"Why did you come all of a sudden? According to etiquette, before the wedding—"
"Miss, let's not talk about etiquette at a time like this. Isn't your neck hurting with all this stuff on your head?"
Hyuga Mirai interrupted Hyuga Kiyo and proceeded to remove all the ornaments from her head. When she had walked over earlier, she had been jingling nonstop like dozens of wind chimes.
"I originally thought these wedding customs were devised by those Federation fellows, but it turns out the Hyuga clan was behind the suggestions. There's so much of it. I'm surprised you can endure this many formalities, Miss."
Hyuga Kiyo obediently let Hyuga Mirai remove all the accessories from her head before speaking softly, "It's the clan members' good intentions. It wouldn't be good to refuse."
"That does fit your personality."
As he spoke, Hyuga Mirai very naturally took hold of Hyuga Kiyo's hand. The back of her hand looked fair and smooth, but her palm was full of calluses from training—something every taijutsu ninja inevitably deals with, unsolvable even with frequent medicinal baths.
However, once her hand was held, Kiyo's heart instantly grew tense. Is it... now? Isn't it too soon? Did locking the door earlier make him misunderstand...
"...We should wait until the wedding day... But if you want to..."
The further she went, the softer Kiyo's voice became, until by the end she couldn't even voice a clear refusal. If Hyuga Mirai pretended not to hear and pressed on, this Hyuga Kiyo would clearly agree.
It's all Yū's fault! Locking the door when you left, leaving me no way to escape!
"What are you talking about, Miss? I just came to ask you about Neji and Hinata. But I didn't quite catch those last few sentences, Miss. Could you repeat them for me?"
Although Hyuga Mirai spoke to Kiyo with a perfectly straight face, the movements of his hands grew bolder. When holding Kiyo's hand met no resistance, he took hold of Hyuga Kiyo's arm, then her shoulder, and finally her slender waist.
Kiyo had been very nervous, but upon hearing Hyuga Mirai's words, she realized he was teasing her. A flash of petty temper made her bump her head back against him twice before slowly relaxing her body and leaning against Hyuga Mirai's chest.
'This should have been mine long ago. Not only is it nearly ten years late, but even the person I've finally gotten is shared three ways...'
Thinking this, Kiyo felt somewhat unhappy, even forgetting to answer what Hyuga Mirai had just asked. She slowly began to squirm, like a kitten burrowing into a warm blanket.
However, her actions were too elementary. With just one move from Hyuga Mirai, she tensed up again completely, instantly wondering if her earlier behavior counted as a hint, and if things would really continue further...
Fortunately, Hyuga Mirai merely picked Kiyo up without taking the next step, and said, "There's no need for Hyuga Neji to stay with Orochimaru anymore. However, his strength increased so rapidly that his cover as a spy was blown not long after he arrived. If he wants to return, he can do so anytime..."
As for Hyuga Hinata and the other, now deceased, Hyuga main family member, Hyuga Mirai didn't mention them. That Hyuga main family member had joined Orochimaru out of hatred, but he didn't survive the cell fusion with the Hashirama's cells and died a few days after the experiment.
Hyuga Hinata was somewhat of an accident. Her body was even more suitable for fusing with the Hashirama's cells than Hyuga Neji's. Although Orochimaru has only preliminarily integrated the Hashirama's cells into Hyuga Hinata's body, it has already caused her strength to increase rapidly.
Sensing natural energy, bypassing hand seal methods, even achieving flight and levitation abilities—according to White Snake Sage, Hyuga Hinata would do best to abandon chakra and focus solely on cultivating natural energy. That way, perhaps a deity could emerge in this era of shinobi.
Besides the increase in strength, Hyuga Hinata's personality also seems to have been affected. Orochimaru is now extremely satisfied with Hyuga Hinata and even wants to research and develop more of her potential. If Hyuga Neji wants to leave, he can go anytime, but it's a bit more difficult for Hyuga Hinata.
After hearing Hyuga Mirai's words, Kiyo was somewhat undecided. She looked up, breathing slightly heavily, and asked, "What do you think we should do? Hinata's departure is an exception. But I plan to have Neji become the next clan head. His current strength is sufficient, and in a few months I can pass the position to him."
Hyuga Kiyo had fallen back into her habitual reliance. Left to her own devices, she could indeed make decisions. But now, held in Hyuga Mirai's embrace with a deceptively well-behaved hand slowly roaming over her, she had to think about Hyuga Mirai's words while feeling nervous.
Before long, her thoughts became insufficient, and her body honestly began to give feedback, her breathing growing slightly heavier.
"Then let him return. As for Hyuga Hinata, it's up to her or Orochimaru."
Hyuga Mirai suggested. He was only using this matter as an excuse to come see what Hyuga Kiyo was doing. He didn't much care about the entire Hyuga clan, let alone Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Hinata. He was only somewhat interested in Orochimaru's research—according to Mount Myoboku's literature, researching the ancient path of deity cultivation.
"Do you think Neji as clan head... mmm~ Wait... I... I have something important to... discuss with you~"
"Of course, go ahead, Miss. I'm listening."
Hyuga Kiyo felt her body growing increasingly warm and tried hard to bring up some serious business to divert Hyuga Mirai's attention. But her words didn't distract him; instead, her own gaze gradually grew hazy.
Kiyo had never experienced anything like this before. Perhaps her experience as a ninja was extensive, but her knowledge of matters between men and women was practically zero. With her mind single-mindedly focused on training and reforming the clan, coupled with her previous firm refusals of the clan's marriage proposals, Hyuga Kiyo simply didn't know what the next step should be.
"The clan head... the clan head position... what do you think... what should we do..."
She only felt her strength fading, her breathing and heartbeat quickening. Kiyo herself didn't know what she was saying anymore. She parted her lips, exhaling slowly, and at some point, the hand clutching Hyuga Mirai's clothes also loosened its grip.
"You can handle such matters as you see fit, Kiyo."
Looking at Kiyo's state, Hyuga Mirai couldn't help but nod slightly in his mind. Miss Kiyo is quite easy to placate. Ayaka is about the same. Next will be Kurenai's side.
And later he'd also have to persuade Kiyo not to take those harmful folk remedies anymore. She still didn't quite understand—rarity is what makes things precious. Only when there are too many F's does the single A become the most precious.
Hyuga Mirai certainly couldn't do anything to Hyuga Kiyo here. Just as Hyuga Kiyo actively leaned closer with slightly parted lips, Hyuga Mirai suddenly became serious again.
"Kiyo, it's getting late. I should go back and attend to matters... What were you about to do just now?"
The hand on Hyuga Kiyo's body suddenly withdrew, allowing some of her lost reason to return. Hearing Hyuga Mirai's words, she instinctively said, "What? N-nothing... I was going to say you should rest well."
"Of course. You too."
Hyuga Mirai said with a smile, then activated Yomotsu Hirasaka and left the place through the spatial channel.
Only after confirming Hyuga Mirai had left did Hyuga Kiyo place a hand on her chest, slowly calming her slightly rapid breathing. Then she remembered her own actions from moments ago, and her face instantly flushed red.
What did I just do?
"Damn it, damn it, Yū!"
Hyuga Kiyo's sense of shame peaked. She then grabbed the wedding dress beside her and began rolling left and right on the tatami, as if only that could make her forget the earlier feeling of embarrassment. However, the more she rolled, the clearer her memory of earlier became, and a feverish sensation grew in her body.
"Lady Kiyo?"
A familiar voice made Hyuga Kiyo instantly freeze, stopping her rolling. She slowly looked up and saw the room door, which she didn't know when had opened, and the head poking in—Hyuga Yū.
Hyuga Kiyo spoke with extreme stiffness, "Yū, you... just now..."
"I didn't hear anything, Lady Kiyo. I'm just a maid waiting by the door for orders."
Hyuga Yū's face broke into an auntie-like smile before she slowly retreated and closed the door. However, just before closing it, she added,
"Lady Kiyo, this door lock makes a sound when locked, but it's silent when opened."
"Yū, tomorrow, immediately, replace all the door locks in the house with ones that make a sound!!"
After leaving the Hyuga clan compound, Hyuga Mirai did not return to the Sand Federation. Instead, he checked what Kurenai Yuhi was doing, then straightened his clothes, eliminated any scents, and headed for Kurenai Yuhi's residence.
Kurenai Yuhi wasn't resting either; she had no missions since returning.
However, Kurenai Yuhi had no clan behind her strategizing for her. Her father, Yuhi Kurenai, was busy with village affairs. Besides occasionally seeking out Hyuga Kiyo, only Anko often offered advice, but with Anko's careless personality, her ideas were worse than Kurenai's own.
This matter was harder than cultivating Sage Mode. When balancing the three energies for Sage Mode training, he'd had unit 18 as support. Now he could only rely on himself.
"This bouquet should be enough as a gift."
Hyuga Mirai took out an arrangement of flowers from his Amenomihashira. It was a bouquet fused with the superior genes of multiple lifeforms, presenting two different blooming appearances under sunlight and moonlight.
He remembered Kurenai Yuhi liked flower arranging, so he had prepared this gift. Given Hyuga Mirai's research level in genetic biology, creating this kind of arrangement, which combined both aesthetics and change, held some degree of difficulty.
(End of Chapter)
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