[Evening, Hyuga Clan Compound]
Hyuga Hiashi opened the invitation delivered by the ANBU, his eyes inexplicably widening.
He immediately stood up and hurriedly walked outside.
But as soon as he stepped out the door, he slowed his pace.
After all, he was within the clan grounds; he had to maintain the dignity of the clan head.
Entering the courtyard, he happened to see Hinata, who had just returned home, sparring with Hanabi.
A trace of satisfaction appeared on Hyuga Hiashi's face.
The talent of both daughters was top-tier within the Hyuga clan; ordinary people could hardly match them.
"Father," Hinata, on the defensive side, noticed Hyuga Hiashi, raised her hand to hold Hanabi's small fist, and stopped the sparring.
But though they called it sparring, in truth she was guiding Hanabi on deficiencies in her Gentle Fist technique.
"Is something the matter?", Hinata asked curiously, as Hyuga Hiashi rarely came over to interrupt their training.
"...There is indeed a matter," Looking at his two adorable daughters, Hyuga Hiashi pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment, then still spoke, "Aoba may be getting married."
He originally planned to speak privately with Hinata, but since Hanabi was also Aoba's disciple, he didn't hide it.
"Ah?"
Hanabi widened her eyes, "Aoba-nii is getting married to who?"
"Hmm?", Hyuga Hiashi furrowed his brow.
He had thought Hinata would react strongly, but the one who got most emotional seemed to be Hanabi.
'What is going on?'
"I'm just surprised," Hanabi twisted her body awkwardly, feeling a little guilty, "May I ask who Aoba-nii's fiancée is?"
Hyuga Hiashi didn't think too much and looked toward Hinata.
"Hinata, you...", He noticed Hinata had been silent all this time and thought she was staying calm.
But at this glance, Hinata had, at some unknown point, already activated her Byakugan. Her pure white pupils carried no trace of emotion, as cold as ice and snow.
"Father, may I ask, who is Aoba-kun going to marry?", Hinata's tone was extremely calm, but anyone with common sense could hear the special emotion hidden in her voice.
Let alone little Hanabi, even Hyuga Hiashi subconsciously shivered.
If he said it aloud, would Hinata sneak out and secretly take the girl out?
"Father?", Hinata spoke again, her calm voice snapping Hyuga Hiashi back to reality.
"Uh... actually it's not exactly marriage, just an engagement," Hyuga Hiashi handed over the invitation Tsunade had sent to Hinata.
Hinata reached out to take it and looked at it.
Beside her, little Hanabi kept standing on tiptoe, trying to peek at the contents.
"Heh... nothing but a thieving stray cat taking advantage of a gap!"
A pulse of chakra surged, and the invitation in Hinata's hand instantly shattered into fragments.
She returned to her usual normal appearance.
This kind of scene played out in many noble families' homes that night.
———
"?"
Yugao stopped in her tracks, looking at Temari suspiciously, "You want to help? Can you even cook?"
She still remembered how that certain big-chested woman once offered to help in the kitchen.
Couldn't tell sugar from salt, chopped vegetables into uneven sizes, the more she helped, the more chaotic it got.
"Mm mm!", Temari nodded, "I often cooked for myself back home."
"Alright, then help me chop the ingredients," Yugao handed her a small apron, it was Aoba's.
"Okay," Temari put on the apron and started working in the kitchen.
———
On the sofa, seeing the two getting along harmoniously in the kitchen, Aoba was full of comfort.
'Yugao-neesan was indeed someone who can be a good wife.'
"Hmm?", Just as he was thinking that, a shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Terumi Mei stood in front of him with arms on her waist. The murderous aura on her face made Aoba afraid to meet her gaze.
"Mei-neesan…"
"Tsunade only arranged for the two of you to form a political marriage?", Terumi Mei suddenly asked a question Aoba didn't expect.
He scratched his head, "I originally suggested that Danzo and Chiyo get married."
"...", Terumi Mei almost couldn't hold back her expression of anger.
Letting two old fossils in their sixties or seventies get married, only this brat could come up with that.
"What I'm asking is, did you never think about forming a political marriage with me?", Terumi Mei directly grabbed Aoba's face with her hand.
She was the Mizukage, if she didn't get to, what right did that Kazekage's disciple have?
"Uh... this was Sensei's arrangement, I only just found out myself," Aoba blinked, face full of innocence.
"Then couldn't you have refused her and gotten engaged to me instead?", Seeing his innocent expression, Terumi Mei's hand softened a bit.
But she was still very angry.
Terumi Mei didn't speak quietly, so of course Temari in the kitchen heard it clearly.
She furrowed her brows slightly, chopping vegetables while watching the two in the living room.
Her originally displeased expression turned to surprise.
She hadn't expected Aoba to show such a side.
In front of these older sisters, he always seemed a bit submissive.
Anko the other day was the same.
'She also seems older than Aoba...'
A hint of intent flickered in Temari's eyes.
Yugao also noticed her expression.
"You're called Temari, right?"
"Huh? Yes, yes I am!", Temari froze for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.
"I'm Yugao. From now on, you can just call me 'neesan' like Aoba does."
"O-okay, Yugao-neesan."
———
Their chat in the kitchen didn't affect the two in the living room.
"Uh... aren't we already together?"
"That's not the same!", Terumi Mei's voice rose several notches.
"How is it not the same?"
"A fiancee and a girlfriend, are they the same?"
"Uh…", Aoba had no argument, "Then should I go apply to Sensei now?"
"Hmph!", Terumi Mei snorted and let go of him.
"No need. I'll go myself!", After saying that, Terumi Mei pushed the door open and walked out.
"We're about to eat!", Yugao couldn't help but shout after her.
"I'll be back soon!", Terumi Mei replied without even closing the door behind her.
"So fiery…", Aoba muttered helplessly as he walked toward the door, intending to shut it.
But a fair little hand suddenly reached in, stopping him.
———
At Tsunade's residence.
"Sigh~", Shizune kept sighing endlessly, so much so that she could hardly eat.
Tsunade picked up a piece of tempura and stuffed it into her mouth, rolling her eyes.
"Shizune, you've been sighing all day."
"Well of course, it's because you suddenly arranged Aoba's engagement," Shizune looked unhappily at the culprit before her.
After so many years of suffering under her, this was the first time she had thoughts of rebelling against her master.
"This was just to reassure Sunagakure. Without this, they wouldn't behave," Tsunade explained casually.
"Then why couldn't you pick someone else?",.Shizune felt somewhat wronged.
"I—"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
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