The strange reactions of Kiba Inuzuka and Shino drew everyone's attention. Hinata asked,
"Kiba, Shino, what's wrong with you two?"
Kiba Inuzuka smiled, quickly pulling Akamaru over. What was there to be afraid of here?
Shino didn't say anything—he couldn't exactly say that his balls hurt!
Ino leaned over toward Kairen, almost sprawled completely against him.
"Handsome, do you have a partner?"
For the first time in both his past and present lives, Kairen was being flirted with by a girl. It felt a bit strange.
He was always the one taking the initiative before. Now that a girl suddenly made the first move, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.
As the leader of the Fireworks Faction, Hanabi naturally had to strictly manage her team members' relationships.
She pushed Ino away and said, "Kairen is mine. Don't try to seduce him."
Ino looked down at the cute Hanabi and gritted her teeth.
"Damn it! I liked Sasuke and Sakura fought me for him. I like this handsome guy and now you're fighting me for him too. Do you think I'm easy to bully?!"
"Kairen is mine!"
Hanabi put her hands on her hips, her face full of ferocity, like a little tiger protecting its food.
Hinata quickly pulled Hanabi back and scolded her, "Hanabi, don't be so rude to guests!"
Hanabi pouted. "Sis, you're always like this—too gentle with outsiders. You should be tougher on them."
Shikamaru pulled Ino back, telling her not to embarrass their Ino–Shika–Chō clans.
Everyone sat down. Hinata placed some snacks for conversation on the table.
Ino still didn't forget her designs on Kairen. She looked at him and said,
"Kairen-kun, you said you lost your memory. Do you want me to use my Yamanaka clan's secret technique to help you recall it?"
Kairen rubbed Akamaru's dog head. The other party could only obediently lie down and let Kairen mess with him.
Ino's words made everyone look at Kairen. They were all very curious about his origins.
At a deeper level, it was vigilance.
Ninja villages are always wary of outsiders, even though the Byakugan in Kairen's eyes could prove his identity!
Ino and the others coming here also carried some of Tsunade's intent.
The ninja world was currently in a turbulent period. Any small move could alert important figures.
If Kairen refused, it would mean there was a problem with his identity, so he nodded.
He had the Rinnegan and a system. For her to want to probe his memories was nothing but a spring dream—wetting the bed.
Getting Kairen's consent, Ino smiled, reached out, and placed her hand on his head, stroking his silver-white hair.
"So neat and tidy. What shampoo do you use?"
"Rejoice!"
(T/N: Rejoice is a popular brand of shampoo/conditioner, to their hair.)
Ino immediately used the Yamanaka secret technique, her spiritual power diving into Kairen's mind.
Kairen knew she wouldn't find anything. But finding nothing at all would be the greatest suspicion, so he used Genjutsu to fabricate a story for Ino.
During the Third Great Ninja War, a branch member of the Hyūga clan feigned death on the battlefield, married in a deep mountain forest, and had descendants.
A group of wandering ninjas attacked that village. Kairen was the only one to escape and had been wandering around the ninja world ever since.
The plot was too tragic. Ino was somewhat sentimental, and after seeing all this, she hugged Kairen while crying.
"Don't worry! From now on, Konoha is your home. Everyone is your companion!"
Naruto scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Ino, what did you see?"
Ino sat cross-legged and began to recount the story she had seen.
Kairen quietly loosened his clothes a bit, putting on the appearance of a pitiful person.
People are emotional. Their vigilance toward the pitiful drops significantly.
Girls are even more so. Bad people take advantage of this to slip in.
Ino told everyone the story Kairen had fabricated.
Even the rational Shikamaru felt that Kairen was truly pitiful.
An entire village slaughtered, wandering alone for more than ten years.
People who lived in such a peaceful environment simply couldn't understand the turmoil outside.
In fact, wars between small countries never ceased. Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko were just a microcosm of the fate of small nations.
Hanabi, being very sensible, patted Kairen on the shoulder.
"Kairen, from now on I'll protect you. Whoever dares bully you, I'll use Gentle Fist to beat him!"
Kairen smiled and pinched Hanabi's cheek.
Everyone chatted for a while, then left since there was nothing else.
Kairen watched Ino's departing back and smiled. Invading his brain came at no cost at all.
That girl had fallen into his Traceless Spring Dream. Tomorrow she'd better wash her sheets!
...
After the group left, Hinata finally relaxed a bit. She sat cross-legged beside Kairen and looked at his face.
"Kairen-kun, your fate is already so tragic—it can't get any worse. You should leave quickly!"
"Before the elders arrive, leave the village and escape the Land of Fire."
Kairen looked at the worry on Hinata's face. This girl didn't want him to be branded with the Caged Bird.
"You're really kind."
Hanabi also suggested from the side, "Kairen, run quickly!"
Although they had just established an underground organization, they all knew it was a joke.
In reality, they had no power at all to oppose the Caged Bird.
Kairen smiled faintly, took a sip of tea, then said to the two sisters,
"How about you two… come with me? Let's escape from here, escape the fate of the Caged Bird."
According to the Romance Handbook, love between the male and female leads is most likely to spark during an escape.
Kairen directly wanted to take Hinata and Hanabi away together.
First, a total sweep.
Second, far away from Konoha, Hinata would also be far from Naruto, letting Kairen take advantage of the opening.
"Escape?!" Hinata murmured the word softly.
Hanabi was also full of excitement.
"Yes! Yes! Let's escape the Hyūga clan together. That way neither Sis nor I will have the Caged Bird placed on us."
This was really just a child's longing for the outside world—always wanting to travel elsewhere, to take a trip on a whim.
"No, this is my village and my home. I can't abandon everything."
Hinata still felt it was inappropriate. A village she had lived in for over ten years couldn't be abandoned just like that.
Kairen began explaining the consequences if the two sisters stayed in the Hyūga clan.
"Hinata, the chance of you being branded with the Caged Bird is very small, because you have a group of friends around you. They won't sit by and watch you be treated as a slave by the main family."
The people around Hinata were basically tied to the entire village's power structure.
Her teacher was Kurenai, an elite jōnin. Her husband had just died, but behind her was still the power of the Sarutobi family.
Her teammates included members of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, both important figures within their clans.
Not to mention the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, and Naruto's political influence—behind him stood Jiraiya.
Most importantly—the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.
She wouldn't watch such a kind girl be branded with the mark of a branch family slave.
No matter how rigid the Hyūga main family elders were, they wouldn't dare oppose such a force.
Kairen analyzed the power around Hinata, then pointed at Hanabi and said,
"When they fail, they'll extend their hands toward Hanabi instead. She'll be branded with the Caged Bird."
"Hinata, you don't want to see that, do you? Let's leave together!"
Hinata fell silent. If things developed this way, either she or her sister would inevitably be branded with the Caged Bird.
Hinata thought of a solution. She said to Hanabi, "As long as I don't tell anyone about my situation, no one will know. Then I alone will bear the Caged Bird."
This silly girl—still wanting to shoulder everything by herself… Kairen felt helpless inside.
If things truly went as Kairen said, Hinata's friends wouldn't sit by and watch her be branded with the Caged Bird.
But this gentle girl would never ask others for help. No matter the suffering, she would bear it herself.
She would choose to hide it, so Hanabi would be saved.
Hanabi immediately panicked. "No, Sis, you can't do that! The Caged Bird is mine!"
Hinata rubbed Hanabi's head.
"Sis is useless. Hanabi is the future of the main family. We can't let Hanabi—"
Before she could finish speaking, she fainted.
Kairen gently supported Hinata. "Why be so long-winded? Just grab her and go."
Hanabi was confused. "Kairen, what are you doing?"
Kairen lifted Hinata in a princess carry and explained to Hanabi,
"Your sister won't leave no matter what she says. We'll knock her out first, then we'll escape together."
Hanabi understood. She stood up and clenched her fists.
"Okay, let's escape Konoha Village together."
Kairen laughed inwardly. That's more like it!
Hinata and Hanabi are both in my hands—this trip to Konoha ends here.
The remaining village flowers can be hunted later!
Sigh! Too many targets—hard not to feel both gain and loss.