After being stubbornly holed up for three full days, Kyusei was finally dragged over by Kaoru to visit Naori.
He sat on the wooden corridor outside the room, legs crossed on the floor, staring blankly as the two girls inside held teacups and chatted happily.
The atmosphere felt… strange.
Naori was acting completely normal—
too normal.
So normal that it felt unnatural.
It was as if she had completely forgotten what happened that day.
Honestly, that was probably for the best.
Kyusei had already decided to treat it as a moment of impulse—
something that never happened.
Just let it fade away.
But right at that moment, Kaoru suddenly glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a small cry.
"Ah—!"
"I need to go train Toad Shortblade Rift Flash Moonlight Spiral Dance Roar: Zero Style with Jiraiya-sensei!"
Then she turned to Kyusei and said cheerfully,
"Kyusei, you stay and keep Naori-neechan company. I want fish for dinner tonight!"
With that, she vanished in a flash of Flying Thunder God.
Naori: "..."
Kyusei: "..."
Kyusei rubbed his forehead as he watched the blonde girl disappear, then slowly turned his head toward the black-haired girl.
Their eyes met.
Pure white.
The air instantly fell into an awkward, suffocating silence.
Kyusei, who had just convinced himself that he'd move on and forget everything, suddenly—and very unhelpfully—remembered it all again.
Damn it… I really am an idiot.
Just as Kyusei spiraled into inner turmoil, Naori spoke softly.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
Her tone was calm—
so calm that even she didn't notice the faint trace of grievance hidden within it.
"Huh?"
"I'm not— I'm really not avoiding you~~"
Kyusei replied, his eyes darting away as he looked at Naori holding her teacup like a proper noble lady.
Or rather—
She was a noble lady.
When she was quiet, Naori naturally exuded an elegant, refined presence.
Graceful.
Composed.
…Of course, that was only when she wasn't beating someone up.
"Then why didn't you come see me for several days in a row?"
Naori asked quietly.
"I—I was busy, okay?"
Kyusei turned his head aside, refusing to look at her.
Behind him came the faint rustling of movement.
Two soft arms wrapped around his waist from behind.
Kyusei's entire body tensed in an instant.
He stared at the hands clasped around him and fell silent.
He wanted to push her away.
But he knew—
If he did, then the next time he and Naori met, they would probably be nothing more than strangers passing by.
Naori gently rested her forehead against his back and spoke softly.
"I don't even know why it turned out like this."
"Back then, you were just an annoying little brat who didn't understand anything."
"So how did I end up liking you…?"
Kyusei listened in silence, clearly feeling the warmth and softness pressing against his back.
"Unreliable, always picking fights, bad attitude, smoking and drinking…"
"Honestly, there's nothing about you that should be likable."
"…Sorry about that."
Kyusei muttered reflexively.
"Shut up."
"Oh."
He answered without thinking—then froze.
Wait, why am I being this obedient?
He was the terror of Konoha!
Even Sarutobi Shinnosuke couldn't do anything to him!
"…But that's exactly why you're different from everyone else."
Naori continued softly.
"Do you know that?"
"Know what?"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"
"..."
Kyusei fell silent again.
"Now my left eye can feel your warmth… your chakra."
"It's like you're always right in front of me."
Kyusei grimaced.
Back then, he hadn't had any proper container for the Byakugan, so he'd wrapped it directly in his own chakra.
He hadn't expected there'd be lingering effects like this.
"Naori…"
Kyusei gently placed his hand over her slender fingers at his waist.
Naori didn't respond—she was waiting.
"I've always thought of you as my big sister."
The girl behind him stiffened.
A long silence followed.
Then Naori spoke again—one sentence that left Kyusei completely speechless.
"Then why didn't you reject me?"
"..."
Kyusei had no answer.
"Turn around."
Before he could respond, Naori forcefully spun him around.
She looked straight into his eyes.
"Am I pretty?"
Her gaze was steady, unwavering.
She didn't know if what she was doing was right—but she had already laid everything on the table.
There was no way back.
Even if it meant hurting Kaoru.
Even if she had to push through by force.
The path she chose—
she would walk it to the end, even on her knees.
"…You are."
Kyusei answered honestly.
As the woman who would one day be the mother of Hinata and Hanabi, Naori's looks had never been lacking.
In seven years, he had never once thought she was anything less than beautiful.
If anything, purely in terms of appearance, Hinata and Hanabi didn't even surpass her.
"How about my background?"
Naori pressed on.
"…Rich."
Kyusei replied bluntly.
Naori fell silent.
It was true—but couldn't he have said distinguished lineage or something instead?
"What about my personality?"
"…Violent."
That answer came instantly.
A vein popped on Naori's forehead as her fist clenched.
I chose this. I chose this…
"Do you like me?"
Kyusei hesitated.
If he said no, he'd be lying.
Naori was beautiful, intelligent, and while a bit violent, she had always treated him well.
To outsiders, she was the Hyūga clan's elegant Byakugan princess.
Only those close to her ever saw her true self.
And they had spent seven years together.
Even a block of stone would've warmed by now.
But—
He couldn't get past Kaoru.
This world might not openly preach monogamy, but among ninja, almost everyone only had one partner.
More importantly—
He didn't want to hurt Kaoru.
The girl whose eyes held only him.
The girl who once cried her heart out and said she'd kill him—
Wait.
KILL HIM?!
Kyusei's hair stood on end.
This place is dangerous— I need to leave!
Just as he tried to bolt, Naori suddenly grabbed his wrist and firmly locked one of his chakra points.
Kyusei's chakra stalled for an instant.
That moment was all she needed.
With zero resistance from a completely unguarded Kyusei—
He was slammed flat onto the floor.
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