Black Zetsu watched the scene unfold, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Yet, he did not dare make a sound.
Black Zetsu understood Kaguya very well. If he rushed inside right now and interrupted Kiyohara and Mother, Mother would not appreciate his loyalty. Instead, she would only blame him for acting on his own and interfering with something important to her.
Black Zetsu could only endure it.
He had endured for a thousand years. A little while longer was nothing.
He silently sighed in the darkness before sinking into the ground and disappearing deep into the night.
Inside the living room.
Kaguya withdrew the hand she had been resting against the back of the sofa, and her fingertips slowly moved away from Kiyohara's chin.
Her white hair fell naturally back over her shoulders, while the faint gloss on her lips had yet to completely fade.
She turned her head slightly and glanced out the window with her pure white eyes. Her voice remained as calm as still water.
"That child was here just now."
"Mm."
Kiyohara had already sensed Black Zetsu's chakra.
The cold, sticky presence had been detected by his senses the moment it appeared outside the window. The two of them had simply chosen not to pay it any attention.
"He probably saw something he shouldn't have."
Kaguya's voice remained calm, but Kiyohara noticed that the tips of her ears had turned faintly red.
'She can remain completely composed while kissing me, but being seen by someone still makes her embarrassed?'
'Or perhaps it is simply instinct?'
Kiyohara pondered this silently.
He then walked over to the window, raised his hand, and pulled the curtains shut before turning back toward Kaguya.
He formed a hand seal with his right hand in front of his body. Chakra surged from his palm and rapidly spread across all four walls and the ceiling of the room, forming a translucent barrier membrane.
Fine patterns of fuinjutsu seal flowed across the surface of the barrier. After flickering faintly several times, they completely merged into the walls and disappeared from sight.
"An isolation barrier that blocks perception. From now on, whatever happens inside this room, people outside will neither be able to see nor sense it. Whether it is Black Zetsu or anyone else, there will be no exceptions."
Kaguya looked at the technique patterns that had disappeared into the walls and gave a slight nod.
She sat back down on the sofa, folded her hands neatly over her knees, and once again returned to her dignified and indifferent demeanor.
The following morning, at the Hyuga clan compound.
The pine trees in the courtyard swayed gently in the morning breeze. A few pine needles drifted down onto the stone-paved path and were lightly swept away by a member of the Hyuga branch family responsible for maintaining the courtyard.
Kiyohara passed through the main gate of the Hyuga compound and followed the road toward Hinata's residence.
He did not deliberately conceal his chakra, so before he had even reached the entrance, Hinata had already sensed his presence and hurried out of the house.
The sliding door was pulled open with a rustling sound, and Hinata appeared in the doorway.
Today, she was wearing a light purple short-sleeved top and a white knee-length skirt. Her long hair had not been tied up and instead fell smoothly over her shoulders.
Her hands were clasped nervously in front of her, and her fingertips unconsciously rubbed against each other. Her face carried the familiar shyness that Kiyohara had come to know so well.
Even before she could say anything, the tips of her ears had already turned red.
"Kiyohara-sensei... you, you haven't come to see me in such a long time."
Her voice was soft and delicate, and by the time she reached the second half of the sentence, it had become so quiet that it was almost inaudible.
Her pure white eyes did not dare to look directly at Kiyohara's face. Her gaze wandered around the area near his collar, occasionally gathering enough courage to move slightly upward before immediately retreating again.
Looking at the shy little Hinata standing before him, so embarrassed that she seemed ready to curl herself into a ball, Kiyohara could not help remembering the Big Sister Hinata from the other world.
That Hinata would put her hands on her hips, grab him by the wrist, and drag him recklessly through the streets. She would even wear her pajamas and wait eagerly with her mouth open, expecting him to feed her pieces of fruit.
Kiyohara could only think that although they were both Hyuga Hinata, the difference between them was truly enormous.
He reached out and placed his palm on top of Hinata's head.
Hinata's body stiffened slightly at first, but her shoulders gradually relaxed.
"I've had some things to deal with recently, so I haven't had the time to come and see you."
Hinata lowered her head, allowing Kiyohara's hand to remain on top of it.
Her eyelashes trembled lightly. The corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward just a little, but she quickly pressed them back down.
"It's, it's all right... sensei must be very busy..."
Although she said that she did not mind, her body unconsciously leaned half a step closer to Kiyohara.
The distance between them became close enough for her to catch the faint scent of his clothes, and the tips of her ears turned even redder.
At that moment, a small figure silently peeked out from around the corner of the corridor.
Hyuga Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister.
Her eyes were wide open, and faint veins appeared around them as she activated her Byakugan to secretly observe the scene.
Hanabi hid behind a wooden pillar at the corner of the corridor, revealing only half of her face and one eye.
Her Byakugan allowed her vision to pass through the wall, giving her a perfectly clear view of Kiyohara gently stroking her sister's head and her sister moving closer to Kiyohara with a flushed face.
Hanabi was deeply puzzled.
"Sister is standing so close to Kiyohara-sensei."
"And Sister's face is red."
"Is Sister really happy?"
Hanabi wondered silently.
From the corner of his eye, Kiyohara glanced toward the wooden pillar at the end of the corridor.
A small chakra fluctuation was hiding behind it. The visual power of the Byakugan was penetrating the wall and falling directly upon him. Kiyohara was very familiar with the nature of that chakra.
However, he had no time to pay attention to this little peeping spectator right now.
He withdrew his hand from Hinata's head.
"Hinata, the reason I came this time is to take you with me to practice ninjutsu."
Hinata raised her head, and a serious expression appeared in her pure white eyes.
She nodded firmly, her hands clenching into small fists in front of her body. Although a faint blush still remained on her face, her gaze had already become determined.
"I'll work hard, Kiyohara-sensei."
"Today, I'll teach you Fire Release."
As Kiyohara spoke, he reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair that had fallen against her cheek behind her ear.
The instant his fingers brushed against the edge of her ear, Hinata's entire ear turned a deep red.
After Kiyohara withdrew his hand, Hinata instinctively touched her ear with the back of her hand. The scorching temperature startled her, and she quickly hid her hand behind her back.
Hinata raised her head, surprise appearing in her pure white eyes.
The Hyuga clan had always centered its combat style around the combination of Gentle Fist and the Byakugan. Very few members of the clan specifically trained in chakra nature transformation techniques, especially Fire Release, which had little connection to the Gentle Fist system.
Kiyohara was practically the only exception. He had taught Hinata some nature transformation techniques before.
"Kiyohara-sensei... are we learning Fire Release again?"
"Of course."
Kiyohara replied.
Upon hearing his answer, Hinata nodded slightly.
Kiyohara then moved to her side and raised his right hand.
The instant he completed the Tiger hand seal, Kiyohara opened his mouth slightly. A gigantic fireball more than six meters in diameter erupted from his mouth and shot into the sky.
The wave of heat rushing toward her forced Hinata to take half a step backward.
"Now you try it. Don't worry about the power for the moment. First, focus on transforming your chakra into the nature of fire."
Hinata took a deep breath and began forming hand seals in front of her chest.
Puff.
A flame about the size of a fist emerged from her mouth. It wavered twice in the air before dissipating into a thin wisp of smoke.
Forget a fireball. The flame had barely traveled any distance at all.
Hinata's cheeks immediately flushed bright red.
"Kiyohara-sensei... am I really that stupid?"
"Try again. When you gather your chakra in your throat, don't release it all at once. Let it begin rotating first, then release it. That will make the shape of the flame more stable."
Hinata nodded firmly and raised her hands again.
For the entire morning that followed, Hinata repeatedly practiced the hand seals for Fire Release.
"That's enough for today. Your chakra is almost at its limit."
Hinata lowered her hands and bent forward, supporting herself with both hands on her knees as she breathed heavily.
Her back was already completely soaked with sweat. Her white training clothes clung to her skin, faintly revealing the skin beneath that had been reddened slightly by the sun.
"Kiyohara-sensei... Fire Release... Fire Release is really difficult."
Kiyohara walked over to her and handed her a towel.
His palm naturally settled on top of her head.
Hinata accepted the towel while his hand gently rubbed her head, causing it to sway slightly. A few loose strands of hair slipped from behind her ear.
She pressed her lips together, desperately trying to keep the corners of her mouth from curving upward too obviously, but her expression had already betrayed her completely.
Being patted on the head by Kiyohara-sensei made her even happier than successfully releasing a fireball.
"Then I'll be leaving first. I'll come to see you again another day."
Hinata froze slightly before gently nodding.
"Mm... Take care, Kiyohara-sensei."
Kiyohara turned and walked toward the entrance.
Hinata stood in the doorway and watched him until he had completely left the courtyard before finally lowering her hand.
The sliding door closed behind Kiyohara.
He then stopped walking, turned around, and looked toward the wooden pillar at the corner of the corridor.
"Hanabi, come out."
A very soft gasp came from behind the wooden pillar.
Hanabi then slowly and reluctantly emerged from behind it.
"Hokage-sama... I didn't mean to..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until the final few words were barely more than a tiny murmur.
She did not dare raise her head. Her eyes were fixed on her toes, as though she wanted to rub a hole into the ground and crawl inside it.
Being caught peeking red-handed was incredibly embarrassing for a little girl.
Kiyohara lowered his head and looked at her.
Hanabi was even shorter than Hinata by a full head.
Her eyelashes were just as long as Hinata's, and at this moment they were fluttering nervously. A faint layer of moisture had appeared in the corners of her eyes.
Kiyohara reached out and lightly flicked her forehead with his index finger.
"Don't do it again."
Hanabi's head tilted backward slightly from the flick, and she froze.
She had originally expected to be scolded. She had even thought that Lord Kiyohara might sternly reprimand her. She had never expected him to simply give her a light flick on the forehead.
Her pure white eyes, still glistening with tears, blinked several times. The tears were still circling in her eyes, but her expression had already changed from fear to confusion, and then from confusion to barely concealed delight.
"Lord Kiyohara... you're not angry?"
"Peeking isn't a good habit, but your Byakugan talent really is quite impressive. You're this young and can already see through walls to clearly observe what's happening outside."
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and straightened up.
"If you're interested, once you're a little older, I can take you as my student as well."
Hanabi's eyes instantly widened.
She opened her mouth, her lips trembling slightly from excitement. Then she threw herself at Kiyohara, wrapped both arms tightly around his waist, and buried her little face against his clothes.
"Really? Lord Kiyohara is really willing to take Hanabi as his student?"
Hanabi rubbed her head back and forth against Kiyohara's chest, messing up her short hair completely.
Kiyohara looked down at the girl who was even smaller than Hinata and reached out to pat the back of her head.
Hanabi was much stronger than other children her age. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, as if she were afraid that the moment she loosened her grip, he would change his mind.
"We'll talk about that after you've grown a little more. For now, focus on mastering your basic taijutsu. When the time comes, I'll check your fundamentals."
Hanabi lifted her head from Kiyohara's embrace and nodded vigorously.
There was still a trace of moisture in her eyes, but her mouth had already split into a huge smile, revealing two newly replaced little canine teeth.
Her expression of crying and laughing at the same time was somewhat comical, but she was far too happy to care.
As Kiyohara watched her excited appearance, his thoughts turned to something else.
He had not yet met the Hanabi from the other world.
He was rather curious about what she would eventually become.
Regardless of which world she came from, however, Hanabi's potential with the Byakugan should be considerable.
He patted Hanabi's shoulder, signaling for her to let go. Hanabi reluctantly released her arms from around his waist.
At the Hokage Tower.
After leaving the Hyuga compound, Kiyohara first returned to his office and dealt with several urgent documents before heading home.
He searched through his belongings for a while before taking out the cat maid outfit he had previously commissioned from a women's clothing shop.
It was primarily black, with a white apron trimmed with ruffles. The skirt reached roughly to the middle of the thighs and came with a pair of black cat-ear hair clips.
There was also a detachable cat tail.
And a pair of black stockings.
Kiyohara placed the outfit into a paper bag and then headed toward Konan's office.
Some time ago, before he went to the "Limited Tsukuyomi," he had also arranged an office for Konan.
Konan's office was located at the end of the third-floor corridor of the Hokage Building. Inside, mission scrolls and intelligence files were neatly arranged on bookshelves against the wall.
At this moment, Konan was sitting behind her desk, slacking off.
When she heard the door open, she raised her head and looked at Kiyohara with her amber-colored eyes.
"Kiyohara, you're back."
Her voice was as calm as usual, but the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile.
She was just about to stand when her eyes landed on the paper bag in Kiyohara's hand.
"What's that?"
"It's for you."
Kiyohara placed the paper bag on her desk.
Konan glanced at Kiyohara before reaching out and opening the bag.
She took the clothes inside and unfolded them.
Then her eyes widened.
"This is... for me to wear?"
Konan finally spoke, a clear note of uncertainty in her voice.
Her gaze moved back and forth between the cat ears and the cat tail, while the tips of her ears gradually took on a faint pink hue.
"Yes."
Konan stared at the cat-ear headband and cat-tail decoration. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Her ears had already turned completely red. She lightly pinched the black fabric of the outfit between her fingers before quickly letting go.
The material was very soft and of excellent quality. It was not some cheap outfit purchased casually from a random shop. It had been specially made to order.
"I've never worn anything like this before."
Her voice became slightly quieter, and there was a trace of hesitation in her tone.
"That's exactly why I wanted you to try it."
Kiyohara smiled slightly.
Konan lowered her head and stared at the cat-ear headband in her hands for a long while.
In the end, she still took a deep breath, carefully folded the clothes, placed them back into the paper bag, and carried the bag toward the storage room in the corner of her office.
When she reached the storage room door, she looked back at Kiyohara.
The tips of her ears were still bright red, but her tone had returned to its usual calmness.
"I'm going to change. Don't peek."
"Mm."
The storage room door closed behind her.
Rustling sounds came from inside as she changed, followed by a brief pause.
Then the door opened.
Konan stood in the doorway. One hand unconsciously tugged at the edge of her skirt, while the other hung at her side, her fingers curling slightly.
The cat-ear headband sat neatly on her blue hair. The black cat ears rose from between her strands, their tips trembling slightly, making them look almost like real cat ears.
The black maid outfit followed the contours of her figure, fitting closely around her upper body.
A white bow was tied at the collar, while the ruffled apron hung neatly around her waist. The hem of the skirt swayed lightly around the middle of her thighs.
The cat tail extended from beneath the back of her skirt, gently swaying with every step she took.
The black stockings wrapped around her legs from the tips of her toes to just beneath the hem of her skirt, emphasizing the shape of her legs.
Her blue hair remained in its neat, short style, but combined with the cat ears, her overall appearance seemed less cold and severe and much more adorable.
Konan stood at the entrance to the storage room, feeling increasingly uncomfortable beneath Kiyohara's gaze.
Her fingers repeatedly pinched and released the edge of her skirt.
She could feel Kiyohara's gaze moving from the cat ears to the cat tail, then from the cat tail to her legs wrapped in black stockings.
That intense gaze made her heartbeat involuntarily quicken.
"Come here."
Kiyohara extended a hand toward her.
Konan took a deep breath and walked toward him.
The cat tail swayed gently behind her. Her steps were slower than usual, but every step was steady.
She stopped in front of Kiyohara and raised her head to look at him.
Kiyohara reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him.
Konan's body stiffened slightly before gradually relaxing.
She stood between Kiyohara's legs, unsure where she should put her hands.
(End of Chapter)