Komatsu rushed up to Mamoru, scrambled onto the porch, and tightly grabbed his sleeve, asking with extreme anxiety, "Mamoru, where's my father? Where is he?"
His voice carried a sob, and his eyes were full of pleading.
Mamoru looked somewhat surprised at the nearly frantic Komatsu, then glanced at the unconscious Hiroshi on the porch.
"What's the rush? I'm a patient right now, be careful I don't sue you for damages." He forcefully pulled his sleeve back and pushed Komatsu away, his tone remaining flat.
"The sun has just come up. Can't you let your old man sleep a bit longer?"
"Mamoru, just tell him." Kurenai couldn't help but urge.
She knew exactly how Komatsu felt, she had nearly developed a nervous breakdown from his constant questioning along the way.
Mamoru nodded and pointed toward a certain direction inside the house.
His gaze then turned to Hinata, who was standing quietly to the side, and he smiled slightly, his tone softening. "Hinata, I'll leave it to you."
"Okay." Hinata understood immediately and nodded gently.
She then formed hand seals and shouted softly, "Byakugan!"
The veins around her eyes bulged. A few seconds later, she had the result. Withdrawing the technique, she pointed to a room deep in the courtyard. "Found him. In that direction."
"Let Hinata take you there." Mamoru said to Komatsu, gesturing toward Hinata with his chin. "Follow her, and you'll find your old man."
"Thank you."
Komatsu fell to his knees with a thud and kowtowed solemnly to Mamoru, his forehead touching the cool floor.
"Go thank the others. I only helped you for the money, nothing more." Mamoru didn't dodge but simply turned his head, responding bluntly as he calmly accepted the bow.
"In any case, thank you so much." As if he hadn't heard the explanation, Komatsu stubbornly continued to thank him, his voice choking with emotion.
"Fine. Just go already." Mamoru waved his hand, sounding slightly impatient.
When Komatsu looked up, his eyes were already red and swollen. He hurriedly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, stood up, and quickly followed Hinata and Shino as they headed toward where his father was.
Mamoru watched Komatsu disappear around the corner of the corridor before withdrawing his gaze.
His gaze fell back on Hiroshi, who was unconscious and swollen on the floor. He kicked him again with disgust and said, "Look at Komatsu. He didn't even give you a second look from start to finish. Yet you harbor such a grudge against him. I really don't see the point of what you've done."
The golden-red dawn in the sky was like the light of life. The morning sun gradually filled Nagakawa City, dispelling the last of the night's chill.
The courtyard was filled with the moisture and the fragrance of plants and trees unique to the early morning before the dew had dried.
Hiroshi struggled to lift his incredibly heavy eyelids. His swollen vision blurredly reflected Mamoru's silhouette against the light, and those double-edged words echoed in his ears. His eyes brewed with an emotion of utter grief and indignation yet helplessness, which eventually turned into a dead, gray despair.
Komatsu hadn't hit or cursed him, he had simply ignored him. This was more painful than being killed.
This made him involuntarily think of the past. Sakura had been the same. No matter how he showed concern or tried to please her, she always silently ignored him, focusing all her attention and tenderness on Okawara.
From beginning to end, she was never willing to give him a second look.
"You probably won't die, you bastard."
Mamoru looked up at the sky, which was painted in beautiful colors by the morning glow, and suddenly said a strange, nonsensical sentence—whether it was a lament or a verdict, it was hard to tell.
In an elegant room, Mamoru slowly opened his eyes.
A strange wooden ceiling came into view. He propped himself up on his arms and sat up, looking around the room in confusion.
Soft light slanted in through the door, casting dappled shadows on the tatami, and tiny dust motes danced slowly in the light beams.
Memories gradually returned—yesterday, after helping Komatsu find his father, they returned to Hiroki's residence. Until the Komatsu home was fully repaired, they would temporarily stay here. Even Komatsu's father was brought here to be settled.
Mamoru lifted the thin quilt and stood up, only then realizing he was wearing a blue sleepwear, the fabric comfortable and form-fitting.
He walked to the door and gently pulled the sliding door open.
Swoosh—
The sound of the paper door sliding open was especially clear. Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of grass and earth from the courtyard.
Mamoru stretched his body and took a deep breath before stepping out of the room and walking slowly along the porch.
After walking for a short while, faint voices drifted from around the corner.
It was Hiroki's steady voice. "Please don't be polite, feel free to instruct the servants if you need anything. Thanks to your tremendous help this time, the Nishimura Family was able to overcome this crisis..."
Mamoru turned the corner and saw Hinata and Shino sitting quietly under the veranda.
Hinata's hands were neatly placed on her knees, her back perfectly straight. Shino had his hands tucked into his pockets, listening to Hiroki with his head slightly tilted.
"Mamoru."
Hinata was the first to notice his footsteps. When she turned around, a faint smile appeared on her pale face, and the corners of her eyes curved slightly.
"You're awake." Shino nodded slightly, his expression under the sunglasses unclear.
"Mhm." Mamoru nodded in response, unable to help yawning, and rubbed his sleepy eyes.
He walked to the doorway, casually leaning his arm on the door frame. His other hand unconsciously scratched at his chest where his robe was open, and he greeted the two people inside lazily, "Yo, morning."
Kurenai looked at his casual appearance and couldn't help but shake her head lightly, though the corner of her lips held a helpless smile. "Mamoru, it's quite rude to walk around dressed like that."
She keenly noticed Mamoru's right hand. "Is your hand better?"
"Ah..."
Only then did Mamoru remember the injury on his right hand. He raised the bandaged palm. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten all about it."
After speaking, he raised his left hand, and a pale green light glowed in his palm, enveloping the injured area in soft light as he began treating his wounds.
"Is that the Mystical Palm Technique?" Kurenai's tone held clear surprise, her eyes widening slightly. "You even know a high-level Medical Ninjutsu?"
Mamoru said lightly, "Well... I just attended a half-day lecture at the Konoha Hospital. I listened, and then I knew how to do it."
In reality, he was deliberately showing off.
Kurenai, however, knew the difficulty involved. Mystical Palm Technique was a jutsu that many dedicated medical ninjas struggled to learn even after years of strenuous training. The fact that Mamoru could use it so casually made her secretly astonished.
(End of Chapter)
Read 50 Chapters ahead on
patreon.com/astralicity