"Oh, what does it matter? Didn't I tell your mother that I would be home a little late today?"
Inoichi turned his head and saw that his daughter seemed to be standing there in a daze. He followed her gaze to Huayue and suddenly realized what was going on.
"Oh, right! You guys haven't seen what your teacher looks like. Back then, the line of girls wanting to date him stretched from the Konoha's Hokage Office Building all the way to the village gate, and it's still the same now..."
Yamanaka Inoichi face flushed, chuckled and made a joke before downing the wine in his cup in one gulp.
"Speaking of which, it's been almost ten years since you became a Jonin at the age of ten and an elite Jonin after the Third Great Ninja War."
"We haven't decided on a marriage partner yet. My child is already old enough to run errands, and you're twenty years old—the perfect time to choose an excellent spouse to spend the rest of your life with..."
Shikaku seized the opportunity to add a comment, and Huayue smiled and waved her hand repeatedly.
"It's too far away. I've only lived a tiny part of my life so far, and there's still a long unknown waiting for me to explore."
Trying to deflect the topic of marriage pressure with lofty ideals, Shikamaru satisfied his curiosity and was about to turn and leave when he found his companions standing there, completely stunned.
"Hey, Ino, if we don't go back Choji will eat all the barbecue!"
"Ah, ah? Oh, right, barbecue, barbecue..."
"That kid, we really can't do anything about it, give us two more plates of grilled meat!"
Choza smiled awkwardly upon hearing this. There was really nothing he could do; the child was just like him. In fact, all members of the Akimichi Clan were such big eaters.
"It's okay, don't worry about it. Eat as much as you can, just don't miss your classes the next day."
Beside him, Yamanaka Inoichi saw that his daughter was reluctant to leave, and memories inexplicably churned in his mind.
"What? If you've taken a liking to her, you'd better make it clear to your daughter beforehand that she's already reached this level at such a young age; who knows, she might grow into an outstanding ninja like Minato in the future, hahaha..."
"That's not your place to say, Inoichi. You don't even have a child. If you had a daughter, you'd worry that she might be deceived by some evil spirit."
The boomerang that once mocked Yūhi Shin Kurenai seems to have come full circle and hit him on the head.
Subconsciously glancing at the face before him, a face that remained remarkably handsome even after ten years, a strong sense of crisis rose within Inoichi.
"Alright, alright, the child can go over there. Don't keep the adults from talking with your teacher! Mind Body Disturbance Technique!"
Ino was forced to return to the other side, and Shikamaru, who was standing nearby, Shikaku shook his head repeatedly upon seeing this.
" Inoichi, I never imagined you would be so strict in educating your daughter."
Yamanaka Inoichi glanced at Kagetsu, who was smiling and raising her Huayue, her every move exuding gentleness. He would never speak of the bitterness in his heart.
"It's nothing. Children can't possibly understand the good intentions of adults. I'm doing this for her own good."
On the other side, Ino, Mind Body Disturbance Technique had been lifted, raised her fist and gritted her teeth.
"What! I only glanced at him a few times. That bastard Pops went too far, actually trying to distract me. But, Teacher Huayue... is definitely more handsome than Sasuke-kun. Will Sasuke-kun be even more handsome than sensei when he grows up?"
For a moment, even Shikamaru was speechless. First it was Sasuke, and now it's Teacher Huayue. Women's thought processes are really hard to understand.
After nightfall, the group went home.
In front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Inoichi, who had been silent the whole way, suddenly stopped and turned around to give serious instructions.
"Listen carefully, my dear daughter. If you want to find a boyfriend in the future, it's best not to get involved with your teacher, Uchiha Huayue. Otherwise, your father will lose face in front of your Uncle Shinku."
"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about, you damn Pops!"
Ino was furious. She and Teacher Huayue were more than ten years apart in age. How could she possibly become the teacher's girlfriend? There should be a limit to her drunken antics.
"Just consider this drunken ramblings. In any case, don't get involved with the Uchiha. Given the current situation, it could cause big trouble."
A gentle breeze blew, dispelling the effects of the alcohol. Yamanaka Inoichi sighed helplessly, sensing that a storm was brewing.
At Nara Shikaku, Shikaku, who had returned home, was not asleep. Instead, he placed the shogi pieces one by one on the board, his eyes revealing a hint of gloom.
"What's wrong, Pops? What trouble have you run into?"
Shikamaru entered the room. Whenever his Pops encountered trouble, he would stare blankly at the Go board.
"If we were to use shogi stones to represent your Teacher Huayue, which one would you choose?"
Shikamaru pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
"I can't figure it out. The teachers of Huayue are usually like soldiers, teaching students silently. But in my father's words, they are like silver and gold generals, important helpers to the village."
"Yes, he is nothing. Uchiha Huayue is just a chess player. He is unknown on the surface, but he manipulates the peace and safety of Konoha in secret. He is not a pawn, but a chess player."
Seemingly enlightened by his son, Nara Shikaku sighed deeply, sensing an unknown darkness hidden beneath that gentle face.
Seeing that his father felt helpless upon seeing Teacher Huayue, Shikamaru couldn't help but become curious.
" Pops, is there anything about your teacher that's causing you trouble?"
"Don't be careless. Besides the name ' Body Flicker Gengetsu, 'Uchiha Huayue has another nickname that no Konoha ninja can ignore."
His tone was solemn. It was this nickname, this power passed down from the age of mythology, that had caused the Third Hokage such a headache to this day.
"What is its alternative name?"
" The God of Shinobi ".
Shikamaru stood there, stunned. A god? A god among ninjas? Was his Pops exaggerating a bit? What kind of power could be called a god?
"Don't ask too many questions. This is something that is far removed from you. It's best if it's so far removed that it will never happen. The power of the mythical age should end in the mythical age."
Shikamaru frowned slightly. Since his Pops said so, he was happy to stay away from these troublesome things. After all, his ideal in life was to live a peaceful life away from trouble.
As the Tenten passed, the unexpected death of Uchiha Shisui seemed to completely suppress the restlessness of the Uchiha Clan.
The undercurrents that had been swirling within the village subsided that year, as if they had never existed.
The next morning, at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
"We're having a sparring session today, all of us are training outdoors. Let's go."
"First group, Huofeng, Aburame Shino..."
Battle after battle began and then came to an end. The immature Taijutsu and attacks full of loopholes highlighted the gap between commoners and families of Secret Jutsu, prompting Huayue to sigh in disbelief.
"Next match, Uchiha Sasuke... Uzumaki Naruto."