Ayano was pregnant.
After confirming the news at the hospital, the entire family was overjoyed.
"I'm going to have a little sister?"
Hinata hugged her mother, carefully pressing her face against Ayano's belly, trying to sense the tiny life growing inside.
They all still remembered how the Hinata from the other world had once mentioned that Hinata would have a younger sister.
Hinata had always longed to become a real big sister.
"It hasn't even fully formed yet. What could you possibly hear?" Ayano chuckled at her daughter's excitement.
She felt at ease—whether it was a boy or a girl, it was still her child.
Besides, Neji, Naruto, and Sasuke all called her "Mom" as well.
"I can feel it! My little sister is calling me 'Big Sis.'" Hinata declared seriously, making everyone burst into laughter.
Naruto, full of curiosity, asked, "Really? Let me hear too!"
Being a few months younger than Sasuke, he also liked the idea of having a little sister who would call him "Big Brother."
Hinata lifted her face from Ayano's belly and looked at Naruto.
"She said… she doesn't like you as a big brother."
Only then did Naruto realize he had been tricked.
He groaned in frustration.
While feeling happy for Ayano, Natsu also felt a bit frustrated.
She pulled Makoto aside and quietly questioned her, "Didn't you say you didn't want children?"
Makoto felt a little guilty. "I didn't do it on purpose… I thought I was being careful."
Seeing the grievance on Natsu's face, Makoto pulled her into an embrace and said, "Don't worry. These things can't be rushed. When the time is right, we'll naturally have a child too."
Natsu rested her face against Makoto's chest and murmured, "From now on, when you're with me, don't finish outside. Otherwise, don't even think about me going to Ayari-nee's room with you again to serve you together."
Makoto: "…"
The arrival of the little life inside Ayano's belly filled the household with joy and excitement.
Ayano once again enjoyed the pampering she had experienced during her previous pregnancy.
Other women in the household eagerly took over the chores, and Ayano accepted their care with peace of mind, happily indulging in it.
But the happiest and most excited of all was undoubtedly Hinata.
Now, the first thing she did after school was rush home to be with her mother.
Ayano laughed and said, "A baby takes ten months to be born. Are you going to do this every day?"
With her pregnancy, many people came to visit the house—such as Samui, the Ten Crown Guards, and Hizashi.
The Ten Crown Guards, except for Hokage Tsunade and Anko, all sent their gifts one after another.
The first to arrive were Hakumen, Kakashi, and Guy.
They were extremely respectful, and after presenting their gifts, they didn't stay long before taking their leave.
Shisui was brought by Itachi, while Kabuto came alone.
For Mei and Pakura, it was their first time visiting the imperial palace.
However, it was completely different from the ultimate luxury they had imagined.
Instead of a grand and opulent residence fitting for an emperor, the place felt like a warm and lively family home—there weren't even any servants.
Seeing how cheerful and harmonious everyone was, Mei couldn't help but feel a deep sense of envy.
A soft emotion stirred in her heart, and she found herself fantasizing—what if she could become a part of this home in the future?
Ayari and the others were very polite to Mei and Pakura, making them feel welcome.
After cautiously setting down their gifts and exchanging some pleasantries, the two of them left together.
Upon stepping out of the palace, Pakura noticed the thoughtful look on Mei's face and said, "What's wrong? Feeling envious?"
Mei simply smiled. "What? You're not?"
Pakura replied, "If you're envious, then go after what you want."
.............
Meanwhile, Neji also arrived with his friends.
Toneri, Jugo, the chubby boy Kensuke, and Daito all accompanied him.
Kensuke and Daito had insisted on coming along.
Their fathers held high positions—one was the Minister of the Scientific Engineering Department, while the other was the Deputy Minister.
Ayari and the others were even more enthusiastic toward the children.
Looking at this warm and bustling household, Toneri felt a wave of longing deep inside.
After they left, Neji noticed the slightly wistful expression on Toneri's face and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Toneri said with a smile.
"I just suddenly feel like you're really lucky, Neji."
Neji couldn't help but chuckle. "What are you thinking? You can always come to my house whenever you want."
Toneri smiled but didn't say anything.
"Let's go. Let's visit the archery range this afternoon." Neji suggested.
Since it was the start of a new month, he had just received his allowance and was feeling quite confident.
Hearing this, Kensuke immediately said, "Your Highness, the archery range belongs to one of my relatives. If we go, we can play for free, and drinks and snacks are also on the house."
Neji fell silent for a few seconds. "…Why didn't you say that earlier?"
He had been looking forward to this for days.
Kensuke looked puzzled. "Huh? But didn't I mention it the other day? I even said I wanted to take you all there, but you refused."
"Shut up!"
—
That afternoon, the group arrived at the archery range.
Just as Kensuke had said, his relative was the owner.
Upon hearing that Prince Neji was visiting, the owner's attitude became even more enthusiastic, bowing and fawning over him.
Neji had long been used to such behavior—he had encountered too many people like this before.
They reserved a quieter area for themselves, but unexpectedly ran into two familiar faces—
Mitarashi Anko and Nohara Rin.
"Miss Anko, Miss Rin." Neji greeted them with great respect and politeness.
"Oh, it's you guys." Anko glanced at Neji and his group, her tone indifferent.
She then looked at Kensuke for a moment and said, "Aren't you that little chubby kid who cut in line?"
Kensuke looked embarrassed and quickly replied, "I've changed my ways!"
Kensuke quickly added, "This archery range belongs to my relative. Lady Anko, you can play here for free."
Anko didn't respond to that but instead turned to Neji.
She remained silent for a moment, as if unsure how to phrase her question, before finally saying, "So… you're getting another little sister?"
Rin, standing beside her, was taken aback.
Neji smiled. "Ah, yes, Ayano-mom is pregnant."
Rin looked a bit dazed, glancing between Anko and Neji.
Anko simply said, "I see. Nothing important. You guys go ahead and play."
Neji understood Anko's personality well enough.
Not wanting to disturb her, he led his group to another spot.
Only then did Rin turn to Anko and ask, "What was that about?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… the pregnancy."
"Oh, just that guy's woman is pregnant. What's so surprising about that? He's got five women in his household."
Rin pursed her lips. "…How do you know so fast? Even I didn't know."
Anko smirked and looked at her. "I'm a one of the Ten Crowns, of course I get news faster than you. Hakumen, Kakashi, and Guy came looking for me, wanting to visit them together, but I refused."
Rin didn't say anything, her gaze drifting toward Neji and his group in the distance, her mind wandering.
After a moment, she murmured, "In just a few more years… his child will already be growing up."
Anko drew her bow, straightened her back, and fixed her gaze on the target ahead.
With a swift release of the string, the arrow shot forward, piercing the bullseye with pinpoint accuracy.
She said indifferently, "What, are you thinking about having a child too?"
"…With who?"
"You know the answer yourself."
"…"
The sky darkened quickly.
After having dinner with Anko, Rin walked home alone.
Her thoughts were scattered, and before she realized it, she had wandered near the imperial palace.
Looking at the distant pavilion with its lights unlit, a wave of melancholy washed over her.
At this hour… he was probably with his pregnant wife.
...............
In the morning, Hinata was woken up by the alarm clock, faintly hearing rustling sounds coming from the living room.
She was always an early riser—only Naruto was the type to stay in bed.
After brushing her teeth, washing up, and changing her clothes, Hinata first went to her mother's room.
She saw that her mother was already awake, sitting up in bed reading a book, while her father was still sound asleep beside her.
Walking to the other side of the bed, she hugged her mother and gently pressed her face against her mother's belly, speaking in an unusually soft tone, "Good morning, little sister. Let's have a happy day today."
Then, she moved to the side where her father was sleeping and pinched his nose.
Within seconds, Makoto woke up, gasping for air.
Seeing Hinata's mischievous grin, he groggily mumbled, "Go away, let me sleep a little longer."
But Hinata tugged at his cheeks with both hands and said, "No more sleeping! Mom is already awake, so you need to get up and take care of Mom and little sister!"
Makoto had no choice but to sit up slowly, sighing, "Alright, alright… I need to get dressed."
Only then did Hinata stick out her tongue playfully before skipping out of the room.
Ayano, watching the scene with a smile, asked gently, "Do you want to sleep a bit longer?"
Makoto yawned, "I should probably get up now."
Hinata then made her way to her brothers' room.
Neji was already up—his routine was the most disciplined among the children, always waking up the earliest.
When she entered, she saw that Sasuke had just finished putting on his clothes.
Sasuke was startled and said helplessly, "Knock on the door."
Hinata looked at Naruto, who was still sound asleep under the covers, seemingly having a pleasant dream with a smile on his face.
"Sleeping in again."
She walked straight to Naruto's bedside, took off her slippers, and placed her foot on his face.
Sasuke watched the scene unfold and thought to himself that the morning was bound to be chaotic again.
Without interfering, he simply left the room.
A few seconds later, a furious roar echoed through the inner halls of the palace.
"HINA—TA—!"
In the living room, Kushina heard the commotion and sighed helplessly, thinking, Those two siblings are at it again.
At school, Hinata appeared cool and aloof, but at home, she was undeniably willful and mischievous.
Most of the girls in her class were her followers, and even upperclassmen would respectfully address her as "Lady Hinata" when they saw her.
Even the teachers were no exception.
She had long since grown used to this—after all, she was a princess.
Anything she wanted, she could have.
No matter where she went, she was the center of attention.
The only thing she wasn't entirely satisfied with was that she had never received a love letter.
Although she didn't think much of the boys in her class, it still bothered her that all of her followers had been confessed to at least once, while she had not.
As for Ino and Sakura, Hinata never really thought about doing anything to them, and she didn't care what her followers did either.
However, what Hinata hadn't expected was that Sakura would suddenly hand Sasuke a love letter in front of the entire class.
This bold act immediately made her the target of silent resentment from the other girls in the class.
This act immediately made the girls in the class secretly resent Haruno Sakura.
Sasuke is already incredibly handsome, and his status is beyond noble.
He is the untouchable white moonlight in our hearts!
And yet, you—Haruno Sakura—dare to confess to him?!
As expected, Sasuke didn't even bother to read the contents of the letter before rejecting her outright.
He frowned inwardly, thinking, Is this girl crazy?
Sakura hadn't expected such cold and decisive rejection.
Sasuke didn't even glance at what she had written, despite the effort she had put in—rewriting the letter multiple times, choosing the perfect words, carefully selecting the prettiest stationery…
This left her heartbroken and unable to accept reality.
She ran out of the classroom.
Meanwhile, the girls in the class sneered and mocked her misfortune.
"She totally deserved that."
"That wide forehead actually had the audacity to confess to Prince Sasuke!"
"As if she ever stood a chance!"
"Did she really think she was worthy of Prince Sasuke?!"
Hinata watched Sakura run out of the classroom, lost in thought.
Could I have been mistaken? Maybe Sasuke really doesn't have any interest in her?
Beside Hinata, two girls continued to gossip and belittle Sakura.
"Big Sis, you also think Haruno Sakura is completely unworthy of Prince Sasuke, right?"
Hinata replied indifferently, "What Sasuke likes has nothing to do with me."
But inwardly, she scoffed, If Sakura isn't good enough, do you all think you are?
At least Sakura is willing to stand up for her friends, even if it means going against the entire class.
That alone makes her better than you spineless sycophants.
Hinata had never thought much of the girls constantly buzzing around her, but since they followed her around calling her "big sis," she didn't mind keeping them close.
Having people to run errands and copy homework for her was convenient, after all.
In Hinata's mind, the only people truly worth calling friends were Neji's companions—Toneri and Jugo.
Those two were interesting.
Thinking about this, she suddenly felt like getting to know Sakura a little better.
Iruka noticed Sakura crying on the playground, with Ino beside her offering comfort.
Concerned, he hurried over to ask what had happened.
Sakura wiped her tears and said, "I'm fine, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka's expression turned serious as he said firmly, "Sakura, don't be afraid. If you've been wronged, you can tell me. No matter who it is, I will stand up for you!"
Over the past few days, he had come to understand the different cliques in the class and knew that Ino and Sakura were not well-liked by Hinata and her group.
Sakura still shook her head. "I'm really fine. Thank you, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka then turned to Ino. "Ino, can you tell me what happened?"
Ino also replied, "It's nothing, Iruka-sensei. You don't have to worry about us."
There was no way she could tell the teacher about this kind of thing, so she chose to keep it hidden for Sakura's sake.
But in Iruka's mind, this only confirmed his suspicion—Sakura and Ino were being bullied and threatened.
This made him furious.
Even if she is the emperor's daughter, she can't just go around bullying others like this!
When the emperor entrusted this class to him, didn't he specifically instruct him to educate these children properly?
During class, Iruka walked up to the podium with a stern expression.
His gaze swept across the classroom, pausing on Hinata for an extra second.
He spoke calmly but firmly.
"As classmates, you should all treat each other with kindness and unity. I don't want to see any incidents of serious bullying in this class."
After these words, the classroom fell completely silent.
"I saw Haruno Sakura crying on the playground today. Can anyone tell me what happened?"
Hinata noticed that while Iruka was speaking, his gaze seemed to land on her specifically.
She froze for a moment, thinking, Does Iruka-sensei think I bullied her?
The classroom remained silent, and Sakura kept her head lowered.
Iruka's expression darkened. "I hope that whoever is responsible for this will step forward and admit it…"
"Iruka-sensei!" Ino suddenly interrupted him.
"Sakura is fine. You don't need to keep looking into this."
But Iruka insisted, "Ino, don't be afraid. No matter who the bully is, I will stand up for you."
Hearing this, Hinata couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Of course, since she had Byakugan, she didn't actually need to roll them.
Iruka seemed ready to press further, but at that moment, another female student spoke up.
"Iruka-sensei, Sakura gave Prince Sasuke a love letter today and got rejected. That's why she was crying, right?"
The entire class erupted into laughter.
Sakura, who had been lying on her desk, couldn't take it anymore.
Her face turned red, and she ran out of the classroom.
Ino panicked and hurried after her, but not before shooting a glare at Iruka.
Iruka stood there, momentarily stunned.
He looked at Sasuke, then at Hinata.
A… love letter…?
Are kids these days really this mature?
The classroom was a mess—most students found the situation amusing and treated Sakura as a joke.
But Hinata was irritated by all the noise.
She suddenly raised her voice.
"Stop laughing!"
The laughter stopped instantly.
To them, the "Big Sis's" words carried more weight than the teacher's.
Hinata then got up from her seat and casually told Iruka, "I'm going to the restroom," before leaving the classroom.
As Iruka pieced everything together, he felt a wave of regret wash over him.
He realized that his actions had likely hurt Sakura's pride.
He opened his mouth, wanting to apologize, but with both Hinata and Sakura gone, he didn't know who to direct his apology to.
In the end, he could only focus on maintaining classroom order.
Meanwhile, on Naruto and Sasuke's side—
"Aren't you going to check on her?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke.
"What does it have to do with me?" Sasuke replied coolly.
Hinata found Sakura and Ino at the playground.
The two of them were sitting on the rubber flooring inside the chain-link fence.
Sakura seemed to have cried again, while Ino was relentlessly trying to comfort her.
As Hinata got closer, she heard Ino badmouthing both the teacher and Sasuke.
Saying things like "Iruka-sensei is an idiot" and "Sasuke isn't even that great" in an annoyed tone.
Ino glared at Hinata warily. "What do you want?"
Hinata crossed her arms, standing on the other side of the chain-link fence, her expression indifferent.
She said flatly, "That guy Sasuke really isn't anything special."
Both Sakura and Ino were momentarily stunned.
Hinata continued, "Always acting all high and mighty… but he can't even beat me in a fight."
Sakura wiped her tears and mumbled weakly, "I think… Prince Sasuke is really great."
Hinata shot her a sideways glance. "Besides being somewhat good-looking, what's so great about him? After everything that happened today, he didn't even bother coming out to check on you. You still think that's 'great'?"
Sakura shook her head and said, "This has nothing to do with Prince Sasuke. It was my own… decision."
Hinata replied, "You really are an idiot."
Sakura lowered her head and didn't respond.
Seeing this, Ino asked, "Then why did you come out here?"
Hinata gazed into the distance and said, "Because I'm his sister, that's why."
Sakura hesitated before saying, "But I heard… Prince Sasuke is actually older than you—"
Before she could finish, Hinata's expression instantly darkened, making Sakura freeze and shut her mouth in fear.
Ino observed Hinata thoughtfully, sensing that she didn't actually have any ill intentions.
The warm afternoon, the quiet schoolyard, the incessant chirping of cicadas, and the occasional gust of wind...
"Hey." Hinata suddenly spoke.
Sakura and Ino looked up at her.
"I'll treat you to milk tea. You coming or not?"
"We have money," Ino replied.
Hinata started walking toward the school gate without looking back.
"Then you can treat me."
--------------
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