, my daughter.

He mourned silently in his heart, but no one could share his pain.

Then Hinata and Hiashi sped toward their meeting place.

Along the way, Hinata kept trying to press down the strands of hair sticking up with her little hands, but one or two rebellious locks simply refused to cooperate, no matter how hard she pressed them.

Before long, the two arrived at the village entrance.

Hiashi had felt something was off from the direction Hinata had been leading him in, but he had held himself back from asking.

Until now, when he could no longer contain himself.

"Y-You agreed to leave the village with him?"

Hinata glanced at Hiashi's angry expression, her heart beginning to pound faster.

She nodded slightly. "We planned to visit the Land of Hot Water for the next few days..."

Upon hearing Hinata's words, Hyuga Hiashi nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"That brat sure knows how to pick a place!"

The Land of Hot Water, a country famous for its hot springs.

He gritted his teeth, trying to calm himself down.

"Where is that Kanami brat?"

Hinata lowered her head and shook it.

"He probably hasn't arrived yet?"

Yet at that moment, Kanami was separated from them by only a wall.

He stared blankly at the light-blue butterfly hair clip in his hand.

Before Hinata and her father had reached the village entrance, Kanami had spotted her from far away.

Just as he excitedly took out the gift he had prepared in advance, he was horrified to discover that someone was following behind her!

Hyuga Hiashi!

Kanami's face immediately turned pale, and he instinctively hid behind the wall.

"W-Why is her dad coming along on a date?"

Just as Kanami scratched his head, completely unsure what to do.

A voice reached his ears.

"Brat, so you were here."

Kanami looked up and saw Hyuga Hiashi, his Byakugan activated as he forcibly suppressed his anger, with Hinata behind him awkwardly twisting her fingers.

He swallowed and gave an embarrassed smile. "H-Hello, Uncle."

Hyuga Hiashi merely stared at him with his Byakugan and said nothing.

Kanami felt the pressure multiply, as though every inch of his skin had been seen through.

He had never thought the Byakugan carried such terrifying pressure before!

Why does this feel like I've been caught cheating? But Hinata and I haven't even done anything. This is so unfair.

Brat, if I hadn't come today, would you have whisked away my precious daughter?

And you even dared to leave the country! My daughter has never even left Konoha before!

Hyuga Hiashi silently vented his dissatisfaction with Kanami.

Seeing that the situation was going very badly.

Hinata's little mind spun, and she said, "D-Didn't you have something to discuss with Kanami?"

With that one remark from Hinata, all the intimidating aura he had built up went to waste.

Hyuga Hiashi helplessly dispelled his Byakugan, coughed lightly, and composed himself.

"How did you learn the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm?"

Kanami answered weakly, "I was born knowing it. Would you believe me?"

The moment he said that, Hyuga Hiashi's expression darkened.

With the memories of his previous life, he basically knew everything. Who would believe something like that if he said it aloud?

He sighed. "Maybe I'm just gifted..."

No matter how Hyuga Hiashi questioned him, he stuck to that explanation, leaving Hiashi no choice but to compromise.

In the end, the three of them headed to the Land of Hot Water together.

Kanami had originally planned to deepen his relationship with Hinata during the trip. Now, he could only build a relationship with his future father-in-law instead.

Elsewhere, inside the Konoha Police Force.

Shunta Shimura said calmly:

"Takeshi, he has left the village. You understand, right? This is your last chance for revenge."

"I understand."

Takeshi half-knelt before Shunta.

His body was far thinner than before, his face completely bloodless, and he looked sickly and frail.

Even Kanami would have found it difficult to recognize him if he were present.

"Good. Go. I'll do everything I can to find medical personnel who can treat Tai Yong."

"Thank you, Captain!"

The frail Takeshi slammed his forehead against the floor, then rose, put on a mask identical to those used by ANBU, and left the police force.

After he was gone, Shunta Shimura looked at the bloodstain left on the floor by his kowtow with disgust.

"Hui Zhong, have someone clean this room."

A middle-aged man immediately nodded obsequiously.

Before long, seven or eight people appeared and competed to clean the room.

Meanwhile, Shunta Shimura returned to his office with an impatient expression.

The moment he pushed open the door, he noticed an elderly man leaning on a cane, wrapped in bandages, sitting in his office chair.

That man was none other than Shimura Danzō.

The moment Shunta Shimura saw him, his expression turned serious, and he straightened his posture.

"Uncle, why are you here?"

Shimura Danzō said with a dark expression, "What uncle? How many times have I told you to address me by my title at work!"

Shunta Shimura hurriedly nodded. "Understood, Pot Kage."

"..."

"..."

"What did you just call me?"

"Lord Danzō."

Shimura Danzō rose to his feet and drew the curtains.

"Shunta, is your subordinate tight-lipped?"

The corners of Shunta Shimura's mouth curled slightly.

"His son is under my control. Even if he dies, he would never dare reveal a single word."

"Mm. Find an opportunity to send his son to me as well."

With that, Shimura Danzō leaned on his cane and prepared to leave.

Watching Danzō's retreating back, Shunta Shimura hesitated.

Then, gritting his teeth, he still asked weakly:

"But, Unc... Lord Danzō, I promised Takeshi that I would have his son treated."

Shimura Danzō said in a deep voice, "Hmph. Just tell him he was sent away for treatment. Weren't you quite good at making excuses when you tricked him into coming to me to have his body modified?"

"Besides, in his condition, there's no way he'll return alive."

Shunta Shimura knew what fate awaited Tai Yong if he was sent to Danzō.

If Takeshi had not repeatedly come begging him for a way to kill Kanami, he would never have sent Takeshi to his uncle, where he was turned into a monster.

After Danzō left.

Shunta Shimura went to Konoha Hospital. Staring at Tai Yong's lower body on the hospital bed, he muttered to himself.

"Since you're already better off dead, aren't you? Why not find release, just like your father?"