Before long, Haruna arrived at the front door of the house.
Ringo Ameyuri seemed to have received word in advance, standing quietly at the entrance, waiting for them.
At this moment, Ringo Ameyuri was dressed in a light red kimono.
Ringo Ameyuri was not bad-looking to begin with. Her brownish-red hair paired with the light red kimono complemented each other beautifully, adding a soft, striking quality to her appearance.
Right now, there was not the slightest trace of Ringo Ameyuri's usual murderous, boisterous demeanor.
As for this.
Yuto did not feel much of anything, only that the current Ringo Ameyuri was quite a sight to behold. After all, Ringo Ameyuri had always acted rather gentle in Yuto's presence.
Hyuga Neji and Haruna, however, both froze at the same time.
Haruna was a bit better off, since she was Ringo Ameyuri's younger sister.
The one who felt it most intensely was naturally Hyuga Neji!
Ringo Ameyuri and the rest of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had always given Hyuga Neji an unapproachable, ferocious impression. He had been on the receiving end of their beatings more than a few times.
Now, seeing Ringo Ameyuri in a kimono, looking so gentle and soft, Hyuga Neji almost suspected the person before him was an imposter.
Seeing Ringo Ameyuri, Haruna's face lit up with joy as she broke into a small run, reaching out to embrace her.
Unfortunately.
Seeing that Haruna had a skewer in one hand and the other was covered in grease, Ringo Ameyuri simply shifted her body slightly and effortlessly dodged the embrace.
Realizing she had been dodged, Haruna shot a deeply aggrieved look at Ringo Ameyuri with her large eyes.
"Lord Yuto, thank you for bringing Haruna back. I apologize for the trouble."
Ringo Ameyuri completely ignored Haruna's resentful stare behind her, bowing respectfully to Yuto.
"It was on the way anyway. I didn't expect you to come back early. By the way, you look lovely in that kimono."
Yuto laughed and complimented Ringo Ameyuri.
"Lord Ringo Ameyuri." Hyuga Neji spoke up softly from the side at this moment.
In response to Hyuga Neji's greeting, Ringo Ameyuri merely gave a cold nod. Compared to the warmth she showed Yuto, this was a stark contrast.
Hyuga Neji's mouth twitched. This differential treatment was far too obvious!
"Sister, didn't you say you hated wearing kimo..."
Haruna turned to Ringo Ameyuri with a dissatisfied tone, but before she could finish her sentence.
Ringo Ameyuri turned her head, smiling at Haruna with a hint of killing intent in her eyes.
Haruna immediately clamped her hand over her mouth, her large eyes full of innocence.
"Since Lord Yuto went through the trouble of bringing Haruna back, and it's getting late — if you don't mind, would you care to stay for dinner at my home?"
Ringo Ameyuri withdrew her gaze from Haruna, her gentle expression returning as she spoke respectfully to Yuto.
"Haha, no need."
Seeing how warmly Ringo Ameyuri was pressing, Yuto laughed it off and waved his hand at the two of them.
As Yuto and Hyuga Neji's figures gradually receded into the distance.
Ringo Ameyuri stood at the doorway, her eyes tinged with disappointment.
"Indeed, kimonos really aren't great for moving around in."
"But for casual wear, I could probably get used to it."
Ringo Ameyuri murmured to herself in a low voice as she turned and walked toward the house, her cheeks flushing as she recalled Yuto's compliment about her kimono.
Watching her sister act so strangely, Haruna spread her hands in resignation, looking like a little adult.
"I just don't understand adults."
Haruna shoved a meat skewer into her mouth, her face immediately melting into an expression of pure bliss.
Meanwhile.
Not long after Yuto and the others left Ringo Ameyuri's house, Hyuga Neji bowed slightly and departed.
Having just returned from a mission, Hyuga Neji naturally needed to go home and rest.
Once Hyuga Neji had left, Yuto made his way toward an address near the center of the village.
The project Yuto had been researching all this time was now complete, so there was no need to return to the barrier.
"I wonder if Terumi Mei has come back yet?"
Yuto rubbed his hair, following the route from memory toward Terumi Mei's residence.
Although Yuto's lodgings were at Terumi Mei's house, he had actually stayed there only a handful of times.
Before long.
After rounding several corners, Yuto arrived in front of a house with a pale blue roof.
Reaching the door, before Yuto could even knock, it had already opened from inside.
Terumi Mei was dressed in a loose white robe. Her emerald eyes fixed on Yuto, who was about to knock. She blinked in surprise, then a knowing smile flickered across her gaze.
"Lord Yuto, it's quite late. Is there something you need?"
Terumi Mei asked, feigning a look of innocent confusion, her willow-like brows curved delicately.
Caught off guard by Terumi Mei's question, Yuto found himself momentarily at a loss for words, a hint of awkwardness crossing his face.
Seeing Yuto's flustered expression, Terumi Mei let out a soft "pfft" of laughter.
"I thought Lord Yuto had forgotten about this place entirely."
Terumi Mei pushed the door fully open, a trace of grievance in her eyes as she spoke softly.
With that, Terumi Mei turned and walked toward the living room.
Yuto gave a light cough to mask his embarrassment and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
It was only then that Yuto noticed the table in the center of the living room, which was laid out with several steaming dishes. The air was thick with the aroma of home-cooked food.
Terumi Mei emerged from the kitchen, carrying an extra set of bowl and chopsticks.
"If you haven't eaten, join me."
Terumi Mei walked to the dining table and set the bowl and chopsticks across from her own.
Though Terumi Mei was dressed in loose casual wear, the bending motion still hinted at her slender, graceful figure beneath.
Yuto patted his stomach. Though he had eaten some skewers on the way, that clearly did not count as a proper meal.
Yuto did not stand on ceremony. He walked over and sat down directly across from Terumi Mei.
Even though he had been in this world for a long time now, Yuto still did not care for sitting on his knees, so he opted to sit cross-legged instead.
Watching Yuto dig into the food she had prepared with his own hands, Terumi Mei's emerald eyes sparkled, and a smile bloomed on her face.
Yuto had initially thought that sitting face to face might be awkward, but the atmosphere turned out to be anything but. In fact, it was remarkably pleasant.
Or rather, Terumi Mei was exceptionally skilled at setting people at ease!
Throughout the meal, Terumi Mei spoke softly about recent events in the Shinobi World, asking Yuto's opinion on various political matters as well.
This kind of conversation naturally kept the atmosphere comfortable, even for someone as blunt as Yuto.
Before long.
The dishes on the table had been wiped clean, with the vast majority having gone into Yuto's stomach.
"I didn't expect your cooking to be this good, Terumi Mei."
Yuto patted his stomach lightly, praising her without reservation.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Lord Yuto."
"After all, my dream — aside from becoming Mizukage — has always been to be a proper housewife."
Terumi Mei smiled softly, her face radiant with charm as she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
For a moment, Terumi Mei radiated an almost intoxicating allure. Her pale complexion gleamed like fine porcelain under the lamplight, and her bright blue eyes sparkled with captivating warmth.
Looking at Terumi Mei in that moment, even Yuto could not help but stare, momentarily entranced.
Suddenly.
Terumi Mei produced a light blue handkerchief from nearby. She straightened up and leaned toward Yuto, who was still lost in a daze.
With a bewitching smile, Terumi Mei raised the blue cloth and gently dabbed at a spot of grease at the corner of Yuto's mouth.
At this distance, Yuto could clearly make out the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from Terumi Mei.
"Lord Yuto, have you ever had a girlfriend before?"
Terumi Mei asked curiously, noticing that Yuto's body seemed to have gone slightly rigid.
"No."
Yuto answered honestly.
Not that it would matter even if he had. Anyone from his previous life was long gone, belonging to another era entirely.
Terumi Mei's eyes held a knowing smile, as if this answer came as no surprise.
All of a sudden, Terumi Mei's hand paused mid-motion. She then settled back into her original position.
"In that case, Lord Yuto can handle the dishes on the table."
Terumi Mei stood up, smiled at Yuto, and turned to head up to her room on the second floor.
Click!
As the door shut behind her, Terumi Mei leaned her back against it, pressing a hand to her chest. Her face was flushed crimson.
Meanwhile, down in the living room.
Yuto stared at the dishes and chopsticks laid out on the table, his eye twitching involuntarily.
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus releases and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
30 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]