This Was Small? It Was Obviously Too Big!

After two days of long travel, Kanami and his two companions finally arrived in the Land of Hot Water at night.

The Land of Hot Water was famous for Izumi. Its scenery and culture were especially remarkable, and this small country never really had an off-season; no matter when one came, it was always packed with people.

Kanami originally planned to go straight to the hot springs after dinner.

But with that old man Hyuga Hiashi around, he had not even held Hinata's little hand the entire way.

Kanami shot Hinata a resentful look.

Hinata wore a helpless Mū expression.

Hyuga Hiashi turned around and called out to the two of them, "What are you two dawdling for? Let's go."

"Okay."

Gritting his teeth, Kanami grabbed Hinata's little hand and followed after him.

Hyuga Hiashi's eyes immediately widened, his gaze locking onto their clasped hands.

Hinata flushed with embarrassment under his stare.

But Kanami made no effort to hide it.

He had figured it out. Rather than suffering himself, he might as well make that old man Hyuga Hiashi suffer.

"Hinata, let's go to the ninja tool shop."

Kanami held Hinata's hand and headed toward the nearby ninja tool shop.

Hinata could not bear to look back at Hyuga Hiashi.

Hyuga Hiashi stood frozen in place, his face blank.

It was over. Completely over. That brat did not even care about him, her old father, anymore.

He could clearly sense that his daughter Hinata had already been completely won over by Kanami. If he had not come today, he might be holding a grandchild before long.

"That brat—my daughter is only twelve!"

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, and he hurried after them.

Seeing that the two were merely holding hands, he let out a long breath of relief.

Kanami only bought several sealing scrolls at the ninja tool shop.

He planned to bind the Kusanagi Sword Orochimaru had given him to himself. Otherwise, he would be unable to use some of its functions, and there was even a chance Orochimaru could summon it back.

The three of them ate together again and wandered around for a while. The sky gradually darkened.

At last, they reached the final step: soaking in Izumi.

This had originally been Kanami's ultimate plan!

His bag even contained a swimsuit he had specially selected according to Hinata's size, but now he was terrified of being discovered.

"Ah."

Kanami could not help sighing.

Hyuga Hiashi glanced at him. Naturally, he knew what Kanami was thinking.

Another major reason Izumi in the Land of Hot Water was famous was that it had mixed bathing.

But with Hyuga Hiashi present, how could he possibly let Kanami's scheme succeed?

He took the lead in renting two private rooms, each with its own separate Izumi pool, leaving Kanami able to soak in Izumi for free without spending a single coin.

Hyuga Hiashi and Kanami changed into white bathrobes first and walked out of the changing room.

Hyuga Hiashi looked at Kanami, and his pupils contracted.

Eight-pack abs?!

There was no justice in this world. It was bad enough that this brat was handsome—his body was this good too?

Kanami noticed Hyuga Hiashi staring and the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.

His physique was an unexpected benefit of using Lightning Release chakra to activate his body cells.

"Don't leave your stomach exposed. You'll catch a chill."

Hyuga Hiashi quickly found him a longer bathrobe to cover his upper body.

Kanami rolled his eyes at him.

If he knew Hinata had already touched them, Kanami wondered if he would eat him alive.

Suddenly, Hinata's voice, faint as a mosquito's buzz, drifted out.

"This bathrobe seems a little small..."

Dressed in a white bathrobe, Hinata walked out of the changing room with a flushed face, fidgeting shyly.

Kanami swallowed heavily, his eyes widening. Especially when he saw that snowy whiteness, he nearly suffocated.

Was it too small? It was obviously too big!

Her two soft mounds seemed ready to burst out from beneath the bathrobe.

Whether the bathrobe really was too small or she was simply too big, it kept threatening to slip down, and her little hands repeatedly tugged it back up.

"Hinata, go to that private room. Kanami and I will use this one."

Hinata nodded with a red face.

Hyuga Hiashi did not linger for even a moment. He grabbed Kanami, who was still standing there, and dragged him toward the private room.

Once they began soaking in Izumi, the atmosphere between Kanami and Hyuga Hiashi became extremely awkward.

Kanami's mind was completely filled with images of Hinata soaking in Izumi.

Yet the moment he raised his eyes, he saw that old man Hyuga Hiashi and instantly lost all enthusiasm.

Hyuga Hiashi looked at Kanami and asked in a deep voice, "How far have you and Hinata progressed?"

Kanami's entire body trembled.

Starting with such a sharp question—apparently, that old man had long planned to interrogate him thoroughly while separated from Hinata.

"There hasn't really been any substantial progress."

At that, Hyuga Hiashi's brows furrowed tightly.

No substantial progress?

What did that mean?

Everything except the substantial part had progressed?

Hyuga Hiashi's face darkened.

"You brat, don't give me vague answers."

Kanami scratched his head. "We've only held hands..."

"What else?"

"Then we hugged once."

With every sentence Kanami spoke, Hyuga Hiashi's expression worsened.

"What else?"

"She touched me once."

"What else... Wait! She touched you once?!"

Hyuga Hiashi walked up to Kanami, his teeth grinding loudly.

From his clenched fists, Kanami could tell that he wanted to beat him to death.

He hurriedly explained,

"It wasn't me who touched her! She touched me!"

"Nonsense! My daughter is so reserved. How could she take the initiative to touch you?"

"Go ask Hinata..."

The moment Hyuga Hiashi heard that, his imposing manner deflated again.

If he had the nerve to ask Hinata, he would not have waited until she was absent to ask Kanami these questions.

"Ah..." Hyuga Hiashi let out a long sigh.

"Ever since Hanabi showed her talent, I have hardly expressed any concern for Hinata. If it had not been for the argument she had with me over you last time, I might have forgotten how much I had neglected her over the years."

Kanami silently listened as he revealed his feelings, without interrupting.

"Did you know? She still remembers how you helped her out when you were young. I always believed her feelings for you were wrong, that it was only gratitude. But these past few days, I realized I was wrong. She really does like you, brat."

Hyuga Hiashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"So, Kanami, can you take better care of Hinata for me?"

Kanami nodded. When he looked at Hyuga Hiashi, his eyes were filled with sincerity.

"I will, Father-in-law."

Hyuga Hiashi's brows lifted slightly.

"You brat, it's that smooth tongue of yours that makes me feel Hinata will be bullied if she stays with you."

In the private room next door, the blushing Hinata buried half her head in Izumi.

In truth, the two private rooms were only separated by a dense layer of bamboo in the middle, with almost no soundproofing at all.

Hinata had heard every word of their conversation.

Blushing, she muttered softly,

"Kanami is such an idiot, saying that I touched him..."

"And what Father said... it should mean what I think it means, right..."

At that moment, her face was crimson. She was nervous and delighted, her heart racing like a startled deer.

She placed a little hand over her chest and felt her heart beating rapidly.

Normally, she could not feel her heartbeat at all.

That was enough to prove just how big... no, just how nervous she was.