"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
Hinata from this world was perhaps a little too kind to him.
Moreover, it seemed that she did not have those kinds of feelings toward Naruto.
That made Kiyohara somewhat curious about what Sakura was like in this world.
And how did Naruto view Sakura?
"Coming right up."
Teuchi answered with a cheerful laugh before turning around and getting busy behind the counter.
Steam rose from the pot where the noodles were being cooked, carrying with it the rich and savory aroma of the bone broth.
He took out a row of white porcelain ramen bowls. The seasonings had already been placed at the bottom of each bowl, waiting only for the noodles to finish cooking before they were added.
Big Sister Hinata sat sideways on a tall stool, resting her chin on one hand as she tilted her head and looked at Kiyohara's profile.
Her long, dark-blue hair slipped gently over her shoulder.
"Master, what was the best thing you ate while you were away these past three years?"
Kiyohara thought about it for a moment.
In the world he came from, Tsunade would occasionally cook for him. Most of the time, however, her cooking was about as unpredictable as her gambling.
"My own cooking, I suppose. Other than that, probably something cooked by a woman. Her cooking wasn't very consistent. Sometimes she would burn the food, but when she didn't, it actually tasted pretty good."
Kiyohara answered honestly.
Hearing this, Big Sister Hinata's eyebrows drew together slightly.
She pretended to ask casually, "Oh? What kind of woman?"
Her voice sounded deliberately unconcerned, but her eyes remained fixed on Kiyohara's expression.
"A friend."
Kiyohara did not elaborate.
Big Sister Hinata pursed her lips and was just about to ask another question when Uncle Teuchi came over carrying two bowls of ramen.
A large bowl of miso chashu ramen was placed in front of Hinata. A layer of glistening oil floated on the deep-brown miso broth. Five thick slices of chashu were arranged on top, along with half a soft-boiled egg, a small handful of bright green scallions, and two sheets of nori.
Kiyohara's shoyu ramen was just as generous.
Its broth was a clear amber color. The slightly smoky fragrance of soy sauce blended perfectly with the rich flavor of the bone broth. The egg white was tender and smooth, while the golden yolk trembled slightly within the half-cooked egg.
Big Sister Hinata broke apart her chopsticks and brought her hands together.
"Itadakimasu!"
Her way of eating ramen was completely different from the Hinata Kiyohara knew in his world.
Rather than taking small bites and patiently blowing on each mouthful to cool it down, she immediately picked up a large bundle of noodles with her chopsticks, puffed out her cheeks, blew on them twice, and then stuffed the entire bundle into her mouth.
Her cheeks bulged like those of a hamster.
Seeing her like this, the corners of Kiyohara's mouth lifted slightly.
He picked up his own chopsticks and placed a mouthful of noodles into his mouth.
The texture of the noodles was excellent.
"Master, you still haven't told me who that woman who cooked for you was."
Hinata swallowed the noodles in her mouth before picking up another slice of chashu.
"A teammate."
"What kind of teammate?"
The eagerness in Big Sister Hinata's voice was even more obvious than before.
She stuffed the piece of chashu into her mouth and chewed it several times with considerable force, as if the piece of meat were somehow the mysterious woman she had never even met.
"A teammate who specializes in medical ninjutsu. Her temper isn't particularly good, but she's a good person."
Hinata put down her chopsticks and picked up her glass of ice water before taking a sip.
The ice cubes inside the glass collided with one another with a crisp sound.
"Is she beautiful?"
Kiyohara's movement with his chopsticks paused for a moment.
He turned his head and glanced at Big Sister Hinata.
Big Sister Hinata had a feeling that the person Kiyohara was talking about could not possibly be Lady Tsunade, could she?
"Yes. She's very beautiful."
As soon as she heard his answer, Big Sister Hinata immediately asked, "More beautiful than me?"
"Beautiful in a different way."
Hinata froze for a moment.
The blush at the tips of her ears quickly spread across her cheeks.
She picked up her chopsticks and stirred the noodles in her bowl several times. The slices of chashu were pushed up and then buried beneath the noodles again. She accidentally pierced the soft-boiled egg, causing the golden yolk to slowly flow into the broth.
"Master, did you ever think about us during these three years?"
Hinata suddenly asked.
"You, Sasuke, and Naruto? I certainly have."
Kiyohara answered casually, deliberately giving her a vague response.
"I mean, did you ever think about me?"
She placed her chopsticks beside the bowl and took a deep breath before turning her head to look directly at Kiyohara with her pale eyes.
Kiyohara put down his chopsticks and met her gaze.
"Did you think about me every day before?"
Big Sister Hinata pressed the question, then quickly turned her head away.
"Never mind. Never mind. You don't have to answer. Just pretend I never asked."
She picked up her chopsticks again and shoved another large bundle of noodles into her mouth.
Kiyohara noticed the increasingly deep blush around her ears.
"That woman who cooked for you. Is she Master's lover?"
Hinata spoke again.
She clearly had no intention of letting the subject disappear so easily.
"You could say that."
Kiyohara replied.
Big Sister Hinata's eyes widened.
Yes should mean yes, and no should mean no.
What exactly did "you could say that" mean?
The corners of her mouth drooped slightly before she forcefully picked up another piece of chashu and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Adult matters are complicated."
Kiyohara reached out and lightly flicked her forehead.
Big Sister Hinata's head tilted backward slightly from the flick. She covered her forehead with one hand and pouted.
However, the expression only lasted for a moment before the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upward again.
"I'm already sixteen. I'm not a little kid anymore. In another two years, I'll officially be an adult."
Kiyohara rested his chopsticks across the rim of his bowl and looked at her.
"At your age, you're still too young to be worrying about marriage."
Big Sister Hinata abruptly turned her head toward him, her eyes slightly reddened.
"Did I say I was talking about myself? Why are you so eager to assume that I was?"
Kiyohara calmly picked up his chopsticks again and took the last piece of chashu from the bottom of his bowl.
"Nothing. I was just saying it casually."
Hinata glared at him.
She then picked up her chopsticks and stabbed the soft-boiled egg in her bowl with unnecessary force. The yolk broke completely and flowed into the broth, turning it a rich golden color.
Hinata opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.
In the end, however, she simply lowered her head and finished all the remaining noodles in her bowl.
She was no longer eating as quickly as before.
Instead, she ate very slowly, as though she were using the act of eating to conceal the fact that her thoughts had already wandered somewhere else.
…
Hyūga Clan Compound
Kiyohara sat beside a low tea table in the guest room, having changed into a simple gray yukata prepared by the Hyūga family.
The yukata was made from ordinary cotton and linen, but it had been washed very clean.
One hand rested on his raised knee while the other turned the pages of an old book lying on the tea table.
It was a geographical atlas concerning the Land of Fire.
Kiyohara was reading it to make sure that the geography of this world did not differ too greatly from that of his own.
The flame of the candle flickered gently beneath its lampshade, casting his shadow onto the wall behind him.
Footsteps came from the hallway.
"Master, are you asleep?"
Big Sister Hinata's voice came from outside the room.
"I'm not asleep. Come in."
The sliding door opened gently.
Hinata stood outside with a wooden tray in her hands. A plate of freshly cut fruit sat on the tray.
The apples had been cut into crescent-shaped pieces, the oranges had been separated into neat segments, and several freshly washed strawberries had been placed beside them.
Hinata stepped into the room and placed the tray on the low tea table before sitting down across from Kiyohara.
"I saw that the light in Master's room was still on, so I thought you might not have gone to sleep yet. I cut some fruit for you."
"Thank you."
Kiyohara placed the book face down on the table and picked up an orange segment from the plate.
The orange was very sweet, and its juice spread through his mouth.
Hinata sat opposite him with both hands resting on her knees, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her clothing.
"You're not going to eat any?"
Kiyohara asked.
"I am."
Hinata answered, but she did not reach for the fruit.
Instead, she simply looked at him expectantly.
Kiyohara glanced at her, then picked up a toothpick from the plate. He speared a piece of apple and held it out to her.
Hinata took the piece of apple and ate it.
The apple was crisp and sweet.
"Sweet?"
Kiyohara asked.
"Mhm. It's sweet."
Hinata nodded.
Kiyohara put down the toothpick and leaned back against his chair.
"Hinata, how much do you know about the Akatsuki?"
Big Sister Hinata paused.
She clearly had not expected Kiyohara to suddenly bring up this subject.
"The Akatsuki? Master, why are you suddenly interested in them?"
"Just asking."
Big Sister Hinata tilted her head and thought for a moment, tapping one finger lightly against her chin.
"The Akatsuki is a mercenary group. They're quite famous throughout the shinobi world. Their members are very strong, and most of the missions they accept are high-level commissions."
"Sasuke's older brother seems to have joined them. When Hokage-sama went out on missions before, he even hired them several times."
"They're considered a very capable mercenary organization, and their reputation is also pretty good."
Kiyohara nodded slightly.
It was more or less the same as in the movie version.
In this world, the Akatsuki really was a mercenary organization. It was simply a pure combat-oriented mercenary group that made money by accepting commissions.
"Do you know who their leader is?"
"I think his name is Yahiko. I've heard that he's someone with rather lofty ideals. Master, are you thinking about looking for them?"
"Perhaps."
Big Sister Hinata looked at him for a moment before standing up from her cushion.
"Then I'll head back first. Master, make sure you get some rest. I'll come back for the fruit plate tomorrow."
She walked to the doorway and slid the door open.
Before leaving, she turned around and looked at Kiyohara once more.
"Good night, Master."
"Good night."
The sliding door gently closed behind her.
The sound of bare feet stepping across the wooden floor gradually faded into the distance.
A moment later, the door to the room next door opened and then closed again.
Several seconds passed.
Kiyohara heard a muffled sound from next door, as though someone had fallen onto the bed.
He then heard another faint sound from the other room.
Kiyohara withdrew his attention and picked up the book he had left face down on the tea table.
He turned back to the page he had been reading.
However, he had barely read two lines before he closed the book again.
Kiyohara had suddenly sensed a chakra presence.
He placed the book on the tea table and stood up.
The hem of his yukata swayed gently with his movement.
He walked to the window and pushed the wooden shutters open.
A cool night breeze flowed into the room, carrying the clean scent of pine trees and damp earth.
"Since you're already here, come out."
Kiyohara spoke calmly into the darkness.
The area outside the window remained silent for two seconds.
Then, from the shadow of an ancient pine tree, a pale, semi-transparent figure slowly floated into view.
Kaguya.
Her body was a spiritual form condensed from chakra, making her appear almost unreal beneath the moonlight.
She wore a white Ōtsutsuki robe embroidered with magatama patterns. Her long hair floated gently in the night breeze.
There was no expression on her face.
She remained as calm as still water while staring directly at Kiyohara standing by the window.
Several seconds later, her figure disappeared from where she had been.
In the next instant, she appeared outside Kiyohara's window, hovering silently in midair.
"I have been observing you for quite some time."
Kaguya spoke in a voice that seemed almost ethereal.
"From the training ground to the ramen shop, and then to this room, your chakra is very unusual. I have never sensed chakra like yours anywhere on this planet."
Kiyohara looked at her without interrupting.
"From my observations, you do not seem to harbor any ill intentions toward this world. You did not harm that child at the training ground, and when you interacted with that girl at the ramen shop, you were also quite gentle."
She paused.
Her body floated slightly forward, bringing her closer to the window.
Moonlight passed through her semi-transparent body and cast a hazy patch of light onto the ground behind her.
"Furthermore, I sensed a particular aura within you."
Kaguya narrowed her eyes slightly.
The veins around her temples became faintly visible as she activated the visual power of her Byakugan and began examining Kiyohara's chakra network more carefully.
Her brows gradually furrowed.
"The aura of my own clan."
Kiyohara's eyebrows rose slightly.
He really did possess a considerable amount of Ōtsutsuki chakra within his body.
The nature of that chakra was extremely close to that of the Ōtsutsuki clan, and this world's Kaguya had obviously detected it.
"Although it is not exactly the same, you definitely possess the chakra of the Ōtsutsuki clan within your body. The density and nature of this chakra are not something an ordinary human could possess."
There was a trace of confusion in Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's voice.
"Who exactly are you? Why do you possess the chakra of my clan? And why have you come to this world?"
Kiyohara leaned against the window frame and crossed his arms.
"You asked three questions, but I only want to answer the last one. I came to this world because there are some things I need to take care of. At the same time, I want to verify a certain theory. Once I finish what I came here to do, I will leave."
Kaguya remained silent for a moment.
"Then, for the time being, I shall regard you as an ally."
Kaguya spoke calmly.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
He had not expected Ōtsutsuki Kaguya to take the initiative and approach him herself.
(End of Chapter)