"I see."
Kiyoshi nodded understandingly. Seeing his mature and sensible demeanor, Mikoto continued speaking:
"There are many other girls in the clan. You simply go out too little, Kiyoshi. Aside from missions, you barely leave your house, so it is only natural that you haven't met anyone."
Mikoto had only seen a few girls from Kiyoshi's class come looking for him. As for other girls of his age, she hadn't seen anyone visit. Within the clan, there seemed to be only Hazuki Uchiha.
However, Hazuki was rumored to have an ambiguous relationship with someone from another clan, and she was only slightly younger than Mikoto herself, making her much older than Kiyoshi.
"Alright."
Kiyoshi listened to Mikoto's comfort and nodded as if taking it to heart.
'Truly gentle, Mikoto-nee.'
The ocular power within Kiyoshi's pupils was surging. A woman like this would indeed make an excellent wife.
"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Mikoto-nee."
After chatting for a while longer, Kiyoshi took his leave. Haste makes waste. He only needed to steadily elevate his status in her heart, piece by piece, whenever she felt vulnerable. An emotionally stunted "victim" husband can never compete with a "bad boy" who knows the right things to say... wait, no, he was a black-haired boy, not a blonde one.
Mikoto did not notice the subtle smirk at the corner of Kiyoshi's mouth. Her mind was still a chaotic mess.
"Thank you for the Three-Color Dango," Mikoto thanked him. In an environment like this, eating sweets was nothing short of a luxury.
"If you still like them, I'll keep bringing them next time," Kiyoshi paused, leaving those words behind before finally departing.
"That child..."
Previously, Mikoto only thought of Kiyoshi as someone who was a bit intimidated by her but was hardworking and ambitious. Now, she discovered he had a gentle side as well.
...
In another part of the base, at the bathhouse.
The sound of splashing water echoed. Before long, Natsu Hyuga changed out of her standard ninja combat leggings and put on a short skirt. This area belonged to the rear, so the situation wasn't as dire as the front lines.
It was simply a bit more solemn than usual, but other regulations were loose. After finishing their duties, ninjas would find their own places to rest.
"This outfit..."
Natsu wore her usual black top, but her bottom was a short skirt that reached her knees. During their last encounter, Kiyoshi had very clearly looked at her with a burning gaze. As she grew older, Natsu fully understood the meaning behind that look.
What made her heart race was a certain suspicion in her mind. She suspected that even toward Lady Ginka, Kiyoshi might have...
At that thought, Natsu quickly shook her head and dried her hair with a towel. Such things were merely speculation. Ginka Hyuga was a member of the Main House—in other words, her status within the Hyuga was equivalent to that of an Elder. The Main House consisted of so few people compared to the rest of the clan. Natsu didn't think Kiyoshi would be so audacious as to cross a line with someone of such prominent status.
"Natsu, why are you..."
Tetsu Hyuga wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had just finished carrying several large crates of supplies, and red marks from the pressure still lingered on his shoulders. He was exhausted.
Just as he was looking for some water, he saw Natsu standing delicately not far away. The wind caught the corner of her plain short skirt, making her look like a white heron that had accidentally wandered into the base.
The sight felt like a drink of sweet mountain spring water to his parched soul. He felt a surge of excitement. 'Natsu is truly as beautiful as a celestial maiden when she dresses up.' The simple Tetsu could only think of such a comparison.
"What is it, Tetsu?" Natsu turned her head and asked.
"I just wanted to say... Natsu, you look beautiful today." Tetsu's face turned a deep red, and it took everything he had to force those words out. Immediately after saying it, he felt a wave of regret. He was afraid he had been too forward and frightened her.
"Is that so."
Instead of feeling pleased by the compliment, Natsu felt a deep sense of sorrow. The only reason she had dressed this way was for Kiyoshi Uchiha. If it weren't for the mess Lady Ginka had created, why would she have to sacrifice herself again and again?
Unfortunately, the Main House truly could do whatever they pleased to the Branch House. With a simple activation of the [Caged Bird Curse Seal], they could subject a Branch House member to agonizing pain.
Therefore, no one in the clan dared to be disrespectful to the Main House. Even Lord Hizashi was exceptionally respectful when facing other Main House members.
"Yeah, definitely," Tetsu replied foolishly, failing to see the hidden emotions in Natsu's eyes.
The Hyuga clan's rules were extremely strict. Men and women had to maintain a certain distance; otherwise, people would gossip. Aside from Natsu, whom he had grown up with, Tetsu rarely spoke to other Hyuga females, leaving his social experience very shallow. In such a stifling environment, Natsu was like a dancing butterfly that tugged at his heartstrings.
"I'm leaving now," Natsu bid him a polite farewell and walked toward Kiyoshi's tent. The rear bases of the Hyuga and Uchiha had merged and were divided into two sectors. However, for the sake of exchanging intelligence, members of both clans were constantly coming and going between the areas. Natsu walked toward the Uchiha sector.
"Still daydreaming?" Tokuma Hyuga patted Tetsu on the shoulder. He felt frustrated by his friend's lack of progress. Back when they were in class, the transfer student Kiyoshi Uchiha already had girls flanking him—it was either Rin Nohara or Kurenai Yuhi looking for him. Was Tetsu really going to be such a simp? In Tokuma's opinion, chasing a woman required taking the initiative; Tetsu's emotional intelligence was simply too low.
"Can't I just enjoy a smile?" Tetsu wiped his sweat. The only flaw he could think of was that Natsu had once gone into a cave to talk with Kiyoshi. He had no idea what had happened between them then.
Later, he noticed Natsu visiting Kiyoshi a few more times. This gave Tetsu a sense of hostility toward Kiyoshi. Just as animals instinctively guard their territory, Tetsu felt a sense of possessiveness over Natsu, his childhood sweetheart.
"Natsu probably went to find Kiyoshi Uchiha, didn't she?"
"Natsu went to find him?" Tetsu frowned. What could possibly be worth Natsu seeing him for now? They should have settled everything back then.
"Who knows." Tokuma shrugged and walked away with his water flask. He needed to get some water.
Tetsu's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. He didn't trust Kiyoshi. Anyone who could kill so many people during the Chunin Exams with an expressionless face was hardly a good person. A bad premonition grew heavier in his heart.
"Hey, you haven't met your quota for today's tasks yet."
Ginka Hyuga appeared, wearing a green flak jacket that emphasized her exceptionally full figure. Her smooth forehead was plain, without any markings. Tetsu didn't dare look for long and quickly lowered his head.
"Lady Ginka, I wanted to rest for a moment. I was going to—"
"Rest for what? You rest when you're finished. Tokuma already completed his goals for today, yet here you are slacking off." Ginka frowned. If she didn't keep an eye on these Branch House members, they would surely slack off.
Tetsu had plenty of complaints but couldn't voice them. He could only nod bitterly and hurry off to carry supplies, his heart racing with anxiety. It happened to be his turn for duty today, and a pile of newly arrived supplies was waiting to be moved.
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666