"You… you think just apologizing is enough?", Ino said with some difficulty. Upon hearing his apology, her heart inexplicably softened.
She couldn't help but blame herself for being so spineless.
Mainly because when facing Aoba, she just couldn't truly get angry.
Suddenly, she felt a bit ticklish around her waist.
Looking down, she saw a misbehaving paw poking at her waist.
"You…", Ino slapped away Aoba's pervy hand, turned around, wanting to scold him a few times, but suddenly realized his face was especially close to hers.
Clear eyes stared at her, filled with gentleness.
Ino's heart suddenly thumped heavily.
Aoba moved a little closer.
Ino snapped out of it, instinctively wanting to back away.
But Aoba had already reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Ino looked at Aoba, who was now right in front of her, and was left in a flustered mess.
Aoba just quietly gazed at her, his red eyes like rubies.
In the end, Ino couldn't resist the temptation of the pretty-boy move. A faint blush rose on her cheeks, she closed her eyes, and puckered her lips.
Aoba smiled slightly, lowered his head, and placed a kiss on her fair cheek.
Ino was slightly stunned.
A nameless fire rose in her heart.
What she wanted was a kiss, not a peck on the cheek.
But before she could speak, her lips were sealed.
Her expression gradually grew dazed.
After a long while, their lips parted.
"Still angry?", Aoba licked the corner of his mouth and asked her.
"You big scumbag!", Ino didn't dare raise her head to look at him, but her arms tightly hugged his waist.
Seeing this, Aoba also breathed a sigh of relief.
'Looks like it's all fine now.'
'Ino is still easy to coax.'
Aoba sighed inwardly, gently stroking her hair.
Taking advantage of the mood, the two lingered together for a while more.
Until Yamanaka Rino, unable to bear watching anymore, reminded Ino it was almost time for training. Then she hurriedly ran out.
———
"Aoba-sama, what a coincidence," On the way to Hinata's house, Aoba just so happened to run into Hyuga Natsu.
She was also carrying several large bags. Looked like she just returned from grocery shopping.
"Natsu, need help with those?", Aoba reached out to help Hyuga Natsu carry her things, but she dodged.
"Thank you, Aoba-sama, but that won't be necessary," Hyuga Natsu smiled and declined politely.
"Aoba-sama is heading to see Hinata-sama, right?"
"Mm," Aoba nodded.
"Then Aoba-sama should be careful. Hinata-sama is quite scary today," Hyuga Natsu couldn't help covering her mouth and laughing lightly.
"This…", Aoba felt inexplicably nervous, "Should I bring a gift over then?"
"No need. To Hinata-sama, Aoba-sama is already the best gift," After a brief slip, Hyuga Natsu quickly returned to normal.
"...", Aoba didn't know how to respond to that.
They walked a bit more.
"Oh right, Aoba-sama…", Hyuga Natsu suddenly spoke again.
"Mm?"
Her cheeks turned slightly red, "Regarding what the clan head said… about coming to find you after the Chunin Exams, I was wondering, when exactly would that be?"
"Mm…", Aoba only now remembered that matter. After thinking for a moment, he said, "When I'm free from missions, you can come over. It won't take much of your time."
"I understand," Hyuga Natsu nodded with a flushed face.
———
The two entered the Hyuga clan compound.
Before they reached the clan head's residence—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
They heard the sound of powerful, rapid strikes on wooden posts from afar.
"This is…", Aoba's expression turned surprised.
"Hinata-sama's mood is… not very good," Hyuga Natsu showed a helpless expression.
At that moment in the courtyard, woodchips were flying everywhere.
All around were broken wooden posts, and the previously well-maintained lawn was full of pits and holes.
Hinata wore a black training outfit, standing in the middle of the courtyard, the veins on her face bulging.
But in those snow-like pupils, a sky-blue light flickered deep in her irises, sharp and penetrating.
Hinata's movements were lightning-fast.
Her arms turned into blurs, accompanied by slicing wind sounds, striking at the few intact wooden posts.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The wooden posts shattered from the inside, splinters flying everywhere.
In no time, the originally intact posts were blasted to pieces one after another.
Those smooth, flowing moves made Aoba feel a phantom ache in his body.
'Did Hinata treat those posts as me?'
And just at that moment, several jagged, spiky wooden splinters, after exploding, shot toward Hinata from an unexpected angle.
She didn't seem to anticipate it at all. Her steps faltered, and she accidentally twisted her ankle…
"Hinata!", Standing at the gate, Aoba's expression changed upon seeing the scene, and he dashed toward Hinata.
In a flash, he carried her out of harm's way.
"Hinata, are you okay?", Aoba looked at the Hinata in his arms with concern.
A blush spread across Hinata's face, but there was also pain in her expression, "Aoba-kun, I think I twisted my ankle."
"Twisted ankle… Let me take a look," Aoba's expression turned a bit odd. Holding Hinata, he walked into the house.
'Hinata-sama's acting still needs practice,' Hyuga Natsu on the side couldn't help complaining in her heart.
———
"Mm!", Inside the living room, feeling the sudden sensation on the sole of her foot, Hinata gasped and instinctively tried to pull her foot away.
But Aoba, already prepared, wouldn't let her escape. He firmly held her ankle and brought it into his lap.
"Ao… Aoba-kun, what are you trying to do?", Hinata asked weakly.
"…I'm checking your foot," Aoba replied with a smile.
Hinata's face flushed red again, but she pursed her lips and said nothing.
'Check the foot, but why touch the sole…'
As Tsunade's disciple, if Aoba couldn't tell whether Hinata's ankle was actually injured, that'd be too embarrassing.
Looking at Hinata's delicate, flawless little foot, Aoba couldn't help but swallow, and his fingers had already slipped between her tiny, adorable toes.
"Aoba-kun, do you… really like girls' feet that much?", Hinata resisted her shyness, pursing her lips, her body slightly trembling.
Her little foot curled from embarrassment, and her reaction only increased Aoba's interest.
"If it's Hinata's, then no matter the part, I like all of it," Hinata's face was now so red it looked like it could drip blood.
"Does Aoba-kun… also often massage Tenten, Ino's feet?"
"No, I've never massaged them. Hinata is the first," Aoba answered earnestly.
Hinata said Tenten and Ino, not Tsunade or Shizune.
"Really?", Hinata's eyes lit up slightly, "Then, from now on… can you only massage mine?"
"Uh…", Aoba pretended not to hear and seriously continued massaging her foot.
But before long, he suddenly felt a pair of cold little hands touch the back of his neck.
"If only Aoba-kun had only me in his heart…"
[T/N: RIP Aoba. It has been a good journey 🤣🤣]
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