The woman in his arms was a little stiff. Though Xiao Yun lay motionless, her limbs weren't completely relaxed. She was probably still awake and hadn't lost consciousness.
But why did her face seem even redder?
I'd better get her home quickly. She really must have been exhausted lately.
When Xiao Yun wakes up, I should tell her not to watch me leave for work from a distance anymore. Running over every day must be tiring.
As the Anbu Captain, how could Hatake Sakumo possibly have missed Chidori Cloud's clumsy attempts to follow him?
He had noticed the very first time she worked up the courage to tail him, then followed her back to confirm her identity.
He simply hadn't realized how inappropriate stalking was. He assumed Chidori Cloud was practicing concealing her presence and honing her tracking skills.
So he let her carry on, quietly adjusting his movements to match Chidori Cloud's progress, keeping himself just within reach of her pursuit. Her tracking skills improved remarkably quickly.
What a hardworking, diligent girl!
Hatake Sakumo gave her his silent approval.
Though she no longer served in ANBU's combat division, she still hadn't given up on honing her combat abilities.
That persistence drew him in.
Then, occasionally-only occasionally-he would sneak over when he was tired.
He watched Chidori Cloud handle matters in the logistics department with calm efficiency, deftly working through a jumble of tasks.
He watched her oversee everything and assign duties, enjoying her colleagues' wholehearted trust.
He watched her cover her home with photographs of him... wasn't something a little off here?
But Hatake Sakumo noticed nothing amiss and smiled. Has she been working so hard all this time because she sees me, the Anbu Captain, as her role model? (Completely wrong!)
All right, verdict reached: a thoroughly purebred