Inoichi had just opened the door to Naruto's home when he suddenly felt a chill behind him.
He slowly turned around and met Hiashi's icy gaze.
"What a coincidence, Inoichi."
Hiashi's voice was frighteningly calm, and his fingers had already settled silently against the doorframe.
"I didn't expect to run into you here."
Cold sweat immediately broke out across Inoichi's back.
His feet unconsciously shuffled half a step backward.
"Clan Leader Hiashi, what a coincidence! I... I was just..."
"Just here to find your daughter?"
Hiashi leisurely straightened his cuffs.
"So am I.
"Why don't we..."
He abruptly pushed Inoichi into Naruto's home.
"Wait together? We can catch up while we're at it."
Inoichi felt a gentle force push him into the room, and the door slammed shut with a bang.
He turned around stiffly and found that Hiashi had already made himself comfortable at the dining table.
"Sit."
Without even looking up, Hiashi pointed to the chair in front of him.
"Since we're both here, why don't we talk about what happened in the forest last time..."
Inoichi's Adam's apple bobbed as he cautiously edged over to the table and sat down.
The two middle-aged men faced off across the tiny dining table.
Hiashi tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips, each tap seeming to strike Inoichi's nerves, while Inoichi twiddled his thumbs to hide his inner panic.
The setting sun outside stretched their shadows long, weaving them together on the wall into a scene of barely restrained hostility.
The corners of Hiashi's mouth rose slightly, while fine beads of sweat had already appeared on Inoichi's forehead.
Hiashi hadn't seen Inoichi for some time since Inoichi had set him up, and this encounter was an unexpected bonus.
Meanwhile, Naruto was stir-frying in the little kitchen, the clatter of his