Misunderstanding

In Naruto's room, Hinata knelt obediently before him, gripping the thick wooden club tightly as she stared at his face with her wide Byakugan eyes.

But after watching him for a while, Hinata's thoughts inevitably began to wander.

Naruto-kun looks so handsome when he's sitting quietly like this...

At the Hyuga Clan estate.

"What?!"

Hyuga Hiashi, who had been brewing tea with the composed air of a deeply cultivated man whom nothing could faze, activated his Byakugan in fury and instinctively crushed the teacup in his hand.

Yet even the scalding tea spilling over his hand failed to draw Hiashi's attention. He fought the urge to rush straight to Naruto's House, his expression dark and shifting as he studied the Hyuga Branch Family member relaying Neji's message.

"Calm down, Hiashi. Stay calm. Haven't you already prepared yourself for this? He is that man's son, after all. Though he's started even earlier than his father, the student does surpass the master..."

The Branch Family member kneeling before him watched the head of the Main Family mutter to himself, veins bulging around his eyes. At last, he couldn't resist speaking up. "Clan head, the blood..."

"What? There's already blood?! These children are far too young..."

"No, clan head! I meant your hand is bleeding!"

Only then did Hyuga Hiashi look down at his hand, which was still clenched around the broken remnants of his teacup. Blood seeped from the cuts left by the Pottery Shard.

"Ah!" Hyuga Hiashi cried in anguish, then covered his face with his other hand so no one could see his expression.

Just as his considerate subordinate took out the emergency Medical Kit all ninja carried and prepared to bandage his hand, he heard Hiashi continue to murmur, "But this was my most beloved... cup. Must you leave