Soon, the kitchen curtain lifted, and Naruto emerged carrying two steaming plates of wonderfully fragrant food.
One was sweet and sour pork, its glossy red color whetting the appetite as its tangy sweetness instantly spread through the air; the other was pepper and pork stir-fry, green peppers mingling with sauce-browned meat and giving off a savory, freshly stir-fried aroma.
"Just a little longer."
He carefully set the dishes on the small table in the middle of the living room and smiled at the two sisters watching him eagerly. Then he turned and ducked back into the kitchen, where the sounds of his busy preparations immediately resumed.
The rich aromas from the dishes on the table spread even more freely through the room.
"It smells so good, Hinata!"
Lured by the scent, Hanabi bounced straight off the couch and launched herself into Hinata's arms like a little cannonball. She wriggled restlessly in her sister's lap, craning her little head toward the table.
Hinata hurriedly caught her sister. Though she couldn't help secretly swallowing herself, she still gently patted Hanabi's back and soothed her in a soft voice:
"Be good, Hanabi, and wait patiently for Naruto-kun a little longer! Once all the food is ready, we'll eat together."
Her gaze also drifted involuntarily toward the two dishes, so appealing in appearance and aroma. She felt immense admiration for Naruto's cooking and looked forward to the meal all the more.
Looking at the two dishes already laid out on the table, Naruto silently congratulated himself. Good thing my Shadow Clone prepared some food ahead of time, too. Otherwise, there really might not have been enough.
A little while later, the steam in the kitchen gradually cleared, and Naruto came out again with two large bowls filled to the brim.
The aromas rising from these bowls were different from those of the earlier dishes.
Naruto wasn't sure whether the two sisters would like what he had made, but there was one thing he knew for certain.
Everything on this table was something he loved eating himself!
He placed the large bowls in the center of the table.
One held steamed carrot shreds, made by steaming shredded carrots mixed with flour, then tossing them with sesame oil and minced garlic. They were soft and tender, with a light sweetness.
The other held green bean and pork braised noodles, with green beans and shredded pork mingled in a rich sauce, the noodles having soaked up all their flavor.
Considering Hinata's astonishing appetite, which might even surpass Choji's, Naruto also brought out the steamed white buns he had warmed earlier and placed them on a separate plate.
He set warm milk, chopsticks, and small bowls for individual servings in front of Hinata and Hanabi, making sure everything was ready.
Then Naruto was the first to pick up his chopsticks. He pressed his hands together and, following his usual custom, said earnestly, "Thank you for the food!"
Hanabi, who had long since been made restless by the delicious smells, immediately grabbed her chopsticks, too, and eagerly echoed him in her childish voice, "Thank you for the food!"
The little living room was filled with the warm fragrance of food and the cheerful anticipation of digging in.
Meanwhile, in the dining room of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family residence.
Hyuga Hiashi sat perfectly upright, quietly waiting before a table of food prepared according to strict standards and etiquette, exquisite yet somewhat cold.
The clan's rules were strict, especially when it came to mealtimes.
A little while later, the appointed mealtime had passed, yet neither of his Two Daughters had appeared. Hiashi couldn't help frowning, his stern gaze turning toward the maid usually responsible for looking after Hanabi.
"Have the young ladies still not arrived?"
His voice was level, but carried an unmistakable pressure.
Sensing the clan head's displeasure, the maid lowered her head even more respectfully and answered with great care, "My lord, the young ladies... don't seem to have returned home yet. They went out this afternoon, and no one has seen them come back."
Hiashi's frown deepened.
Since starting school, Hinata had occasionally come home a little late, probably spending time alone outside to clear her head. He had heard something of it, but had never looked into it further.
But what was going on with Hanabi?
Hanabi was still young and normally kept a regular schedule. She mostly stayed home, occasionally going out to play, but by this hour she should usually have returned for her evening lessons or to get ready for dinner.
Both Two Daughters being late without any word was exceedingly rare in the strictly ordered household he maintained.
A trace of doubt and faint unease slowly spread through his heart, like a tiny drop of ink falling into clear water.
Both of his Two Daughters were late without a word. This was far too unusual.
He abruptly rose, the broad sleeves of his kimono swaying with the movement.
"I'll go look for them myself."
An ill-defined yet strangely clear sense of foreboding clung to him, making it impossible to sit at home and wait peacefully.
He quickly ran through the places his Two Daughters might have gone.
Hinata was shy, and Hanabi was still young. Their friends in the village could be counted on one hand.
Almost instantly, the first place that came to Hiashi's mind was the home of that blond boy-Naruto Uzumaki.
Though deep down he still had reservations about contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and very much disliked the idea of setting foot in that child's home, both his powerful paternal instinct and his rational judgment now told him clearly that they should be there.
He hesitated no longer. His expression dark, he strode outside.
When Hyuga Hiashi followed the address to the apartment and raised his hand to knock, he heard soft, slightly panicked footsteps from within.
The person who opened the door was none other than the daughter he was looking for-Hinata.
Father and daughter stared at each other, one inside the doorway and the other outside.
The color instantly drained from Hinata's face, and her pale eyes widened slightly in fright.
"Hinata, who is it? Is it one of Naruto's friends?"
Lying on the living room couch and contentedly rubbing her little belly, round from eating her fill, Hanabi heard the noise and lazily turned her head toward the doorway.
Hinata stiffly looked back at her sister and gave her a smile that looked worse than crying. Then, as though resigned to her fate, she opened the door all the way, fully revealing the scene outside.
Hyuga Hiashi's tall, brooding figure stood motionless in the doorway, bathed in the last light of the setting sun.
Orange-red light shone from behind him, stretching his shadow far across the entryway and lending him an indescribable air of loneliness and menace.
Just then, Naruto, still wearing an apron with dishwashing suds on his hands, heard the commotion at the door and poked his head out of the kitchen, saying casually:
"Is Kiba here...?"
His words cut off the moment he saw the visitor, and his tone instantly became somewhat awkward and surprised:
"...Oh, it's Uncle Hyuga..."
Oh, crap. I was so busy thinking about how to secretly learn Gentle Fist from Hinata and Hanabi that I forgot about the old man.
Meanwhile, Hyuga Hiashi's face was so dark it looked ready to rain. Without wasting a single word, the veins around his eyes bulged as he activated his Byakugan in an instant.
His pure white eyes swept coldly over the room.
The leftovers on the dining table, his younger daughter lying on the couch rubbing her belly, his elder daughter before him, and Naruto standing at the kitchen entrance in an apron.
His voice was terrifyingly calm, betraying not the slightest flicker of emotion. "My daughters... I'm sorry for the trouble they've caused you."
Those words landed in the silent entryway like a cold stone.