Starting school, part 2

At the Konoha Barbecue Restaurant, Tianyun Hyuga returned to Naruto Uzumaki after chatting with Daishi Akimichi, only to discover that Naruto had ordered more than twenty plates of meat and had already started eating.

Tianyun plopped down opposite Naruto and said irritably, "Naruto, are you planning to make back everything you spent treating me to meals before? Let me tell you, however much meat you eat today, you'll have to pay me back double!"

Naruto paid no attention to what Tianyun was saying. His hands kept grilling meat, and his mouth kept chewing. He mumbled something in response, but Tianyun couldn't make out a word and had no idea what he was saying.

"Speak properly. Don't talk with your mouth full..." Tianyun tapped the table, thoroughly displeased.

Naruto swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth and finally spoke clearly. "Don't worry, big bro! I promise I'll pay you back someday..."

With that, Naruto went back to attacking the grilled meat. Judging by his attitude, Tianyun figured he might end up taking a loss this time. Naruto would probably forget all about today before long, never mind paying him back.

Tianyun sighed helplessly and couldn't be bothered to argue with Naruto anymore. One meal would cost a few tens of thousands at most. If he lost the money, so be it! He could make it back off Naruto later.

With that thought, Tianyun joined in the meal. His appetite wasn't particularly large, though, and couldn't compare to Naruto's. After two plates, he had little appetite left and simply sipped his juice while watching Naruto polish off all twenty-odd remaining plates.

Thanks to Naruto, dinner dragged on for a full hour. Tianyun led him out of the restaurant with his belly bulging, then said at the entrance, "All right, go home! Come find me at my house at six in the morning on the day school starts. Otherwise, I won't wait for you..."

"Got it, big bro..." Naruto rubbed his round belly and answered happily, then the two headed off in different directions.

Tianyun walked slowly back to the Hyuga Clan compound. The moment he got home, he found Hinata Hyuga sitting at the living room table, talking with his mother, Meicun Hyuga.

"What are you doing here?" Tianyun asked Hinata with a frown.

His question caught Hinata off guard, leaving her unsure how to answer.

"Is that any way to speak to the young lady? Are you asking for a beating?"

Seeing Hinata's embarrassment, Meicun immediately stood up to scold Tianyun, looking ready to hit him. Startled, he hurriedly said, "Fine, take your time chatting. I'll go rest in my room. Talk as long as you like..."

Seeing that Tianyun was about to flee, Meicun quickly called him back. "Don't go. The young lady came to bring you money. The Clan Head wants you to teach Hinata properly, so he sent some money over..."

At the mention of money, Tianyun stopped in his tracks and turned around excitedly. "How much? More than ten million?"

"In your dreams! Ten million..." Meicun rolled her eyes at Tianyun and continued, "The Clan Head intends to give you five million a month so you'll teach the young lady properly."

"That's all?" Tianyun felt deeply disappointed. "Forget it. I don't have time. I'm a man who makes hundreds of thousands a minute. How would I have time to earn that little bit of money?"

Meicun walked straight up to Tianyun and rapped him on the head. "Enough of your nonsense. I've already accepted the money, so you're teaching her whether you like it or not..."

Well, that settled it. The money was already in Meicun's hands, and getting it back would probably be next to impossible. Tianyun rubbed his head gloomily and said, "Fine! I promise I'll give her some pointers, all right? Take your time chatting. I'm going to bed. I'm sleepy..."

With that, Tianyun slipped away.

Seeing Tianyun run off, Meicun turned to reassure Hinata. "There, young lady. Tianyun has agreed to teach you, so you can stop worrying. You'll keep getting stronger."

Hinata nodded and said nothing more...

Hinata had come to bring Tianyun money entirely because of Hyuga Hiashi. He had originally believed that her strength would continue to improve if she stayed around Tianyun.

But after more than a month, Hiashi was dismayed to discover that Hinata had made little progress. She had done better when she trained with Tianyun for an hour every day. After thinking it over, he decided that the money-grubbing brat hadn't been teaching Hinata seriously because Hiashi hadn't let him earn anything.

Having found a solution, Hiashi simply decided to pay Tianyun to teach Hinata. As long as Hinata could develop into a capable shinobi, he didn't care about that little bit of money. He found it awkward to speak to Tianyun himself, however, so he sent Hinata to discuss the matter with Meicun instead.

By now, Hiashi had come to understand Tianyun's personality. The boy responded to persuasion, not pressure. The best approach was through Meicun, because Tianyun was more inclined to listen to her.

Hinata chatted with Meicun at Meicun Hyuga's Residence until half past seven that evening. Meicun then personally escorted Hinata home before returning to her own house, hauling Tianyun up from where he was resting in his room, and giving him a thorough scolding.

Tianyun could only feel helpless. His mother had spent years under the Hyuga Clan's teachings and had always made protecting the Main Family her goal. It was only natural that she would be upset by how dismissively he treated Hinata.

Tianyun was different, though. He had little affection for the Hyuga Clan and no intention of remaining loyal to it forever, so Meicun's nagging only made him drowsy.

After talking for half an hour, Meicun noticed that Tianyun looked half asleep. She couldn't help wanting to smack him on the head to make him listen properly.

But just as she raised her hand, she suddenly remembered that her son wasn't her. He was a young genius, and naturally had his own pride. Her loyalty to the Hyuga Clan didn't mean Tianyun shared it. After all, not everyone in the Branch Family was willing to accept the Caged Bird Seal's Cursed Seal.

In the end, Meicun sighed, stood up, and left Tianyun's room, no longer in the mood to scold him.